Today I went with Floris to Utrecht for his CTscan. Bad news: the poor guy has developed pulmonary metastases. He also has a local (though small) recurrence of the tumor. I had felt that last one, but, of course, the lung problems are not visible unless one uses CT or Xray- or unless the cat has breathing problems. Which he does not have. Until one week ago I really thought we had got away with it and he would be disease-free.
It will be a question of weeks now, I am afraid, or some months at best. The faculty will keep in touch with me each week to keep posted about how he is doing.
Still, I am glad I did try this therapy. Feline sarcomas are killers, and Floris is one of the longest survivors known. And the year since the operation has been a happy one for both of us; he had an excellent quality of life, and still has, for that matter. It would have been far worse if we had tried operating again and again with each recurrence worse than the previous tumor.
Still, I am really sad; I had not really reckoned with this- although the possibilty was in the back of my brain all the time, of course.
At the moment he is sleeping off the last vestiges of his anaesthesia, nicely above the radiator :-) I expect him onto my bed again tonight, where he slept since he was a baby.
