TWELVE!

Today is Bailey's twelfth birthday! Happy birthday, my baby! It is so hard to believe that 12 years have passed since the night my friend called and told me that the long-anticipated puppies had been born! When I first went to see the puppies, I chose one that was black with white spots and was going to call him Colby. Later, my friend told me that they had mixed up the genders on all of the puppies so the one I had chosen was actually a girl. My mom had said I could only have a boy, so I went back and chose the cutest little chocolate brown fur ball. They were calling him "Fudge" then but he was destined to be my Bailey. And what an amazing twelve years it has been!

I decided to come up with 12 of my favorite Bailey memories in honor of his 12th birthday, so here they are in no particular order. I was going to find and scan pictures to go with some of this but didn't get to it yet. Hopefully I will add them next week.

1. Bringing him home. He was the first to leave his litter and cried all the way home. I kept calling his name, trying to reassure him, and then realized that he didn't know his name yet!

2. While eating his first meal at his new home, he stood with his back legs stretched way out behind him. It looked like he was still expecting the other puppies to be crawling all around and trying to eat at the same time.

3. Snuggle time. When he was younger and still allowed on the furniture, sometimes he would sit next to me and press his face against mine and snuggle. Those were such sweet, loving moments!

4. His tennis ball trick. He will lie in the floor and play with his ball for a minute. Then he rolls over on his back, holds the ball in his raised front paws, lets the ball slide down his legs, onto his chest, and turns his head sideways and catches the ball as it rolls off his chest. It is absolutely one of the most adorable things he does and he gets so excited when he does it perfectly.

5. One night I was watching Deal or No Deal and playing the Lucky Case Game. I was trying to decide which case of the six to guess. Bailey was lying in the floor and I facetiously asked him which case I should choose. His response: Woof! It amazed me because I had not told him to speak and hadn't done anything to provoke a bark from him. So I asked him again which case I should play. His response: Woof woof! Again I asked and his response was Woof woof woof! By now I was very amused and asked him again. His response: Woof woof woof woof! When I asked him the next time, he barked 4 times again but the last time I asked him, he barked 6 times!!! He basically counted to six but left off one bark for the #5! My mom was there so we have a witness! The dog is too smart...

6. When he was on the home-cooked diet and I jokingly asked him if he wanted to change back to dry food, he stood up, looked right at me, barked three times, and left the room. He made his point! "NO DRY FOOD!" (He's back on the dry food now because we were scared a food allergy might be causing the sores on his face.)

7. When I bought him a new toy and tested the theory that dogs can use process of elimination. I had read an article and wanted to try it myself. I gave Bailey the new toy without telling him its name and allowed him to play with it until he lost interest and left it. It is a Blue's Clues plush toy so I named him Blue. Later, I lined up 5 or 6 toys, all with names he knew well except for the new one. I had him sit a few feet in front of the toys and told him, "Go get Blue!" He walked over to the toys, sniffed down the line until he got to Blue, then grabbed it and brought it back to me. Brilliant!

8. For a long time, he hated for anyone to clip their nails. If he heard someone cutting their nails, he would bark, run to them and whine and try to take the clippers away. I guess he figured if he hated to have his nails clipped, we must hate it also. He still does not like to be around if I am clipping my nails but he does not react so strongly now.

9. Bailey loves to play hide and seek! He will run all around the house looking frantically for the hider and then run away when he finds you, like he is waiting for you to hide again.

10. Once on America's Funniest Home Videos, I saw a clip of a man and his dog outside and the dog was doing the craziest thing. He would jump up, grab a tree branch in his mouth, and slide his mouth down the limb, stripping the leaves off of it. He did this over and over again and was just going wild! Well, once again, I used my dog as a guinea pig. When we were outside later, I pulled a limb down and shook it and Bailey ran across the yard to me and did exactly the same thing, jumping up and grabbing the limb and stripping the leaves off. He absolutely loved this new game! One time when we were doing this, he grabbed more than the limb and I still have a scar on my right index finger as a reminder! Needless to say, that was the end of that game.

He also loved playing in the leaves when we would rake them and make big piles.

11. A couple years ago, Bailey thought one of his new toys was named Happy Birthday! I gave him either Turtle or Lady Bug that year, and I told him "Happy Birthday!" over and over again throughout the day. By the end of the day, anytime I said it, he would go and get his new toy and bring it to me. That was pretty cute.

12. I guess he has always been demanding. He would jump up on the bed with a toy and play with it for a while. When he enevitably dropped it off the bed, he would bark for someone to hand it to him. What can I say? I know he's spoiled, but I also think he should be!

Tonight he will get his birthday "cake" and presents and mommy will take lots of pictures and video which I will share next week.

And by the way, MERRY CHRISTMAS to all!

Vet Report

Bailey starts on the cyclosporine tonight, and I am praying like mad that it will clear up whatever is on his face and help with his walking. We really only expect it to help his face, but I'm praying for more. The vet said today that she thought his face was still pretty painful, though at home he only seems to mind if I touch it directly on one of the spots and then he simply pulls away. She also asked if she could do some xrays of his spine to see if maybe the problem with his legs really is something in his spine that needed time to develop enough to be seen on the xrays and MRI. Of course I said she could but they did not show anything. She also drew blood to do a full panel and check his thyroid. She really feels like whatever is wrong with him has not been diagnosed yet and is probably autoimmune and that the problem in his legs is probably related to the problem with his nose. I don't know what to think anymore. I wish someone had the answers and the cure!

We both cried while talking about him and I've been a wreck all day. I just want him to be well!

An update

This is what it looks like when I leave for a weekend now. This medicine schedule was from a few weeks ago when I spent a Saturday night at my sister's house. It took me at least 30 minutes that morning to get Bailey's medicines, vitamins, and food sorted out and labeled! Thankfully, his grandmother is willing to take care of him and make sure he gets all his meds at the right time. And maybe I'm a little OCD, but I think having everything in the baggies and the schedule make it easier for her. Thanks, Mom!

I haven't updated in a while, probably because I hesitate to put it in writing that Bailey's walking is a lot worse lately. He's having a lot more trouble with his back left leg, knuckling more often than not and stumbling around, especially in the house. He walks much better outside but still has some trouble there. He has been doing well with his exercise walking though, as long as it hasn't rained. He HATES to get his paws wet! He is still in really good spirits and will play with his new toys and ask to be loved on. I borrowed my sister's camcorder and have been getting some video of him that I know I will always be glad to have.

He goes back to the vet Monday for a checkup and so we can switch him from the prednisone to cyclosporine for whatever has been happening on his face. He also desperately needs a nail trim and I'll probably ask for a complete blood panel to check his liver again. He'll have to have a bath this weekend before he goes on Monday and I am NOT looking forward to it. He absolutely hates the bathtub.

I hate this disease.

God, please heal my baby! Watching him decline is ripping my heart out!

Snuggle Bug

Bailey has been so sweet in the mornings lately. At night, he usually waits until I am in bed and will then get on the bed and curl up in the bend of my knees. At some point in the night, he has been rearranging himself so that the back of his head is under my chin and his back is against my stomach. When he wakes up, he will stretch his neck and raise his chin way up to look upside down at me and see if I am awake. I'll scratch his tummy and then stop, hoping he will give me a few more minutes of sleep. He does this over and over again, sometimes rolling to his back, pawing at the air, and vocalizing to make sure I know that he wants to be petted. He did this for about 30 minutes this morning, and it was such a sweet way to wake up . . . even if that extra hour of sleep from the time change didn't happen.

Frustration

I feel like flinging myself to the floor and throwing a nasty temper tantrum. Too bad I am not three years old anymore and tantrums are no longer expected behavior...

I almost had Bailey weaned off of the prednisone. We were down from 50mg every other day to 20mg every other day. But now those horrible bumps are reemerging on his poor little face. I talked to the vet about it yesterday and of course she wants to put him back on a high dose of the pred, this time starting at 50mg TWICE each day. That's double what he was on at the beginning of all this mess. She also said the bumps must be something autoimmune (in addition to DM? instead of DM???) but she does not know what it is.

He was doing so well. His personality was finally coming back on the lower dose of pred. He was feeling better, playing a lot, running around, loving on mommy. Now I know we're headed right back into what I call "survival mode" where every need/desire is an immediate need that needs mommy's immediate attention and can only be communicated by barking indignantly from his resting spot. He will be miserable. But without the pred, the welts on his face might get huge and painful again and he would still be miserable.

His back left leg has been really bad the last couple of days as well. I have no idea if the pred was actually helping him or if coming off the pred is revealing the muscle wasting it could have caused because he was on it so long. It was hard to watch him walking around outside this morning and losing his balance or falling every time he put weight on his left leg. He was doing so well just a couple of weeks ago. We both want off of this roller coaster!

We might have to make another trip to a specialist. I am thinking it might be good for him to see an immunologist at this point, and maybe we need a second neuro opinion as well. But just thinking about it makes me nervous, because I know how nervous and scared he will be to have new people messing with him. And what if they cannot find anything treatable either?

Abba, help me to know what to do for Bailey. And please, please, please heal my baby! Keep me strong for him. Please let there be better days ahead for him. Thank You that he is still walking (with difficulty) and still in good spirits.

Now maybe if I close my door and flail quietly, I can pull off a tantrum without anyone knowing . . . .

Six Months

Six months ago today, my world shattered. Six months ago today, I was at Auburn, being told that my dog, my baby, has degenerative myelopathy, that it would become a quality of life issue for him, and that they could not tell me how much longer we would have together. Six months ago today I was handed a piece of paper that said Bailey would become less ambulatory, that he might become unable to urinate on his own, that the medicine probably wouldn't help.

Praise God, Jehovah Rapha, that six months later, Bailey is still going strong, still walking, still wagging his tail, still barking his deep, throaty bark (and he is not hoarse), still playing, still greeting me wildly at the door when I come home, still running, still smiling, still loving life.

In the last six months, we have spent hours sitting together outside enjoying sunshine and breezes, walked miles and miles side by side, managed to lose weight (almost 20 pounds for mommy!), learned to cope with less sleep and more activity, discovered that Bailey really does know how to swim, and our bond has grown even stronger through it all.

And in it all, I am learning not to take anything for granted.

Abba, You don't promise us tomorrow, and thank You, that through all the pain, You are teaching me to savor life and to love hard even when it hurts. Thank You that the pain is never all for naught. Thank You that Bailey is still relatively healthy, that he is still enjoying life, and that he is still with me. Give us six more months together, and six more after that, and more and more after that, please, Abba.

Praise You in This Storm
by Mark Hall/music by Mark Hall and Bernie Herms, performed by Casting Crowns

I was sure by now, God, that You would have reached down
and wiped our tears away,
stepped in and saved the day.
But once again, I say amen
and it's still raining
as the thunder rolls
I barely hear You whisper through the rain,
"I'm with you"
and as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise
the God who gives and takes away.

And I'll praise you in this storm and I will lift my hands
for You are who You are no matter where I am
and every tear I've cried You hold in your hand
You never left my side and though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm

I remember when I stumbled in the wind

You heard my cry to You and raised me up again
My strength is almost gone how can I carry on
if I can't find You
and as the thunder rolls
I barely hear You whisper through the rain
"I'm with you"
and as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise
the God who gives and takes away

And I'll praise you in this storm and I will lift my hands
for You are who You are no matter where I am
and every tear I've cried You hold in your hand
You never left my side
and though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm

I lift my eyes unto the hills
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord,
the maker of heaven and earth
I lift my eyes unto the hills
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord,
the maker of heaven and earth

And I'll praise you in this storm and I will lift my hands
for You are who You are no matter where I am
and every tear I've cried You hold in your hand
You never left my side and though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm.

Vacillating Between Independence and Neediness

Bailey is too smart for his own good. And mine at times! Last night, I took him out to the yard to walk around 9:00. He went into the yard, pottied, and was ready to go back inside. His mommy had other plans. I put his leash back on him and tugged him to the left to start our walk. The first lap he walked right beside me. He started the second lap very reluctantly and, after only 20 feet or so, stopped and refused to go any farther, regardless of my tugging. I took his leash off and started walking without him. He only let me get a few steps ahead of him before he ran to catch up with me and walked the next few laps right next to me, just as he would if he were still on the leash. Silly boy.

He has been doing that lately, refusing to walk on the leash after a couple of laps, preferring to walk on his own, but right beside me. Usually, as we finish a lap and turn the corner of the L-shaped fence and head toward the gate, he goes to the gate to see if I will let him go inside. When I keep walking, he runs to catch up with me and walk the next lap. Last night, though, rather than walking to the gate, he stopped at the corner (about 30 feet from the gate), watched me walk about half a lap, and then as soon as I got to the storage building, ran at full speed across the yard and fell into step beside me as we headed up the hill in the far corner. He did this for 6 or 7 laps, and it was so cute! Of course he had to listen to taunts of, "Cheater, cheater, pumpkin eater!" but at least he caught up in time to go up the hill with me because it is quite steep and really works the muscles in his legs... and mine! And besides, he is a cheater, and he does love to eat some pumpkin!

He walked for about 35 minutes last night, so if you subtract the time he was watching from the fence corner as mommy walked, he probably got in 20 - 25 minutes.

The funny thing is, as much as he wants to be independent outside, he still continues to be needy and demanding while inside. His indignant bark whenever dinnertime is not coming quickly enough after meds, or when he wants attention, or when he wants cold water, or when he wants treats continues. He is the worst when I get home from work. I immediately give him his DM meds, wait 15-30 minutes and give him his bromelain and curcumin, and then wait 30 minutes before feeding him because the meds should be given on an empty stomach. Bailey does not agree. Or he at least thinks that the meds should be quickly chased by some treats. He is obsessed with his treats right now. He eats half his dinner and then yells for treats. Last night, after my telling him 15 times that he had to finish his dinner before he got any treats, he finally listened. And yes, he got 2 treats as soon as he finished eating.

I think the boy is trying to make me old before my time.

Here's a nice little link I found when trying to decide between lie vs. lay and farther vs. further!

Every Day Is Different

Bailey was doing much better last week, walking pretty well and holding his rear end up and standing tall. Over the weekend, his left leg was really weak and he had a lot of trouble walking. Thankfully, he was (and is) still in a good mood and played and spent some time outside exploring and enjoying the sunshine, even though it was incredibly hot. He seems to be doing a little better yesterday and today. He walked six laps around the yard last night and two laps this morning, sometimes going so fast that I had to jog to keep up with him.

I have ordered a second pair of booties for him, hoping that this kind will work better than the first ones I bought for him. They will be here today, just in time for him to wear them to the vet tomorrow. He goes in for a checkup and I hope the booties will keep him from sliding all over the slick floors at the clinic. He was not able to walk in the first pair because they were too heavy or too stiff (though they were absolutely adorable on him), but maybe the new ones will work for him.

He has definitely become more needy/demanding. Last night around 11:00, he decided I needed to be in the same room as him. If I left the room, he barked indignantly, just once, every few minutes until I came back. I spent a lot of time petting him and loving on him, but he was fine with me loading the dishwasher, as I long as I stayed in his sight. He also barks from wherever he is resting when he needs to go outside or thinks it's dinner time. I always tell him how regal he looks and call him my little prince. I guess it has finally gone to his head . . . :o)

(I have added some links on the right side - one to Tiger's story and another to the AKC videos on DM.)

It's Been a Rough Few Weeks

From a cancer scare to 6 pounds of muscle mass lost within a matter of days, Bailey's had a rough few weeks. Praise God the cancer scare turned out to be "insect hypersensitivity" and the welts on his face and in his ears have gone down considerably, just leaving bald spots, following 2 steroid shots and we're in the middle of a round of oral prednisone. His walking is significantly worse right now, and it was at its worse the week before last. He could barely hold his rear end off the ground and his legs flailed about when he tried to walk. He also just wasn't himself. I think the steroids had a lot to do with that and now that we've started the every other day schedule for the prednisone, he's perking back up, walking a little better and his rear end is not drooping as much. He has also been playing with his toys more over the last week, which always does my heart good.

His grandmama bought runners to put all over the house so that everywhere he normally walks is covered now. That has helped keep him from sliding around as much. I've also taken my box spring and frame out of my room and put my mattress on the floor because he has had trouble jumping on my bed. We haven't been to the park since 8/12. On Saturday 8/11, he walked 45 minutes. On Sunday, 8/12, he walks 35 minutes. Now he refuses to walk more than one lap at a time around the backyard, though sometimes he will run around and play a little. I try to get him to walk a lap most times that I take him out. I had planned to take him to the park early Sunday morning before it got hot, but he just didn't seem to be up to it.

So that's where we are for now. I'm still praying for healing and hoping that I'm doing the right things to help him. I love that little boy so much!

All Dressed Up . . . with Somewhere to Go!

The little girl has a home! Granted, this one is the second attempt to find her forever family, but I really think this one will work out. She now belongs to a couple in their late twenties who do not have any kids yet, and she is their first dog as a couple. The wife called after 10:00 Friday night and left a voicemail, wanting me to call her back that night as they were very interested in the puppy. I called her back and the first thing she asked was, "Is the puppy still available?" She sounded like a really sweet person and someone who would take really good care of the little girl. We decide to meet halfway between our towns Sunday afternoon. As soon as I got the little girl out of the car, as they were getting out of their truck, she made a mad dash to them and it was love at first sight, all around. The husband was on the ground with her rubbing her chest within minutes. When the wife called her, the little girl ran right over to her and really seemed to like her. After finding out what their schedules are like (home by 3:00 most days) and making sure that they would have her spayed and get her vaccinations, regular checkups and heartworm prevention, I asked what they thought about her and they said they would love to have her. So we loaded up her stuff and sent her off to her new home.

The only thing I can say is, if they call and say that they cannot keep her like the first lady did, this little girl is MINE! I don't know how I would work it out with Bailey, but I can only give away such an adorable dog so many times, and two is definitely my limit.

All dolled up and ready to meet her new family

A girl's gotta have some pink in her wardrobe!

Just chillin' on the way . . .

(I kept checking to make sure she was back there. Bailey would need drugs to sleep like this in the car!)

Goodbye kisses!

The Sister Bailey Doesn't Want

and apparently no one else wants her either!

But who can resist this face?

So here's the story... Last Thursday, Bailey and I were walking at the park. We were almost back to my car when I saw two guys and two dogs (NOT on leashes) walking from the parking lot toward the trail across the parking lot from where we were. One of the dogs saw us and made a beeline to say hello. Well, Bailey doesn't take kindly to anyone running towards his mommy, so I knew this could be trouble. I told her to stop and made that "UHHHNNN" sound that has stopped other dogs in their tracks, but not this one. She ran right up to us with Bailey growling, so I frantically struggled to get Bailey to the car while keeping her far enough away from him that a fight would not ensue and yelling at her owners that THIS is why she should be on a leash. Once I got Bailey in the car and buckled in, I turned around to pet the dog because I felt bad for yelling at her. She wasn't there, so I assumed she had run back across the parking lot to her less than wonderful owners.

I got in the car and started to back up and thought, "Great! Now I have a flat tire too!" Only it wasn't a flat tire. It was me running over that sweet little girl. I got out of the car expecting to find the flat but instead found the puppy with her leg pinned under my tire. I was hysterical! Her owners, who were still standing across the parking lot watching it all, never responded when I yelled to ask if she was their dog. They just stood there and stared at me like I was speaking Greek! And somehow, after listening to her scream in pain, they got in their car and drove away.
Finally, I decided I was going to have to back the car up a little to get her leg unpinned. Then I had to back up AGAIN because she was still pinned after the first time. I think this was the most traumatic part of the whole ordeal for me, knowing that it was going to hurt her like crazy when I moved the car. After the second time, I got back out and she had run over into the grass and was licking a gash on back left leg.

To make this long story a little shorter, my mom met us at the park, I called our regular vet who said she would meet us at the clinic, mom took the little girl there, and I took Bailey home. I met them at the vet and found out she actually wasn't doing too badly. She had two gashes on her back left leg which the vet had stapled, and some "road rash" here and there. She did not have any internal injuries or broken bones, thank goodness. In all of this, she was a complete angel. She never once tried to bite any of us, despite the tremendous pain she had to be in. And Mom said when they got her inside the clinic and the vet put her down to see how she was walking, she came over to Mom and put her head under Mom's knee. Stole her heart, she did!

The vet thinks she is about 8 months old, black lab mix, 46 lbs., negative for heart worms and intestinal parasites. Oh so sweet and friendly and submissive, though admittedly hyper, because after all, she is a puppy. And a lab. And a LAB PUPPY!

So now, a week later, she is still boarding at the vet while I search to find her a home. If I could keep her, I absolutely would. And her name would be Bella Sera (beautiful night in Italian, though really it should be Sera Bella, but that sounds like cerebellum to me and who wants to call their dog that?) and she would be a great dog. And I would have my "Bailey and Bella" which just sounds cute. But I can't keep her. One of the things we have to avoid with Bailey's DM is stress, and my precious 11 1/2 year old, very happy only child would absolutely be stressed if I brought this little girl home. And if he lost the use of his back legs because of something I did, I would never forgive myself.

Bailey's Healthy Liver :o)

Praise God!!! Something's going our way! I just spoke with the vet who had bloodwork results from Bailey's vet visit last Monday. His alanine aminotransferase level, which was high last month for the first time ever, dropped from 327 to 40! That's the one that really had us worried about his liver function. Also, his alkaline phosphatase was down from 738 to 156!!! This one has been high for almost TWO YEARS, as high as almost 1,000 and hovering around 400 lately. And now it's 156! This is such wonderful news and shows that his liver is much happier now than it was a month ago.

She is also sending off blood for tests for several things that could be causing his DM symptoms instead of DM. She included a thyroid panel in his blood panel and that was normal, so it's not his thyroid. He was tested for tick borne diseases (ehrlichia, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, and lyme). Those tests were all negative. The two we're waiting on now are toxoplasmosis and anaplasma. She may also want to test for neospora if those two are both negative. All three of these would be more likely to respond to treatment than DM is, from what I've read anyway. So it would be nice to find out he has something that could be cured with medicine, but we'll have to wait and see. I may get the results Thursday, or it may be next week sometime.

Also, the area for the pool is supposed to get leveled sometime this week - and not by me! So hopefully Mr. Bailey will be swimming again by this weekend...

Because this is just how my life is going lately . . . .

Sadly, this is not the "before" picture, but the "after."

Wouldn't you know, that after not getting an appreciable amount of rain for MONTHS, a monsoon would come through the DAY AFTER I had the pool up and Bailey swimming.

Yes, this is the sight I woke to Tuesday morning, and I almost cried! In fact, I did, but just a little, and there were hormones involved! I'm afraid the fact that the pool was not quite level, which I thought had turned out to be a blessing, ended up being a curse. And you can imagine the mud pit that is now our back yard after approximately 3,896 gallons of water flooded through it. I wonder how much 3,896 gallons of water cost, 'cause I just flushed that money down the drain! And I am at a loss as to how to make ground that looks level LEVEL!

I'm pulling a Scarlett and telling myself I'll deal with it tomorrow. I said that yesterday too...

Needless to say, I AM NOT HAPPY!

Bailey, however, is very happy. The little saboteur!

I Am One Proud Mommy!

Bailey swam last night!!!!! He did such an excellent job and I am so, so proud of him.

I spent most of the day Saturday finishing up getting the yard ready for the pool, laying out the pool, blowing up the top ring, and filling it with water. It was a comedy of errors or mishaps at least, but the thing is finally up! Sunday I added a little more air to the top ring (after replacing the manual pump with an electric one), finished filling the pool with water, and last night, I put Bailey in! I thought the ground where I placed the pool was level, but it turns out that it actually isn't. But that worked to our advantage. I was able to put him in in the "shallow end" and then walk him around to the ladder, where I quickly climbed in with him to reassure him. He had on his life jacket that our vet gave us, and he had those legs kicking! I used the handle on the life jacket to guide him around in circles. Anytime he got near the ladder or the spot where I had put him into the pool (where he could actually touch the bottom with his back legs down and front legs up), he splashed like mad trying to get out but only ended up splashing water all in his face. He did not love that. He only seemed to panic slightly two times. Otherwise, he did fine.

I kept him in for several minutes (I had heard that the hydrotherapy places only let them swim for 4 minutes their first time in, so I kept it short.) and then realized I had no good way to get him out. Getting him in required lifting him over the side of the pool and I barely got him in, but at least he floated. I knew I couldn't just drop him out to the ground. So my wonderful mom brought the picnic table benches over and I set him out onto those and then he jumped down from there. Unfortunately, Mom suffered the brunt of his shaking off the water. Next came the spastic, "I'm wet! I'm wet! I AM WET" running all over the yard, but it was more good exercise for him. :o) When I was setting him out of the pool, I noticed his left leg was really weak but they say this tends to happen when they first start hydrotherapy.

So, I am one relieved mommy to have that first dip behind us and to know that it really went much better than I expected. I had no real problems getting him in or out, and no big fuss from him when I was putting him in. Whew! What a relief!

Of course, the next time I try to put him in the pool, he will know what's coming. We'll see how that goes over...

(By the way, I have NO pictures of any of it, because I was more concerned with surviving what I thought would be a major ordeal. Maybe next time I'll be able to get some pics!)

Happy Half Birthday to You!

Bailey is 11 1/2 today!

Happy Half Birthday, baby!

Prayer for Healing

Oh Abba,

Thank You for my Bailey. He has been such a blessing in my life for 11 1/2 years. I love him so much, and I want to have him around for a long time to come. Please heal my baby. I hate to see him stumbling around, tripping over his own feet, to see his legs sliding out from under him and his back end drooping. God, You created him and You know every cell in his body. You understand exactly the effects of degenerative myelopathy and I ask that you erase each of those effects from his body right now! Help the messages from his brain to get to his muscles again. Bring back his proprioception. Heal his spinal cord and repair the myelin and axons. Help him to build muscle mass in his back legs. And God, please heal his liver. Only You know why his enzyme numbers are high and only You can correct the problem. He is Your creation. Help him to have many more years of happiness, health and mobility.

Help me to make the right decisions in caring for him. Give me wisdom. Give me strength. Give me peace.

I love him so much . . .

Bailey's Greatest Hits

I have always said that Bailey is an extremely intelligent dog. Many people agree with me, though they might be just as biased as I am. :o) I thought I would list the commands that Bailey knows, and throw in a few of his quirks as well.

1. Sit
2. Come
3. Come-Sit
4. Stay
5. Lay down (probably not grammatically correct!)
6. Speak
7. Shake
8. Go get _________ (insert toy's name here, yes he knows all 3,597 toys by name!)
9. Drop it
10. Uhhnn! (means stop whatever you are doing immediately!)
11. Do your trick (where he takes his tennis ball, rolls over onto his back, holds the ball in his paws, lets it roll down the back side of his legs onto his chest and turns his head to catch it in his mouth - this is his aunt's favorite)
12. Go get your floppy and bring it inside (this is mommy's favorite - he will remember exactly where the frisbee is even if he can't see it, go get it, bring it to the gate and drop it, wait for his leash to go on, then pick up the frisbee again and carry it inside!)
13. Sing your song (If you're happy and you know it, say woof woof! "Woof woof!" etc. - I wish I had a video camera with sound to record this one! I do at least have witnesses.)
14. This side (keeps him from walking on the other side of trees, mailboxes, etc. and tangling his leash)
15. NO!BARK!!!!! (This is Bailey's least favorite, and the one he has developed selective hearing to avoid obeying.)
16. Out (Usually "OUT of the kitchen!" lately because he wants to sleep in the middle of the kitchen floor while I am cooking, but this command also works when he is in the foyer giving the UPS man something to fear for coming anywhere near his territory)
17. Wait
18. Back up
19. QUIT TANGLING YOUR LEASH WITH THE SEAT BELT BECAUSE IT WILL TAKE MOMMY 15 MINUTES AT THE PARK TO UNTANGLE YOU WHILE YOU YELL AT ME THE ENTIRE TIME FOR ALLOWING YOU TO BECOME TANGLED AND NOT BEING ABLE TO UNTANGLE YOU INSTANTLY (Oh wait, he hasn't learned this one yet! Here's hoping . . . :o)

(I'm sure I left some off this list...)

Bailey is also teaching mommy the "come" command. Lately, I will be in the living room watching TV and hear Bailey barking from the back of the house. Thinking that a toy has rolled under a bed or something, I go in search of the unhappy puppy. Every time he has done this lately, I find him resting on my bed, no toys dropped on the floor, no major needs, nothing! I think this is his way of getting back at me for having to learn all of the above. He just wants to be able to tell me to do one thing and have me do it. So far, I'm doing an excellent job with my training! Wonder what he will teach me next . . . .

One day this weekend, as I was putting off cooking his food for the week, I asked Bailey, who was resting quietly in the floor, what he thought about switching back to dry dog food. He promptly stood up, looked right at me with his nose in the air, barked at me three times, and walked out of the room. Now tell me he doesn't understand every word I say!!! I literally did nothing to provoke this barking, other than suggesting he go back to the food he's eaten most of his life!

Hot Fun in the Summertime

Bailey is not a big fan of water. He detests bath time. He has never had the opportunity to swim, so I don't know how he would react to swimming . . . yet. One of the best exercises for dogs with degenerative myelopathy is swimming. Because of course it couldn't be Frisbee catching or tail chasing or tennis ball tricks or anything else that comes naturally to Bailey! So the plan is to start hydrotherapy with Bailey at home. The nearest animal rehab facility is at least 2 hours away, and our vet thinks that Bailey would be freaked out (even more?) by the special hydrotherapy tubs that they use because they are small and he would feel closed in.

The first step was to buy a kiddy pool and get him to sit in it with no water. That went over very well. He got into the pool pretty easily and loved having Mommy sit in it with him and love on him for a while. We did that a couple of times, and he had no problem with it.

Then I added the water.

He was a little more reluctant to get in once he saw the water in the pool. At first, he stood outside the pool and drank the water. I believe he thought he could make it go away if he just drank enough. I managed to wrangle him into the pool and then I sat down in it with him, planning to love on him just like we did before. He would not sit down and was not at all happy being in the water. But then he found a nice little island in the pool where he could place his front feet so that at least not all of his paws were in the water at once.

Yes, he thought it was very convenient that Mommy's legs were there for him to stand on. I kept him in the pool for 30 - 45 minutes, waiting for him to get comfortable enough to sit down. He finally did sit, with me pushing on his rump, which popped back up as soon as I let go. After that, I let him get out.

The second time I put him in the pool with water he did a little better. He did not try to stand on me the entire time, and he would walk around some to follow me as I moved around the pool. After several more dips in the pool, he still won't relax enough to enjoy it, even when he's burning up hot and tired from walking.

We're taking baby steps for now, but the next step won't be baby sized. I bought one of those easy-set above ground pools (thank goodness for Wal-Mart's low prices!) and now I need to get him swimming. Besides getting the pool set up and the filter wired, the biggest challenge is going to be finding a way to get Bailey in and out of the pool without me having to lift him. He is not so heavy that I can't pick him up, but once he is soaking wet, I might not be able to lift him. Maybe once I have the pool set up an idea will come to me . . . .

Dogs Are Not Disposable

Used tissues are disposable. Some contact lenses are disposable. Dogs are NOT disposable.

I brought Bailey home when he was only 6 weeks old. He was the first to leave his litter, and he cried all the way home. I tried to reassure him, calling his name, and then realized that he did not know his name yet. The first time I fed him, he reached for the bowl with his back legs stretched out behind him, expecting some other puppy to crawl under him to get the food, I guess. Later, I was sitting in the floor with my back against the sofa, and he crawled behind me and fell asleep. That was February 2, 1996 - 11 years, 4 months and 2 days ago. That was his first day as my baby.

And he's still my baby. He required a lot of care as a puppy, and he needs care now. But he is alive, happy, active, loving, playful, faithful, protective, adorable, and he is not disposable. I will do everything I can to keep him alive, happy, and active, even when it gets tough. I will not give up him on. I will not replace him with a younger, healthier dog just because that would make life easier.

Anyone who could doesn't know what love is...

Love is patient, love is kind. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. I Cor. 13:4,7-8

Strangling the Kroger Cashier

Friday night, I went to Walmart and Kroger to buy all the ingredients to make Bailey's food, and I had to buy a lot of everything because I wanted to cook enough to last a week. I had already been to Walmart and gotten the produce that I could there, but I could not find spinach or tofu. I went to Kroger, gathered up my 3 boxes of tofu, 6 bunches of spinach, and some 10mL syringes that are so impossible to find, and headed to the checkout. The young girl who was ringing up my purchases said something about all the spinach. When she got to the tofu, she said, "Can I ask what you're making?" I told her I was making dog food and, to appease her curiosity, I told her a little bit about Bailey's condition. She asked me his age and what kind of dog he is. I told her he is 11 and a black lab/German shepherd mix. She asked me if he was registered... I should have ended the conversation there, because obviously she's an idiot! But I replied that no, he is not registered because he is a mix. Then she looked at me and said, "You're doing all of this for a . . . mutt?" This is when the strangling came in, at least in my mind. I replied, "It doesn't matter if he is a purebred or not, he is my baby!" Then she went on to tell me about her mom's dog's thyroid problem and the potted meat he has to eat (WHAT?!?!) and I tuned her out as best I could.

Her dog-owning license is permanently revoked! If only I had the power to do that . . . .

Home Cookin'

After delaying her start date for 2 weeks, Bailey's personal chef has finally started work. In case you haven't figured it out, I am the chef! I went to Kroger Saturday and bought all the ingredients:

(broccoli, spinach, carrots, green bell peppers, tomatoes, ground mustard, ground ginger, garlic, grilled chicken, tofu, brown rice, EVOO, and Tums for calcium)

Anyone who saw me putting all of these items into my shopping cart would have thought I was a very healthy eater. Obviously, they don't know me!

Monday night, I laid out all the ingredients (because of course I had to get a picture!), then I rinsed everything really well. I actually found boil-in-bag brown rice, so that was easy. I put the broccoli and carrots into a second pan to boil. The spinach went into another pan to cook. I chopped the green bell pepper using my wonderful new chef's knife that my mom got for me from Pampered Chef, because who shouldn't be a pampered chef, right? (Thanks, Mom!) The recipe called for the pepper to be steamed, so I got creative and pulled out a colander, put the pepper in it and held it over the pot of spinach that was putting off lots of steam. Once the vegetables were done, I pressed the garlic, drizzled the olive oil, measured the spices, chopped the tofu, and put everything but the rice into the food processor and pureed it all. Knowing Bailey, I was afraid if I did not puree it, he would pick and choose which things to eat, and I wouldn't have blamed him! The end result looked like this:

It looks like guacamole with rice in it (and one carrot that the food processor did not get). Seeing the end result, I was even more apprehensive that Bailey would actually eat this food. I was encouraged though that for the last several steps, he was sitting right beside me, sniffing each ingredient with interest. So I added some to his regular food (we will be taking the transition to this diet slowly!) and put the bowl back in its holder. I called Bailey, and called him again, and called him again. It wasn't looking too good at this point . . .

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. . . but I think he liked it! So if you're looking for me on Sunday afternoons now, I'll be at home cookin'. :o)

We're Still Here

I have not posted in a while because our internet at home is down. It's also been pretty crazy lately. Here is why:

Bailey's current schedule
6:30am
- Wake up
- Take Denosyl 1 hr. before eating (for elevated liver enzyme alkaline phosphatase)
- Walk for 30 minutes (except we can't walk in the yard right now because of the weeds that put horrible thorns into my feet that are all over the back yard instead of grass....)
7:00am
- Take n-acetylsysteine (NAC) and aminocaproic acid (EACA) on an empty stomach
7:30am
- Take vitamin E, vitamin C, Synovi G3 (for joints), good boy, get treat, eat breakfast
8:15am
- Mommy leaves me :o(
- - - - - - -
6:00pm
- Mommy comes home :oP
- Get the mail and go potty
- Take NAC and EACA on an empty stomach
7:00pm
- Take vitamin E, vitamin C, milk thistle (for liver), good boy, get treat, eat dinner
- - - - - - -
12:30am
- Take NAC and EACA on an empty stomach
- GO TO BED
- - - - - - -
6:30am
- Wake up and do it all over again!

It's a little easier on the weekend because I am at home to give him his second dose of NAC and EACA in the afternoon instead of waiting till after work. We also go to the park in the mornings on the weekend, which he loves.

Hopefully soon I will be able to post about Bailey's personal chef, his first experience with the wading pool, and whatever else has happened by then...

A Busy Few Days

The last few days have been a little crazy.

Thursday morning at 8:00, I took Bailey to the vet for a nail trim and so I could consult with the doctor about treatment. This was the first time we had seen her since Bailey's DM diagnosis. She was wonderful, and spent an hour and a half going through my 2 pages of questions, answering what she could, and making a list of her own questions to ask the neurologist at Auburn when she gets a call back. She also promised to bring me a life jacket and ramp that we can use for Bailey. We have the best vet in the world, if you haven't picked up on that yet!

Thursday night, I babysat and did not get home until 10:00.

Friday morning, back at the vet at 8:30 to pick up the aminocaproic acid and n-acetylsysteine (DM meds) which finally arrived! I also picked up the life jacket and ramp that Dr. VM brought in that morning even though she was flying out of the state that day. (Have I mentioned how great she is?!)

Friday night, I had to work late because I got there late Thursday after the long consult and Friday after picking up the meds. So I did not get home from work and Walmart until 8:00. Midnight was our first administration of the aminocaproic acid (EACA) and the n-acetylsysteine (NAC). I felt like I was back in a biology lab, mixing up the solutions. Both of the meds have to be mixed with chicken broth to make them more palatable. The NAC gets mixed 9mL with 36mL broth, which makes 3 doses. The EACA gets mixed 2mL with 1mL broth each dose. They both have to be given 3 times a day for now, and on an empty stomach. So for this weekend anyway, our schedule is midnight, 8:00am, 4:00pm, repeat. The times will change when I'm working, of course.

Crashed as soon as the meds were given last night, hoping that if they did make Bailey nauseated, he wouldn't notice if he was asleep. Prayed that he wouldn't vomit during the night! Set the alarm for 8:00am.

At 7:50 this morning, Bailey was up and wanting out of my room. Meds at 8:00, to the park a little while after that, where he walked 20+ minutes and loved it. Back home, resting for an hour before feeding (no bloat allowed here!), vitamin E, vitamin C, synoviG3, treat and food. Looooong nap, for Bailey. I finished watching The Queen and then had to get ready for an appointment to have my hair cut at 1:15, then came home and Bails and I took a 2 hour nap! We missed the 4:00 meds by an hour because neither of us could wake up.

He LOVES the new meds. Really, he loves the chicken broth, but I'm not going to tell him there's medicine in there too! He is not fond of liquid meds and having mommy squirt them down his throat, but I figured out that if I squeeze the syringe very slowly, he likes to lick it and it actually mostly ends up in his mouth instead of on the floor. I tried to get a video of him taking the meds, but my camera battery was dead.

Bailey also discovered watermelon yesterday. At first he thought I was crazy for trying to give him fruit (typical reaction for him), but when I sat down to eat my piece and he wanted what I was eating, I pointed to his bowl of watermelon and he finally ate it. He chewed each bite thoroughly (very cute) and ate all that I gave him. I think he liked it. ;o) He ate some more today.

Next time, I'll tell you all about Bailey's new personal chef who starts tomorrow.

Another day in the sun.....

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Oh, and by the way . . .

I'm going to be an aunt!!! :o)

Congratulations to my sister

and brother-in-law!

He practices in the mirror.

Bailey should be in show business.

I took him, his floppy frisbee, a towel, and a book outside tonight, and he wandered around and explored while I read. As I was gathering everything up to come inside, I reached down to pick up his floppy. He took off running across the yard, wanting me to throw it for him. Once he got it, he ran around, shaking his booty this way and that, and shaking the floppy. He asked me to throw it for him several times. Finally, he put it down and seemed ready to quit playing. So I told him, "Go get your floppy and bring it inside." This is a command he knows very well, and my absolute favorite one! But tonight, as soon as I told him to do it, he dropped his head and started walking really slowly and stiffly toward the gate. This was 30 seconds after running after the floppy!

I'm telling you, the boy practices "pitiful" in the mirror when I'm not home...

(He did bring his floppy in himself, by the way...:o)

Not 10 . . not 15 . . .

. . . but 20 minutes! That's how long Bailey walked today. Mom and I took him to the park this morning, and he had a blast. He loved all the new smells and it was also nice not to walk laps around the backyard for once! I wish I had had my camera with me though. He saw a squirrel on the trunk of a tree one time, and he almost climbed the tree trying to get to it! Crazy boy!

He probably would have walked longer, but he saw my car and knew that was the way home and headed straight for it with determination. Now he just wants to sleep...

Walking On

Bailey and I just did our 10 minutes of walking, except we actually went 12 minutes! Way to go, Bailey! He is doing really well with Dr. C.'s exercise protocol so far. We start out walking 10 minutes every other day for 2 weeks and then increase the time until we're doing (2) 30-minute walks and (1) 1-hour walk each week. Bailey is doing so well I've started gradually increasing the time. After finishing his walk tonight, we sat out in the sunshine and enjoyed the nice breeze for a while. He also enjoyed lots of petting and a little massage too. When I got up to come inside, he grabbed his frisbee and wanted to run and play. That is so encouraging to this mommy! I pray that God keeps him active, happy, healthy and mobile for a long time to come. I plan to enjoy a lot more sunshine and breezes with my little guy.

One really big bandage . . .

Bailey's wearing my t-shirt today.

He does not normally wear my clothes. In fact, I envy his limited wardrobe choice and often ask to borrow his clothes so I can avoid choosing something to wear. But today, I had had enough.

When we were at Auburn last week, they shaved his right leg to insert an IV while he was under anaesthesia for the MRI. Now, Bailey is a compulsive licker by nature and does not need a reason to lick his legs and feet for hours on end. But anytime he has anything shaved, this compulsion to lick kicks into overdrive.

So what was a simple shaved patch on his leg has now become a battle zone! Bailey licks, mommy tells him to stop, he stops. Bailey licks again, mommy tells him to stop again, he stops again. And this process repeats at least 50 times a day. I realize that the hair growing back itches him, so I bought Benadryl cream and a wrap. I covered the leg in the cream, put bandages on top, and wrapped it until I thought surely he could not get to it. Wrong! Twice I did this, and twice he had it bleeding (just a little) with the bandage still in place.

I took the bandages off and left them off, thinking perhaps the bandages were bothering him more than the hair regrowth. Then I came home today, and his leg was soaked from him licking it. That's when the t-shirt went on. He does not love it, but he can't get to his leg, so I think I won. Score one point for the mommy!

My Snuggle Bunny

(Bailey snuggled up with mommy's sweatpants)

Bailey was in such a sweet mood last night. He just wanted to lie on his bed with mommy's hand under his chin. He would paw at me and pull my hand towards him, and then put his chin in my hand and lay his head down. So sweet!

Later, he wanted to pull EVERY toy out of his toy box, and that boy has a LOT of toys! When he wants attention, he stands at his toy box and barks until I come help him. The box is too big for him to reach the toys on the bottom by himself. Sometimes he will root around in the box on his own, but he usually ends up calling me over. When I pulled out his baseball player that sings "Take Me Out to the Ballgame", he was intrigued and played with it for a while.
That boy is too cute . . . :o)

Let me introduce myself . . . .

Welcome to the blog that is all about Bailey! I don't know if anyone will even read this blog besides me, but I decided this would be a good way to record lots of Bailey memories. I have no idea what is in store for us since Bailey was diagnosed with degenerative myelopathy a week ago today, but I know that I will cherish each moment I have with my little boy from now on!

Degenerative myelopathy (DM) is an autoimmune disorder in which the immune system attacks the central nervous system, starting with the spinal cord. If left untreated, the disease will eventually leave the dog paralyzed in the hind legs and can lead to incontinence. There is no cure, and not all dogs respond to treatment. We have not decided yet what Bailey's treatment plan will include, but I plan to fight to retain Bailey's mobility for the rest of his life. We have already started an exercise program, and they say this is the most important thing for a DM dog.

The first thing I noticed that was unusual was Bailey stumbling when he had to get out of someone's way, like his brain could not tell his feet fast enough what to do. That was at least a year ago. Now when he walks, he often drags the nails on his back left foot. He also knuckles that foot, or turns it over so that the top of his toes are on the ground rather than the pads. He also has trouble turning corners sometimes, with his back legs sliding out from under him if he rounds them fast enough.

I took him to a university vet school last Wednesday where he saw a neurologist who diagnosed it as DM. They did an initial neurologic exam and recommended having an MRI. At that point, they were thinking he might have a bulging disc or a tumor. They did the MRI, x-rays, and a spinal tap, all of which were perfectly normal. Ruling everything else out left them with a presumptive diagnosis of DM. Since then I have been researching DM as much as possible, and hopefully we can find a treatment plan that will work for Bailey.

I am sure DM will come up again in this blog, but I plan to use it mostly to record moments with my baby.