Aw, poor Freddie We had one like him...not Maine Coon but always very matted. His name was Fuzzy, oddly enough. He was only shaved maybe twice in his life because he hated that 60 mile round trip to the vet and didn't fare well with sedation. But he was always a mess and it grieves me still to think how uncomfy he must've been for most of his life.
Oh no, poor Fuzzy. We're lucky that the gabapentin is enough to take the edge off for Freddie. And it's only a short car ride. But it will impact decisions we might have to make for him in the future (we know he wouldn't cope well with intensive hands on veterinary care, for example) so I can understand you were between a rock and a hard place with Fuzzy.