Saturday Supplements

For the 1st time, grandma helped me to hold him while I gave him his shark cartilage suppository. Actually tonight was the 1st time that grandma had to hold him for any suppository. Megat was not a good patient as he knew he could mess about with grandma. Usually it would be Cosuin R or me that would hold him for the suppositories. He struggled a little and yelled at us but we managed to get the shark suppository in him without incident. I then gave him the necessary colloidal silver and water. It would be better to be quick and fast so the rest of his supplements (health lingzhi, milk thistle, pumpkin and the Natural Defense) would have to wait until Cousin R can help me.

I had held him for a little longer before putting him in his cage so I will see whether his stools would have the cartilage tomorrow.

Megat's Review 24 September 2009

Megat's picture taken on the 3rd day of HR

The Feline Inteferon - 7 injections on alternate days

The shark cartiledge suppository to be given once a day at night in addition to his sang hwang suppository which will now be given in the day...

The hospital was as usual very crowded and when we came there was already a crowd of walk-ins. Dr L saw us 1 hour later than our scheduled appointment but Megat was very steady, even when a dog started to sniff at him and chew the strap of his carrier! He is used to all this I think as we have been in this position for 3 months already.

Dr L saw his gums and announced that they were still pale and as such he would not be doing a blood test. Instead he gave us 7 days worth of Recombinant Inteferon Alpha-Mutagen for Cats. He told me that this one is made with feline protein (?) and so Megat should not have any adverse side effects. He also said that as Megat is still anaemic and the vets were not able to ascertain if the depressed system was due to his FIV or his chemo, then we should proceed with some caution.

He also gave us 24 shark cartiledge suppositories. Of course my dilemma was whether I should even use shark cartiledge in the first place as sharks have been exploited to near extinction. Finally my cat won the day and I trust Dr L knows what he is talking about.

"We will beat this cancer!" was Dr L's final words for us and I trust that we will try to the end until Megat decides that enough is enough!

Megat has lost some weight and he is now 3.12 kg! How can a cat lose so much weight in 1 week from 3.65 kg? He feels as heavy as before and his bones do not protrude as much as when he had his fever 2 weeks ago. I would like to think that this was due to the faulty weighing machine as Dr L's assistant had to bang on it several times as the numbers kept disappearing :) Nevertheless I am keeping watch on his diet. He has been eating all of his Walthams Renal and stealing the other boys' kibble when they were not looking.

Dr L also advised that we stop all medication except for his supplements and we would have to come back in 2 weeks.

An Inteferon How-to

This is a delicate operation and so everything must be up and ready

1. The Recombinant Inteferon Alpha-Mutagen for Cats

2. The syringe with the err...liquid that I need to combine with the powdered Inteferon in the bottle. I also needed to pierce the grey rubber stopper with it.

3. The 25 gauge needle that I need to use to inject Megat under his skin

The grey stopper can be seen when the blue protective cap is removed...

The 1st needle that is used to pierce the grey rubber stopper to release trhe clear diluter (?)


I need to change the needle as by now the 1st one would be dull
Its 25 gauge and so the needle is fine and I hope the operation painless for Megat


Cousin R doing the delicate operation of releasing the now-liquid inteferon into the orange needle
and we are all set for the new procedure of giving Megat his inteferon injection for the day

Needless to say I was full of trepidation when I had to inject Megat with the Inteferon. I think the whole procedure gave me a lot of stress and I had to remember what to do first and last [yah the cat is last:]

I had to lay down all the apparatus and then rehearsed how to put the whole thing together. Cousin R said I should take pictures of it as it would enable me to remember the whole thing clearly in pictures :)

However once I actually put them together, it was not so bad and Megat did not complain as the 25 gauge needle was very fine. I gave him a treat and he was very happy with it. I have 7 of these bottles to get through but I am now more confident about it.

After this, I gave him his shark cartiledge suppository and 10 ml of water only as he deserved to rest.

A small step for us...

Yesterday, we decided on a new way to give megat his hepavite - a little at a time, but not too much in case he realised he was being duped into taking the nasty stuff. Since I am still giving him the Milk Thistle, I thought it was wiser to give him just 1/2 a capsule, in various mixtures. Indeed this was the wisest thing to do as Megat ate his supplements quite willingly and did not gag on anything. Although he still doesn't like the taste of Milk thistle, at least he tolerates that rather well in his Natural Defense mixture.


It seems to be getting easier to give him the suppository. I realised that a if I try to push the suppository in with a twisting movement, Megat is less likely to complain and he would not tighten his muscles too much. But of course with Megat, I know there would be many surprises along the way.

Hepavite woes

Megat ate all his supplements with good grace until it comes to the hepavite. This must really taste very bad - worse than his prednisolone. I had tried to put the hepavite in the duphalac as duphalac is very sweet and might disguise the taste. Poor Megat actually gagged so badly on it and he had to spend some time trying to get rid of the taste. Even his eyes watered from it!I have been trying to give him the hepavite once a day to see if he can get used to the taste instead of twice a day. Maybe tomorrow I would give him only half his capsule and try to build up his tolerance for this. Alternatively I can just give him the milk thistle and forget all about the hepavite that is supposed to help his liver cope with the vincristine.

I am quite surprised that he did not protest too much with the suppository tonight too.

The answer is NO

NO! I dun wanna eat the hepavite. I dun care what Dr L says. He is NOT a cat!

NO! I dun wanna eat the lingzhi. I will spit all offur it out. What? It has mashed papaya? Ok then.

NO! I dun wanna eat the colliodal silver. Isn't that dangerous? Who has ever heard of eating silver? NO!

NO! I dun wanna have any duphalac and pumpkin. I dun care if there is mashed papaya. NO!

NO! I dun wanna the 1/4 Lukeran. Just NO!

I am so thirsty with saying NO! I'm sorry all of it had landed on your towel, shirt, floor, mats, my fur and nose...but I still say NO!

Okie...I will have some water.

PS. Thank goodness that the sang hwang is already in his system. I would not have thought I would be grateful for the suppository!

Review Update

I am now supposed to eat Silver? What else? In my butt?No way san_jose!!

Our appointment with Dr L went smoothly and neither Megat nor I was very anxious. We had to wait some time for the doc but when he appeared everything went BOOM!BOOM!BOOM!

He had his usual blood tests - his haematology one as well as his prep profile test. His numbers for his liver is higher than normal but other wise everything else went well. Dr L says the sang hwang also helps with the liver. His weight has gone down slightly from 3.77 to 3.74 kg but the doc was pleased with his progress.

Dr L is going to only give him low doses of vincristine 0.1 only and then we are also doing 1/4 tab of Lukeran every two days. He also gave Megat a bottle of colloidal silver, a tcm supplement as well. he has to take 3 ml twice a day. I forgot to give him his morning 3 ml and allowed him out of his cage. No wonder he merrily scooted off and went into immediate hiding. I did not have time to persuade him at all so that was one chance lost already. I gave him his 3 ml of collidal silver with some pumpkin yesterday and he was quite happy to take it.

Dr L also showed me how to give Megat the sang hwang suppository (ouch). It looks like a small bullet of beeswax and I have to lubricate it with some oil/lubricant. Dr L did it with one gentle push and Megat did not even flinch. Dr L kept telling me that Megat was very 'good' and gentle. Aiyoh! I told the doc that Megat was a very good Pretender and he is always amazingly good-natured at the vet's. :) But once he is home and I have to give him something, its like a small skirmish. (But with Bujang, it would be a 3rd World War!). I was then to hold him close for about 15 minutes for the sang hwang to be absorbed by his body and also it was to prevent him from going to the loo to get it out. :) The assistant held him after that and Megat actually went into some kind of slumber. So the doc and the assistants had quite a difficult time believing my seemingly tall tale about His Fiesty Highness :)

I told the doc I would try especially after he told me that the suppository would ensure he would get 100% of the effects and if I give him the ling zhi orally, 60% would be destroyed by stomach acids! So got 4 suppositories (300 mg each) to try. I would get the capsule if I was not suceesful with them next week.

The protocol is much changed. Now we are doing vincristine only; 1/4 Lukeran every two days, colloidal silver twice a day and sang hwang suppository once a day. With this we hope that he would be able to have a healthy immune system. Dr L says that sometimes if we are very aggressive with the chemo, then the cat dies with the chemo. Although there is no cure for lymphoma, we are working towards the cat dying with the cancer- that is old age and not with chemo. I think this is a wise thing to do for 13 year-old Megat.

Dr L gave him a cocktail of vincristine, metomide and vitamin B complex and so he only had one injection although he had to try 3 different veins. But Megat took everything in his stride to the ring of "You're such a good cat. I can't believe it." :)

Vet Visit with Dr L

Megat resting after dinner this evening...

The ling zhi that Dr L recommends - Sang Hwang ling zhi for cancer

Megat getting sleepy after dinner...

Our visit with Dr L was short and sweet. Another vet was also in attendance (not a nurse) and she took Megat's vitals. He is now 3.77 kg (hurrah) from 3.56 two weeks ago. Dr L came in, after surgery and asked me how old he was. "13," I said. He was very surprised and then discussed his plan for Megat with me. He said that after 2 or 3 sessions, he might recommend that I give Megat a vincristine tablet at home, on alternate days so he does not have to come to the hospital every week. I told him that I have yet to get over Megat biting me and he laughed when he saw that Megat had only 1 canine and a few of his front teeth left. "Its ok to fight with him on alternate days," and I concurred.


There was no blood test as Dr L said Megat looked very well and all his vitals were ok. He was not dehydrated and his weight was good. He said the blood test would be for the time when Megat does not look well. Then in less than 5 minutes, he had given Megat his vincristine, without the catheter, in his very tiny vein on his left foreleg. WAH! I thought. Not bad. Megat did not even have time to recover and all was over. There was no blue bandage and no complaints from Megat. He got the anti emetic and we were out. Dr L said next time we would combine everything together so Megat would only get one injection.

Dr L said we have to be back next week where he will take Megat's blood test to see if he could be given his Endoxan. I seriously doubt it as if Megat is true to form, his wbc would be too low for any of that. We made an appointment to see Dr L again next week.


Dr L recommended the Sang Hwang ling zhi as he said this ling zhi was one that is used for cancer patients. So I said we would try anything at this point. He said there are over 20 types of ling zhi. That is of course true and I have been giving our ling zhi to Megat for his health and indeed it has worked very well as he has put on weight, become more cheerful and playful and generally more alert. Dr L said it would be ok to give him the Sang Hwang lingzhi after we have finished with our health-giving linzhi so I would follow that advice. He said most pets can take the liquid form very well but when I asked his attendant vet, she said it tastes kind of foul and recommended that I give it with some honey. I asked if I could give it with some papaya as Megat likes it that way (I had been giving him his ling zhi with mashed papaya) and she said it would be ok as long as he doesn't have it with any other medication. But then I have only been giving him mushroom supplements plus the ling zhi so I think the whole thing would be ok.


All in all we had quite an easy time of it today, unlike our horrendous adventure two weeks ago with the nurse.

Poly-mva - our new supplement

Our package finally arrived yesterday...

Contents - 2 bottles and 2 syringes packed in styrofoam...

The much-awaited supplement for Megat...

Megat trying to prevent me from reading the literature...

"So she doesn't give it to me...more supplements...oh noooo!"

The Poly-mva finally arrived for us. We had to pay some taxes on it unlike the supplements we got from iherb.com. This supplement does the following:

• assist the body in producing energy by recyling the free radicals, not just quenching them
• supports liver funsctions
• assist in promoting healthy cell integrity
• assist in removal of hevay metals from the bloodstream
• acts as a powerful antioxident and detoxifier
• support nerve and neurotransmitter function
• enhances white blood cell function
• support pH balance, helping to maintain oxygenation of cells and tissues

Of course the website has much more information. I know that pH balance and oxygenation of cells and tissue are paramount in trying to combat cancer.

It tastes like something you get from the doctor for a nasty cough. But with some pumpkin, it doesn't taste bad. Megat likes it with pumpkin and he has to take 1ml 2x a day. I think Megat has gotten used to his nightly ritual of supplements which makes it less stressful for him and for me.

I think the supplements of milk thistle, ling zhi, Natural defense with 16 mushroom combination has worked very well for him as he is not as tired as before when he has to take vincristine. He is now alert, his eyes are clear and he is drinking by himself. :) I am much encouraged as he is better able to cope with his chemo.

I am not talking to you ...

Megat is getting royally fed up with the mushroom cocktail...

Megat fussed quite a lot with his cocktail and water to night. At least he had his pill down flat. For that I am grateful. Its time to give him papayas intaed of pumpkin as he doesn't like the taste anymore. He ate all of it though :) I tried tuna water today but that didn't go swimmingly. But I will persevere. He had 10 ml of syringed water as he did't like his tuna water this afternoon :)

Saturday update for 2nd week

Megat is feeling very frisky these days. He drinks from his Dora cup and he eats well. These last 2 days I decided to give him some fussie cat in the morning after his daily pill (as a reward) and for dinner as well as it has a lot of jelly and so he gets water from that. He does not eat his wet food as much though, even his Natural Balance. Even so, as long as he is eating I am not as anxious.

He is also getting used to his supplements of 2 ml duphalac and mashed papaya (for constipation), mushroom and milk thistle. He no longer splutters and neither does he try to spit it out. I had to put the mashed papaya through a sieve so it would syringe much better. However, he is not making it easy for me, and I do not expect him to :)

I have decided that the only way to give him his prednisolone is the 'cowardly' way. I don't get bitten which is good for me and he does not get too stressed out. I decided to give it to him dissolved in alittle honeyed water. If he can have it in his food, he most certianly can get it in water. :) Sometimes however, he refuses to swallow the solution, preferring to keep it in his mouth. But finally he still has to swallow and once I see his tongue, its time for the rest of the solution. So he gets about o.5 ml of honeyed water with his prednisolone.

Right after his prednisolone and his supplements, he would get his salmon treats and then he would sit by me to groom. All is forgiven and forgotten until the next time...

Our Mushroom Defense

picture from i.herb.com

Description :16-Mushroom Complex
Dietary Supplement
Source Naturals Mushroom Immune Defense is a blend of mushroom mycelia and extracts from 16 of the most well-studied species of health-supportive mushrooms. Although the exact mechanisms of action in the body are not yet fully understood, researchers propose that constituents of these mushrooms may support natural killer (NK) cell, T-cell, and macrophage activity, and cytokine production. By carefully combining these mushrooms and fortifying them with extracts, Source Naturals Mushroom Immune Defense offers a broad-spectrum, high potency, complete mushroom product.

Calories 10
Total Carbohydrates 2 g DV <2%
Vitamin C (as ascorbic acid) 100 mg DV 170%
Shiitake Mycelia Biomass 200 mg †
Reishi Mycelia Biomass 200 mg †
Maitake Mycelia Biomass 200 mg †
Turkey Tail Mycelia Biomass 150 mg †
Proprietary Blend: 1.3 g †

Agaricus blazei Mycelia Biomass, Hericium erinaceus Mycelia Biomass, Flammulina velutipes Mycelia Biomass, Tremella Mycelia Biomass, Schizophyllum commune Mycelia Biomass, Artist's Conk Mycelia Biomass, Poria Mycelia Biomass, Zhu Ling Mycelia Biomass, Pleurotus ostreatus Mycelia Biomass, Cordyceps sinensis Mycelia Biomass, Cordyceps militaris Mycelia Biomass, Armilleria mellea Mycelia Biomass, Shiitake Mushroom Extract, Reishi Mushroom Extract (6:1), Maitake Mushroom Extract (10:1), Turkey Tail Mushroom Extract (8:1), Cordyceps sinensis CS-4 Standardized Extract (0.1% adenosine), Agaricus blazei Mushroom Extract (4:1), and Dr. Nanba's Maitake Beta-Factor™ (beta-glucan) Fraction††.

The mushrooms in bold were thought to be integral to improving the immune system. I can only make an effort and I have yet to see if indeed they would help Megat.

NB: Pic and information taken from i.herb.com

Chemo Review 1

Megat's hematology test did not allow his second chemo session as his wbc was 1.88 from 3.97. As this was below the required level of 2.5, Dr P said his cyclophosphamide IV would be postponed till next week when she hoped it would be higher. So he has to only take one tab of prednisolone at 5mg per day. Of course with this , his LYM has decreased to 1.23 from 2.18 (normal 1.5 to 7). The doc recommended that I give him some lin zhi mushrooms to increase his immune system. I had actually got him tablets of 16 mushrooms from 1herb.com that seemed to help other people and their pets to deal with their immune system and cancer and so will give him that instead as well as the milk thistle for his liver.

So essentially his supplement, as of today, consists of 1.5 ml of duphalac and 1 dessertspoon of mashed papaya (he still has constipation) + 2 tablets of mushroom formula and 6 drops of milk thistle. I read that it would be better to give him an aggressive dose of mushroom in the first few weeks of his cancer but as he still has to get used to it, I am only giving him 2. If 2 is the rec dose for an adult, it should be okay for a cat with lymphoma. I will put the pic up once my cpu is ok.

He was also a little dehydrated as he was not drinking much last week and so, if he still refuses to drink this week, I was to syringe him with 10ml of water every hour. Dr P thought that 1x sub q would be enough if I can give him the water in syringes. Of course, as though he understood the doc, Megat immediately drank water from his Dora cup when he came back from his consultation and even today, he continued to drink throughout the day although I would have liked it if he had drunk more. He had drunk more before the chemo.

On the brighter side, his platelets has increased to 90 from 33 although his PCV has stayed at a constant rate of 26 %. His ALT, on the other had, had decreased to 105 from 122.

Dr P also reported that his physical state is good although he is thin. But she recommended that he stays on his renal diet and I was not to subsititute it with another one, even if the diet has no grain in it. I would put water in his dry food but I know he would eat none of it wet. I had tried this the first time he had to go on the diet. :(

Anyway, he is looking brighter and has much more energy but maybe this could be due to the fact that he did not have his chemo this week.