| Tributes - Delaney/Peanut H. |
| Delaney (Peanut) Humberg - Livermore, CA Female September 26 - 1996 - January 26, 2011 Diagnosed with Severe IBD of the colon and lower intestines in March 2008 |
Peanut had bouts of diarrhea, barfing, then blood from both ends, starting in early 2006. Three trips to the local vet and labs and
it was always, "nothing is wrong." She was finally diagnosed in March 2008 where she weighed approx 5.75 lbs, down from 13
lbs. By then she'd had IBD for well over 2 years and was diagnosed with "severe inflammatory bowel disease of the colon and
lower intestine." Of course this was determined from an invasive surgery/biopsy of her liver, where she bled extraordinarily and
they were concerned. They did further testing to see if she had lymphoma, which she did not. She was put on prednisolone and
metronidazole. Initially the prednisolone was .75cc 1x day and the flagyl .75cc 2x day. She actually went from 6 lbs to 9.5 lbs in
the first 7 months.
The follow up visit then found her healthier but in April 2009 I had to take her in so they could legally continue the prescription and
I never even saw the Doctor. I sat in the examining room while the nurse took Peanut to the back and the Doctor ran blood work
to see if the steroids had caused diabetes. She was released as good to go and that was that, but she had lost weight again and
they had absolutely no words, suggestions, or even comments...just a bill. She subsequently started losing more weight again
after they had reduced her meds to .5 cc of each, same daily schedule. I was NEVER offered any other options nor a diet
change. I continued to pay for the meds ($160/mo) and no ideas or concerns were forthcoming from the Vet. I refused to return
for the visit required to continue to prescribe the meds at that point.
I finally asked for all her records and took her to another vet at the beginning of 2010. I was so upset that they did not care since
they already had the money for the expensive portions and now they only got money for the meds, this is exactly how it felt and
how I was treated. I never saw this doctor again in over a year. Because it is a specialty vet, with oncologists, internists,
surgeons, etc, many people are referred to them. We call it the "Beverly Hills Vet" (BVH). The manager called and offered
apologies and I was referred to another vet in the same office. In the meantime I had taken her to the local guy, who again did
blood work, but just the routine stuff according to the BVH and not what is needed to determine if it had progressed into
something else. He gave me some pro-pectalin for her diarrhea, which did not help. I went to him also because one of my other
kitties, who is almost 11 and who had loved and slept with Peanut his entire life, was suddenly trying to kill her. It progressed to
the point that she was living on top of one of the wicker shelves in the living room that he could not climb. I ended up purchasing a
36" high baby gate and installed it in the hallway. Spokes (the 10 yr old male) has lived in the back of the house ever since. I
called it my duplex within a duplex. No one could help me with this situation either.
The new vet at BVH gave me a prescription for Leukeran, a chemo drug (yikes), and then another drug, I am trying to remember
what it was, but it was not approved for kitties, just some farm animal. Both made Peanut throw up more as she became sicker. I
told her I would not give my beautiful love something I would not take myself. So I suspect that her disease had progressed to
lymphoma at this point but was not about to subject her to another biopsy, she was way too sick and way too little. I cannot even
believe they suggested it. Finally I found Lisa...who helped us all live a more productive and positive and hopeful life for another 8
months or so. I wish I had found Lisa sooner. Soon Peanut was alternating (as the shape shifter morphed) between her normal
meds, slippery elm bark, pepcid AC, new NON GRAIN food, Eaglepack probiotics, and B12 shots. I had called the vet and
insisted they give me a prescription for B12, which they did with no appointment and no personal contact. The B12 seemed to
help at some level but it gave her the one side effect possible, diarrhea. Peanut had not had a real stool since 2007.
Peanut was at the point where she could not sit down, only hover on her back legs and would slowly roll onto her side to lay down
and clean herself. She continued to jump up on the counter, purr like crazy, and go outside (under strict supervision) and like a
shot, go over the fence, or at least try. I really had to watch her but she loved it in the small backyard, all my kitties are indoor cats.
When she tried to lay down it looked like the PLF training you got in skydiving classes. She was uncomfortable I knew, but really
did not cry and wince and act like she was in severe pain....how to make a decision. The house was full of sheets and pee pads
and towels, she would walk or stand and it would just pour out of her; red blood, black tarry, chalky blood, light brown poop, dark
brown poop. I would again change the protocol and it would appear to work for a day or so and it would again get worse.
From the worst night ever to a morning where she looked like she had been at the beauty parlor...it was so difficult to know.....but
she was dying so very slowly and she was uncomfortable and unable to control any bodily functions, could not sit down at all, had
blood in various forms and non stop diarrhea. So I finally made the decision to end her suffering.
it was always, "nothing is wrong." She was finally diagnosed in March 2008 where she weighed approx 5.75 lbs, down from 13
lbs. By then she'd had IBD for well over 2 years and was diagnosed with "severe inflammatory bowel disease of the colon and
lower intestine." Of course this was determined from an invasive surgery/biopsy of her liver, where she bled extraordinarily and
they were concerned. They did further testing to see if she had lymphoma, which she did not. She was put on prednisolone and
metronidazole. Initially the prednisolone was .75cc 1x day and the flagyl .75cc 2x day. She actually went from 6 lbs to 9.5 lbs in
the first 7 months.
The follow up visit then found her healthier but in April 2009 I had to take her in so they could legally continue the prescription and
I never even saw the Doctor. I sat in the examining room while the nurse took Peanut to the back and the Doctor ran blood work
to see if the steroids had caused diabetes. She was released as good to go and that was that, but she had lost weight again and
they had absolutely no words, suggestions, or even comments...just a bill. She subsequently started losing more weight again
after they had reduced her meds to .5 cc of each, same daily schedule. I was NEVER offered any other options nor a diet
change. I continued to pay for the meds ($160/mo) and no ideas or concerns were forthcoming from the Vet. I refused to return
for the visit required to continue to prescribe the meds at that point.
I finally asked for all her records and took her to another vet at the beginning of 2010. I was so upset that they did not care since
they already had the money for the expensive portions and now they only got money for the meds, this is exactly how it felt and
how I was treated. I never saw this doctor again in over a year. Because it is a specialty vet, with oncologists, internists,
surgeons, etc, many people are referred to them. We call it the "Beverly Hills Vet" (BVH). The manager called and offered
apologies and I was referred to another vet in the same office. In the meantime I had taken her to the local guy, who again did
blood work, but just the routine stuff according to the BVH and not what is needed to determine if it had progressed into
something else. He gave me some pro-pectalin for her diarrhea, which did not help. I went to him also because one of my other
kitties, who is almost 11 and who had loved and slept with Peanut his entire life, was suddenly trying to kill her. It progressed to
the point that she was living on top of one of the wicker shelves in the living room that he could not climb. I ended up purchasing a
36" high baby gate and installed it in the hallway. Spokes (the 10 yr old male) has lived in the back of the house ever since. I
called it my duplex within a duplex. No one could help me with this situation either.
The new vet at BVH gave me a prescription for Leukeran, a chemo drug (yikes), and then another drug, I am trying to remember
what it was, but it was not approved for kitties, just some farm animal. Both made Peanut throw up more as she became sicker. I
told her I would not give my beautiful love something I would not take myself. So I suspect that her disease had progressed to
lymphoma at this point but was not about to subject her to another biopsy, she was way too sick and way too little. I cannot even
believe they suggested it. Finally I found Lisa...who helped us all live a more productive and positive and hopeful life for another 8
months or so. I wish I had found Lisa sooner. Soon Peanut was alternating (as the shape shifter morphed) between her normal
meds, slippery elm bark, pepcid AC, new NON GRAIN food, Eaglepack probiotics, and B12 shots. I had called the vet and
insisted they give me a prescription for B12, which they did with no appointment and no personal contact. The B12 seemed to
help at some level but it gave her the one side effect possible, diarrhea. Peanut had not had a real stool since 2007.
Peanut was at the point where she could not sit down, only hover on her back legs and would slowly roll onto her side to lay down
and clean herself. She continued to jump up on the counter, purr like crazy, and go outside (under strict supervision) and like a
shot, go over the fence, or at least try. I really had to watch her but she loved it in the small backyard, all my kitties are indoor cats.
When she tried to lay down it looked like the PLF training you got in skydiving classes. She was uncomfortable I knew, but really
did not cry and wince and act like she was in severe pain....how to make a decision. The house was full of sheets and pee pads
and towels, she would walk or stand and it would just pour out of her; red blood, black tarry, chalky blood, light brown poop, dark
brown poop. I would again change the protocol and it would appear to work for a day or so and it would again get worse.
From the worst night ever to a morning where she looked like she had been at the beauty parlor...it was so difficult to know.....but
she was dying so very slowly and she was uncomfortable and unable to control any bodily functions, could not sit down at all, had
blood in various forms and non stop diarrhea. So I finally made the decision to end her suffering.
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