First Treatments

Chemotherapy
Yesterday was Sumis' first chemotherapy session. When we arrived at the specialty center, she knew right where we were and clearly remembered her last visit, especially the aftermath. When I reached my hand into her carrier to reassure and soothe her, she was trembling. At this my heart cracked, but I knew we had no choice. I spoke with the technician, who was very gentle, and she told me the treatment would take about an hour. First, they would administer benedryl so that Sumis would be less likely to react to the chemotherapy. Then, they would administer her first two drugs: vincristine and L-asparaginase. I watched as the technician carried her to the back before departing. I headed down to the university to return library books so that I would not be twiddling my thumbs waiting for Sumis. It was a brisk morning, and I enjoyed the walk across campus. After returning my books, I still had 20 minutes or so before Sumis would be ready, so I dropped by a new coffee shop near campus for a cup of tea. Finally, the time had come and I headed back to pick Sumis up, not sure what shape she would be in. The technician who returned her to me told me that she had done just fine, had been a good, compliant patient. I took a peek in Sumis' carrier and she gazed back at me, not angry but ready to go. So far, no side effects. She did fine for the rest of the morning. Her energy levels held, as did her appetite.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (uyyyyyyyhhu – says Sumis)
Later that same day, Sumis and I headed to see Dr. P, our alternative medicine veterinarian, for an initial consultation. We wanted to make sure to address her disease at every level, from every angle. Dr. P has worked with several of my other pets to miraculous ends. If ever there was a master of eastern medicine, it is Dr. P. Just walking into a room with her will quiet both animal and human spirits. She is focused and deep in her treatments, monitoring even the slightest changes in an animal's energy as she performs her treatment. When I got into the exam room with Dr. P, we went over the western diagnosis and lab results in depth. We then moved onto Sumis' symptoms, behaviors and energy level. We discussed diet – with Dr. P suggesting a diet of wet, protein rich cat food as well as a liquid medical food used by humans with IBD. Oddly, Sumis had chosen a brand Dr. P recommended from among my various attempts to tempt her to eat. We would begin ozone enemas shortly and would tailor an herbal regiment to treat her disease based upon her final chemotherapy plan. Additionally, we would hit the disease hard with intense medical Qi Gong over the weekend. Medical Qi Gong is a modality used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). This modality is the most alternative by American standards but also can be the most powerful and most successful. Dr. P once described it to me as a modality that inserts energetic needles into the entire meridian, as opposed to the one point tapped with an acupuncture needle. To the naked eye, it looks something like reiki.

Sumis was at ease in the exam room, as I expected she would be. At one point, she wandered over to Dr. P and curled up in her arms, hiding her head in the nook of Dr. P's elbow. “She is a special girl,” I said. “You two are very close?” Dr. P asked. I nodded. “So, she is you.” Dr. P said. I nodded again.

Dr. P looked at me intently, saying, “Okay, I am going to get a little personal here. How is your GI tract?” At first, I almost responded “Fine, just fine,” and then I thought to myself, “Are you crazy?! Your stomach is where you hold all of your stress and you suffer crippling stomach aches as soon as the stress lets up.” I answered, “actually, my GI tract is a mess.” Dr. P nodded. “Often animals who are so closely linked with their owners internalize the pathologies of their owners. It is nothing to feel guilty about, but it just means I will have to treat the both of you.” So Sumis and I will be heading in together this weekend to receive medical Qi Gong. I am also supposed to let Sumis know that she is no longer responsible for taking care of me – certainly her lifelong project. Who knows if she will listen ... she is a cat with a mind of her own.

After evaluating her condition, Dr. P diagnosed Sumis with spleen deficiency and a slight liver wind. She reminded me, when I voiced an awareness of the severity of Sumis' prognosis, that in TCM, there is no such thing as cancer, just energy stagnations. “We will work through this,” she assured me. “I don't want to give you false hope but I also don't want you giving up hope,” she told me. And it is true. Animals, my own in particular, have had impossibly good responses to treatment from Dr. P. Things traditional medicine told us would not/could not happen have. And so once again, I put my trust in Dr. P. I left feeling light and positive, and I think Sumis felt the same.