Shake N Bake Mysteries

so, we couldn't afford Waldo's meds, one month... and noticed that his seizures weren't really any worse. He always had small seizures, even when fully medicated, and occasionally vocalizes loudly, medicated or not.
(That sounds like something thyroid-related, but I am not about to jump to any conclusions.)

Reading around online has told me that the cheapest way to head toward a diagnosis is a spinal tap. Yes. A spinal tap. for my cat.

...we're putting off their annual check-ups/vaccinations because we have to save up for them-- while Boots does have kitty insurance; we still have to pay up front, and then they reimburse us. :c
Since we can't afford the *basics* of kitty health care, right now, I just don't see us springing for a spinal tap or a CAT scan or MRI any time soon.

Whatever the issue is, I do know this much: his blood work always shows an elevated white blood cell count; indicative of a low-level viral infection. Every. Year.


He is a VERY anxious cat, but since learning the truth behind his "cattery", I can understand why. I think that the phenobarbital helped him to chill out by doping him up a tiny bit, which helped him relax enough to learn that the world isn't a terrifying place, 24/7. So I'm really grateful he was on these meds for the past 3 years,
but if he doesn't actually have real seizures, and therefore doesn't need epilepsy meds... I see no reason to annoy his kidneys with medications.


He still has small muscle seizures/spasms, but no longer has what we believed to be big personality changes.
What were those? I don't know. We know that stress seemed to "trigger" his seizures, which doesn't mesh with idiopathic epilepsy; maybe they were anxiety attacks? Who knows. Hopefully, one day, we'll find out.

I'm sure he misses his "gravy", though...