Author: Robin

2008-05-05 Coco

I spoke with the Veterinary Neurologist at the University.  He figures 4 days to 40.  Not four months.  He feels it’s too late for an ultrasound.  He promised she will experience little pain.  Just weakness, confusion and disorientation.  Hopefully we can continue to keep her seizure free.  Tonight she’s having trouble keeping food down.  I’m feeding her one spoonful of Solid Gold’s Turkey, Ocean Fish, Carrots & Sweet Potatoes Canned Dog Food every half hour.  I don’t know what I’ll do overnight.  Or all day tomorrow.  She seems a bit restless/confused/nervous.  I’m glad I never got around to changing the Dogs’ bedding this weekend, as I would have ended up doing it again today.  Coco is vomiting more and more.  I called the University’s Veterinary ER.  There’s no treatment.  Just wait and see what happens.  I’m giving up on food.  Instead I’m putting Wholefood Farmacy’s Stardust 2 Hydr8 which is a blend of Baking Soda, Startudst Pure Salt & Sweet Leaf in her water.  I put this stuff in my water when I go to the gym or feel otherwise compromised from a hydration standpoint.  I will give her controlled access to this water for a bit and see what happens.  Google tells me Stevia is an herb that tastes sweet but is not sugar, so I’ve added a teaspoon of sugar to the water bowl.  Hanna won’t drink it.  It could be a long night.  I gave Coco her prednisone in sausage, half a turkey dog and a few slurps of water. 

Here’s A Thought

God – Spelled Backwards

When God had made the earth and sky,

The flowers and the trees.

He then made all the animals,

The fish, the birds and bees.

And when at last He’d finished,

Not one was quite the same.

He said, “I’ll walk this world of mine,

And give each one a name.”

And so He traveled far and wide

And everywhere He went,

A little creature followed Him

Until its strength was spent.

When all were named upon the earth

And in the sky and sea,

The little creature said, “Dear Lord,

There’s not one left for me.”

Kindly the Father said to him,

“I’ve left you to the end.

I’ve turned my own name back to front

And called you dog, my friend.”

Author Unknown

Here’s A Thought

God – Spelled Backwards

When God had made the earth and sky,

The flowers and the trees.

He then made all the animals,

The fish, the birds and bees.

And when at last He’d finished,

Not one was quite the same.

He said, “I’ll walk this world of mine,

And give each one a name.”

And so He traveled far and wide

And everywhere He went,

A little creature followed Him

Until its strength was spent.

When all were named upon the earth

And in the sky and sea,

The little creature said, “Dear Lord,

There’s not one left for me.”

Kindly the Father said to him,

“I’ve left you to the end.

I’ve turned my own name back to front

And called you dog, my friend.”

Author Unknown

2008-05-04 Coco

It is important to me that Coco die peacefully on a good day.  I will not have her terrorized by a seizure like she had Friday morning.  I will not have her experience pain.  It’s not important the quantity of days left, but the quality.  I’m amazed at how much confidence she regained being seizure free for just 24 hours.  She is on Prednisone every 12 hours.  Twice daily she gets ¼ of her chow every half hour. 

2008-05-02 Friday

It’s official.  Coco has Canine Insulinoma.  They give her 4-6 months.  I need to decide if I want to take her back for an untrasound to see just how much it’s spread.  Her blood work already indicates spread to the liver.  I’m inclined to not put her (or me) through that.  But, when I settle down in a few days I’m going to have an awful lot of questions about what to expect.  I have learned one thing recently:  There is something worse than taking her to the Vet and putting her on the table and that would be to have her die of a seizure in my bedroom.

For A Brown Dog

She’s proud and tall with warm, soft ears

She walks with purposed grace

Her cord like tail still makes a whap

On walls or Avery’s face

Her life force ebbs, her age is old

But muster on she will

Confused a bit by what besets her

Yet yearning for the thrill

Of another walk around the lake

Or a trot along the trail

A chance to roam and chew some grass

Or sniff another’s tail

Oh brown dog, you precede us

As your essence mists away

Yet knowing that it must be so

To follow you some day

If I believe that we are spirit

With taken human form

It’s not a reach to say the same

For a dog with ears so warm

2008-04-28 Monday

The Neurology Department at the University of Minnesota’s Veterinary Medical Center currently has the most advanced MRI equipment in the nation.  They like to use it.  They need to pay for it.  An MRI for Coco will cost $1500.00.