My Cat Has Pneumonia & I Need Tube Thoracostomy

This fundraiser initially was to help with my cat’s medical bills as he suffers through pneumonia (links to videos lower down). I was battling COVID and had no funds and was hoping people could find it in their heart to help with his vet bills. 

A few days after starting the fundraiser, I wound up in the ER with a pleural effusion, and a suspected clot in my lung. A dye-assisted CT scan revealed that I need thoracentesis to look for cancer, and then tube thoracostomy to drain my lung of what is basically bacterial pneumonia. This involves being an intake patient for several days, which I can’t do because Elliot still needs to get his own medical treatment ASAP, and then I need to board them while I am in post-surgical recovery, barring any complications. So I really need help. 

Here’s the start of the original GoFundMe story:

My 8 year old rescue Elliot has pneumonia. I have 2 others, including a 21 year old, and he can pass the virus on to them. I personally am battling a severe case of Covid and just went through a 5-day run of Paxlovid. My doctor was trying hard to get me to go to the ER and I will, if only to get a chest x-ray. I am not getting intubated. Not yet, anyway. My cats need me first. My own breathing is a watery rattle that includes pretty severe panting. I just don’t want to die and have my three babies live a terrible life in the end. 

**EDIT - check my first update: 

I did end up in the ER and things are a lot more complicated, now. I’m supposed to be starting with a cancer screening test on my pleural effusion, then tube thoracostomy to drain my right lung. Now I am racing double-time to help Elliot and the other two, as I’m potentially in the fight of my own life. Trying to save Elliot is more important to me than my own bacterial pneumonia and/or possible cancer.  Cats are innocent and don’t know why they feel sick. To me, that is so much more heartbreaking. 

This is the procedure I was supposed to get yesterday. Instead I am at home trying to save Elliot and possibly all three of my beautiful support, while I hope they save me a bed:

Elliot has all the symptoms of pneumonia and it can get costly very quickly. I am an RPN but have not actively worked for a while - this is my second bout of COVID, and by far the worst. I am scared but I want to know the cats will be okay if I’m not. I have included a photo of the shape I am in - it looks like I’m dying and I am afraid I might be facing the fight of my life. But this is about Elliot. I can’t pay for the help he desperately needs. It is heartbreaking listening to his breathing. He is dying, and it is curable with early intervention and medication. That ship has started to sail, and he is now weeks into this without any help. It’s a miserable way to die, and it makes me frustrated that I am facing being made a patient once I go to the ER, and at that point, with a severe Covid infection, I am too familiar with the downhill slide. I just never thought it would happen to me. 

This is what he is facing:

“Your vet will begin treatment to help stabilize your cat's condition then fight the infection. Depending on the severity of your cat's symptoms treatment may include hospitalization for monitoring, oxygen therapy or a nebulizer treatment to help ease respiratory symptoms, as well as intravenous fluids to treat dehydration, and broad-spectrum antibiotics or anti-fungal medications to fight infection.

 With treatment, the general prognosis for cats with pneumonia is good, although aspiration pneumonia is particularly difficult to treat and may lead to further complications later. How well your cat recovers from pneumonia will depend upon the underlying cause of the illness, as well as your cat's overall health, and age. Cats that are very young, very old, or immunocompromised may not be able to battle a severe case of pneumonia.”

This is a battle he deserves to at least be treated for in the hopes that he can fight it. Every day that goes by without treatment, his life hanging in the balance, is a day that makes his fight harder to come out on top.        

Thank you to anyone and everyone who can help Elliot receive the care and treatment he deserves. Each day he fights it alone, his chances of surviving decreases. I feel terrible; not only do I not have the funds to get him help, but I am so sick myself that I am exhausted and out of breath. It’s terrible. 

Here are the links to two shorts I uploaded to YouTube of Elliot trying to breathe with lungs full of fluid. It’s a terrible way to die. 

https://youtube.com/shorts/45rCWDVIvPQ?si=CONm1ipl1V247n9L

https://youtube.com/shorts/7SDspizgFpc?si=OBxcLMsCEfEi7pHx

Here’s Elliot during happier times. He was a rescue; taken from his mom far too early and brought to a house with 2 aggressive dogs. Through someone, I found out about this cat who was only 5 weeks at this point. I got him out of there within hours of hearing his story. He licked the fur clean off his entire belly and back legs from anxiety, and it took time but he loves me and trusts me now. Each day that goes by with his liquid rattle breathing and me doing nothing is killing me. The Covid I have is so severe I can’t even think. I’m 55 and have probable pneumonia myself that I have ignored for two weeks. It is starting to hurt so much that I can’t ignore it anymore.

This is the first time he checked out the easy chair I got for about 80% discount because the wood frame section in the front was broken clean off. I just put a throw-blanket over the damage. A $900 chair for about $150. It is his favourite, but he likes sleeping on the top part. I sleep sitting sideways on it with my legs hanging off.    

It sounds uncomfortable but I have spondylolysis from years of intense competitive running/racing. Running is a lovely journey that mimics life itself. 

And like life, you can’t avoid the end. I’m realizing that now. 

Please, please help my cat Elliot, the other two (Otis, who is 21, and George) with vet bills and boarding. I can’t hold off the lung drainage any longer. This is dangerous. Thank you so much. 

David