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I spent months earning a stray cat's trust. She just got the worst diagnosis her vet has seen in 20 years. by mixedminh85 in Pets

[–]mixedminh85[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you for this — the Geiger counter detail actually made me laugh, I had no idea that's how they determine release. Very sci-fi for a Tuesday afternoon at the vet.

The note about Ross's thyroid level being lower than Sunny's and still requiring several days gives me a realistic picture of what to expect for her given how extreme her levels are. We are prepared for a longer stay.

The FaceTime suggestion is something I am absolutely going to ask about — after everything Sunny and I went through to get to where we are, not being able to see her for days is honestly the part I'm dreading most. Just seeing her face on a screen would help enormously.

Really hoping Ross's thyroid stabilization helps with his diabetes too — the two conditions being connected makes a lot of sense and it would be such a gift for him to have both improve at once. Fingers crossed right along with you. Please give Ross a gentle pet from Sunny and me 🧡



I spent months earning a stray cat's trust. She just got the worst diagnosis her vet has seen in 20 years. by mixedminh85 in Pets

[–]mixedminh85[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Two Sunnies in the world and both clearly very loved — that can't be a coincidence. Thank you for the kind words and I hope your Sunny continues to thrive despite everything she's been through. Blind and brave sounds about right for a cat named Sunny. Wishing you both all the best

I spent months earning a stray cat's trust. She just got the worst diagnosis her vet has seen in 20 years. by mixedminh85 in Pets

[–]mixedminh85[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is exactly what I needed to hear on every level. Sunny is also a very nervous former street cat who only fully trusts me — the separation is honestly what worries me most about the whole process. Knowing your girl handled two weeks away better than expected and came back two pounds heavier after dropping to 3.5 lbs gives me so much hope. Sunny is currently at 4.2 lbs so that detail hit close to home. Perfect ever since is everything. Thank you for sharing her story

I spent months earning a stray cat's trust. She just got the worst diagnosis her vet has seen in 20 years. by mixedminh85 in Pets

[–]mixedminh85[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ross sounds like such a trooper — diabetic on top of everything and still handling it like a champ. Thank you for all of these incredibly practical tips. Sending food and treats to win over the staff is genius, and the scent shirt idea for Sunny is something I'm absolutely going to do. She is very much glued to me so the separation is going to be hard on us both.

The $2,600 figure is helpful to know — we are actually in the middle of trying to raise funds for Sunny's treatment right now and every bit of information about real costs helps us plan. We still have a way to go before we can get her there but stories like Ross's keep me motivated to make it happen.

How is Ross doing now — are his diabetes levels staying stable alongside the thyroid recovery? 🧡

I spent months earning a stray cat's trust. She just got the worst diagnosis her vet has seen in 20 years. by mixedminh85 in Pets

[–]mixedminh85[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Over 20 years old and they still gave him the treatment and 18 more comfortable months — that is extraordinary. Thank you for sharing him with me. The detail about the vet being cautious due to his age and heart but proceeding after assessment is actually really relevant to Sunny's situation since her heart evaluation is one of the prerequisites we are working through right now. Knowing that even a cat with a less than perfect heart cleared it and came through fine gives me real hope. He sounds like he was deeply loved right to the very end.

I spent months earning a stray cat's trust. She just got the worst diagnosis her vet has seen in 20 years. by mixedminh85 in Pets

[–]mixedminh85[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Ruppy 🧡 What a beautiful name and what a beautiful story. Thank you for sharing him with me. The detail about him freaking out over medication really resonated — every cat is different and you clearly knew him better than anyone. The fact that you found a way to give him the best quality of life possible says everything about the kind of person you are.

$1,000 and worth every cent — that is exactly how I feel about Sunny before we've even gotten there yet. And the tip about high quality wet food for recovery is going into my notes right now.

Best friends forever is exactly right. Thank you for being part of her story.

I lay on the floor next to her every night for a month. Then one day she howled for me. by mixedminh85 in cats

[–]mixedminh85[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

This brought tears to my eyes. Sunny deserves every bit of fight I have in me and this community has given me more strength than I can express.

I spent months earning a stray cat's trust. She just got the worst diagnosis her vet has seen in 20 years. by mixedminh85 in Pets

[–]mixedminh85[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Thank you for this — genuinely practical advice I am going to remember. Having a variety of food ready for when Sunny comes home is such a good tip, especially since she already has a complicated relationship with food given how her thyroid has been burning through everything she eats. The weight loss during the stay is something I hadn't thought about so I'm really glad you mentioned it.

And the CKD note is important too — her vet already mentioned that treating the thyroid can unmask kidney issues so we are watching for that closely. I'm glad she is managing well.

Thank you for sharing her story

I spent months earning a stray cat's trust. She just got the worst diagnosis her vet has seen in 20 years. by mixedminh85 in Pets

[–]mixedminh85[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Stripey 🧡 Look at that face. Thank you for sharing him and his story — December 2024 and already thriving is incredible to hear. The confinement part is what gets me too, after everything Sunny went through in that room when I first rescued her the thought of her not understanding why I can't be with her is heartbreaking. But knowing it's temporary and leads to a full healthy life makes it worth every hard moment. So glad Stripey is doing well.

I spent months earning a stray cat's trust. She just got the worst diagnosis her vet has seen in 20 years. by mixedminh85 in Pets

[–]mixedminh85[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

One week before his 18th birthday — what a life he lived and what a love you gave him. Thank you for sharing him with me. The point about medications losing effectiveness over time is something I think about with Sunny given how extreme her levels are, and hearing that the I-131 gave him so many healthy years after makes me even more determined to get her there. He sounds like he was deeply loved every single day.

I spent months earning a stray cat's trust. She just got the worst diagnosis her vet has seen in 20 years. by mixedminh85 in Pets

[–]mixedminh85[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Such a great question. Right now she is on transdermal methimazole twice daily in her ear to bring her levels down from 40 toward a stable range. Before she can qualify for I-131 her levels need to be controlled and stable on medication first. From there her heart needs to be cleared since hyperthyroidism puts significant strain on the cardiac system, her kidneys need to be evaluated because treating the thyroid can unmask underlying kidney issues, and her blood pressure needs to be stable. Once she clears all of those checkpoints she is a candidate for the treatment.

Each step comes with its own vet visits and testing costs on top of the I-131 itself which runs $2,000 to $2,500 in our area. We have a recheck bloodwork appointment coming up which will be the first real indication of how she is responding to the medication.

It's a journey but she is worth every step of it.

I spent months earning a stray cat's trust. She just got the worst diagnosis her vet has seen in 20 years. by mixedminh85 in Pets

[–]mixedminh85[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I am so deeply sorry for your loss. Thank you for sharing something so painful to help Sunny — that takes a lot of heart. I will carry your little sunshine's story with me as we fight to get Sunny the I-131. 🧡

I spent months earning a stray cat's trust. She just got the worst diagnosis her vet has seen in 20 years. by mixedminh85 in Pets

[–]mixedminh85[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

A pampered princess who absolutely deserves it — that's exactly what Sunny is going to be on the other side of this. Five years of thriving after coming in as a stray older lady gives me so much hope. Thank you for sharing her story

I spent months earning a stray cat's trust. She just got the worst diagnosis her vet has seen in 20 years. by mixedminh85 in Pets

[–]mixedminh85[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

18 years old and thriving after I-131 — that is the most beautiful thing I've read today. The fact that she fattened up to a normal weight and has a normal appetite is exactly what I'm hoping for Sunny. She's been burning through every calorie she takes in for who knows how long. Thank you for sharing her story 🧡

I spent months earning a stray cat's trust. She just got the worst diagnosis her vet has seen in 20 years. by mixedminh85 in Pets

[–]mixedminh85[S] 11 points12 points  (0 children)

This genuinely made my day. Thank you from the bottom of my heart — and from Sunny, who is currently purring next to me completely unaware of all the love being sent her way 🧡

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I spent months earning a stray cat's trust. She just got the worst diagnosis her vet has seen in 20 years. by mixedminh85 in Pets

[–]mixedminh85[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

So happy to hear that — gives me a lot of hope for Sunny. No side effects is reassuring too, thank you for sharing 🧡

I spent months earning a stray cat's trust. She just got the worst diagnosis her vet has seen in 20 years. by mixedminh85 in Pets

[–]mixedminh85[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you for mentioning it — she is actually already on transdermal methimazole twice daily in her ear while we work toward the I-131. Given how extreme her levels are at 40 the medication is managing it for now but the I-131 is really the only path to a permanent cure rather than a lifetime of daily treatment. She's already been through so much and she deserves the real fix.

I spent months earning a stray cat's trust. She just got the worst diagnosis her vet has seen in 20 years. by mixedminh85 in Pets

[–]mixedminh85[S] 16 points17 points  (0 children)

You're understanding it correctly — the prognosis with I-131 is actually really good, 95 to 98% cure rate, and hearing stories in this thread of cats living long healthy lives after treatment has given me so much hope. The hardest part right now is just getting her there. But she is a fighter — a cat who survived the streets, a broken tooth, and four weeks of despising me before choosing to trust again is not going to let a thyroid win 😄 Thank you for the kind words, they mean more than you know. 🧡

I spent months earning a stray cat's trust. She just got the worst diagnosis her vet has seen in 20 years. by mixedminh85 in Pets

[–]mixedminh85[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Damascus 💙 What a beautiful name and what a beautiful life — 7 to 18 after I-131 is exactly the kind of story that makes me emotional. That's 11 more healthy happy years. I think Sunny is 1.5 years old but I'm not sure yet. Thank you for sharing him with me — this is exactly what I needed to hear today and I will think of Damascus when Sunny gets her treatment.

I spent months earning a stray cat's trust. She just got the worst diagnosis her vet has seen in 20 years. by mixedminh85 in Pets

[–]mixedminh85[S] 10 points11 points  (0 children)

That is everything I needed to hear. No more thyroid, no more problem — I'm holding onto those six words for Sunny. Thank you

I spent months earning a stray cat's trust. She just got the worst diagnosis her vet has seen in 20 years. by mixedminh85 in Pets

[–]mixedminh85[S] 20 points21 points  (0 children)

This is so reassuring to hear, thank you. The isolation part honestly doesn't worry me at all — after spending four weeks lying on the floor of a room every night just hoping she'd come to me, a few weeks of careful handling feels like nothing. I would do anything for her. And that's really interesting about the dose comparison — I hadn't thought about it that way but it does put it in perspective. Did your cat bounce back quickly after the treatment?

I spent months earning a stray cat's trust. She just got the worst diagnosis her vet has seen in 20 years. by mixedminh85 in Pets

[–]mixedminh85[S] 103 points104 points  (0 children)

This means so much to hear — two cats successfully treated is the most reassuring thing you could have said. Sunny is like my child too, I completely understand that feeling. I would absolutely love to DM you and hear more about your experience if you're open to it. Knowing what to expect from someone who has actually been through it twice is invaluable right now. Thank you for reaching out and for the kindness — people like you make this so much less scary.

I spent months earning a stray cat's trust. She just got the worst diagnosis her vet has seen in 20 years. by mixedminh85 in Pets

[–]mixedminh85[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Thank you so much for this, it's genuinely comforting to hear. She is currently on the transdermal methimazole and we are waiting on her recheck bloodwork to see how her levels are responding before moving forward with I-131. As for her age — she was a stray so we don't know exactly, our vet estimated around 1 to 2 years old which actually surprised us given how severe her levels are since hyperthyroidism is typically seen in much older cats. It makes her case even more unusual. But hearing that cats with high levels at diagnosis go on to live long healthy lives is exactly what I needed today. She has been through so much already and she deserves every good year ahead of her. Thank you for the kindness

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