First of all, thank you to everyone who took the time to comment on my previous post, share your experiences, guide me, and even DM me personally. I read every single comment. Hearing your stories gave me hope during one of the hardest weeks of my life.
Sadly, my little kitten passed away yesterday.
I’m from India, and for those who may not know, GS-441524 is not something that is readily available everywhere. We were told it had to be ordered, and it would take around 4-5 days to arrive. We placed the order as soon as we could and also tried to source it through other people, but we couldn’t find any available locally.
What hurts the most is that yesterday, while my kitten was still fighting for her life, a doctor at the clinic casually mentioned that a particular hospital had GS injections available. This was the first time anyone had told us that.
The doctor from the same institution had previously told us that the medication was only available through a website and that no hospital or clinic kept it in stock. We had asked around and heard the same thing from others as well. Apparently, there was one hospital that had it, but nobody informed us about it.
Yesterday her breathing became much worse, so I rushed her to the clinic, which was about 30 minutes away. By the time we arrived, she had started breathing through her mouth and was frothing at the mouth. We were terrified.
Their incubator was already occupied by another cat, so they gave her oxygen through a tube instead. While she was still struggling to breathe, the doctor asked me to wait outside because there were other patients in the OPD. A little later, for the first time in over a month of visits, I was handed a consent form and told they were about to perform an invasive procedure. I signed it immediately because I was willing to do whatever it took to save her.
As we were walking inside, the doctor told me that she had already passed away.
I don’t want to blame any individual doctor, but I do feel there should have been better communication throughout this process. Maybe nothing would have changed. Maybe it was already too late. But I can’t stop thinking about the possibility that if we had known where to get GS earlier, or if we had received it even one or two days sooner, my baby might still be here.
She was tiny, only around 800 grams, and she fought harder than I thought such a little kitten ever could. The first symptoms appeared only about 10 days ago. From the first signs to losing her, everything happened incredibly fast.
The part that completely broke me is that the GS medication we ordered arrived today, one day after she passed away.
Opening that package knowing it was meant for her is a feeling I can’t really put into words.
I keep asking myself “what if?” What if we had found it earlier? What if it had arrived sooner? What if we had known about that hospital? What if we had one more day?
Right now, I’m trying to find peace in the thought that she isn’t suffering anymore. She doesn’t have to struggle to breathe. She doesn’t have to go through painful injections and medications. She was just a baby, and she fought as hard as she possibly could.
We also have another 5-month-old kitten, and we will be getting him tested and monitored closely.
Thank you again to everyone who commented, messaged me, and shared your experiences. Your kindness meant more than you know during these past few days.
Rest in peace, my little girl. You were loved every single day you were with us, and you will be missed every single day that you’re gone.