Whiskers & Purrs

Notice anything missing???

My feeding tube and e-collar are both GONES!!!  Learn about their dramatical departure on Monday's "Mazie Monday" post!!!

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Mazie Grace shows mommy a little lovin'...

Happy New Year's Day from Mazie Grace Graves

Dearest peoples on the innernet,

I hope all our dear friends on the innernets is safe and sound after gittin' their freak on last night in celebration of New Year's Eve.  I personally am glads to see 2011 bite the dust...it has been a hard year. But, we ain't gonna dwell on thats!  We is gonna think 'bout all the possibilities of 2012!

I was up bright and early this mornink.  I played with my toys and eated some crunchies on my own! Mommy always waits to see if I'mma gonna eat anything else before she feeds me through my feedink tube.  See, they really wants me to eats as much as I can on my owns and only use the tube as a supplements.  After I eated all I was gonna eat (it wasn't a lots but...every little bit helps me!), mommy gotted my Already Been Chewed Food ready.  Normally, when mommy feeds me through the tube, I go sound asleeps for at least a couple of hours.  That allows mommy time to git some stuff done before she has to give me my medicine.  Ain't it nice of me to be so considerate of mommy gittin' work done?

Well...today I wented to sleeps like I always do but...that lasted for 'bout 5 minutes...I was back up and playink and chasink my jingle bell balls and buryin' 'em in the litter box and everything!  I play play play play PLAYED for 'bout another hour.  

Then I checked my Facebook page and, well, now I am conked outs!  I think I will make some sleeps for now and dream 'bout the day this dang feedink tube is gone!

I hope you all have a wonnerful New Year's Day!  All of us in the Gang love each and every single ones of you!  MWAH!

Very truly yours,

Mazie Grace Graves
Social Director
Whiskers & Purrs Gang 

Update on Mazie Grace

Hi everyone,

Well...sweet little Mazie Grace is struggling to feel better.  For the last 2 days she has done nothing but sleep.  And, while, that may be normal for cats, it's not for Mazie.  She just doesn't feel well.  I've spoken with the vet and we both agree it is probably the amoxycillan that she is taking that's making her so tired and sad.  Unfortunately, the biopsy results indicated that the bugs in her intestines and liver are resistent to the only other drug that could get rid of them.  

Our plan is for me to keep an eye on her this afternoon and tonight.  If she continues to feel poorly, I will take her back to VRCC first thing on Friday morning.  They will do some bloodwork and check to see if anything else could possibly be going on.  At that point, we will make the call as to whether to continue the Amoxycillan or to discontinue.  She is supposed to be on it for 14 days.  We started on December 20th.  So...we still have 4 1/2 days to go.  It's so hard to see her so sad and droopy...but...if she really needs this medicine in order to get well, I will just love her through it.

Please continue to pray for my sweet girl...

All the best,

Jenny

Mazie Monday

Mazie Grace chillaxin' after playing with her Christmas Jingle Bell Balls!

Dearest peoples on the innernets,

It's me, Mazie Grace!  It's time for Mazie Monday.  All of us here in the Gang hope that all our dear friends on the innernets had the most wonnerfulest Christmas ever!

First, an update on me...I'm continuin' to heal from my operation.  I still don't particularly want to eat very much...mommy is so thankfuls we have the feedink tube.  I am thankfuls because of how very wonnerfuls it makes my tummy feel...Mmmmm...the warm already been chewed foods...slidin' into my tummy...it makes my belly feel all warms and cozy on the insides! It makes me purr just thinkin' 'bout it!  

And secondly, I got me some real cool presents from Santa Claws!  He bringed me all kinds of jingle bell balls!  Since I am blinds, all of my toys need to make noise so I will know where they is.  I play play played with them jingle bell balls all day yesterday.  I chased 'em, whapped 'em, growled at 'em, meowed at 'em, carried 'em around in my mouths and finally drowneded 'em in the water dish.  I have decided that jingle bell balls are way betterer toys than my former favorite toys...TAMPONS!

And, finallys, I am sad to report that my mommy has suffered a severe attack of them evil, mean boogers! They invaded her head on Christmas Eve night and she is in the fight of her life to git 'em outs of her head.  I know she is sick but she is completely gittin' on my last nerve with all the sneezin' and coughin' and nose blowin'...I sure hope this don't go on longs...I cannot have her upsettin' my sleeps schedule.

That's it for now.  I hope you all are havin' a good day after Christmas and to all of my friends in the UK, I hope your Boxin' Day is rockin'.  Remember on Mazie Monday, your beans have to stop what they is doin' when you walk into the room and start hummin' "Hail to the Chief".

Very truly yours,

Mazie Grace Graves
Social Director
Whiskers & Purrs Gang 

A message from Mazie Grace

Dearest peoples on the innernets,

This is Mazie Grace speakin'.  Guess whats?  I eated 'bout a tablespoon of Fancy Feast and then I chased a jingle ball all around the kitchen!  I actually played!!!  But I am so real tireds now, though...it really weareded me outs.  

Time for a nice warm, snoozy and cozy naps!

Hope you all have a good Christmas Eve!  Remember...he see's you when you's sleepinks.  He knows when you're awakes.  He knows when you've been bad or goods so...BE GOODS FOR GOODNESS SAKES!

Very truly yours,
Mazie Grace 

Mazie Grace folds the laundry

Dearest peoples on the innernets,

It's me...Mazie Grace.  I am talkin' in italics 'cause I am still pretty dang weak...but mommy says I'm a survivor...I'm a tough little broad and I'm gonna fight until I am all betters.  Although I'm still not feelin' so hots, mommy says shes thinks I look a little brighter and I'm startin' to git a little tiny bit of my fiestiness back...please keep sayin' prayers for me, 'kay?

Mommy has been workin' from home most of this week 'cause she has to feed me so frequently plus, she likes to keep an eye on me and make sure I don't pull my feedink tube outs.  So, while she was workin' today, she did some laundry, too...she taked everything outs of the dryer and put it on the kitchen table so she could fold everything...when she wasn't lookin', I decided to helps!

Look at what a mess mommy made...it was very important for me to lay downs on the clothes to iron out any rinkles.

And then I had to sniff eveyrthing and make sure it smelled right...you know...smelled like me.

I must tell you that foldink clothes is a very VERY tirink job...I think I must take a naps to regain my strength.

Thanks for comin' by to visit and...thanks for all your prayers.

Very truly yours,
Miss Mazie Grace Graves
Social Director
Whiskers & Purrs Gang 

Update on Mazie Grace

Hi everyone,

Yesterday Mazie Grace had her first post-op check-up appointment with her internist at the Veterinary Referral & Critical Care Hospital.  The doctor checked her incision from the exploratory surgery, the incision for the feeding tube, her overall health condition and also changed her bandage.  We also discussed the biopsy results and overall treatment plan.

As you might expect, Mazie once again charmed all of the folks that worked with her yesterday...I just had to laugh because the vet was actually making a "goo goo gah gah" noise while talking with my little Half-Pint! There's just no way to resist those tiny little deformed eyes and that sweet innocent face!

Her incisions are all healing beautifully.  She is tolerating the tube feedings incredibly well...in fact, she still LOVES the tube feedings...literally purrs so loudly and hard that I can feel her vibrating through the syringe once it's hooked to the feeding tube!  She hates having the e-collar on but...she's doing well with the one they designed for her.  It's smaller and allows her more access to things but...prevents her from harming the feeding tube and the incision for its placement.  Unfortunately, Mazie has not gained any weight...but, for the first week in a long time, she did not lose any weight, either!  So...for that we are thankful.

In terms of the biopsy results and diagnosis:

• Mazie Grace does have confirmed inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in the stomach and intestine. She has a mild amount of fibrosis (or scarring from the disease) in the intestine with the most severe being in the duodenum. 
• They found a few Helicobacter organisms in the mucus layer of the surface of the stomach.  
• They also did a liver culture that showed growth of Staph pseudointermedius (basically a liver infection).  Normally they would not treat for Helicobacter unless it was found deeper in the gastric organs (as opposed to the surface of the stomach) but since they found this staph infection in the liver plus the Helicobacter in the stomach, they are going to treat for both.

The doctor said that sometimes bacterial infection is a true cause of clinical signs but other times these pathogens may be either contaminents, part of the normal flora or not the cause of the clinical signs at all. She felt, regardless, it was very important that we treat for the bacteria.  Then, once we are 10 - 14 days post-op, we will start treating with prednisolone (steroid) for the IBD.

I am continuing to try to entice my little booger to eat on her own.  We are supplementing her diet with the tube feedings so...please continue to pray that little Mazie starts to gain weight.  We go back to VRCC for another check-up on Tuesday, December 27.  Please pray for weight gain and a healthy appetite!  We want to get that feeding tube out so Mazie can get back to being with the rest of the Gang.  She hates being in the kitchen!

As always, thank you all for your support and prayers.  We certainly appreciate all of your kindness!

All the best,

Jenny

A Git Well Card for Mazie

Dearest peoples on the innernets,

Well, as of Saturday night, I started to be a little bits more active...I nearly drived mommy crazy...'cause I was gittin' into everything that SHE says I'm not supposed to git into in the kitchen...silly mommy, don't she realize that it's MY kitchen and I can git into anything I pleases?

I still do not want to eats...well, that ain't exactly true...I wants to eat but it makes me gag so...I steer clear of foods...even CRUNCHIES!  Can you believe that?

We forgot to show you the nice git well card that them nice peoples from the Veterinary Referral & Critical Care Hospital (VRCC) sended me home with...wasn't that thoughtfuls???  Mommy put it up on the frigeratator since that will be my room for the next few weeks.  Do you like the kitty magnet?  Mommy says it looks like me...well...if I was fatterer and my eyes wasn't boogered ups.

Anyways...time for me to go back to sleeps...mommy just gived me my midnight feedink usin' my feedink tube...Mmmmm...I like my feedink tube!  I just lay down in my heated bed with my big pink blankits and mommy brings big gigantical syringes full of my very special foods that she has warmed up a little bits...Mmmm...it's warm and cozy as it goes into my tummy through the tube...I relax and usually fall asleeps while she is feedink me.  And I always purr very real louds the entire time 'cause mommy rubs my back as she is puttin' the food in the tubes.  Mommy always covers me up so I don't git colds...they had to shave off LOTS of my furs to do my surgery so...my fuzzy blankits and my heated bed keep me warms!  It's wonnerfuls!

Here's a picture of me right after mommy finished up tonight's midnight snack:

 
Time to go back to sleeps.  I hope you all have a wonnerful Sunday!

Very truly yours,
Mazie Grace 

The true spirit of Christmas: A diagnosis for Mazie Grace

Hello everyone,

This morning when I went to feed Mazie Grace, it was obvious she was experiencing quite a bit of nausea. The vet had told me this was to be expected post-op and that I should call, leave a message for her and she would call me back and we could develop a plan.  Well, that's exactly what transpired.

Since she is on call this weekend, obviously the vet's first priorities are the patients they have in the hospital and any emergencies that came in overnight.  Mazie was resting quite comfortably so there was no real rush.  While I waited on the callback, I focused on spending time with my Mazie...giving her kisses every chance I could and, hopefully, helping her know and feel how very much she is loved and what a HUGE part of this household she is.

Around 1:30, I was just wrapping up a tube feeding with Mazie when Dr. Rios called me back.  We talked through the nausea and made a plan to manage it.  We talked about the restorative sleep Mazie is getting, how very important sleep is to the healing process and how much she LOVES the tube feedings...and I do mean LOVES.  Quite honestly, the biopsy results were the last thing on my mind...I guess I had filed it away as a "Monday or Tuesday" event that I would somehow manage to deal with when it happened.  In all honesty, I have not had a good feeling about what the results will tell us...I've been expecting the worst.

As I'm sure you can imagine, my heart stopped when Dr. Rios said "This morning when I came in I received Mazie's preliminary results from the Colorado lab"...I mean, seriously, my heart stopped...I don't think I actually breathed in oxygen for, like, maybe 5 whole minutes...I just stood there, holding the phone...dumbfounded...afraid of what I was about to hear.

"The preliminary results show inflammatory bowel disease.  I will get the full report on Monday but this is good news.  No lymphoma," said Dr. Rios, the most wonderful veterinary internist in the whole world.

Normally I can manage my emotions...I'm not a cryer in public...I might fall apart once I am alone but I don't think I've ever just burst into tears...uhm, well...at least not until today.  At the end of her "no lymphoma" statement I sobbed like a baby...I'm talkin' "The.Ugly.Cry".  I don't quite remember much of the conversation that ensued, what with all the ugly cryin' going on, but...I just know, while IBD is a nasty disease, it's manageable and my little girl can lead a happy life and get back to doing the very important Whiskers & Purrs Gang social directing work that she does so very well.  

The bottom line is that I am so thankful...and grateful.  Thankful that my little Mazie Grace does not have lymphoma.  Grateful that she will be with us and be happy.  I'm also completely blown away by the outpouring of care and concern that has come from all around the world...yesterday alone we had a record number of hits to the blog...our Facebook pages have been lit on fire with friend requests and comments.  Complete strangers have been sending me emails voicing support, concern and offering suggestions.  All I can say is "WOW"!

If you stop and think about it...this really is the spirit of Christmas...not Santa Claus or presents or parties or any of that crap...for me at least, the true spirit of Christmas is people from all around the world, rallying around this poor little helpless blind cat...such a little underdog...loving her and praying for her.  To every person that has been there for us, I want you to know that I will never forget your kindness and support.  Every prayer, good thought and kind word you have shared to help us get through this stressful time means more than you can ever know.  I will always be grateful for your kindness.  

And so, little miss Mazie Grace will be continuing to enjoy her pain medications for a few more days as her tiny little body heals.  We go back to VRCC on Tuesday for a check of her feeding tube and overall health condition.  The vet will receive a more detailed report of her condition and we will work out a treatment plan.  Mazie will be on prednisone for the rest of her life...but that's okay...she will be happy and as healthy as possible...and loved always.

Thank you all for your kindness.  I am blessed.

All the best,

Jenny