Blood Test

Well it's come around to renew my prescription. This means the vet wants to take their pound of flesh, well blood tests at least. So dad took me into work with him for the day.

The weather today was too warm for me. I panted a lot as we walked down to the vets. As dad had given me my tablets at 7am they had to fit me in earlier than they wanted. The blood needs to be taken within 6 hours of taking them apparently.

The vet decided to call another nurse in to help with me. Dad doesn't really mind as they should take whatever precautions they feel needed to jab a big scary Rottie like me with a needle. But what makes it funny is when the nurse grabs me by the head and the vet jabs me in the neck, I go for the attention. I melted onto the floor so I was lying down waiting for a fuss. The vet and the nurse couldn't then take the blood from my neck, so I've now got a shaved patch on my forepaw where they had to take it from.

If they just let dad hold me then there wouldn't have been any fuss. But then they wouldn't have had anything to laugh about either.

Good news with my weight though. It's down to 49.85kg (109.9lbs). That's a huge drop of about 3kg in 3 months. Even though mum and dad have cut my food back it still gets bulked up with kibble, I still get treats - but tonight I also raided the grill and ate four sausages that Blaine had left so I could get at them. That means I get the other four for breakfast now, my slobber wins every time!

Well That's Annoying

I was in the middle of updating the page that listed all of Roxy's sezures since they started and when I clicked "Preview" to check it something went poof and it's all gone. Don't know what happened at all but the page is now 404 Missing In Action. Wish I'd got a decent backup of this site now :( Ah, well.

17:45 So tonight I figured it needed to be updated because she had a full seizure. She's been having this chomping seizures all week and we thought that was what she was up to. But then off she went into a full roll over and paddling. Slobber everywhere.

I hoped this meant that the coiled spring that seems to build up got released and we'd see the end to the seizures, even the chompies for a while. But sure enough I just start typing on here and off she goes into a chompie.

Chomping

I thought that it may be educational to post a couple of video of the seizures that I'm having right now. I'll have batches of 3-5 chompies with 3-5 minutes in between. It's a little difficult to catch as I have them for such a short period.

These are certainly easier to catch than the full blown seizures she has. Dad spends all his efforts trying to keep me safe so there's no time for camera work. But these small chomping episodes don't require any of his attention.

As you see I'm not overly distressed by them, but they're still annoying.

Having a Tough Time this Week

This whole week has been really terrible and we're not sure it's going to get any better. I know dad's pretty worried by all of this.

On the Sunday the seizures were reduced to chomping and head shaking, but never went into the usual muscle spasms and paddling.

Since the seizures started about all that happened is they seem to have changed their behaviour again. Every day since Sunday I've had several seizures a day, but they're stopping at the chomping stage. I chomp for a a minute then they stop. Afterwards I may be disorientated and lack balance for a minute, but then it's like nothing happened.

I hope we see a change for the best, and soon.

Wonky Time

After the start of this cluster dad figured we'd be spending a day or two dealing with the seizures. Turns out it had different plans. Seemed like the Monday seizure was going to be a one off.

13:00 That was until Thursday. Chris texted dad at work to say I'd just had a seizure. After that things went quiet again.

05:00 Saturday morning it must have sounded like a fire alarm going off. I'd made it out of bed and was having a seizure by my food and water bowls. There was water everywhere and I was clanging the bowls together in my fit. Dad rushed down to sort me out and I went back off to sleep until...

07:00 Another early wake up call for dad.

10:45 Off I went again into a full seizure. So it looks like this weekend is going to be trouble.

14:45 Dad decided I needed a walk out and I was certainly looking forward to it. We got in the car and went out to the woods. About half way round I gave dad a nudge and when he looked at me he said "Ah oh here we go" and sure enough I went into a fit. Dad made sure I was comfortable and we stayed there for a while. Well as long as I'd let him. I was eager to get back on with the walk, but dad decided to go back to the car. we were almost half way so it was still 20 minutes back there. On the way I needed a drink and no matter what dad said I was going in the muddy stream for a drink... oh and a lie down.

16:45 After getting home and getting a bath and towelling down. Dad spent some time with the hair dryer on me. I love that. But a little while later I was restless and mooching about, pacing and couldn't decide what to do. Dad saw this as a sign and sure enough I went into another fit whilst laying in bed.

Mad March

20:40 Well today saw the return of the seizures. Probably the start of a cluster so this post will grow as it goes on. I was lazing around, as usual, and out of the blue I started with blinking and trying to get up. Dad looked at me and thought we might get away with it, but I rolled over and went into a big seizure.

After it finished I was so wasted by it that I just went back off for a nap. No jumping up and charging about. But now wer're only 20 minutes later and it looks like I could be up for another already. As I lie here with my head up it's like the ground is moving and I keep having to catch myself from falling. So dad's sat here tying this whilst watching me closely.

Happy Days

Well things have been going great lately, everything just seems great and I just seem to be enjoying life right now. We don't think about the seizure monster and we get on with living.

Dad's even taken me into work a few times and everyone sees that as a trip to the vet these days. But instead it's just been an excuse for me to go with him and spend the day doing something different. Each time I go in someone says "Oh, your off to the vet again?". Well No, not this time. When I'm with dad at work I'm as good as gold. Just lazing around and happy just to be with peoples.

Dad's been indulging his other hobby too just lately. I know he needs his car for work but he also spends time working on it to keep it in tip top shape and spends more money on it that mum would like. But it is one of my favourite places to be too. It's because it means we're going out somewhere like the woods. So I'll often jump in the back and just lie waiting until he's done before we go out.

Dad thinks its funny that the Polish guys who work in the garage opposite are wary of me when I'm out. He works on the car and I just sit around either in the car or waiting by the car and pay them no attention. But if I'm in behind the gate I'll bark at them and scare them. So when I'm not behind the gate they kind of creep around not to attract my attention, but all I really want is for them to come and say hello!

Can you hear Santa Claus?

Well it may seem surreal but that's the question that was asked this morning at 03:40. "Can you hear Santa Claus?"

At Christmas the kids bought me a squeaky Santa Claus toy. I've never really shown it much interest which is why it's survived through to February. It's most often in bed and everyone can than hear me getting in and out as it squeaks each time I do. But we weren't prepared for the secondary usage until today.

03:40 Early in the morning I was downstairs in bed when mum and dad heard a rythmic squeaking, hence the strange question. When they got down to me the squeaking had stopped but there was plenty of foamy evidence that I'd had one of my big seizures. Other than that everything was fine, didn't want to get up or anything so after staying with me for a bit they left me in bed. Eventually I got up and came to spend the rest of the night on the floor in the bedroom.

12:55 Up until now everything has been back to normal. No disorientation or any signs I'd even had a seizure this morning. Then whilst lying asleep upstairs off I went again. A little rest again afterwards and back to normal. No pacing or blindness at all.

20:00 Dad was downstairs cutting his hair and mum was in the bathroom. Chris found me and called dad to get him come take care of me. I'd snuck upstairs and was having a nap in the bedroom. A bit of wee and slobber as usual, but then back to normal pretty sharpish again.

The Changing Nature of Seizures

Well the seizures haven't really stopped. But at least dad and I got a good nights sleep last night. Periodically yesterday I'd have a seizure, followed fairly closely by another. Dad didn't end up recording them all, but there must have been another 5 during the day.

09:40 Today they started later in the morning. I'd just woken up and was nosing dad in the face, then mooching around and pacing a bit before I started chomping and head shaking whilst standing up. Dad came over to make sure I didn't fall and hurt myself, but I just lay down sphinx style and carried on with the chomping and head shaking. Almost as soon as it was over I was alert and not quite stable but better than I have been.

We went downstairs and not long after I went into another chomping and head shaking. Then within five minutes of recovering I was off again. The difference with these last ones are the paddling is missing. Now it's as if I'm still partly concious as I'll flay out with my legs trying to catch my balance so I don't roll over. Also the recovery period directly after seems shorter.

We're just hoping that we're getting to the last of them for this cluster.

Welcoming in the New Year

Wow, what a night. I've spent all night having seizure after seizure. Every hour another one. Poor dad's been kept up all night lying on the sofa, letting me out, mopping up and then calming me down and putting me back to bed. He sure looks beat today.

From 23:30 last night I started having big seizures. After each one I was pretty spaced out and uncoordinated. At one point I stepped in my water bowl and flung it all over the kitchen floor. If it wasn't water it was pee that dad had to mop up.

I'd come in a lie down next to him and whine and cry for an hour until the next seizure struck. This went on until 7:00 this morning and even now I'm still having big chompies here and there. I was so wasted I even ate my breakfast sitting down!

Dad seems to think I may have missed a seizure at 6:00am, but can't be sure through sleep deprivation.

So right now I've gone all puppy like. I do as I'm told still but I'm all starey eyed and can't leave mum alone. I'm her shadow today. But then she is cooking a turkey.