Itzy and Friends

I was reminded of this rather bad experience and would like to share it in order to prevent anyone else having a similiar problem.

Several years ago, I developed a large (egg sized) lump under my arm. The doctor announced that it was cancer, very, very bad and he didn't intend to look any further. He felt I would be lucky to live another six months. I think, just to pacify me, he gave me an antibiotic, but didn't have any real hope it would help.

Eventually he sent me to a surgeon for a biopsy. My dad had been doing some research on the internet and had suggested toxoplasmosis. It's the disease (I think maybe parasite???) that cats can carry and pregnant women MUST avoid or risk terrible problems with their baby.

The surgeon looked at it, then immediately asked if I had a cat. I asked him if he was thinking toxoplasmosis, he said, no... cat scratch fever. Those were some of the happiest words I have ever heard.

I went home and did more research, but the articles I read said it was carried only by kittens and only for a period of about two weeks. Since we had adult cats, it didn't appear that this was the answer. Then I remembered.....

A couple of months before this incident, my son called me to say he had found an extremely small kitten in a car engine in the parking lot of his apartment. He extracted the kitten, but he had several burns on his body from the heat of the engine. I went to get him, but because I thought he might bolt when he heard the traffic, I put him under my shirt. I would assume that's when I picked up Cat Scratch Fever.

As it turned out, the surgeon was so sure that's what it was, he increased the potency of the antibiotic and I got better right away. Lump went down - no other symptoms then or since.

As for the kitten - I know any cat lover is wondering his fate. I had my daughter meet me at my house when I arrived with this baby. She concocted some antibiotics for him, scaled the amount to his weight and made some burn ointment (she was studying pharmacy at the time). He was terribly thin when I brought him home, but we fed him well and within a couple of weeks, I think he must have quadrupled his size and weight. He decided to live in a drawer in the back bedroom, and got in and out through the back of the drawer, but soon he was too big for that and we had to leave the drawer open for him. A lovely lady who was a minister in a church adopted him. When she arrived to pick him up, we knew she would be a good cat mummy - her trunk was full of brand new cat toys, fancy dishes and the very latest in litterbox technology!