Nicole's Story Options

[nicole'smom]

In the spring of 02, Nicole, my beloved cat companion, was given prednisone for an ear inflammation. It calmed the inflammation but left her in a kind of psychotic state-restless, paranoid-for 3 days.
When the inflammation flared up again in the summer of 03, she was diagnosed with autoimmune disorder (which I now question). Reassured she wouldn't experience the earlier psychosis, on Aug 6/03, I reluctantly but desperately agreed to a steroid shot and Nicole's life was changed forever.
For 5 days she was calm, not scratching her ears. I was ecstatic! Then the scratching came back with a vengeance-she tore at her neck and head. She became terrified-hissing and running and hiding, even from from Micalen, her big brother, who she adored.
I began working with a holistic vet and for the next 5 and a half yrs, a raw meat, no grains, natural anti-inflammatories, immune modulation products (transfer factor, moducare, etc) regiment kept the itching somewhat manageable.
But the paranoia was irreversible. Only when she was tucked hidden at the back of or in our bed or grabbed up in my arms could she look out at her otherwise frightening world and purr contentedly with all her little heart.
In the early morning of Dec 7/08 Nicole died while I slept restlessly beside her. I woke up at 820AM to the agony of not being able to hold and comfort her while she took her last breath.