Happy March, team Yardley!
It is most definitely a happy March for our tabby marvel — happy to the heights, in fact, all because life marches on.
A few short weeks ago, life wasn’t such a sure bet for our sweet girl. As you’ll recall, mid-February found us terribly worried. All we knew, as of your last update, was that something was very wrong with Yardley.
Well, dear sponsors, it has been an intense and mystifying month, but I’ll gleefully spoil the end of the movie and tell you that, today, Yardley is flourishing.
But before this blissful news, the brutal February. Let’s roll back the tape.
Yardley’s first symptoms were severe, intractable diarrhea; weight loss; and a disinterest in even the tastiest treats. We fine-tuned her medications and diet, providing lots of fluid support, and gradually the sparkle shimmered its way back into Yardley’s eyes.
I can hardly describe the delight of seeing Yardley “come back.” Our gentle girl is nothing if not full of life, and seeing the life and light shimmy back into her body…well, let’s just say I was shimmying a happy-dance in the Hospital, too.
But Yardley’s soothed symptoms couldn’t comfort us completely. We were facing some terribly troubling test results. Our vet team had run significant blood work and taken aspirates (small samples) of Yardley’s spleen and bone marrow (as you’d expect, sweet Yard was a champ for the procedure).
Based on all these results, specialists concluded that Yardley could have one of two utterly awful, devastating diagnoses: FIP (always fatal) or multiple myeloma (exceedingly rare, with a poor prognosis).
This is the point at which my baffled brain and battered heart bargained for some sort of understanding: Yardley just got here. Yardley just found love. Yardley’s life at Tabby’s Place has only just begun. These are supposed to be her good old days, her golden years. Ergo: this can’t be happening.
And, of course: God, please have mercy on our Yardley. And us.
You already know how this terrifying tale ends: the bad news was bogus.
Yardley does have something serious. She does not, however, appear to have something shattering.
Our darling girl’s “something serious” is a case of Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency (EPI). This is a rare-in-cats disorder in which a key enzyme in the pancreas is missing or inadequate. Usually caused by chronic pancreatitis, this causes a cat to be unable to properly absorb and digest her food. Ergo: diarrhea and weight loss.
The cure? A simple supplement in Yardley’s diet, and strict avoidance of non-supplemented food. That will mean some extra care and vigilance — but fortunately for Yardley, that’s our specialty at Tabby’s Place.
And fortunately for us, love is Yardley’s specialty.
Dear sponsors, I can’t thank you enough for your faithful generosity to Yardley. It’s uncommon for a cat to have such a crisis shortly after arriving at Tabby’s Place; it’s unusual for a cat to develop EPI; but then, love like yours is unique in the extreme. Your kindness is helping us to give Yardley everything she needs to thrive.
As of this update, we’re still awaiting the results of some repeat blood tests. One of Yardley’s specialists remains concerned that multiple myeloma is a possibility. But, we’re optimistic, based on how well Yardley’s responded to medication and diet, that EPI is all we’re dealing with here. Of course, I will keep you posted.
Thank you from the depths of my heart, and the deepest rumbles of Yardley’s purr!
Your correspondent,
Angela