August 12, 2020

Ok. Where Have I Been?

 Seriously did not intend to go so long between posts. Right after the last one I had an idea of something to write about, but then...well...I wasn't feeling too hot. In fact, I was feeling not so hot that the Woman took over my Ask Max Monday column to explain why I hadn't done one (go read it if you haven't; it has details) but the short version is that about a month ago, she was pretty sure I was about to die.

Since then, my life has been a roller coaster. I've had some really good days and some really bad days, and we all suspect this is how it's going to be from now on. I'm struggling with my thyroid medication--I can't live comfortably without it, but it's beginning to upset my system and it squashes my appetite, so the stabby person changed it from a pill to a gel that gets smeared on my ear.

They thought that would solve things, but it hasn't. It makes me feel just as bad when it's on my ear, so now they're looking into things to soothe an upset kitty tummy yet also wondering if I'm actually nauseated or what. I don't have the words to tell them what bothers me.

But mostly, I'm just an old guy. Sometimes I'm hungry, sometimes I'm not. Some days I want to go into the living room to see people and ask for food, but more and more I'm staying in my bedroom and waiting for them to bring food to me. And on days I just don't feel well, I go hide in the bedroom closet. They bring food to me but on those days all I really want is water.

Still...the Woman says we're not near the day where That Decision has to be made. I perk up when someone comes in to see me, even if all they have for me is water. I talk to them. And usually when they sit on my bedroom sofa, I grunt and then go into another room because I am still mostly antisocial.

Today was a good day.

I woke the Woman up at 6:30 in the morning by howling outside her bedroom door. She jumped out of bed just in case there was something wrong, and when there wasn't, she happily went to the kitchen to get breakfast for me (ok, she said she was happy to get it, but she kinda looked like hell...) and afterward I sat in her lap for a while. I've eaten decently throughout the day.

Tomorrow who knows? The people are very aware that just because I ate today, that means nothing for tomorrow, but they'll bring me things to drink and cans of stinky goodness and bites of steak and shrimp, and I might nom a bit.

I'm not sick, I'm really not.

I'm having issues with my meds, but mostly...I'm just old.

Last night, I got comfy and snoozed...

And there's nothing wrong with being old. It changes things a bit; people have expectations of the younger you and they want you to be as spry as you were, but sometimes a guy has to just sit back and snooze, and let everyone cater to (and guess) his whims. When you hit 90-100--and I hope you do--you'll probably sit around a lot, too. By then, you deserve it.

Now, before I had the really horrible awful weekend, we finished the final draft of the second Wick Shorts book, and it's in the final edit stage. The cover work is done. The publisher is, thankfully, rushing it to print, so it should be available next week. Maybe even this weekend.

It's not the last Wick book, but it is a nice capstone to this part of the Blackshear's tale. After this, after a break, the Woman will move forward with it, jumping forward in time. The original plan was to leave my name on the next series, but we're not sure if that will upset people if I'm not still around.

Oh, and if you read the first one...please leave a review at Amazon. There are, like, zero reviews and thousands of people downloaded it. No reviews can kill a book. 

I'll try to keep up with this blog, but you can usually get updates on my "official" Facebook Page (not so much my personal page...it got hard to juggle everything.)

8 comments:

Summer said...

Lots of purrs to you, Max - getting old is hard on kitties, and on their humans.

Memories of Eric and Flynn said...

Max, I know exactly what you mean. Flynn never could tolerate the thyroid meds and I will forever blame the Convenia injection given by the locum for that. We tried the gel too and that didn't work, just made him more ill. The only thing we could give him was Pred. which kept his numbers down to a certain extent.
We went through that roller coaster which will be so hard on your people. But you are a fighter too and will let them know when it is time. Keep fighting, we all love you.
And now like an idiot I am all choked up, for you and for Flynn.

da tabbies o trout towne said...

dood......we R troo lee sorree; guess yur damned if ya take it, damned if ya don't ~~~~ cuzin boomer waz diagnosed with renal failure N waz told ta take sub Q's....he said noe; and lived for another two yearz ♥♥♥

we bee guessin mom N dad haz all reddy tried de rice diet for ya? boiled chickn & rice, boiled burger N rice { minuzz all de 'junk " } cottage cheez & rice ~~~~~

if itz sum poundz ya wanna put on, kitten food will due de trix; canned and ore kibble coz itz hi in cal o reez ~~~~

de blessingz oh st francis two ewe; we noe thiz just plane sux for ewe & yur peepulz

♥♥♥♥♥

Eastside Cats said...

We are all purring for you, Max!
Whether you are ready or not, your peeps definitely are NOT, and neither are we.

Just Ducky said...

Oh Max, you are just the grand old man of the cat blogosphere and we loves ya. Sending lots of good vibes your way.

Mark's Mews (Marley, Lori, Loki, and Binq) said...

Max, we look for a new post every day on Feedly first thing. You started us. Well, not "US" here now (it was Skeeter and LC when we discovered cat-blogging because of you). TBT says that was WAY back in 2004. But we kept up through the years as The Mews changed members.

TBT here: Max, I know you are 19 and someday The Bridge will send The Call. You will have a short nap and wake up seeking it. It will be wherever you look for it of course.

And you will be whatever age you want to be forever and healthy and have an appetite again. When Skeeter left us, he sent messages to LC about being 5 again. When LC left, she told Ayla she had decided to be 4 so that she could stay a year younger than Skeeter as she had here.

TBT says that he thinks the ear gels are the best thing since purrs-on-a-lap because it made things so much easier for Iza.

We realize that aging is hard. Not that we individually are all that old, but I (Ayla) was around with Skeeter and LC as The Bridge called to them.

Glory in your long life. While no time is enough with the Beins, 19 is a lot more than most get. We will be grateful for 14 and hope for 16.

We sometimes get Gerbers Chicken because of you. We learned a bit of "snarky" from you. Try to stay around a bit longer iffen ya can. Your Woman will appreciate it, but so will we.

Ivan from WMD said...

Yep, getting old is no picnic. Still, we expect you to go on for another 100 years!

Hnossa said...

Sorry to hear that the ear goo doesn't help, Max. May you stay with your staff as
long as you wish to stay on this side of the Bridge.

Tell the woman that future Wick books could have both your names. Max Thompson's Wick Chronicles by the Woman would be cool. Because we know that you're the creator of Wick's world, but you're nice and will share.