Thank you all for your purrs and prayers and good wishes for my boy.
I am positive they have helped.

DH and Mike and I went to Florida today to see an internal medicine
specialist, and were there for most of the day.  The clinic had
various specialists (even a veterinary opthamologist!) and only takes
patients by referrals.  Their facility was, as our TED had said,
*much* better equipped than our local hoomin hospital, and we really
liked the vet we saw.  There was one surprise bit of bad news, but
most of what we heard was actually better than I was expecting.

As it happens, we have been treating Mike's hyperthyroidism and trying
to beat down complications for months and months, when actually
*hypertension* was what was causing all the complications.  It has
damaged his kidneys, but not as badly as our TED thought, and
apparently they will function reasonably adequately.  His blood
pressure is *very* high, though, and the new TED said that he would
have kept Mike in the hospital and used intravenous BP meds if it were
not that Mike was so "obviously very stressed" to be there.  This is
polite code for if Mike had not hissed and bitten and clawed everyone
within reach, he wouldn't have gotten to come home tonight.  They had
to anesthetize him to do all the tests.

From Mike's point of view, of course, his Mikeness saved him from
staying with the mean people.

As it is, we are giving him the max dose of a BP pill, Norvasc, and
have to go back in a week for recheck.  The new TED also lowered
Mike's Tapazole dose to less than half what he was taking before, and
we have an entirely new kind of special food only obtainable through
the vet.

The only really bad news is that both of Mike's retinas have detached,
and he is completely blind.  This happened last night.  There is a
chance that they may reattach once the blood pressure is under
control, and since Mike started the BP meds less than 24 hours after
it happened, this is a possibility.  I understand that if it does
happen, it will be within the next few days.  I am trying not to be
too upset about this, because the critical thing, kidney function, is
better than expected and overall his outlook is better than we had
thought.  I know there are plenty of happy blind kitties out there,
but of course this sudden onset is very distressing for Mike, which is
heartbreaking to watch.  The way he's functioning already, though,
makes me absolutely sure that he will be able to adapt if necessary.
He's secure enough with DH and me, and in his own house, that he will
be okay.  (And, unexpected bonus of the silver lining variety, it
quite definitely settles DH's and my long-running debate about
moving.)

Any vision purrs that could be directed Mikey's way would be
appreciated, but just knowing exactly what's wrong, how to treat it,
and that it *can* be treated means the purrs already received have
worked their magic.  I actually do feel more positive about his health
than I've been able to for quite some time.

------
Krista

Who is even now taking CATherine's advice about the chocolate