Celica Blue and Lymphoma: Remission in Sight?

Going into the sixth round of chemo – the latest on Aug. 31 – Celica Blue continues to be the perfect cat.

She’s the darling of the oncology department at Central Hospital with everyone ooohing and ahhing over her as she’s being examined and treated.

In fact, her oncology team – Dr. Olmsted, Tara, and Allyson – sent her an adorable card for her second birthday, which was Aug. 12.

The best news is that “~2cm mid-abdominal mass is not palpable,” according to the most report we received; a report is dutifully emailed to me after each visit.

This sixth chemo treatment (Adriamycin) marks a milestone. The next visit will consist of an ultrasound to see exactly where we stand on the “large mesenteric mass thought to be a group of enlarged lymph nodes.” The full blood workup and urinalysis were perfect.

Even if we dare to consider this a remission, Dr. Olmsted recommends another 6 to 12 rounds of chemo extending every two to three weeks rather than every week. She added that microscopic cells could remain. In reality, the treatments have been pretty much every two weeks, so I would discuss going for every three weeks, especially considering the cost.

I also want to pursue a couple of holistic supplements and will look at a phone consult with Dr. Stephen Tobin.

Considering the dire nature of the initial diagnosis, Celica Blue has not acted sick for a single day since treatment has been underway. Her weight is perfect, appetite hearty, and activity level on par with a young cat – she does pirouettes chasing her fishing pole toy and jumps to the top of the bookcase to knock down Rocky Raccoon in the beat-up hatbox. She comes up on the bed and lays on top of me for our morning commune and crawls under the covers when it gets a bit chilly.

The term you always want to hear in an illness like this is “cure.” With lymphoma, however, it’s “long-term remission” that we’re looking for.

Do I dare bring up the expense involved here? A quick calculation between out-of-deep-pockets and what I’ve put on a credit card (and paying more than the minimum) is at least $6,000. The last visit alone was more than $800 with the extra bloodwork, urinalysis, and a short acting anesthetic. Laurie Goldstein set up a youcaring.com donation page; so many people have generously donated!

Fighting Celica Blue’s lymphoma is not a matter of dollars and cents – I feel lucky that we’ve been able to deal with the expenses thus far. It’s the joy of having her do so well and being with us every day despite having a serious illness.

Part 1: Celica Blue and Lymphoma: The Journey Begins

Part 2: Celica Blue and Lymphoma: Two Weeks In
Part 3: Celia Blue and Lymphoma: Round 3