Ahh well time for another trip to the vet

Nothing bad, just the regular medication review so we can buy another prescription and get sold some more blood tests.

This weekend I had another cluster. First time for a while really. The seizures were unpredictable as ever. Most of them were the jump up and run blindly into walls type. These are the worst as getting mum or dad to catch me before I clatter into things is almost impossible. I flooded the living room by knocking over a full mop bucket that was stood by for the seizures.

Dad had to work from home as I started having seizures through Monday and into Tuesday night. So on Tuesday night I was so hyper I was up and down stairs constantly. Then pacing around the bedroom until Dad finally gave in and took me downstairs and stayed with me. All I wanted was him to be there so I could sleep. I don't think he slept too well on the sofa as he then took the day off to catch up with some sleep.

As we'd run out of tablets dad had arranged a visit to the vet on Tuesday anyhow. So I got a bath before we went and then he had to help me into the new car. So much for it being a bigger car. The rear floor is higher off the ground and that means the roofspace is also a bit lower. Dad has to help me in because it's higher.

The vet played their usual game. Wanting us to have blood tests for kidney performance, but more importantly KBr and epiphen levels. We know this is just a money making scheme for them as quite often we never get any results. Or when we do everything is at the right levels and as high as they can be. So I can't have any more medication even if  they wanted me to. The tests are pointless.

So dad played the game too. Oh, dear we ran out of tablets and I never had any this morning. So the vet can't do a blood test if I've missed my tablets (which I hadn't).

I also continue to be on half the dosage that the vet prescribes. I've been on the half dosage for 6 months now and there is no difference in the regularity or length of the seizures. All that's happened is I'm a bit more steady on my feet. The most important difference is we now don't pay the vet so often for prescriptions and consultations as the tablets last twice as long - I'm sure they'll cotton on at some point.

But by way of demonstration we ordered 1 week of tablets from the vet to cover me until the online ones get shipped. Here's how the prices worked out:

Price per tablet
30mg Epiphen - vet price = £0.50, online price = £0.10
60mg Epiphen - vet price = £0.53, online price = £0.14
325mg KBr - vet price £0.66, online price = £0.31

So for the price of ONE weeks medication from the vet I could by two and half weeks worth online. In just one week we save £35.62 over vet prices.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

Well ok for you guys out there maybe. But our fun started on Christmas Eve. A couple of big seizures, but nothing we couldn't handle. Same old routine, but same old changes.

This time I'd give a bit of warning before the seizure set in. I'd go all twitchy and confused, then try to run away. Only trouble is I couldn't see so went colising into everything unless stopeed. As it stopped the head shaking and thrashing begins.

Christmas day went pretty well. Still having seizures, but at elast the family got dinner sorted first.

Then came Boxing day and a house full of people for the trafitional buffet. I got fragged into the kitchen as a seizure started whilst I lay on the floor with everyone. Then it carried on throughout the day offf and on.

Now I'm still dazed and confused. The mop bucket is always on hand because I'll go to the toilet even when lying down, without telling anyone - well I guess it's warmer than it is outside.

There's not really been much to say. We've been going through the same seizures with varying periods between. Sometimes a month, sometimes more.

Same song and dance with the vet. They've now brought in that we must buy all the drugs on the written prescription within 30 days of getting it. The vet will only write a two month presriptions now too. So a bit less savings to be had from bulk ordering and a few less savings from being able to do a monthly call off of meds. It sucks.

Add to that the vet wants to do two blood tests every 4 months, not 6. Dad keeps telling them if they are monitoring KBr and Epiphen levels they are wasting dads money. The levels are at the maxiimum they can be so it's not like we'll add more of them! If they were to monitor liver function maybe that would be valid, but I'm an old dog now and there's little to be done if the meds are affecting my liver.

It's frustrating to just let them do what they want to do. Take the money and just carry on so we can get meds.

On a lighter note dad took me round the park and I fiound a big crunchy puddle. Everywhere I stepped it crunched and I'd get wet feet when it gave way. I thought it was great fun and walked all over it until there was no more crunching.

Think it'll be a day or two before I'm back to normal. Still feeling a bit puppified and confused.

It's been a while

It's been a while ... and that's a good thing. For some time now I've not really had much to write about. Since getting back on the medication in February I had a couple of seizures last month that we thought were the start of a cluster, but were just single episodes. It's not until this week when things started to go a little south. But then again that may be down to running out of tablets. So annoying.

Dad got two prescriptions for me last month. He talked nicely to the vet and they wrote two separate prescriptions thinking that we'd then be able to buy one months medication and then renew the following month. So rather than laying out two months of cash he'd be able to spend monthly to lighten the load.

Well, you know how the best laid plans go. Dad placed the order for the second month and paid for them. As there was no major rush left the postage as second class. So Friday last week things are getting tight and still no tablets. Well turns out that the legislation has changed (or so we are told) so that a prescription must be filled within 28 days of writing, which is impossible for monthly amounts. So whilst the order was accepted nothing was shipped as they are waiting on a new prescription. Communication failure! We are not mind readers :(

So Monday there are no Epiphen tablets and it takes a day off work to go get another prescription and some tablets to last until the ones we're waiting for get shipped.

Of course this means Monday a seizure starts. Maybe a one off? Sadly not. Wednesday there were a few seizures and then sometime Wednesday night/Thursday morning I have the seizure that scrambles my brain. It reverts me back to a puppy state. Dad says it "puppyfies" me. I lose my house training and I'm all wired and hyper. Add to that not wanting to be left alone dad ends up sleeping on the sofa (well lying on it whilst I keep waking him up) so I can be in the same room.

It's hard to say for sure if it's related to missing some tablets or it's coincidental. But it is annoying that we end up unsure. It's cost dad two days off work this week as he's was far too tired to go in today. Not that I noticed because I'm busy being bouncy and wanting attention and putting my nose in everyone's face :)

Battling Back Up the Hill

Well dad's having to admit to making quite a big mistake, and one that's cost us rather a lot of anguish.

Back in November a few things conspired to make life a bit difficult. With Christmas coming up dad's car decided to self destruct. This would be the second replacement engine this year. So there was the cost of that and having to use alternate transport for work.

Dad's boss decided to be a dick and decided that he shouldn't bring me in to work anymore. That wouldn't have been so bad if he hadn't used the excuse that his boss didn't approve and it was under his instruction that I shouldn't go to work anymore. So having asked directly in front of a number of he said that he hadn't suggested any such thing and it was fine to take me to work. So we all know what a two faced lying git dad's boss is now then.

Not being able to take the dog to work, not having a big enough car to take me in, and not really having the funds it resulted in me taking a break from my medication. We knew this wasn't going to be too smart so we at least did it gradually, until the pills ran out.

The effect wasn't that dramatic at first. Seizures were just the same as they always were and about as regular. That was up until late January. Then things got worse. The seizures were more frequent and I spent more time recovering from them that life really wasn't worth living.

We finally organised a visit to the vet local to home and planned on getting a prescription sorted as soon as possible. Just before getting in the car to go to the vets off I went into another seizure. When I got there I was all panty and out of breath.

The vet was very helpful and didn't over complicate matters, simply gave me the once over and sorted out the prescription I was on previously. We also got a weeks supply of tablets there and then, so we could start straight away and wait for the larger delivery later in the week.

I guess now we know the drugs and quantity that I was on where doing something and were pretty high doses. Day one dad gave me some Diazepam to immediately suspend the seizures. We expected that to make me dopey. But over the next 3 days the Epiphen and KBr just about knocked me out. I couldn't stand and even ate my dinner lying down with my head in the bowl. I spent most of the time sleeping.

After the initial 3 days I began to get a bit more active. I'd try to stand but was very clumsy walking into walls, doors and furniture. The picture is of me giving up on getting into bed. I'd climbed half in and just decided to stay there.

7 Days later and I'm much better. It's hard work standing up, but once I'm up I can get around. So dad's been taking me out for walks first up and down the driveway and then out to the park to get me moving my legs some more.

Things are going well. I'm getting better every day.

Merry F*$king Christmas :(

Christmas day was the start of a week off for dad, so you can guess what happened next. Not just a visit by Santa Claus, but also a visit from the Seizure Monster.

Fortunately on Christmas day they only appeared very early in the morning at around 2:00am and then late in the night about midnight. So we at least got a free day. But Boxing Day turned out to be the worst day. Quite a few really big ones and as per the "no pattern" to this kind of seizure it's been a bit of a change again.

After the paddling and twisting seizure I go into a state where I'm still in the seizure, but having shocks like electricity hitting me every couple of seconds. Then it's an urgent fight to get on my feet and go who knows where. Takes a lot of effort to restrain me so I don't go off and hurt myself. After that dad can calm me down so I at least stay lying down... mostly. A good half hour of attention and I'm then relaxed enough to be left alone.

So far today hasn't been too bad. One in the morning, but now of course this will have jinxed it.

What's Going on with My Ear?

This week I decided to keep dad up all night on Sunday, but not with the usual seizure goings on. I just wouldn't leave my ear alone. I spent all night scratching at it. So dad put some socks on my feet to at least prevent me hurting myself with my claws.

But then when dad tried to clean my ears I was having none of it. Usually I don't mind them being cleaned, but I wriggled and wrestled away from him every chance I got. When he did manage to get a cotton ball in it came out clean so they didn't need cleaning. So why were they driving me crazy?

Then early Monday morning off I go into a seizure and sure enough the cluster follows. So here we are again into a cluster of seizures, same old routine, thrashing and paddling, but not so much of the charging around afterwards. More a tired and exhausted rest to recover. Then an hour later I'm all starey eyed and hyper active, not knowing what I want.

Dad's had to take a couple of days off work as he's not much use without sleep. Not that I'm letting him rest as I'm hyper between seizures and want attention constantly.

Weekend from Hell

This weekend saw a really big long lasting a frequent cluster. Things actually started a couple of weeks ago. I had a single seizure and bounced back like nothing happened twice with a week in between each. There were also the occasional chompies which we thought we'd seen the back of. We thought it was the impending sign of a cluster and sure enough last Thursday evening it started.

Around every 4 hours through Friday they kept coming and then on Saturday it got worse to about every 2 hours and Sunday even worse, almost every hour. The only break I got seemed to be between midnight and 5am - which was the only time dad got any sleep.

With everyone out at work and college today I pretty much stabilised but there was no way I was getting up onto my feet. When Blaine got in there was plenty of mopping up to do as I just went to the toilet where I lay feeling sorry for myself.

Dad went to the vet to get some 10mg Diazepam tablets to see if this could help break the cluster. When he got in tonight he made sure I got up and got mobile. I walked like I was on ice for a while and out in the garden got a good hosing down in the sun to get me smelling nice again.

I was starving hungry and ate my dinner and went through a couple of bowls of water, and still looking for food now.

So now I'm up on my feet we've yet to see the Diazepam kick in and then no doubt I'll be super sleepy. Let's hope the seizures are done for this round. It's been a bad one.

Me and My Big Mouth

You couldn't plan for it... I make a post on here and then within an hour off I go into a seizure on my new bed. Dad had to come and mop up which was pretty easy with the new bed. Then he prepared the living room so if I went into one at night I wouldn't go crashing into stuff.

Just typical.

Start the New Year with a Biggie

Well the first cluster of the new year turns out to be big and nasty. Started on Thursday with a few seizures, then into early Friday morning with a couple more overnight.

Again there's something different going on. After the thrashing and weeing and dribbling I'm still in the seizure but now my teeth are chattering like I'm cold. I'm all stary and the muscles on my head are pulsing like I'm chomping without opening my mouth. I'm sure if Dad had let me up I'd go off all pacing around, but he makes me sit and lie down until it's over and I calm down enough to pretty much sleep it off.

But on Friday we got big seizures about every hour and they were usually triggered by some event like the kids or mum coming in and I'd stare at them and go into seizure. Early Saturday morning I must have had one in the night as the kitchen was covered in wee, poo and water from my bowl. A lot of tidying up needed. But on Saturday they seemed to have stopped, but left me with quite some issues.

I couldn't stand up easily and when I did it was like I either didn't know how to walk or it was like trying to walk on a ship in a big storm. Legs all star-fished out and trying hard to keep my balance. So most of the day dad left me lying down in the front room. Every so often he'd make me stand and go to the toilet in the garden, which wasn't easy with the ground all moving about.

Sunday things are definitely better. I can stand and walk around much better, but it's like everything is new and strange to me. Dad took me down the park for a bit of a walk. I spent the time sniffing the grass like I'd not seen it before or standing just catching the wind in my face. We didn't walk far, just enough to get some air and get my legs moving.

I'm still far from being myself, but I'm sure I'll get there over the next week or so.

Been a Long Time Coming

Just over a week ago I surprised everyone by having a seizure. Well that in itself isn't a surprise. The unusual thing was that it was a one off. So we were puzzled and waited for the rest of the cluster to catch up as it always does.

A week went by and nothing! Dad even went away to a concert (Excellent Concert - Stone Sour at O2 Academy Brixton) which is usually a sign that he's off work and it's time for the cluster to come out.

Well today it's caught up with me. Mum was off work today and spent the day cleaning. So that's the cue for slobber and pee everywhere and the seizure monster gets released. I guess at least it's before Christmas so we might stand a chance of it all being done with long before the holiday.

Merry Christmas everyone.

At Wit's End

This has been a terrible, terrible week... and it's still not over.

Dad had to go into work today. Three days off already is a bit too much. Luckily Blaine was off college so was able to spend the day with me. Which is just as well because I know dad's been fretting about me.

Last night nothing had improved. Still fitting every 2 hours, but still coming out of it reasonably well. Tired, timid and restless. But then late on a seizure sent me over the end and meant I was scared of the stairs again. This meant sleeping downstairs alone, dad was just too exhausted not to get some sleep after 3 days.

I still woke him up four times in the night. Once with just being restless and clumsy, walking into walls and doors until dad come and effectively barricaded everything I could walk into. Then three times with seizures.

This morning I was in a sorry state and dad had to leave me with Blaine.

Blaine sorted out the 4 x 10mg Diazepam at 3pm and after a call from dad reported that I'd not had a seizure all day since the one at 5:45am. I was just exhausted and didn't trust my own legs. That's the problem with having tiled floors downstairs. With all the pee and slobber it gets very slippy and now I walk like it's a frozen pond about to crack, legs all star-fished out and very slowly.

When mum and dad got home, dad made sure I got up and went out as I was lying in a big smelly puddle of wee where I couldn't get the energy to stand. Dad sorted me, got me up and into the garden for a wee and a quick hosing down and shampooing to get rid of most of the smell. I even ate my dinner lying down in the kitchen.

Now I'm up and outside where the floor isn't slippy I'm gonna stand at the gate for a while and watch the world go by.

Tomorrow, it's back to the vet. Hoping I feel a lot better soon. This has been the biggest scariest episode to date. Let's hope it's over with.

Tough Times

Last night and today are taking their toll on both me and dad. Every couple of hours I have a seizure followed by a period of being totally unresponsive. Dad would try to rouse me and I'd just lay there and not move. He had to really persevere to get me up and moving. Offering some of mum's lemon drizzle cup cakes is what did it. I was so hungry for them I'd almost take dad's fingers off.

This morning the seizures were still coming, but at least I'd be responsive afterwards. So dad thought it best to take a trip to the local vets - we haven't been to a local one for years as I usually go to the one where dad works. They checked me over and after talking with dad have gone for adding 40mg of Diazepam three times a day, with 10mg of rectal Diazepam if it's needed.

Within an hour of getting home I went off into another seizure. So although when I went to the vet I was bright eyed and a bit hyper active this cluster isn't over yet.

We've got an appointment to go back to the vets on Friday to follow up on how things are going.

Nobody expects...

... the Spanish Inquisition

Or that seizures will mess about with your week completely. After waking dad up early he took the day off work to keep an eye on me. As it had been 3 months since the last seizure we expected them to be big and regular.

Well seizures don't play that way. Nothing happened all day and it wasn't until gone 8pm that I had another one. After that it's been about every 2-3 hours going all through the night. So that left dad having to take another day off work, not just to look after me, but because he was tired from getting up so regular in the night.

It was the usual stuff thrashing and peeing and dad calming me down for 20 minutes or so, then I'd go back to sleep.

Slow Motion

Well it's been quite a while since I last updated the site. In some respects this is very good news, but then this update means there's something to write about.

After going more than 3 months without seizure I woke dad up at 5am with a seizure. It was somewhat strange, in as much as all the seizures have something different about them. It was a full thrashing seizure, but not a violent as it usually is. Dad seems to think it was like it was in slow motion. There was the usual paddling and peeing, but ist was pretty mild compared to prior seizures.  Afterwards I wanted to get up and pace around. But dad had managed to calm me down and get me to lay down and go back to sleep.

So now we're just waiting on the rest of the seizures to arrive.

Mum's All On Her Own!

Dad wen't away for the weekend on 9-10th June leaving me behind for a change. Of course this meant the seizures were just bound to kick in. Sure enough mum was left to deal with me and try to stop me banging my head and face on the floor whilst fitting.

I had a couple of really big ones that mum dealt with like a superstar. But then one at the top of the stairs! This has always been the worst nightmare scenario. The stairs are all wood, no carpet on the treads and at the bottom, like the rest of the downstairs it's all ceramic tiles.

I came down them with quite a crash and scared mum, thinking I'd be all broken. But once Blaine got me some cheese and the seizure had passed up I got like nothing had happened.

After that things were back to normal for a while. Then unusually only two week later and off I go again into a few seizures. So dad had to work from home to take care of me again.

Once more we see a bit of a change. The chompies are back, not as a precursor to seizure, just randomly after the main cluster had gone, maybe a day later there were a few chompies. Forever changing and always unpredictable.

Same Old Thing

Just lately we've pretty much just got on with being happy. Trying to put the seizures to one side and just focus on doing what I do best, sleeping, eating and slobbering.

It came around to the time when I was due another trip to the vets to get my quarterly prescription, and it also came around that dad was taking some more time off work. But this was just a bluff and so a few days before the vet visit and his time off I had some random seizures. Totally unexpected and no announcement or signs. Just on Wednesday night lying there sleeping  then boom into a full on seizure. Then nothing for another 24 hours. Then the same again a one of seizure.

The trip to the vets was a sad day on Friday. I tried not to notice a few pets went into the room with their humans and the humans came out alone and crying. Such a sad time to see peoples left alone.

At least we managed to get out of having a blood test at the vets. The vet said it's been a while since we had one and maybe should do one to be sure. But they seem to just ramp up their bill and not once have they actually given us the results of the tests without dad having to phone them and ask. So really does seem pointless if they aren't going to do anything with them.

They also never ask about or record my weight - dad makes a point of asking to use the scales each time to see if I've put any weight on or lost too much. But I'm fairly good these days 47.6kgs this visit. So usually up and down by a few kilos depending on the seasons. Mum feeds me up in the winter.

Dad ratted me out to everyone in the reception area too, how embarrassing. The receptionist came into the room and gagged, then with her eyes watering from the smell asked which one was responsible - dad immediately pointed to me.

Stealthy Wonkiness

Mum and dad woke up to a puddle of pee and slobber on Saturday morning and were puzzled as neither had heard me go off into a seizure. I've been long overdue though so it wouldn't be a surprise, but the strange thing is they didn't see any of my usual after affects of being a bit timid or slow. All looked normal.

That was until Sunday after I'd had my nice Sunday lunch and Grandma and David were about to come around. Off I went into a big slobbery seizure.

Since then I've managed quite a few more, all the typical seizure symptoms, thrashing and chomping, but afterwards I've been happy enough to just relax and go to sleep. I woke dad every couple of hours last night and at least afterwards I'd go back off to sleep.

I notice we didn't document the last round of seizures from around February. Those were hard work. After the thrashing and chomping I just wanted up and off. Trying to get up and run full speed anywhere. Took mum and dad all their efforts to pin me down to stop me hurting myself. This time at least that part was gone.

During the last round that went on for almost a week, although not as frequent, I'd also gone back to being scared of the stairs. It took a good week or so before I was brave enough to go up them again. That's usually a very good sign, it means I'm getting back to myself. After the seizures I'm pretty drained and want to mope around for a bit. Going upstairs usually means I'm over it. The strange thing about that is during this round of seizures going up and down stairs isn't a problem. A bit of a sleep and I'm ready for the stairs and back to myself. You just never can tell what the seizures are going to be like.

Also relegated to the past is the "Tabasco moment". We used to be able to tell when the seizures were coming as I'd do a few tongue smacks and chompies as if I'd got something hot on my tongue. We haven't seen one of those for a long time.

A Wonky Christmas

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Hope you all have a great time. We're looking forward to the break. As I'm in the middle of a cluster right now it should mean that we go through the main Christmas holidays unmolested by another visit... although you can never be sure.

This cluster is particularly strong. Seems the thrashing about is very intense and then afterwards there's a really strong urge to jump up and run full speed into anything. When mum and dad see me go into one they have to pin me down afterwards to stop me from hurting myself.

I still don't understand what causes seizures to change.  So even though they are expected, the actual results aren't.

I get called wonky dog and the seizures are my wonky time on account of them sending me all wonky afterwards. Here's hoping for a non-wonky Christmas.

Struggling On

This week's been no fun at all. Dad's been off work and that usually means lots of trips to the woods. But we only managed it a couple of days. The chompies have well and truly taken over. Every day has been at least two half hour chompie sessions. The only thing we're grateful for is that they aren't as draining or debilitating as last week. Afterwards I can stand up at least and am back to normal. So for much of the day I'm fine, but for those half hours there's head shaking and slobber flying everywhere.

The other day when I was in a chompie session mum noticed that when she gave me some ham that I'd immediately started chomping and couldn't eat until I'd finished. Then on Wednesday dad gave me some garlic bread (I've seen it, it's the future) and I went straight into a chompie. Afterwards dad gave it to me and again straight into a chompie. This happened about 3 more times, so I never did eat the garlic bread. Just seems strange that they seem to kick in when I'm happy or excited.

But we know it's a bad sign when I'm still scared of going upstairs. In some respects it's a good thing as at least I won't fall down them. But in the past sleeping on the floor upstairs was one of my favourite places.

All Time Low

Last week I started into a cluster on Mum's birthday. Wasn't good at all, but since then it's just been hitting even harder.

It started out as the usual kind of seizure where I'd thrash and paddle before going off for a nap. After a nap I'd get up refreshed and ready to face the world again. Over the next few days though things weren't getting any better and we figured we'd be in for a 48 hour cluster.

But we're still at it this weekend. Four days into a cluster of seizures that happen about every 6 hours. These ones today have been particularly nasty visits. I'd start off with a chompie and head shaking. Then five minutes later I'd go into the full twisting, thrashing and paddling. But I'd then not want a nap. I was all hyped up and wanting to run about, but my legs wouldn't carry me. Dad had to pin me down to stop me running off into things or falling and hurting my legs as I'd often end up splayed in all directions.

Following that only another 5 minutes I'd go into another chompie and head shaking. Afterwards I'm still unable to walk and another 5 minutes and I'd be having a shivery jaw that would rattle my teeth and curl my toes. So the seizure would last around half an hour, every six hours. But after that half hour I'm still not quite 100%, but I'm at least able to stand and walk. I'm just completely drained from the exertion of the seizure.

I'm really hoping this comes to an end soon... but is it a coincidence that Dad's off work agin this week?