 |
| Orlan down near where the lilies grow |
About
a week and a half before Orlan ended up being anesthetized for a thorough exam
and mass removal I felt an odd spherical form on his right side. I wasn't
sure if I had felt correctly. A week later I felt the same area, and
there was no doubt that Orlan had some kind of mass on his right side. I
ran my hands over both sides of his body and was alarmed by the asymmetry.
It felt like a thick water balloon or a large cyst in a human breast, and
it nearly filled my hand. By the time we went to the veterinarian's on
Monday, July 14, it felt larger and more separate from his belly fat and filled
my hand.
On
July 14, 2014, a mass about 2.5" in diameter was removed from Orlan's
lower-side abdomen. All of it was removed and sent out for pathology.
Only a tiny bit of muscle was cut; the mass was mostly surrounded my
fatty tissue.
Orlan
came home with a huge bandage surrounding his body. It was very hard to
see him this way; he wobbled and swayed to stand and try to walk. Somehow
he managed to get up on the bed that night using his stool to sleep on his
corner of the bed. I could hardly sleep. His breathing was so
shallow.
 |
| Orlan at home with his huge bandage from having a mass removed |
July
15, 2014
I cut
the bandaged off of him; it had slid down his body past the incision during the
night immobilizing his legs. Feeling fully recovered from the anesthesia, he
tried to do everything as if nothing had happened. He ate and attempted
to kick his food ball.
 |
| Orlan trying to feel better. |
July
16, 2014
Worn
out and realizing he'd had major surgery, he lost is appetite completely.
It was hard to see him this weak and shrinking. I had to wet cat
candy and feed it to him with my hands. He was too weak to get up to eat.
Thankfully,
Orlan continued to find water to drink and use his litter pan.
 |
| Fluid Pooled with Bruising on Belly |
July
21, 2014
The
pathology report came in this morning. A sarcoma, cancerous tumor, had
been removed with clean-margins, meaning that no tumor was left behind.
The type of sarcoma removed has a low potential to metastasize, and if it
returns, it will be in the same area.
Be
sure to check your cats for lumps beneath their fluff.
 |
| Orlan
went outside to walk down to the lily garden and back up to the house again. |
Orlan
says:
My
strength has returned. I can hop like a
bunny and sing with great resonance.
I
catch the fishing pole toy's fishing pole stick.
I
carry my favorite doll Leo around the bedroom.
©2014
D. Moss
