Ding Dong! My Cat’s Okay
Furry kids have been an important part of my life my entire life. I’ve always had pets and I’ve loved them all. However, I’ve been particularly bonded with some more than others. The four that come to mind right away are my childhood cat, Andy.
Princess the horse.
Fargo the dog.
And cat Lady Jane, whom I adopted in 2007 at the age of approximately 3 ½. She blesses George and I in our home together every day. (It’s Lady’s house; let’s face it.)
Lady had been occasionally coughing/wheezing long enough I got concerned and booked a vet appointment for the first time in several years. Lady is a perfectly content indoor cat not exposed to anything other than what George and I and our guests bring in – so I saw no need to keep up with regular vaccinations.
Besides, I have an issue with pharmaceutical drug prescription in this county. (Forgive me if you work for a pharmaceutical company or pharmacy. I’m sure your heart’s in the right place.)
Don’t get me wrong. I’ve had bladder infections severe enough to warrant antibiotics. I’ve had my wisdom teeth removed, a breast biopsy (benign) and uterine surgery to remove a fibroid – all involving pharmaceuticals (to put me under, dull the pain, and keep me from developing infections afterwards) – all with good results. I take two aspirin when I get a headache. Western medicine has its place in the world.
Yet as a claims professional for many years, I witnessed, over and over, the debilitating effects of over-prescribing medication. I’d “pay” (meaning approve the bills, as it was my job) for a surgery some doctors didn’t advise, but the attending physician and/or surgeon did. Then hundreds of dollars per month for opiate-based pain medications while the surgery often made the injured worker’s condition worse, even after thousands of dollars-worth of physical therapy. Then, sometimes, rehab for the patient’s addiction to those medications two years later.
Forgive me if I’m bit jaded.
Lady Jane hates being put into a crate. (She was in the shelter for a year and a half before I adopted her; I can’t say I blame her.) I was already stressed, worried and scared about the possible diagnosis before the day of the appointment came and George and I wrangled Lady into the crate.
She was terrified. We were anxious and jumpy. It was a little like a preview for Big Brother.
After the initial examination and questions, we were asked to leave Lady at the clinic for blood work and a chest X-ray. None of this made any of us feel better, although the staff was perfectly cordial and they had free exotic coffee and tea in the lobby.
$479.94 later, this is what we learned:
*Lady has rock star super healthy blood for a coming-up-on-14-year-old cat.
*No evidence of elevated white blood cells.
*On radiology review, something a bit odd at the bottom of her lungs which could be something like movement because of fat, or a bit of fluid, which could mean a pneumonia-like or bronchial something, which probably wouldn’t be asthma.
*For possible asthma, treat with a trial of steroids, to see if it works.
*For possible bronchial infection, treat with a trial of antibiotics, to see if it works. To be sure of the diagnosis, you’d need to extract lung fluid.
*But never treat for both at the same time.
Good freakin’ grief.
Then I was asked if she’s eating, drinking, pooping, peeing okay? Yes, she always was.
I was worried about the cough, not Lady.
Lady is fine. She coughs sometimes. So do I. I spent nearly $500 to discover this, and my utter relief it wasn’t anything serious and my furry girl will be with us for quite some time to come.
Any of us can go into auto pilot about anything.
My pet is sick! How can I cure her?
Give her this medication and we’ll see if it works. If it doesn’t, we’ll try something else.
I’m anxious and I can’t stand my job anymore, even though I’m successful and making a lot of money. What should I do?
Take this Xanax. You’ll feel better. If that doesn’t work, we’ll try something else.
It may work for a while. Until it doesn’t.
You can put a Band-Aid on the symptoms and keep doing what you’re doing.
Or you can change the channel away from Big Brother and listen to your heart without question.
Oh, and if your heart truly does need medication, let’s celebrate modern medical miracles and your compassionate cardiologist! Amen.
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Authentically Yours, Laura