Diary Room - Off-Topic Discussion

[uaintjak]

Sucks.  Nothing makes it better, but at least you got to have her in your life.

[tlh9]

Thanks jak.  She did make me very very happy for 11 years.

[Mockingbird]

I'm so sorry to hear about the loss of your Possum, tlh9.  

[elizabethann]

If I could have one miracle, it would be that my dog could live as long as I.  Sorry for the loss of your beloved Possum.

[MrsGryn]

I'm sorry to hear about Possum. We love them and they love us, and we are burdened with the knowledge of how the story ends. 

[Shannon]

(hug)

[tlh9]

Thank you so much for your kind thoughts and virtual hugs, Mockingbird, elizabethann, MrsGryn, and Shannon.

Missing Possum -- or "Princess Possum" as she was often called -- still hurts like fire in my chest and when I wake up in the morning and remember she's no longer here it feels like an icicle stabbing me in the gut.

Dogs have only one flaw, so far as I'm concerned, and that's that they don't live long enough.  They only break your heart that one time, and damn does it suck

I feel like both Possum and I were cheated out of some time, with her passing that young.  Most of my Shelties through the years have lived to 14-ish.

 

I like this from the guy who does The Oatmeal:  https://theoatmeal.com/comics/dog_paradox

 

[copssister]

There is never enough time with our pets - sorry for your loss.

[Shannon]

I finally got back in here where I can post.  Got on a plane at 6 something AM in El Paso an got into Raleigh at 6 PM on feb. 13.  Same plane, three different crews and two layovers and a 1 hour stay on the tarmac in Dallas while something was fixed.  Long time for an obese old lady with swelling feet and wondering about blood clots.  Except for 2 days it has rained every day here, but it is beautiful here, tons of tall pine trees.  

[tlh9]

Wow!!  You made it! I remember when you were talking about making this trip.  I'm happy you like it there, even with the rain!  Good to have you back.

[MrsGryn]

Glad to hear you (and the flight crews) survived!

[tlh9]

So... I know we have some other pet lovers here besides me... if any of you can spare any positivity for my little Sheltie Zoey, we would appreciate it.  

She's either got "just epilepsy", which is looking less likely, or we are dealing with a brain tumor.  She is only 11 years old, which isn't really *that* old for a Sheltie.  

Her first seizure was October 19th... then she was totally fine until December 19th when she had 10 to 12 seizures over 3 days... we started her on an Rx anti-seizure med plus I put her on CBD oil.  It took her almost 10 days to go totally back to normal, but she gradually improved over that time, and became her normal happy self again.

Until April 4th... she had another major seizure and then 10 to 12 more, again, over the next three days.  She would regain being mostly normal in between, but then April 8th she started having other neurological symptoms and lost most of her sight.

We upped her dosages of the Rx and the CBD... and her seizures are once again under control, but neurologically she is most certainly *not* herself again, and only happy sometimes, which breaks my heart.  Yet she is in no pain or anything, either.  She just naps a lot -- a LOT -- and when you call, she shows interest, if you can wake her up -- but due to her sight looks the wrong way and gets like stuck in the furniture, so she spends most of her time in a play-pen in the TV room unless I can actively supervise her, or hold and snuggle her.

After some research I found out about the Keto diet for cancer that especially works well as an adjunct therapy for brain diseases/disorders (including epilepsy) and brain tumors, according to numerous studies on both animals and people.  So I'm trying that with her, as at this point we have nothing to lose.  She just started on it the 17th (between Survivor and TAR), and she likes the food at least.

This is especially a emotional blow after losing my Sheltie Possum on February 2nd this year.  Taking care of Zoey, especially with my spine and hip disabilities, has been exhausting, especially as a 3rd year Computer Science degree major -- we're into the "really difficult shit" at this point... and I am so exhausted and, well, distraught that my comprehension skills are sometimes virtually nil, so it has made school difficult, including the 1/2 hour each way commute to campus!  Some days I can barely stay awake for the drive, so Rockstar Energy Drink has been helping.  I try not to think of a particular BB houseguest while I drink it.  ha!  

And some nights Zoey is restless and keeps me awake so I get even less sleep, plus she has to be dosed every 8 hours, so there is a middle-of-the-night dosing.

Our vet clinic dog-sits her for me while I go to school, which is awesome, so I don't have to worry about her going into a seizure all by herself, or having some other sudden difficulty... and they only charge $18 per day, which is worth it to me to know she's safe.

But anyway, if you have any positivty to spare, we would appreciate it if you sent it our way for Zoey... and thank you.

[copssister]

Awww, of course you've got my positive thoughts!

[tlh9]

My sweet little Zoey just left for Rainbow Bridge about an hour ago.  
My heart is broken to a million pieces.

[ItsATwist]

Sorry for your loss tlh9. It's so hard to lose any member of your family.