What a Fantastic Weekend!

Wow, for the past week or so the weather has been truly great. Bright sunny days and temperatures of 30 degrees. Not that I like the heat that much, but I do like to be out in the sun.

This weekend dad took me to the woods as usual. Only this time he'd forgotten to take my lead with him. That meant getting out of the car and walking with him on the street and across the road without it.Now it's not a busy road as it's in a residential estate and is not a main thoroughfare, but all the same I showed just how good I can be. There were two ladies with dogs just coming out of the gate to the woods as I was getting out of the car. I didn't even pay them any attention even though they barked hello at me. I just stayed close by dad as we walked over and into the wood.

Once in the woods I did all my usual tearing about in the trees until I was too hot and breathless. Then I found one of the known watering holes. It had dried up into a sloppy muddy mess, but that didn't stop me from dashing in for a cooling lie down. That meant a great swim later at the big pond to get the, by then, dried and caked on mud off.

On Sunday we had an early barbecue. Mum and dad don't usually light up until 5-6pm. But Sunday meant going next door to Guinness and Tiger's house. They're a couple of house cats that like to be in the garden in the good weather. I'm not sure they like me too much though. I went over to say hello to Tiger and she hissed at me. So I pretty much left them alone and just kept an eye on them both.

Dad took this picture on his phone (click for full picture). He reckons I looked so cute he couldn't understand why the cats can't just be my friends. It was so hot dad made sure to hose me down every time I dried out - you can see I'm still a little damp. But even though I was dripping wet I behaved myself and didn't do my usual trick of sharing all my water with everyone else by shaking or trying to lie on them.

Empty Wallet... Again

Things have been going pretty good this month. So far the daily Tabasco's have stopped and I've been back to being myself.

Following the messing about at the vets we finally got the blood test results and they showed the KBr levels were actually below what they should be. Not that I fully understand what it means but it came back as a 6 but the range it should be in is between 8 and 20. So that means upping the KBr. Instead of 3 x 325mg tablets twice a day it now increases to 4 x 325mg twice a day.

Now to many this might not sound a big change. But when you consider that each KBr tablet averages £0.25 each. I say average because we have to buy 720 tablets for 3 months - this is made up of 1 x 500, 2 x 100 and 20 individual tablets. The 500 pack is obviously cheaper per pill that the 100 pack, which again is cheaper than the individual ones.

So £0.25 per pill adds £0.50 per day, £3.50 per week and £14 per month. Even though we use the cheapest on-line pharmacy we could find this month sees a bill of £252 for the pills (including Epiphen) for the next 3 months.

So cute, I'm so Jealous

Dad took me out for a walk round the park late on Sunday night. It wasn't dark as we're supposed to be near the middle of summer - you wouldn't think so from all the rain we had today!

As we were on our way back a guy with a young rottie on a lead walked up to us. Dad didn't put me on the lead or anything and the guy came over and asked "How do you get her to walk so well off the lead?" - as if he has anything to do with it! I'm just good all on my own.

So dad and the guy got talking and turns out that "Maisy" was 9 months old and was going to the same school I went to. Now I'm not an unfriendly dog, I just don't really get all the bouncing around and chase me games. Sure it was nice to say Hi, but Maisy just wanted to bounce around and play - kids huh!

Dad said Maisy was a very nice looking dog and gave her some fuss. They talked about training techniques and I just sat there being good as they talked. I get a bit jealous when Dad pays attention to anyone but me - it's not just dogs. If he talks with mum I have to put myself in between the two of them just so I'm not ignored.

Hopefully we'll meet up with Maisy again. They said I might be a calming influence on her young exuberance.

As it's prescription renewal time dad phoned the vet and they explained that the last blood test for KBr levels didn't work out and they wanted to retake them. So we did that trip to the vets last Thursday. Just as before I sat there the vet jabbed me with a needle and I didn't even show that anything was going on.

So they said call us on Monday for the results. Dad didn't do that as he was busy Monday, so called on Tuesday - only to be told to call back on Thursday as they're not returned yet. More delays. Good job dad planned a little ahead and planned on getting the prescription two weeks before the tablets ran out this time.

If they aren't ready Thursday that means we get into a pickle about ordering on-line and allowing shipping time. I'm beginning to think that because we don't pay the vets extortionate drug prices they decide to make our life difficult.

No Fair!

19:45 I'd been lazing behind dad whilst he was on the computer. He noticed me have a couple of Tabasco's, so when one turned into a full seizure he didn't expect it.

Turned out to be another draining one. Afterwards I didn't want to get up. I just wanted to lie there and sleep. Dad wouldn't let me though. He makes sure I get up and go outside for some air and to walk about a bit. I'm not sure what he thinks is going on, but all I want to do is sleep.

I think we'll need to up the dosage of the KBr to see if that helps. We'll give the vet a call in the Morning.

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.