01Jan26: weak start…?

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Please, I need relief from this sense Andy has given up.

I’m fighting my own sense that you – some of you – have given up on this blog, too.

If you are thinking about dropping out, just do it now. The slow drop in follows is depressing to me. Let’s get it over.

I appreciate more and more those of you who are staying around even if Andy and my health issues have replaced lighter fare. Life can get brutal, eh?

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Andy has another follow-up on the 5th. I have my MRI on the 14th.

Now, he’s come back and is eating Greenies. I don’t know if I’m missing something here or what. I hope he hasn’t given up, that he’s still getting better. The signs are mixed.

This is the third time this hour he came back to eat Greenies. He was in the other room for a long time. Perhaps he was eating the Royal Canin Persian dry food there. I hope so.

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I didn’t realize that I had a bruise on my face from my fall on Christmas Eve. Someone mentioned it today.

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Some medicines alter the taste of familiar foods in undesireable ways. I wonder if that’s Andy’s issue with the wet chicken food it is the one I add two medicines to.

He’s stopped by to eat some Greenies, then headed off to other places on kitty business. As noted elsewhere, he’s giving mixed signals about his eating progress.

31Dec25: later, yesterday…

…Greenies, but he came around later yesterday morning to eat a few.

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(Andy looks a bit frazzled these days. He’s had a rough time, but is in much better shape, finally.)

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Andy didn’t spend much time here today. He was taken to the place where he gets blood taken and IV’S.

He did get an IV. His veterinarian noted his red blood cells are a bit improved, that liver function takes more time to sort itself out, but is coming along.

I reviewed issues I had with medications and Andy’s specific resistance to various methods of administering them.

I noted how two that he didn’t get much of because of how much wet food he typically eats, then leaves. I described how I mixed the two in water and gave them orally to Andy by syringe: his veterinarian approved.

(“See, Andy? I have to take those nasty things, too.”)

30Dec25: cattitude attack?

Andy has begun to fall into a more regular routine. Sleep, of course, is a big part of it.

On the other hand, while he ate some of his wet food and the Royal Canin Persian dry food, his Greenies binge the other day must have sated his desire to chomp on any for the immediate future.

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A safe distance from the “Crazy Kat Brusher!”

“Sleep soundly now, kitty boy! I’ll be back!”

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Andy has a follow-up veterinarian’s appointment today. More on that tomorrow.

I finally had contact with the Regional West Hospital’s breast cancer liaison person who went over the initial information about services available to mitigate travel expenses and other things I need to know about the steps I’ll take in my treatment.

First – and a first! – an MRI where I will lie prone in a special masseuse-like or chiropractor-like bench with a face hole and (?) others for my “boobs” instead of supine, like all other MRI benches.

Another thing: unlike every other hospital room. I’ve ever been in for 23 years, the ones connected to the breast cancer part of Regional West Hospital actually are just as warm as I like! Women, in this respect, are treated better than all other patients.

29Dec25: a pensive mood…

I can’t get a handle on what’s on his mind.

He hopped on the ottoman. After staring at me for a moment…

… he stared at bit at the Greenies, then hopped off to…what? I hope it was to eat food ready for him in the other room.

Finally! Andy returned to eat lots of Greenies!

28Dec25: an improvement

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Andy was investigating the front door scene when…

I placed a few on top of the cottonwood chunk, where Andy helped himself.

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After the first few days of starvation-level eating, which was both alarming and frustrating to me, Andy went to town last night. He came over to the ottoman, when eight, nine, ten times he ate several Greenies and took breaks to drink water.

Greenies aren’t meant to be anything more than an occasional treat, of course, but when Andy was barely tasting his wet food and occasionally eating a few pieces of the Royal Canin Persian dry food, it wasn’t life- sustaining.

(“Floofy” kitties look fat and sassy, even when they are shockingly thin.)

I worried for Andy’s life, frankly. If it was going to be up to Greenies to get him on track a m d keep him on track, so being it!

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It concerned me that two medications – the two on the left – were put in his wet food, the wet food he barely touched.

I decided to try a different approach.

Mixing the powder from one, and the liquid from the other in a measured amount of water, the medicines were then
sucked into the syringe.

Shooting them into Andy’s mouth worked well, with very little spillage since the amount given was less than a kitty mouthful.

(The white one is for kidney support, and the green one is for liver support.)

27Dec25: a big deal…

…and thinking about it, Andy ate some Greenies!

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Andy ate the Greenies a little after 10 am yesterday. I don’t want to alarm you, but he’s very thin just now. I am worried that he can’t recover fully, yet this little victory suggests my concerns may be unwarranted. Also, he is spending more “hanging out time” with me now, which I am happy to report.

26Dec25: mixed up morning…

Andy came out of hiding for a taste of his favorite dry food.

A brief sniff behind the ottoman gave me hope he’d sample a few Greenies that fell off the ottoman. He didn’t sample them.

Over to the front door to sample the air coming in under the open outside door.

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While Andy is eating a bite more than earlier, he still is a sick kitty. He is very thin, still on medications. I am alarmed by his thinness, having a hard time giving him medicine in wet food that he never ate all the way before he became ill. I doubt he’s getting much of the benefit of the two medicines administered in wet food.

(I’m having a poor time photographing him today.)

The supplement that helps his appetite is administered in a quantity and in a syringe so difficult to handle that lots of it goes out of Andy’s mouth and onto himself face and chest. I’m getting a bit better administering that supplement, but…!

He wants to eat his favorite treat, but it’s just too much, too soon.

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Sick, old man taking care of a sick, old cat. What’s wrong with this picture? It’s the way things worked out. We’ll get through it one way or another.

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I gave myself a half hour extra before getting ready for dialysis to assure enough time to medicate Andy. It proved to be exactly enough time.

I drove to the hospital, waited in the parking lot for the other people I share with on Tuesday-Thursday- Saturday with. Because of the holiday, though, I had Monday- Wednesday- Saturday. But, because of the biopsy, I was squeezed into Tuesday-Wednesday- Saturday. All of this confusion to let you know I appeared at the hospital on Friday, a day early for my Saturday session. I hate holidays!

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I haven’t heard yet what course and schedule to expect to take for my breast cancer. Stinking holiday interruptions in letting me know, I suppose. Sorry for the negativity.

20Dec25: bad news…

Andy hasn’t been eating for the last week or so.

I’ve been preoccupied with multiple health issues of my o wee n — more later – and didn’t realize Andy wasn’t well.

I took him in to see his veterinarian this morning.

He is severely anemic and has other issues I’m not competent to describe.

After showing his veterinarian my potential schedule, it looked like I would have difficulties caring for him. It was decided Andy’s best care would be at the clinic till he is gaining on his conditions or I am more certain of what my recovery plan entails and am in better condition to care for him.

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There is a history of breast cancer in my family. I knew men could get it, but didn’t think I was a candidate.

I do, however, have a mass in my left breast. I had a mammogram on the 19th and am scheduled for a biopsy this coming Monday.

As I learn both Andy’s status and mine, I will post something here, but there most likely will be days I can’t post.

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I took Andy’s bag of Royal Canin Persian dry food and a Ziploc baggie with some Greenies back to the clinic, on his veterinarian’s suggestion. Well, the Greenies will be a gadget to use. If he eats those, he’s feeling better!

I will be getting phone calls from the clinic to let me know how Andy’s doing, and I will try to visit him, if my issues allow.

Please don’t flood this with good wishes as I doubt I will be up to replying to each one. Besides, I know you all wish us well, especially Andy!