Not a Great Holiday

Today is a bank holiday... meaning dad has yet more time off work. So as usual, time off means seizure. I'd had a few of the Tabasco moments in the evening. Nothing new there really. Only I guess they're a little more than that. Firstly the Tabasco moment were a lot of head shaking and tongue smacking. Now there's not so much head shaking. It really is closer to what Maureen describes as "Peanut Butter Mouth". It's much more like I have something stuck to the roof of my mouth and can't get it off.

05:15 So this morning I decided to go upstairs to bed. I'd been sleeping downstairs in my bed, but then decided I didn't want to be alone any more. I'd been asleep for a while, had a few Tabasco's and finally at 5:15am the full seizure decided to kick in.

I lay there totally wasted afterwards. No blindness or pacing, just completely drained. It took dad a while to shake me out of it so I could go downstairs for some food, a drink and out to the toilet. Then dad left me downstairs for the rest of the night and off I went to sleep, like nothing had happened.

It's not been that long since the last one. But at least it's not as strenuous having single seizures rather than the clusters I've been having. Missing an hours sleep is far easier to deal with than being up for 24 hours.

18:45 Mum and dad had just finished dinner and I was snoozing in bed. Then a full seizure paid a visit again.

Big Scary Event

Last night we got the full visit from the big bad scary seizure monster. It wasn't just the Tabasco that I've been having of late. It was a full body seizure, but with yet some other small, but scary differences to previous ones.

20:45 I'd been lazing around next to mum and was having the occasional Tabasco. Mum was keeping an eye on me and comforting me afterwards. Then I went into a much bigger seizure. Dad came downstairs and stopped me from bashing my head on the floor and stopped me from hurting myself.

After the thrashing about dad said it got quite scary. I didn't jump up and go pacing about like usual. Instead I appeared to pass out and was unconscious. Dad peeked and my eyes and I'd twitch when he touched my eyelids, but I wasn't getting up or doing anything - apart from snoring heavily.

He supported my head and as I started to come around it was as if I were blind again. I started to cry, which worried everyone even more, until I finally snapped out of it and 3-2-1 and I was back in the room.

For all it's scariness I was up and about afterwards as if nothing had happened. Blaine did me a bit of dinner and I went off around the garden. So the recovery was speedy enough, it's just the event itself that was scary and strange.

Ongoing Seizures

Well since my last full body seizure there's been just an ongoing bought of partial seizures. But it's been pretty much every day. It's pretty much just a Tabasco moment, but then it just ends. It can happen two or three times a day, but once I have one partial seizure, I'll then have another two or three in the same hour before they finally go away.

At least they're not as debilitating as a full body seizure. We can cope with them like this, we'd rather not have them at all, but given the choice between a full or partial seizure, I'll take this any day.

I know dad's a bit worried about them going on and on, so he sent out an email asking for some help. A very nice lady called Maureen from the Canine Epilepsy Guardian Angels responded with some excellent words of comfort. The advice is free and comes from the heart. It's just really great that someone who's gone through or is going through the same things as you is able to share their experience.

"If you have a problem, if no one else can help, and if you can find them, maybe you can hire... The A-Team."

You don't have to look hard to find them, drop by their website, and there's no need to hire them to talk to someone. But to my mind they certainly are the "A-TEAM"!

Many thanks for your kind words, Maureen. It makes us feel less alone and allows us to take comfort in the fact that this is nothing new, just new to us.

Strange Cluster Seizure

Well this weekend has turned out to be a strange one as far as the seizures go. All throughout Sunday and into Monday morning I've been having these Tabasco episodes. They've not turned into a full seizure though, which is very strange.

As I previously noted the Tabasco moment always turns into a full seizure of twisting, paddling, usually pacing and blindness, but now it seems this is a new turn we're taking. Where mum and dad could postpone a full seizure, or even prevent one, by distracting me from the Tabasco stage. Now it seems that's where this cluster of seizures ends, on their own with no intervention, right at the Tabasco stage.

Not that we're not grateful as it's recovery time is zero, and as for mess, well just a bit of slobber. As soon as the Tabasco ends I'm back to what I was doing. Usually either sleeping or lazing around (it's a tough life being a dog). But I'll go right back to sleep or carry on as if nothing had happened.

Dad took me to the woods on Sunday, but I know he was worried about me having a seizure whilst off in the trees. So I stuck with him all the way round and didn't go far so he could always see me.

When we got back I helped him wash the cars. I even got a good shampooing and Jet Wash myself. I can't help myself with the pressure washer. I don't like the garden hose, but hook it up to the pressure washer and I've just got to go after it.

So later when I was smelling all nice and clean (not of car shampoo) we had a barbecue and I got my usual amount of treats from the bits other people just can't manage. Dad always cooks everything mum buys, and mum always buys more than they can eat.

Chilli Night

Last night was a strange night. About 20:30 dad thought I was looking a bit strange, so figured he take me downstairs as he'd sensed the return of a seizure. Halfway down the stairs I started with a big Tabasco moment. Lot's of blinking and drooling. I just stood there on the stairs. Dad didn't want me to go into full seizure right there so he man handled me down stairs. This distracted me enough to snap out of it and it was like nothing had happened.

Not long after though I started into another start of twitchy face and blinking. Again a bit of distraction and it stopped. It wasn't going to give up though and Mum and Dad spent 10 minutes in the kitchen bringing me out of the Tabasco's. They eventually decided it was best just to leave me and let me get the seizure out of the way. At least I was in a safe place that was easy to clean up.

So on came another big Tabasco moment as they watched over me. Then it went away. It did this about three or four times. No intervention at all I just came out of them without going into the seizure that was expected.

01:30 Not wanting to leave me on my own, when dad went to bed he took me upstairs too. Apparently I woke Dad at about 01:20 with a Tabasco moment that he could hear rattling my teeth. Again he thought best to leave me and not distract me from the inevitable. But again it went away. It wasn't for another 10 minutes before a full seizure came on. This time I just stayed lay down and went back of to sleep, no pacing or hunger.

Later on in the night I did get dad up again. But this time I wanted to go downstairs for a drink and out to the toilet. But then it was back up to bed until it was time to get up for work in the Morning. Dad had to go into work specially this morning so he took me with him. It was only for an hour or so. The longest part of the day is the car journey there and back!

A Recent Visit

The seizures pay another visit. It's not that long since the last one, only 16 days.

Mum and dad hadn't been home that long and shortly after I started with the Tabasco moments. Lots of slobber and smacking of lips. Mum distracted me from the first one by getting me my dinner. Any time after 5pm is late for dinner, I'm always on the ball when it comes to telling the time.

After dinner I sat with dad for a while and again another Tabasco moment. It was inevitable I guess. Dad managed to distract me but he could see by my face that a seizure was imminent. My lips were wonky and drooly and my eyes gave a kind of far away look.

18:00 As mum was making dinner and talking with Chris it struck and I went into a big seizure in the kitchen. I was so tired afterwards I just lay there eyes closed recovering for a while. When I did get up there wasn't any pacing, I was just looking for more dinner.

Big Trouble!

Oh dear. I don't think mum and dad are too impressed with me right now. I got a right good telling off.

Just lately I've found out that those big flat things they lie down on at night are really comfy. I wait for them all to go to work and school, then sneak upstairs and make myself comfortable on mum and dads bed. I got away with it a few times.

On Monday dad thought that there was a lot of hair on the bed, but put it down to me shedding loads and it being transferred from other things. So dad wrapped a load of sticky tape around his hand and used the sticky side to pick up all the hair.

But then yesterday I got caught out. When dad came home he noticed not only a load of hair, but also a load of slobber - he looked at me, noticed my paw was all wet from me slurping, and I was busted!

I didn't learn my lesson though. Today mum was working around the house and as soon as she went in the bathroom I got on the bed. No denying it now, she caught me red handed.

So now they're locking the door and putting things in my way so I can't get upstairs any more. Well ... let's see how long that lasts!

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.