Day 3235

Dash gave me another scare last night. He woke me up when I felt his whole body shaking next to me. The shivering continued for quite a while and he seemed in some sort of distress. His front legs felt stiff and his heart was beating rapidly. Was this another vestibular seizure or the beginning of heart failure? He's had these episodes before and we've learned that taking him to the emergency room doesn't help at all. Trying to get him into the car during a seizure often makes things worse. I stayed next to him and kept him calm until we both fell asleep again. This morning Dash was fine. It's weird that these episodes always happen at night. I don't think Dash has ever had a vestibular seizure during the day.

The rain appears to be over for a while. It was a cool, clear Fall morning and I walked Dash before going out for breakfast. I really ought to just stay home and drink my regular smoothie on Fridays. It's becoming harder and harder to find anything in a restaurant that interests me. The buttermilk pancakes I had this morning were good, but I ate way too much and felt sluggish for the rest of the day.

Janet helped me with the storage warehouse move today. She filled her car with items for the charity shop while I filled mine with things that had to go to the new storage unit. It's pretty obvious that I don't need any of this stuff. I wonder why it's still so hard to jettison these things? It's easier to turn loose of stuff when Janet is with me. She reminds me how ridiculous it is to save things I haven't used in decades. There's still a long way to go, but I think about a third of the warehouse has been moved.

I need to remember to ask my doctor about my recurring heartburn when I have my exam next week. I thought I had the problem under control, but now it's back again. We has shrimp with pesto last night and it gave me heartburn. Tonight chicken tikka masala gave me heartburn. This shouldn't be happening. I understand why pizza might cause problems, but the pesto sauce was pretty mild. I'd hate to have to start taking proton-pump inhibitors again. They work well to control acid reflux, but they are risky to take indefinitely. Side effects from long-term use include osteoporosis and increased risk of heart attacks.

I'll probably go back to the storage warehouse tomorrow. I wish I still had my Defender. The car was indestructible and was perfect for moving things. I have to worry a lot more about scratches and dents when I'm moving things in my current car. The boxy Defender seemed to hold a lot more too. I'll still probably call a mover at some point, but the more things I can move myself, the lower the final bill will be.

Dash has had a good day. I really hope that he sleeps well tonight. There was a short period last night when I though he might die. The specialist at the cancer center has warned us that if the blood clot shifts and goes to the brain or lungs, he could go at almost any time. It's a good thing that Dash doesn't know what 's wrong with him. He's still a happy camper. I'm pretty sure he'd enjoy spending another year with us.

Puppies are today's Dalmatians of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2674

Good grief. Now Dash is throwing up. When I walked into the office early this morning and noticed last night's dinner on the floor, my first response was "which dog did this." It became obvious very quickly who the culprit was. As soon as we took Dash outside to pee, he threw up again on the porch. Unfortunately one of the symptoms associated with Old Dog Vestibular Disease is nausea or vomiting. When Dash had his Vestibular seizures back in February, I had hoped that he would make a full recovery. He still may, but his doctor warned me that sometimes symptoms could last for months.

I called Dash's oncologist to see what to do next and he prescribed an anti nausea medication. We're not supposed to use the medication unless he throws up again. At least we have a plan now. I feel better knowing what caused the vomiting and what to do when it happens again. Hopefully, we can keep this controlled. We have dozens of easily washable rugs throughout the house, but Dash inevitably heads straight for the carpet when he has an upset stomach. The pills are expensive too. Basically, every time Dash vomits it costs $20.

Dealing with two sick dogs at the same time can be nerve racking. If one dog is pooping in the bedroom while the other is vomiting in the kitchen, who do you deal with first? I usually have to stay with Dot, since she can't walk on her own, but I've got to keep an eye on Dash as well. I have to leave the back door open when I take Dot outside to pee, and often Dash will follow behind if he has an upset stomach and start eating grass. Eating grass is a sure fire way to start vomiting again. I waited until both dogs were sleeping soundly before I drove up to the cancer center to pick up Dash's meds. If the dogs are awake, all bets are off.

I didn't feed Dash much today and made sure he had a very bland diet. So far, he has held everything down. It's a bigger deal when Dash vomits than it is with most dogs. He takes phenobarbital to control epileptic seizures and it is important that he gets the proper dose every single day. If he throws up one of his pills, you have to skip a day and risk a seizure, because you definitely don't want to overdose a dog with phenobarbital. I probably know enough about pills now to pass a pharmacy exam. I never dreamed that keeping your dog healthy could become so complicated.

I doubt that I'll be able to go out for breakfast tomorrow. Dot's schedule seems to have changed. She is very restless early in the morning now. It frustrates her that she can't walk on her own. On most days she doesn't settle down and go back to sleep until almost 11 AM. I guess I could go out to lunch, but I never eat lunch anymore. We'll see what happens tomorrow. If the day is anything like today, it will be a three ring circus.

If burnout starts to seem completely normal, have you transcended burnout, or have you just entered your own private Twilight Zone? I really don't know. I haven't traveled down this road before.

Wilson is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day