Trying to Understand What More Myrna Now Needs

 (Originally posted to Facebook)

Myrna Loy in her favorite bed

I've spent since December 2009 when Myrna was first ill, researching and gathering information to put together the puzzle pieces of every little blip that is Myrna relating to HCM to find what is the cause and how it relates to her heart and what she needs, to better understand her disease, effects on her body, effects and chemistry of the meds on her body, how the meds interact, what the blood values/chemistry means, inter relationships of the body parts and function, what did every blip, daze, gesture, reaction to something mean, what did I need to add or delete, what did Myrna want, why did Myrna react that way, etc.   And it all worked! Whatever we arranged, whatever we read, whatever we tried to understand and do for her has let her live this long. She's 4 yrs, 2 months, 2 wks. But still I couldn't stop her heart from leaping from 1.8 in October to 2.48 as of June 2013.   And there's nothing I can do about it.  I’m a bit confused because I still want to research away her problem.  There's no research to understand what needs to be done to stop or correct it.  We've done it (meds, nutrition, stress management, vet/cardio visits, etc.) Now it’s just dealing with fighting the congestion and breathing issue.  She may also form clots and we must watch for pain and lameness and heart attacks. That is the last puzzle piece. As the heart grows larger, there is less room for the lungs to expand. It's not just about congestion-which she might not get. It's about the ability to expand the lungs, process oxygen, circulate oxygen to the body and the brain. From now on, lasix will change; breathing monitored often during the day.  If we are lucky, she might live through the summer. It's not easy news to process. And yet, she’s outlived most cats that have heart sizes around 2.48.  In fact, many cats die long before the heart increases to 2.48.  And she’s surprised us before.  Whatever issues other cats develop-kidney disease, thyroid issues, inability to tolerate some meds-Myrna has never developed.  I feel that we’ve both come to the end of the road and now we just wait.  But there must be something more we should be doing.