...of lymphoma. The treatment was just too stressful on the poor thing; we've now got her on weekly subcutaneous injections of steroids and she seems happier.
However, she is getting palpable, hard lymph nodes in more than one area, and is losing weight despite, for her, a good appetite. She pretty clearly doesn't have a lot of time left, but isn't suffering at all right now.
Despite years in of the country's best medical schools, and subsequent years in one of the country's top pediatric hosptials, I don't really know how to talk to my loved ones about death. I can talk to patients and families, but my own loved ones? Christ. I had the same experience earlier this year with my dad; I heard from his doctor just what he had, I knew it was Capital B Bad, but I didn't really know how to break that to my parents. Luckily, he went quickly. I can only hope that the cat follows suit, passing quietly in her sleep.
So how do you folks talk about the coming death of a loved one with your other loved ones?
And those of you who have euthanized a pet, how did you decide the time was right? (I know this one will come down to me, and she'll be far too upset to decide.)
However, she is getting palpable, hard lymph nodes in more than one area, and is losing weight despite, for her, a good appetite. She pretty clearly doesn't have a lot of time left, but isn't suffering at all right now.
Despite years in of the country's best medical schools, and subsequent years in one of the country's top pediatric hosptials, I don't really know how to talk to my loved ones about death. I can talk to patients and families, but my own loved ones? Christ. I had the same experience earlier this year with my dad; I heard from his doctor just what he had, I knew it was Capital B Bad, but I didn't really know how to break that to my parents. Luckily, he went quickly. I can only hope that the cat follows suit, passing quietly in her sleep.
So how do you folks talk about the coming death of a loved one with your other loved ones?
And those of you who have euthanized a pet, how did you decide the time was right? (I know this one will come down to me, and she'll be far too upset to decide.)
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