Toastie's Fip Story

In the summer of 2020, Toastie began displaying a large number of concerning turns in his health. After a series of blood test, ultrasounds, and overnight stays at the vet, she diagnosed him with Wet FIP and told my family and I it was terminal and that he would have a year at most. I was completely distraught at the news; no one wants to hear such a diagnosis and since Toastie was only a year old, we were also completely unprepared for this terminal disease. In a fit of anxiety, I went to learn all there was about this infection and to see if it was as bad as my vet had made it out to be. Initially, everything I learned confirmed what had been conveyed to me. Then, as I continued Googling late at night, I stumbled upon an article from The Atlantic, talking about a grey market treatment and how the initial trials, both in lab and at home, were showing signs of being remarkably effective. This was what I had been looking for. The article also mentioned the "FIP Warriors" groups that acted as liaisons and guides on how to obtain, administer, and monitor treatments. I immediately sought them out on Facebook and surprisingly got a reply from a volunteer despite my message having been sent close to midnight. The volunteer I was intitally put in contact with was extremely helpful and knowledgeable. He too had been a cat owner who's own cat had been in a similar predicament. They were completely cured and passed remission at the time we were talking. Afterwards, everything happened quickly. I told my vet about the treatment I was pursuing based on the advice of the Warriors. She was completely supportive and outlined a medical examination schedule while still deferring to their expertise. They let me know the details of what treatment would entail, what brands were available and even down to insurance guarantees in case of a relapse. They were incredibly knowledgeable, supportive, and kind. I am extremely thankful for their guidance. I know that if I was somehow able to get my hands on the treatment, I may have not been able to follow through and definitely not in the well informed, calm, and through way their help provided. Toastie's treatment ended in October 2021 and as of spring of 2022, he has passed remission and been deemed FIP free. It was definitely not an easy ride, but his consistently sweet demenor throughout treatment and increasingly hilarious antics as he started gaining back his energy have been completely worth it. I do not regret a single moment of committing to treatment and I cannot thank the Warriors, especially my admin Jaime and all the other individuals who helped me from the team, for letting my cat have the opportunity to live a long and healthy life. It has been nothing short of a miracle that such an initially grim prognosis has been completely reversed and I hope that more people can become informed on how FIP isn't terminal.