17 on Friday Feline Face

  ****Hello, everybody, Tommy here. I apologize for being late on Max’s update, and our life in general.  Each time I planned to write, I watched MaxMaxx, just one more day-to see if anything that shouldn't be happening happened. I realized my boy was tired of me watching him like a hawk. And besides, Noir wants HIS blog back. J So on with the story!
***17 is the number of days basked, so far, in the tuxie-ness of  MaxMaxx. Yes, back in our cluttered and cat filled chateau we call ‘home,’ my big boned baby becomes more and more like the kitty before all this mess ensued. 

 *****Perineal urethrostomy surgery is what Max (and the rest of us) endured. He came through with flying tuxie colors.  Only days before the surgery, I believed I would lose him.   Even now, more than a month later, I still hear Max’s yowls in my mind. The both of us were so scared, as I tried to find the emergency clinic in the middle of the fateful night. Max’s doctor said she has a ‘3 block rule’ and unfortunately, Max hit a homerun in record time.  When I first took Max back in April (the day after my birthday, of all days), the doctor was surprised Max was still with us.

 *****MaxMaxx gained a not so pleasant—yet funny reputation at the hospital.  He hissed and nipped folks, resulting in three techs to hold him down for meds.  When I visited tho,  Max turned into mush. I really don’t think I’d heard Max growl until the hospital. After all his treatments, meds, exams, pokes and prods, on September 3rd, Max came home. I happy and scared, especially when we got a flat tire at Petsmart.  A sweet samaritan changed the tire within about 10 minutes. 

 **Once home, Max had to wear that e-collar so he wouldn't get at his incision. That first night, everybody in the house, except for nosey Mooch, kept a distance. Max on the other hand, wouldn't let me out of his sight. He meowed, and just leaned against my legs. I thanked God, cried and couldn't believe he was home. The e-collar made it hard from him to jump up because; he kept sliding on the collar. We endured—again. On the second day, Max kind of hung by himself. I didn’t want to rush him.  I let Max do wherever he wanted.  

 ***After the third day, I saw Max slowly turn into more like himself, day.  He stayed out in general population, unless he was real tired.  Then under my bed he’d go, where usually everybody except Mooch, would join him. Max stretched in his favorite spot on the floor. This photo was from last night:

He would stay extra long against my legs. Even as I was in my own litter box, putting on make up, against my legs I’d feel the vibrations from his purrs.  Finally last night, Mommy nudged up against Max. Mommy kept her distance from him, eventho Max tried to go up to her from the moment he returned home. Mommy is his buddy, but wasn't feeling it. It was sad to Max, look at Mommy, while she just walked away.  As these 17 days went on, I noticed Mommy let Max get a little closer. And last night the head and ear washes returned.

 ********MaxMaxx has had two checks up since he’s been home, including this past Tuesday.  The doctor is absolutely thrilled about Max’s progress. The e-collar finally came off that day too. Max goes back on Oct. 2, to make sure all is still good.  Max was a bit hesitant in jumping, even after the e-collar came off.  I urged him on the couch or on my bed--OK, I didn't have any treats in my hand....Max pondered, got on his hind legs, yet didn’t jump up—until this morning.  He routine, before all this adventure happened, was to jump on the bed, head bonk my arm or back, and then curl in my arm for minute or two.  Well, this morning, Max decided he wanted his routine back--and I got misty eyed again---at 5 AM.

 *****I also got misty eyed, for another reason, a week after Max came home. In fact, he's had his first check up earlier that day. The hospital told me they would work with me about Max’s $3400 bill.  The bill wound up being more than the ‘high end’ I was quoted. We’d worked out an installment plan (I don’t have plastic, and with those prior hospital stays, plus the emergency clinic, with life in general, I was zapped.)  If I’d known back in April, the surgery would be the outcome—things would have been better financially. Alas, not to be.

*****The wonderful auction held for Max, helped, (THANK YOU ALL!!), yet more help was needed. I didn’t learn about other places/organizations I may have applied to,  prior to Max’s surgery for help. However, on this night, about 7:30 PM, I received a call from one of the staff who I thought was calling to check up on Max, as she had done many times before. Wrong. Long story short, she was “hissed off’ as Noir would say, about the bill. Unfortunately, for both of us, she was unaware about the installment plan set up. I am leaving a lot out of this part of the story. Let’s just say, there was no yelling, there was restraint, and tentative calm at the end.  When I hung up, I thought about not taking Max back there. I realized I can’t have one person turn me off from the place that saved his life.  Since then, I've spoken to the office.  They say everything is OK, although I personally do not feel as comfortable as I once did. There is just under $2000 I want to pay off  quicker than this installment plan calls for. This is where I swallow deep, put on big girl whiskers, and say if any one feels inclined to help, I would be humbled and grateful. 

 ******Outside of Max’s medical bill madness, we honestly are all doing well. Max looks at me with those big eyes. His purr is robust. The tuxie tail is up in a question mark as Max trots thru the house. There have been zooms yet, I think we’re close, plus Max lets me play with him more: 

How quiet life would be without him. And to think when Max came into my life, in 2006, I tried to talk a friend into taking two kittens: Max and Mommy. The friend said her hubby wouldn't let her get another cat….really? All in all, it was the right decision.

***This urinary block adventure I’d never experienced before—and I hope never again. The day the doctor talked to me about the surgery, she got right in Max’s face (he growled) and told him we must have him for at least another decade and a half.  I am just blessed for these 17 days –so far—with my baby big boy at home--even if MaxMaxx does not welcome the pawparazzi:

Yep, as Noir says, The King has returned 

...And we are blessed.

Thank YOU for your support and love :) 

xxxooo

 -Tommy-