Life as a Tripod

The Beautiful Miss Hazel Lucy of Catster Fame suggested that I give my furriends an update on how I've been getting along since my surgery October 30. I thought that was a great idea, so I'm finally getting around to writing that entry!

October 30, I had my bad leg amputated. I went to sleep and when I woke up I was so confused. There was an awful plastic cone around my head, and I was in a cage, covered up in a towel. I was extremely grumpy. Someone came to visit me and I screamed and thrashed about. Later, I found out that someone was none other than Mom. But I was so upset that day that I didn't even recognize her.

The next day, I was a totally different kitty. I was feeling much better, and Mom came to pick me up! The vet told her that the day before, I'd been so upset because I was still coming out of anesthesia, and I was also on morphine, which probably helped make me confused. Anyway, the day I went home just so happened to be Halloween. I went home with Mom, and she took me over to her friend's house. I actually ended up spending the weekend over there, and so did Mom. I loved it; it was quiet; there were no other cats to mess with me. Just me and Mom. It was nice. As you can see from my pictures, by this time I was already jumping on beds and walking around all by myself.

Back at the house on Nov. 2, things were getting back to normal. Luna was getting on my nerves as always, and Sindri was trying to pick fights with me. I ignored Isa, and she ignored me. I didn't even have to see that dog Rafa; he was with Mom's friend. Mom's friend actually kept Rafa the entire time I was here with her because she didn't want me to be stressed out by the presence of an unfamiliar canine.

The Friday after my surgery, I went to the vet for a re-check. She was very happy with how well I was doing! My incision was looking good. She said she noticed some fluid but that it would be reabsorbed into my body. Well, wouldn't you know it, that night my incision started bleeding. Mom called the vet but she said that was normal. It bled until Saturday then stopped, but Sunday it started back up and didn't stop until Monday. But then it stopped, and for good.

That Friday, I went back to the vet and had my stitches removed. For just two more days, I had to wear the cone. But then it came off and I was so happy! Everything was back to normal, and I was once again a happy-go-lucky feline. The worst thing about this whole surgical ordeal was that darn collar.

The week of Thanksgiving, Mom took me back home to Grandmaw and Grandpaw's house. Boy was I glad to be back! I got to go hang out on the back porch by myself, and I loved it. Their house is also a lot bigger, so there's more room for me to escape from the other kitties. I also got to see my Duchess dog! Rafa, the other dog, came too, and we actually got along quite well. So did he and Duchess, but they initially got off to a very rough start and wanted nothing more than to tear each other apart! But Mom successfully introduced them on Day 2 of her trip, and after that they were inseparable.

So anyway, now I'm back home with Grandmaw and Grandpaw, and I am loving life as a tripod. The best thing about it? No more pain! My bad leg doesn't hurt anymore! I honestly don't even realize it's gone most of the time. When someone scratches the right side of my face, I wiggle my stump as if I were trying to scratch an itch. I hop along, but I when I run you can't even tell I'm missing a leg.

I want to thank everyone who purred for me during my surgery and recovery! I don't think it would have gone as well as it did without the support of you wonderful Catsters!

Love,
Sir Thomas
Gato Trípode (That is Spanish for Tripod Cat)

More leg troubles

My bad leg, the one that was operated on a few years ago, is acting up again. Lucky Boo wrote about it in his diary, but I thought I'd write a new entry about it too. My page as a whole really needs some serious work--I still have an Xmas background and even more Xmas photos posted! Wow! I guess I could leave it as it is and then I wouldn't have to do any redecorating for next Christmas, MOL!

Anyway, so last weekend, my leg started hurting again. Actually, the weekend before that, Mommy was sitting on the floor petting me and all of a sudden I hissed and hopped away, holding the leg up. The next day it seemed better, but now it's hurting again, as of last weekend. Mommy talked to Grandmaw on the phone today, and she said the leg is a little better, but Mommy will have to see for herself when she comes home this weekend.

I have not been putting much weight on my leg, and I've been hopping around like a rabbit instead of walking and running normally. Grandmaw noticed that my leg seems to have an extra joint in it, in the middle of the femur. It could be that something has gone wrong with the pins in my leg because that's where the bone was shattered when it was hurt a few years ago. To Mommy, the way Grandmaw describes it makes it seem like it has to be broken; there is no joint in the middle of a femur and everycat knows that! But she will have a look-see this weekend when she comes home. If it were broken, I don't think I'd be able to put any weight on it. I have been taking some pain medication (metacam) that my other vet prescribed me a month or so ago for my leg pain. The leg has been bothering me pretty much ever since it was originally injured, and Mommy kind of regrets not having it amputated, but she had no way of knowing that I would have such ongoing problems with it. She wanted to give me every chance of remaining a 4-legger!

I am probably going to college with Mommy next week so I can go to my vet, the one who operated on my leg in 2003. Or was it 2004? I can't even remember. If there is not drastic improvement by this weekend, I will be going to the vet. That means I'll get to stay in Statesboro with Lucky Boo and Sindri for a whole week! I'm actually not looking forward to that, though, because Sindri and I do not get along very well. He likes to bully me.

Thank you to Buddie, Gimme, Oly, and Vincent for the lovely get well rosettes! Thanks for the purrs!

Even if I do have to go to the vet and the news about my leg is not good, I will be OK. Kitties can survive with only 3 legs. If I were to become a 3-legger, I would probably live with Mommy, Lucky Boo, and Sindri permanently so that I could be an inside-only kitty. Grandpaw lets me and my siblings outside sometimes, and Mommy doesn't like that as it is, but if I only had 3 legs, she would be absolutely certain that I would be an indoor-only cat, and the only reliable way to do that would be to have me live with her. But we're hoping my leg can be saved or gets better on its own.

Purrs,
Sir Thomas

Home from my doctor appointment.

Well, I have good news! My leg does not appear to be broken!! Dr. Balckom isn't for sure because it's very swollen still, but she said she couldn't feel any fractures! The vet tech there shaved my leg to reveal two puncture wounds: one on top of my elbow, and one on bottom of it. Mommy couldn't find any puncture wounds last night because my winter coat has come in very thick, so she couldn't see the bite marks.

We don't know what bit me, but I have to take antibiotics and pain medicine for a while now. And Mommy also has to soak my leg in some saltwater a few times a day for 10 minutes at a time. I wish her luck with that, MOL. I know for sure I won't be cooperating with that!

If my infected leg doesn't go back down to normal size or if it starts oozing, I have to go back to the vet and get it lanced. I don't want that to happen: please keep your paws crossed that it doesn't! I hope the antibiotics make it get well without having to have it cut open and drained!

I will update my diary if there are any further developments in this story : )

Purrs,
Sir Thomas

Ow! My leg hurts!

I must have bad luck. I used to only have one bad leg; now I have two.
2/4.
50%.
One half of my legs are bad.

I have to go to the doctor tomorrow, just so long as Mommy can get me an appointment. I do not like going to the doctor. I don't want to have metal stuff sticking out of my leg either, like I had to have last time my other bad leg was injured.

Mommy doesn't know what happened. She didn't know anything was wrong until she got home and saw me. Grandpaw saw that I was limping yesterday, but he didn't think it was very bad so he didn't mention it to Mommy or Grandmaw until after they both started making a fuss over my leg tonight. Then he said he knew it yesterday. Hrmph. Mommy is slightly annoyed with him about that, but she will get over it.

So, my front left leg seems to be broken. We hope it isn't, but it doesn't look good. I can barely put any weight on it at all, and it is very, very, very swollen up around my shoulder and elbow. It looks to be three times the size of what it should be. And boy does it hurt! I am feeling a little better though, because Mommy gave me some kitty medicine. She had some oral syringes with some pain medicine in them that she got from the doctor last time I went to the vet, when I was diagnosed with arthritis in my other bad leg (back left leg). That medicine has helped me feel a little better, so now I can tuck my paw under like I normally do when I lay down. But it's still hard to do, and I still yowl if anyone tries to touch me.

Mommy says I am not going to get to go outside anymore. Too many bad things have happened to me. I don't remember what happened to either of my bad legs, those bad memories are repressed and I'm never telling what happened. Mommy suspects that a mean person hurt me last time, and she has no clue what happened this time, since I am now pretty terrified of people with whom I am not familiar. But one thing she is sure about is that this bad thing happened to me when I was outside. She may have to start taking me with her to Statesboro, but I don't guess I'd mind that too much. I just wouldn't like the two hour car ride. But she could be certain that I would absolutely not be allowed outside if I lived with her while she goes to college, along with Lucky Boo and Sindri.

I will update once I find out what the doctor says about my leg when I go see him tomorrow. At least he's a nice doctor and doesn't pokey me too much. Please say a purr for me that my leg isn't broken, or if it is broken, that it isn't a bad break that will require surgery like my other bad leg did (the femur was shattered in that other bad leg). I just want to feel better.

Purrs,
Sir Thomas

It's Official: I'm Not in Trouble

Shadow is alive and well. That's the word from Grandpaw who saw Shadow's Daddy today. And Shadow is reportedly doing just fine!

See!? I told you I'd never kill and eat a kitty! I'm no cannibal! I'm a dignified fellow who occasionally hunts for a mouse or even rabbit (to get back at the one who beat Sindri in his photo contest, muahahahaha). I'd never hurt a kitten, especially the neighbor's kitten! Sheesh!

I'm relieved to no longer be under suspicion!

Purrs,
Sir Thomas

Am I in Trouble??

I ate an animal early this morning. Grandmaw and Grandpaw don't know what it is because there isn't much left of it. I'm a Hunter, right? I'm THE hunter in my domain. It used to be Lucky Boo but now that he's inside and I am (sometimes) outside, I'm the hunter, the ruler, the Alpha Cat.

So anyway, this morning I left a present for Grandmaw and Grandpaw. It was the remains of whatever it was that I hunted.

Grandmaw freaked out. She said it might be Shadow, the neighbor's kitten!! She panicked, and so did I! I mean, I'd never resort to cannibalism!!! What does she think of me!? Just because what I left at the door was furry she assumed it was Shadow. I like Shadow; I think he's cute! I'd never eat him!

So Grandpaw came outside and talked some sense into Grandmaw. He told her that these remains were not even the same color as Shadow! This fur was short and gray; Shadow's fur is black and long and fluffy!

So when Mommy called Grandmaw to talk while Grandmaw was at work, she told her that I might've killed Shadow. I didn't! Really! Mommy got worried becacuse she likes Shadow too. Then Grandmaw told her that Grandpaw said it wasn't Shadow. So Mommy felt less worried.

I really didn't do it! I promise! It was a rat, and I was hungry!!!

Purrs
Sir Thomas

My Hero

Other than Mommy, my biggest hero is my Mommy's friend Dana, the girl who found me when I returned home after my accident!

Well, Mommy hasn't seen Dana in a long, long time. It's been over two years since Mommy saw her. They went their separate ways after living as roommates when Mommy returned home to go to a different school closer to home.

Then, last week, Dana sent Mom an e-mail and said she was going to be in Statesboro!! I was so happy to hear about Dana, and I was just sad that I wouldn't be able to see her, since I live in Perry all the time. I never go back and forth with Mommy like Luna, Sindri, and Lucky do. I get too anxious in the car. I wanted Mommy to make an exception and take me with her so I could see my hero who saved my life, but Mommy said I would change my mind once I got in the car, and I suppose she was right.

Mommy saw Dana tonight! She just told Grandmaw on the phone, and I was in the house, so Grandmaw told me! I'm glad my hero is doing well!! And I'm glad she and my Mommy are still friends!

Purrs,
Señor Tomás

Tomboy's New Journal

Hi Fur friends,

Finally! I get to keep a diary too! I'm outside hunting or relaxing most of the time, so I don't spend too much of my time around the computer. But I asked Mommy if she would let me keep a journal, and she said yes!

I would like to dedicate my first entry to her. I hope she knows how much I appreciate her for saving my leg. I almost lost it because I was in an accident. Mom doesn't know what happened, and neither do I because that day is a blur, but we think some mean boys hit me with a bat or something like that because I'm totally terrified of all strangers and all men now (even my own Grandpaw).

I was missing for two weeks when that happened. That time is a blur too, and I'm glad I don't remember it, because I know I was lost and looking for home. I missed Mommy. One morning, I found the house. Dana, one of Mom's roommates heard me outside meowing. She ran out and grabbed me and brought me in and woke Mommy up and told her she found me! So Mommy jumped out of bed and opened the door and there I was!! She was SO happy to see me! She'd thought I was gone forever.

Mommy saw my leg was not working so she skipped class and took me to Dr. Edwards, my Vet in Statesboro. He kept on talking about what a cool cat I am. I was very pleased by his compliments and so was Mommy! He took X-Rays and saw my leg was really messed up. The femur was shattered. He told her we had three options: Amputate my leg, Put pins in my leg and hope they stayed in place, or put an External Fixater on my leg (that was the most expensive option but also the one that would be most likely to save my leg).

Even though Mommy didn't have any money at the time, she chose option 3. So while I was at the Vet waiting for my surgery, Mommy took out a student loan! She used all of it to pay for my surgery! I am so thankful for that. I would pay her back if I could, but I'm a cat so I can't. I've never been afraid of Mommy though and I think that's how I thank her and repay her because I'm afraid of most other people. Sometimes I even let her pick me up for brief moments. I always want her to pet me and scratch my head and my back.

Mommy still takes care of my leg to this day. I have arthritis now because of the accident, and I also still have some metal in my leg (I guess I shouldn't go through any metal detectors any time soon!) so she took me to Dr. Westmoreland here in Perry. Now I take Cosequin and it helps a lot. I can run and jump and play just like I could before my accident!

Thanks Mommy! I love you!
Purrs,
Sir Thomas

My Tail of Devotion for Sir Thomas

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