Having a Tough Time

Over the past week things have been a bit tough. Since I've been having seizures they have always seemed to change in impact and severity. This past week has been full of chompies and head shaking. It seemed like it was never going to end. Every couple of hours I'd be chomping my teeth. Then a break of 5 minutes before chomping again. This would go on for at least 3 more times and then a break for an hour or two before coming back.

Through the night I might get some sleep and go without chomping for 6 hours or so. Often I'd wake dad chomping and falling over though. Today it seems it's come to an end or maybe just giving me a break.

The last seizures were also different. Previously I'd have a seizure and then jump up and charge around full of energy. The past few were completely the other way around. I was downstairs with mum when all of a sudden I jumped up and ran as fast as I could up the stairs into the room with dad. I then stared at myself in the mirror before falling over and going into a seizure. Afterwards I just slept a while and got up normally.

This is certainly a very strange condition. Nothing is ever the same, but at least we're at the point where nothing is unexpected anymore.

Time to Splash the Cash

Turns out it's that time again. Time to go pay for the vets Audi again.

This month we'll need another prescription drawing up and that means a trip to the vets. Because they won't do repeat prescriptions without seeing me and getting a consultancy fee. So dad makes the booking and we arrange to go in.

The good thing about it is that I get a day out. Dad takes me to work and I get to stay with him all day. Dad's got a new boss who's moved into the offices with him and this is the first time I'll have met him. I got in and did my usual sniff around then just lay down behind dad. It was probably an hour later before dad's boss even realised there was a big dog in the office. Well it didn't cause a scene or anything. I was as well behaved as usual and kept myself to myself all day until dad took me to the vets.

We got there and the first thing dad did was weigh me - 48.3kgs, so I've lost a kilo and a bit. Which dad thinks is good. I'm a bit trimmer and could probably do with losing another one really. This wouldn't have been so bad, but right after I got off the scales they bought another dog in who'd gained a bit. Right away there was a new member of staff who piped up that she was the vets new nutritional expert. Not bad, but I felt bad for the lady owner. The nutritionist was very condescending and the lady was really embarrassed. Good job she didn't start on dad - I think they might have refused to see me if he'd got fired up!

So we get our compulsory £1 per minute, 20 minute consultation. Thankfully the vet decided it's not necessary for a blood test. I've had a few now where they don't even bother giving us the results. We just go in and let them do it to get the prescription. The prescription is our only goal in this. A blood test just means more cash and times are tight.

After the consultation we get the bill for £20 and then another £20 for the prescription. I think the vet should really be wearing a black and white stripey top, an eye mask and have a bag marked swag. It's day light robbery to charge for time and then for signing / writing something that was done within that chargeable time.

Welcome to Autumn

Well it's officially autumn now and I welcome it with a couple of seizures.

Mum's got a new job that involves working shifts. So she's out early in the morning some days and back late others. I make the most of this by getting double breakfast at every opportunity. Mum gives me my breakfast then when dad gets up I pretend I'm really hungry and rather than phoning mum at work he feeds me too, hooray! But I think they're on to me.

I had a seizure last night at about 1:30am just after dad had gone to bed. He thought we were being burgled as I went off in the front room and rattled the table and chairs. He soon found it was me though as he stood in a puddle of warm wee in bare feet.

Mum didn't even know I'd have a fit. She was so tired from working that she didn't notice dad get up and tidy and mop up then bring me up to bed. Even when I kept getting up and wanting to go out she slept through it. Back downstairs with dad on the couch  I paced around a while then went back up to the bedroom and mum still fast asleep didn't notice a thing.

So today we waited on the return visit. It wasn't until after 7:00pm that I got another. Dad figured I wasn't myself. He knows I',m clumsy at the best of times. But not long before that I managed to knock over a full glass of red wine, and break the glass he was enjoying with Sunday dinner.

Mum makes an awesome Sunday dinner. It's the one day of the week where I have to wait long after 5:00pm for food, but it's worth the wait, yum! It's not really classed as leftovers as mum saves it especially for me.

Beside the Sea Side

Dad took me out his weekend. Was a massive long drive of 3+ hours in the car to go see some of his car club friends down in Chichester. Now Chichester isn't far from the sea so dad thought he'd make the effort and take me along for a swim.

First off we stayed overnight and slept outside all night. When everyone else had pt up their tents dad said the weather was too good to sleep indoors so didn't bother with a tent and we slept out under the stars.

The rest of the people had a party with a smoke machine and a laser light show. So dad had to take me away from that because I was becoming fixated with the green light and trying to chase it or just watch mesmerised by it. Not specifically related to the epilepsy but dad knows I get fixated on laser pointers and torch light, so better off out of the way a bit.

But here's me in the sea! It was great. A bit out of my depth and having to catch a wave and surf back in to shore.

And chillin' at the camp site.

I Really Should Learn to Shut Up...

Last week things were going pretty well. The seizures hadn't been particularly bad for quite a while. A few here and there and easily manageable. Well I managed to write that on a friends blog and made myself look pretty silly for doing it.

That night a cluster seizure kicked in big style. All night was spent seizure after seizure about an hour apart. I kept dad up all night. Then even after he went to work I still had three more seizures during the day and into the evening when he got home.

At 3am on the Friday the last one of the cluster kicked in and dad was so glad to get a full nights sleep on Friday night.

So what's changed?... Nothing! It seems there is not going to be any pattern of seizures - just sporadic and random in terms of both frequency and duration. Even their voracity is random. The seizures can be as mild as a series of blinking to full on thrashing around.

We're just learning we have to just live with it. Take every mild event as a blessing.

A couple of weeks ago dad took me out with him to one of his car club meets. One of the guys there has a decent camera and some skills. Here are some photos he took of me whilst there.

 

This was me after dad gave me some mushy peas! I was scrounging for food so dad thought he'd show me there was nothing to be had but mushy peas. He really didn't think I'd eat them. Well I surprised him by wanting more and eating them all.

Summer's Here

June  20th

5:30 Decided to wake dad up nice and early before work with a big seizure. By the time he got down to me it was all over and all that he needed to do was mop up all the slobber and wee. I just snoozed for a while and then got up and went upstairs to bed so dad could get a half hour more sleep before getting up for work.

19:00 Mum and dad knew I wasn't done with the seizures as I was acting a bit hyper up until 7pm. Then I lay down and was resting when another seizure kicked in.

June 25th


Dad took me out to the park today. We didn't go to the woods as the weather was being indecisive about raining or not. But the park is full of long grass which turns up every year. I love to snuffle around in there and like the way it feels on my face and nose.

A thought just occurs to me. It's been a long time since there have been any chompies at all. These are usually the indication of a cluster to come. But so far they've been absent... and absent for quite a while. In fact I can't remember the last one. Now it just seems the seizure kicks in and the only warning may be a bit of hyper-activity before hand.

Squirrels Everywhere!

07:00 This weekend dad went away camping without me :( So I stayed home and looked after mum and Blaine. He got back on Sunday pretty tired from long days and early mornings so the seizure monster decided to have some fun with him. He's booked Monday and Tuesday off work so wouldn't you just know, at 7am I go off into a big seizure in the kitchen doorway. The clatter of my bowls and the rattling of the door was enough to wake the whole street!

Later in the day dad took me to the woods to make up for me not going over the weekend. It seemed the place was teeming with a gang of squirrels intent on making me run around the trees after them. I don't think we've ever come across so many. Or as I suspect it's just one small gang organising against us.

The good news is that after that one seizure in the morning there's been nothing else... so far.

Just Getting On With Life

Over the past couple of week I've had a few of the big seizures, but not really like the usual clusters. It's been more of the one offs. That was until yesterday when I end up having three seizures. But I don't know if it's just mum and dad dealing with it better because they're so used to it, or if the after effects don't seem so bad these days. After a big seizure there's no major disorientation or blindness like there used to be. Now dad reckons I just resort to being very clumsy and not doing anything I'm told. For instance I'll go plodding off around the room and anything that isn't fixed to the floor will probably get knocked over or spilled, for example the lava lamp or cups and glasses on tables. I've lost count how many things I've broken. I'll also start being naughty like rummaging through the bins and eating anything off the lounge table if there's any left overs. But by far the most common is standing in my food and water bowls so the contents end up spilled all over the floor or the food and biscuits laid as a trail to trap dad on after he tries to get me in his bare feet - Ouch!

We just knew the seizure would happen this week... you guessed it. Extended Bank holiday and dad's off work!

Today we went down the woods and here's a video of what I got up to. I needed to go for a swim after this to clean up!

A Week Off and We Know What That Means...

Dad's had a week of work and that's usually the cue for me to start having a cluster. But this time around... nothing! Dad piked about the right week for the weather too. All week has been sunny and dry apart from one day, so I've been out to the woods almost every day.

Then at sometime during the week, maybe Wednesday or Thursday the chompies had stopped. So in all the last week has been a good one. But what made it extra special was that yesterday saw the first BBQ of the year. Mum and dad went next door and cooked up some food. They even said they made a special effort not to cook too much, because every time they do a BBQ there's always far too much food left.

So this time around I managed to get a few snacks and all the left overs were then mine for breakfast. So much for not over doing the food. Still I'm not complaining.

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!