:(

The blood tests showed that Scooter's sugar levels have been low for a long period.
The v-t could only think of two things that would cause such low levels for a sustained period.
The first is liver cancer.
Although Scooter's liver reading was up, he didn't think there was a problem here.
Scoot doesn't have any of the other signs of liver cancer, and anyway, he doesn't think that even this would make the sugar *SO* low.

The second is that rare pancreatic tumour called an insulinoma. It can't be 100% confirmed without an ultrasound. But given Scooter's age - 19 1/2 next month - this wouldn't be possible. The v-t says he can't see it could be anything else.

If you google 'insulinoma in cats' you won't find much! I keep finding extracts from vet journals that read 'there are only 4 cases in the record'. One said five.

The opinion is always that the tumour progresses quickly.

However, Scooter's seizures started last summer. 
So, logically, this means 1 of 3 things-

1) it's been an insulinoma all along, and now it is speeding up, and he doesn't have long
2) the literature is wrong, the tumour doesn't always progress quickly
3) it isn't an insulinoma

Anyway...... so we're agreed that the cause of the seizures is low blood sugar. We now know diet isn't going to be enough to improve this, so Scooter has been prescribed a dose of prednisolone to raise the blood sugar.

He also has new anti-biotics, smaller ones, that I'm hoping to be able to get into him more easily. These are for the lump on his face, which the v-t now expects to be an antibacterial infection, following the blockage of the tear duct by something-??- we don't know what.

So................. we treat the symptoms with the steroid, basically.
In insulinoma, this will help control it.
Eventually, the steroid won't work.
At that stage, we have to judge how good Scooter's quality of life is....

I am grateful for more time, but at the same time as this, I know that the decision I thought we were having to make a few weeks ago is only a matter of time. Then again, it always is, isn't it? Now we can make him feel better at least for a while. Give him a good final run-up.

Today I went into town and bought one of those huge big padded pillows, covered in long soft fleece. Oh! It had 'dog bed' on the label. Really? Where does the dog go???
I brought it straight to Scooter in the garden. He got on it right away and was soon snuggled in, purring. Well, I have to spoil him while I can ;)

Thank you all, again, for all your support, purrs and purrayers...... it has been a long few weeks. At least now we have some answers, even if not very nice ones. THANKS for being there.... your comments and emails, and my visits to your blogs (oh yes, I've been lurking, even if I couldn't comment!) have helped me keep going and helped me especially during the nights when I've sat here alone and just cried so hard I can't make a sound.

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Love, tea & cake,  
Helena