I hype myself up for my Asian parent-mandated medical-related course by making art for it apparently Fun fact the test tube they’re holding contains culture medium known as a butt-slant (the butt part being the lower flat portion). You stick the inoculating loop with the sample in the butt and you drag it out in a zig-zag pattern over the slant as you pull it out. The more you know (I know you should wear a mask in a bacteriology lab. Shhhh)

Gumi Update: Overview

So by now, I'm sure you're aware that Gumi has Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease (FLUTD). He has been suffering through incidents since late August last year. Since then: - 4 individual blockages have occurred: 1 crystal induced, two mucus plugs, and one blood clot - at least 7 UTIs. At least. I lost count. - 1 major surgery (perineal urethrostomy) to reconstruct his urethral opening - 3 other unblocking procedures + 3 day over night stays - not to mention all the medications with different time frames, supplements, and special dietary concerns We have spent well over $7000 at this point. Needless to say it has been a nightmare for everyone involved. It is now April, and we are contending with yet another flare up - about 1 week after we finished a third consecutive round of antibiotics following the last UTI event. This time tho, Gumi is displaying different symptoms - straining to pee but not yowling, bloody urine but in good regular-sized eliminations, clearly sick but presenting a playful energy that's strong enough to resist. It has been strange. We visited the vet this afternoon expecting to go home with another round of antibiotics (tho I didn't want to. He's been medicated too often and I'm fearing that he's built up a tolerance), but the vet tech came back with strange news. He showed me the video of the footage - red and white blood cells everywhere, but no bacteria, crystals, or stones. They called it sterile cystitis. Apparently Gumi can have a flare up like this without an underlying infection. That is terrifying but also good news; we don't need extra medication, but it also means that environmental factors trigger episodes with the same severity. In addition, we noticed Gumi's new urethral opening grows hair inside. We have to be extra careful and diligent to keep it clipped and sanitary. Bc S just started a new job, we think that change in routine was the most recent trigger. It's just overwhelming to walk on this many eggshells when we're already doing everything we can. I'd stopped posting the details of Gumi's suffering bc making these posts are both tiring and depressing for me and my followers, but recently someone reached out to me looking for advice on this. I figure if these posts can help someone feel less alone or get a heads up about what they may be facing, then maybe these difficult posts are worth making after all. Just know Gumi's life with FLUTD is one of the most severe and unfortunate cases my vets have ever seen. Not every cat parent has to go through what we have, so if you're reading this, don't lose hope. But also know that this can happen in the worst case scenario. For those who've lost fur babies to this awful disease, know that you've done everything you could have. No guilt. This is an expensive and difficult disease, and even the specialists don't have all the answers. S and I have had the talk about having Gumi euthanized. We said that if Gumi suffers another serious blockage, we will have to let him go. We were fortunate to be able to raise enough resources to help him this much, but it seems fate is not really on his side, and we've forced him to stay at our sides for long enough.