Cozmo

This page is for everyone interested in Cozmo's progress with his cancer. Thank you for all the prayers and e-mails expressing your good wishes. If anybody has any questions or comments, please feel free to e-mail me. I will post updates when I can. - Again, thank you for your support, Michelle and the Jacobson family.

I am documenting this "experience" because I had seen another web site do this with her cat. The information contained in her documentation helped me immensely and I hope mine will help others as well.--Michelle

3/13/01- Brought Cozmo to the vet today because we noticed he had lost some weight. He was acting normal and I had seen him eat so I wasn't too alarmed. The vet said he weighed 11 lbs. and did a quick exam. Nothing stood out after his physical exam so he gave Cozmo his Rabies shot. In retrospect I should have pushed him to do a blood test. The Rabies vac. was like throwing gasoline into the fire with cancer.

3/30/01- Cozmo was still loosing weight, and becoming more lethargic and unsociable. I was beginning to get alarmed. I knew something was wrong. Seriously wrong. I could see it in his eyes. I made an appointment at the University of Florida vet school. It is 3 hours away, but at most vet schools you get the best care at the lowest cost.

4/2/01- My suspicions confirmed. Cozmo had the dreaded Caner. Lymphosarcoma to be exact. A tumor in his kidneys and GI tract. His kidney levels were severely elevated and he was dying. The vet explained that lymphoma respond well to chemotherapy and he has a good chance of going into remission with a good quality of life for 8-12 months or longer. I wanted to give him a chance, I really had to. He is such a good cat and I don't think I could have lived with myself if I didn't try. So despite the cost (which is a lot), we decided to go through with it. The vet believes he will bounce back because he is young (5) and he is FIV negative. He received his first chemo. and will get prednisone and pepsid once a day.

4/5/01- Cozmo hasn't been improving as quickly as expected. His kidney values aren't improving much and he isn't eating. It is touch and go and he will have to stay at least until Sat. I was very worried and upset. Made a drive to go see him tonight just in case he got worse.

4/7/01- We brought Cozmo home today. He had started to improve rapidly Friday afternoon (thanks for all your prayers). Guess he is wasn't going to give up that easily. He still weighs 8.9 lbs (same as when he was admitted). His kidney values have come way down and he is eating again. He is still very weak and tired, but they let us take him home with a lesson in SubQ fluids. I have hit the health food store to stock up on all the anti-cancer vitamins and herbs I have read about, bought a few books, and will pray. The vet school, doctors and interns were wonderful.

4/9/01- Cozmo had his second chemo today which he tolerated rather well. We transferred him to the Affiliated Veterinary Specialists Center in Maitland because it is much closer. Dr. Randall said his kidney values have continued to improve but his Red Blood Cell count is really low. She gave him Cytoxan this time. Since he is anemic, they will test his blood next week before chemo. I am force feeding him a liver/beef liquid concoction full of vitamins and herbs, and using flower essences. He tolerates it, but doesn't like it. He doesn't seem as tired and is a little more sociable. No nausea (yeah!) and he now weighs 8.95 lbs. I am cautiously optimistic.

4/10/01- Took Cozmo to my homeopathic vet to come up with a nutritional plan. We discussed herbs and nutrition while Cozmo got a dose of acupuncture. Important vitamins and herbs to incorporate are Vit. A (from cod liver oil) 10,000IU daily, Vit.C (ester) at least 500 mg daily and E (100 IU daily), B complex, Selenium, grape seed, Coenzyme Q10, Protein maximizer, Spirulina, Alfalfa, Red Clover, and Kelp. She also made me a tangkuei herbal mixture to be given a few times daily and lymphomyosot (homeopathic mixture). Other foods can include Liver (cooked or raw up tp 3-4 times per week), lamb, cooked cod, Salmon, Sardines, Chicken, Turkey, egg yolk, sweet potato, add parsley for stomach upset if necessary. Hopefully with his added nutrition protocol he will be able to fight the cancer better. I guess only time will tell.

4/17/01 - Third chemo today. His Reb Blood Cell count is just a smidge higher than last time, but he is starting to get a little spunk back. He lost 5 oz. even though I am force feeding him at least three times a day. As for good news, his kidney values have steadily improved. He received a new chemo drug called Vincristine. She told me to be on the look out for blood in the urine, but it is rare. He is really hating all these vet visits, but as always, he is very forgiving (especially for a cat).

4/24/01 - Fourth chemo for Cozmo today. She did Vincristine again because his red blood cell count is still low. She recommended more blood tests to determine if his body is trying to make more red blood cells or not at this point. If he is, he will need some time to get back up to where he needs to be. If not, they can give him medication or do a blood transfusion. Let's hope for good news on that one. I guess the good news is he gained 3 oz. He now weighs 8.75 lbs. He is acting more like normal except he still has trouble eating and he doesn't purr as nearly as loud as he used to. He is still being force fed my two concoctions, and herbal mixture and some cat ensure. Blood work came back good. He is trying to make more RBC on his own.

4/25/01- A visit to the homeopathic vet today. At least this one feels good as compared to yesterday. He got a second acupuncture treatment today which was very soothing to him. he almost fell asleep and looked a little stoned. The vet said it released endorphins in the brain, which I totally believe based on his response. She also did a little chiropractic manipulation because I told he how he is having trouble eating. She thinks his jaw might have been out. We got a new herbal mixture and some Bao He Wan for his stomach. At least he doesn't mind when I bring him here.

5/3/01- Fifth chemo today, vincristine again. His red blood count is only up about 2 % (PCV of 20%), but he is still trying to make more cells according to the blood work. He gained 1.5 oz (yeah!), back up to 8.9 lbs He is eating much better and a lot more these days. I wonder if his jaw has anything to do with it? He definitely has more energy since I saw him picking on one of the other cats. He also began to purr like normal again. He seems like his old self, I hope he continues to improve. I will space the chemo treatments out to every 10-11 days to try and give him a little more recovery time in-between. It seems like a big guessing game at to what to do and when, but what ever we are doing I guess it is working. It is amazing to look at him now feeling like his old self all the while thinking he would be dead right now if he had not gotten him treatment. Despite it being a rough time financially for us right now, I am glad we did it.

5/8/01- Acupuncture today, you can tell he likes it and he is definitely feeling something. At least he has some vet trips he likes. He blood work came back good. He is still trying to regenerate red blood cells. Trying to find a good dry food he will eat has been challenging. Ingredients wise, the best one I have seen is Natural Balance, but he is too picky to eat it.

5/14/01- 6th chemo today, Vincristine again. He is not regenerating RBC anymore and he is still anemic. He lost 9 oz, which depresses me. I will have to start force feeding him more often again. We are increasing the Predinsone to 10 BID, adding Cyproheptadine for appetite, and starting oral chemo every other day using Leukeran. Hopefully he will tolerate all this but I will add it slowly.

5/16/01- Cozmo is still not feeling well today. He usually feels crummy after the chemo for a few days but he is not bouncing back as well this week. We bought some canned rabbit as the suggestion of our homeopathic vet and he eats a little of it off and on. He has been scratching at his food as if he is trying to bury it. The vet said he might me nauseated. I will try nux vomica to see if that will help. The Cyproheptadine is a antihistamine that stimulates the appetite in cats and dogs. The only side effect is that he is meows more. Strange, but the vet said it is a normal side effect. If he doesn't start getting stronger soon, we may have to do a blood transfusion. I was hoping to avoid that.

6/22/01- I decided to start doing a monthly synopsis due to the fact it is too draining to write after every appointment and there are just too many details and changes to keep track of.. This month there has been some ups and downs, literally. Just when he goes up in something, he goes down in another, however overall he has been making progress. One week he lost 13 oz. but gained 3 back last week. Cozmo now weighs 8 lbs. He RBC count has gone up and he is almost now anemic anymore and his blood work and kidney values are great. The tumor is getting smaller and he is feeling much better. His fur is still not growing back from where they shaved him the first week, but I guess with chemo that is pretty normal. We will keep on the IV Chemo while increasing the oral chemo. Partly due to the fact this is getting pretty expensive. But if he is making so much progress I feel like I have to carry on. I get tired though of all the pilling and I still force feed him at least 2-3 times a day. I am using a concoction of herbs, vitamin's, protein powder, coconut milk, goats milk and a little juiced carrots, YUM. However it is pretty high in fat and calories and nutrition. Hopefully he will continue to make progress.

7/28/01- Another month of setbacks. Cozmo is losing more weight and his red cell count dropped a bit. His doctor is on vacation so Cozmo is on a chemotherapy vacation as well. Yesterday he started limping and his left inner eyelid is not retracting all the way. I suspect it could be a small stroke which could only mean he is getting worse. I will bring him to the vet Monday morning to get maybe some potentially very bad news I suspect. I am afraid the end is near, but I know I did everything possible to give him a chance. At least this gives me some peace.

8/2/01- Cozmo was put to sleep today. The doctor said he is limping because the cancer made it's way into his central nervous system. We did all we could do and I felt it was time to let him go. I let him lay on a blanket outside where he liked to be and the vet came to our house. She gave him a sedative first and then the drugs to stop his heart once he was asleep. It was very peaceful. I am heartbroken, but I know he is in a better place and that we will meet again one day.

Thank you everyone for your prayers.

Michelle

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