I had to go to Dr. "Boozer's" office yesterday morning for refills of King's medication. His "optional" pills had run out about a week ago, and I was down to the last few thyroid pills, so I had gotten down to the point where I absolutely HAD to go. Life with a hyperthyroid cat: NOT GOOD!
Normally I'm totally on the ball when it comes to King's pills. I usually get more pills when I'm down to a two week supply, but this time I was unable to do so because I found out a couple of weeks ago that Dr. "Boozer" had had a heart attack about three weeks ago.
I called his office on Tuesday to find out if anybody was there, and much to my surprise, Dr. "Boozer" answered the phone. I expressed my relief that he was better, and then I made arrangements to pick up the pills the next day.
Why is it that whenever I make plans to run a bunch of errands, it rains? Yesterday was no exception. I slogged through the rain and wind to the tram, transfered to a bus, took the bus to the stop by Dr. "Boozer's" office, and walked the last last 100 meters in the pouring rain. Since it was so windy outside, I hadn't bothered with an umbrella, so I was soaked by the time I walked into his office.
I have to say that he looked good - pretty much as if nothing had ever happened. He had felt some indigestion on a Thursday night after dinner and didn't think too much about it. On Friday evening, he felt the same indigestion after eating dinner, and then he started to feel pains shooting down his arms. A few minutes later, his wife was driving him to the hospital.
It was at this point that he told me that the experience really
"...keeked me in d'ass!" He has to take medication for the rest of his life (one of the medications being similar to one of King's medications), he hasn't smoked a single cigarette since the heart attack, and he's now on a diet. Worst of all, I told him, the heart attack left him exposed to a lifetime of hearing "I told you so" from his wife (I felt he needed some male bonding).
"Theez shoodn't happeen after forty-four yearz!"After getting over the shock when I found out that he's actually a year younger than me (Mrs. TBF thinks I must have misheard him), I felt a wave of mortality come over me. OK, I didn't know that he smoked, and I'm sure that contributed to the plaque build-up in his arteries, but I wouldn't say that he was obese. Sure, he was like a lot of other people who can stand to lose 10 kilos (22 lbs.), but I wouldn't have guessed that he was a heart attack waiting to happen. I guess it shows the importance of trying to live a relatively healthy lifestyle, not ignoring messages your body is trying to send you, and going to the doctor for regular check-ups.
We're glad that "The Booze-Man" (as we affectionately call him) is OK. King, especially, is relieved. The last thing he wants in his advanced age (other than not having a constant supply of food and water, and...um...dying) is having to find a new vet.
King will be twenty years old in May. That's the human equivalent of 97 years old. It wouldn't have been right if King had outlived Dr. "Boozer".
Since the celebration of King's 20th birthday took place this past week, I thought I'd scan and post a couple of pictures to show how long the beast has actually been in our midst. 
