Send Harpo to Some Specialists

Hello, friends!

Harpo is still remarkably healthy for a 15-year-old cancer survivor. But keeping him healthy gets more complicated as he gets older.

He has been responding well to Solensia shots for his arthritis, except for being a bit wobbly. The vet wants me to take him to a neurologist and an orthopedist if I can, so we can be sure the wobbles aren't being caused by something else. The orthopedist can also teach me how to do physical therapy for his hips.

He is also very overdue for an ophthalmology checkup. People are always commenting on how beautiful Harpo's eyes are, but the iris melanosis that makes them so striking also makes them potentially dangerous. For when the brown spots that commonly appear in the eyes of older cats grow together like Harpo's have, there's a risk of it turning into iris melanoma, which is so malignant that the only treatment is removing the eye as soon as you suspect it's there. The doctor said to come back in a year, unless he was showing symptoms, and it's been a year and a half.

And he has his usual oncology checkup in May, where he gets labs and imaging to see if there's any sign of his cancer coming back. If it does, that's not the end of the world. A round of oral chemo and a higher steroid dose would keep it at bay a while longer.

As many of you know, I've been struggling with suicidal depression since childhood. These days, the only thing that makes me happy is seeing how happy Harpo makes all of you. I'm so proud of my little man that he spreads so much joy. Here's hoping he can continue to do it for a couple more years.