Welcome Home Dad!

Dad went away for the night and stayed away in Manchester on a training course. I know he's supposed to be off work all week this week, but it turns out the course is booked and other pressures mean he's got to go in to the Office on Thursday and Friday. That's not to say that because he planned time off but couldn't make it means that the seizures have been cancelled. I guess he never though of that!

20:55 As usual when dad's off, it's usually time for a cluster seizure. Well when dad got back from Manchester on Wednesday evening at around 20:30 I let him settle in a while and then started going all slobbery and dazed looking. Then I went into full seizure and there was slobber and wee flying everywhere.

Dad expecting the cluster to come stayed up late and when at 1am no seizure had arrived he took me up to sleep in the bedroom. Dad didn't look so good this morning when his alarm went off just after 6am. I'd kept him up all night, by just moving or licking my chops. Every time he heard something he jumped up expecting a seizure. So this morning it looked a little difficult for him to get out of bed.

Well into the season...

for barbecue!

The weekend weather was just too good not to have a barbecue. You know what dad's like - if it's not cold, it's barbecue weather. So this weekend was a must have.

Next week is Ian's birthday so he wanted to get a barbecue and try it out before next Saturday. Yeah, right. Like dad needs an excuse to light up the barby!

So whilst dad's putting together the new barby, Chris takes me out for a walk. A while later and he's calling dad saying I've had a seizure whilst out walking and Chris is bringing me home. I plod along with him on the lead all slow and when we make it home, it's obvious I've had a fit. I'm all woozy and panting hard and have slobber all over my face. Dad puts me on a towel outside and I lay around recovering watching dad build the barby.

Well no sooner has dad started cooking when the heavens open. It pours down with rain. A bit of quick thinking and Ian runs off to grab a Gazebo (or jizzyboo, as grandma spells it). When he comes back there's a big panic on and all of a sudden there is a group realization that no one has ever assembled it and have no idea how all the poles go together. It was a definite You-Tube / You've Been Framed moment!

Well four people holding up poles and canvas and passing stuff around kept me smiling for a while. What made it all the more funny was that as soon as it was up - the rain stopped!

As for the seizures... well, dad took me with him to work on his car today. Yep, you're right, dad has some more time off work - which is pretty much a guarantee of a seizure visit. All day today there's been no other occurrence. It's very strange - just one seizure. But we'll be thankful for small mercies - and take every blessing we can.

A Fun Week

It's been a real good week this week. Since Saturday's seizure there haven't been any others! Looks like it was a one off. Never before have I had just the one seizure in 24hours, so this is something be grateful for.

Dad took me in to work with him on Thursday. I didn't even need to go see the vet and he still took me with him - what's that all about? Well it turns out after work we went to meet up with a group of people from the car club he's in. So I got to say hello to a load of new faces and make loads of friends. I was so well behaved they all thought I was great.

Today we went out to the woods again. It was a real scorcher of a day too. The weather was really warm and sunny, 22 degrees - getting near summer! This did mean that all the good mud puddles had dried up. There were only a few sticky ones that I had to make do with.

As we were walking around dad says he saw some Muntjac's again. I was busy nosing around somewhere so missed them. Last week, again whilst I was off hunting squirrels, dad said he saw a deer in the trees. He stood perfectly still and it wasn't until the deer was 5 yards from him on the path that it even noticed him! It must be because some of the work in thinning the trees has brought them into the places we walk, because they're usually invisible.

At the end of the walk we went to the pond. Hooray! The water level had dropped quite a bit which meant I felt safe about getting in and actually swimming. A couple of people were sat by the water and another two turned up with their little dog. It was great fun fetching sticks and showing off in front of a crowd.

The Monster Returns

Damn, Damn, Damn. We've had such a great time of late we were almost beginning to forget about old creepy. Well it's snuck back upon us tonight.

21:45 Dad was shaving his head and I was curled up nicely sleeping  by the back door when I started to go wonky. Aparently it was a little different this time round. The seizure still made me cramp up and twist about but the paddling never kicked in. I just went into out of breath tired mode afterwards. And the pacing about didn't happen either. Dad let me out and I went for a wee and some fresh air, but there wasn't the usual blind disorientation and pacing there usually is.

But what a record it's been since the last seizures. 76 days!!!

Glorious Weather

Today saw the proper arrival of spring. Great sunshine and really warm. Dad said it was around 20 degrees centigrade today. All I know is that it's a great day to go for a walk in the woods.

What makes it even more fun is the fact that over the past week it has been really wet. So that means there are plenty of big muddy puddles in the woods. Just what's needed on a warm day like this, lots of places to lie down and cool off.

As there was no stopping me I just found the sloppiest, gloopiest puddle there was and whilst dad wasn't looking just lay down in it and chilled for a while. This meant that I got to then visit every puddle along the walk and do the same, knowing that dad would take me to the pond for a swim afterwards to get clean.

But I hadn't reckoned on the pond being swelled by the rain and deeper than I remember it! So although I washed off the mud, there was no way I was going in for a proper swim. I don't like to be out of my depth. Of course I'm not going to admit that to dad, so I paddled around and made out I didn't want to go any deeper because I hadn't brought my swim hat.

Tempting Fate

It's a difficult post to make, but such a landmark occasion we just can't let it slip by unnoticed. It's been over two months since my last seizure. This is something of a record for me, and one that is very welcome.

I know that simply by putting this into words is going to be just the cause the blasted seizure monster needs to come a running. But right now life's too good not to see the silver lining.

The past few months have gone by so quickly, but we've got up to all our usual stuff. Out running in the woods at the weekends and generally getting under everyone's feet during the week.

It's mum's turn to be off work this week and she's started taking down the curtains and pictures and mirrors - yep, she replaced the one I tried to kill dad with! Looks like the place is going to get a coat of paint whilst she's off work. That means I'll get booted out regularly I guess. Not that I'd be any trouble of course, being so agile and nimble on my feet. I don't know what makes everyone think I'm so clumsy (maybe the fact we're running out of mugs - dad).

So far this month there's been plenty of fun to be had with dad being off work and now mum, and then we've got a long weekend coming up on Friday. So I'm sure it's going to be a good week.

Where's Dad?

It's been a strange weekend. Dad got up early on Saturday, loaded up his car and I haven't seen him until late evening. Same again Sunday. So where's he been and why couldn't I go with him?

Mum decided to take me out for a walk on Saturday. So we went round the park and I got all dirty. When we got home mum and Chris coaxed me upstairs and tried to put me in the bath. What were they thinking? Like I'd just jump in and let them wash me or something! Eventually they gave up - so I won!

Today dad didn't get up early, and he didn't go to work. So it looks like he's got some more time off. Now we all know what taking time off means. It usually coincides with me going wonky and having seizures. Lately we've been doing so well, it's long overdue.

It turns out dad was working on his car all weekend. When today it turned out he still needed to finish things off I thought I'd give him a hand, or paw. I'm not sure it was appreciated though. When dad lay down and slid under the car, I'd go and give him a face lick to see if he was ok. He didn't really appreciate it, but he was in no position to argue.

Why is Everything Always So Last Minute?

After going to the vets at the only time they had available on Wednesday, we thought it was a bit tight for the tablet deadline. Ideally we wanted in on Monday, but Wednesday was what we got.

That meant getting the on-line order placed on Wednesday, hoping they shipped on Wednesday (but realising that the appointment was at 14:40 meant catching the post would be lucky). That would mean that by choosing next day delivery we'd get them Thursday - but should we miss the post it would be Friday for sure... right? Well we even managed to get the address set for dads work place so there would be no problem with someone needing to be home to sign for the delivery or if there was a problem getting them through the letterbox.

Well nothing ever goes that smoothly and to plan. Turns out that the tablets were shipped on Wednesday (Hooray!), but only as regular first class post - not next day as required (Booh!). So they didn't show up on Thursday. And on Friday at 14:00 they still hadn't arrived :( That means we'd run out of KBr over the weekend!

Now that may not sound like a big deal. But we're now at the longest period without a seizure to date! Running out of drugs then having a seizure would just be typical. Then we'd be all frustrated and angry about it being the lack of drugs to blame.

So dad calls the vet and arranges to get a weekends worth of KBr to see us through until Monday and a little more "just in case". So 21 tablets from the vet, just got to go pick them up and pay. At least there's some good news, there's no prescription charge as they are supplying the drugs. Bit of a swizz if you ask me. But it's been a while since we bought vet drugs, but it's an emergency so we'll just do it.

21 x 325mg Potassium Bromide tablets comes to £6.56 which works out at about 31p per tablet. I need 6 of these a day, 3 in the morning and 3 in the evening. Now compare this to the price we pay on-line for exactly the same drug. 15p per tablet! Less than half price.

You can easily see why we must buy drugs on-line and not from the vet. For 3 months worth of KBr and Epiphen we just paid around £150, which works out at £50 per month. Now if we were to buy this from the vet this would double to £100 per month. An absolute scandal. There is no possible way that a vet can justify these kind of mark ups in price for drugs when they are charging and making money for their services.

Back to the Regular Vet Visits

Dad took me into work again today. It was the first time in ages since I've been there. At first I wondered where we were going as it's unusual to get up so early and leave the house without breakfast!

Once we got to work dad gave me my breakfast. Just as usual these days I polished the lot of in one go. Mum and dad reckon I've turned into a normal dog now. Since the last set of seizures I now eat anything and everything. I'm always on the scrounge and have also been bad in going in the kitchen bin for scraps. Up until the last seizures, even when offered something, I'd let it fall to the floor to give it a sniff before deciding if I want to eat it or not. Now I don't seem to be so fussy. If it's being offered or left lying around, I'm eating it!

We saw the vet in the afternoon. Dad walked me down there which is always fun. Dad 'fessed up about weaning me off the drugs and me having a big seizure. The vet wasn't too harsh, but dad said in future we'll stick to the drugs and talk to him first next time.

It's still not a fun day for dad's wallet. £91 for blood test and £150 for 3 months worth of drugs. Still at least by buying them on-line we're still paying effectively half what the vet wants to charge for their drugs!!!

Taking blood was as easy as ever. The usual shaved off patch and I was so good I almost offered him my paw to let him do it. Even with the needle in there's no reaction and I sit there all good  and looking like butter wouldn't melt in my mouth. We'll find out early next week if I'm on the right dosage of Epiphen and KBr.

As good as I am, whilst dad's writing this I'm going in the kitchen bin for scraps!

No News, is Good News

Well not a lot has been going on recently. We've had some pretty awesome weather over the past month. Loads of snow to play in and then even more mud to wallow in as it melted.

Every time we go out to the woods I come back filthy and need a good hosing down before I go in the house. It's just been a great month for being a dog. Eating snow or bathing in mud, what could be better.

Dad's got me on the drugs again so that means a little battle in the evening 'cos I don't want to take them. But I'm usually too tired to put up a fight in the morning and I get woken up with a hand around my snout, head tipped back, mouth pulled open and a neck full of tablets before I've realised what's going on!

Still if it does make life different from last month then I'm all for it. I only put up a fight for a bit of fun anyhow.