Could my cat have had string stuck in her for 2 MONTHS?? She just passed a clump yesterday

new york, cat, 8-9yrs old, neutered female, domestic long hair, no problems aside from impacted anal glands a few years back. she is now 11 lbs, was 14 lbs 2 months ago. New york, 2 months of sx.

I’m kind of shocked and really curious if anyone has experienced something like this.

About 2 months ago, my cat swallowed string. She started vomiting and I actually saw some string in her poop at the time. We went to the ER multiple times, had X-rays and eventually an ultrasound, and they said there was no obstruction and no further string

But ever since then she has basically been having GI issues nonstop: poor appetite, nausea/food avoidance, weird eating behavior, etc. After the ultrasound, the concern became IBD vs. lymphoma, and she was put on prednisolone and a hydrolyzed diet.

She has continued to struggle with eating for the past two months, and we’ve been trying to figure out what is going on. She’s lost so much weight and we’ve been worried she’s going to die.

Then yesterday she pooped out an actual CLUMP of string. Not just one little fiber, a clump of the same type of string she swallowed two months ago.

So now I’m wondering… is it genuinely possible that this string was sitting somewhere in her GI tract for two months and contributing to all of these symptoms, even though the imaging didn’t show an obstruction?

Has anyone had a cat retain string/another foreign body for weeks or months before finally passing it?

Obviously I’m following up with her vet and I’m not looking for Reddit to diagnose her. I’m just extremely curious whether anyone has experienced this, especially because we have spent the last two months thinking we may be dealing with IBD or lymphoma.

I cannot wrap my head around the idea that the string has been there for 2 months?? Doesn’t feel like a possibility but she hasn’t had any further access to string dince 2 months ago