Day 3303

Filling the pothole in the driveway with rocks actually worked. The surface is stable now and it's easy to get the car in and out. The toilet is still working as well. That's a minor miracle. Let's hope that the roof repairs were successful as well. I went up to check on things this morning and it looks like the guys did a good job. I don't see how water could possibly get inside the house now. Of course, I've said this many times before. Somehow water always seems to win this perpetual battle. I'm definitely not going to attempt to repair the damaged sheetrock in the ceiling until we've survived a few heavy rains.

Dash was alert and full of energy this morning, but his legs still aren't working very well. He stumbles frequently now and is unable to get up. I've started leaving his harness on in the house so it is easier to lift him up after a fall. We've repositioned the rugs so he has better traction in strategic places, but there isn't much we can do medically. I guess we could give him steroid shots to reduce inflammation in his spine, but we're not even sure there is any inflammation. Steroids are not a good long-term solution anyway and neither of his vets have recommended them. Dash could be suffering from degenerative myelopathy, a ruptured or slipped disc in his spine, arthritis, or the weakness could still be a symptom of his vestibular disease. He still enjoys his daily walks, but they are becoming progressively slower. One of these days we'll have to see if he can learn to use Dot's doggie wheelchair.

I wrote another letter to my Luddite sister today. Every time I do something the old fashioned way, it makes me realize that I'm not really that dependent on the Internet and technology. I could go back to living like I did in the 1970's rather easily. Life was good then. I had an IBM Selectric typewriter and a little Sony Trinitron TV that received about eight channels using a built in antenna. I played my music on a reel-to-reel tape recorder and shot most of my pictures with a Nikon-F on Kodachrome film. We still picked up the phone when it rang. There were no telemarketers. I think even answering machines came a bit later. Has life really improved that much since then? I don't think so. We'd already been to the moon in the early 1970's. Houses were affordable. Music was great. People trusted each other more. What's not to like? I'd go back in a minute if I could.

I've had a low grade cold all week. It's not the flu, but it's still a nuisance. My nose is constantly dripping and I wake up with a sore throat. Nothing really seems to make a cold go away quickly. You've just got to let it run its course. Decongestants and antihistamines don't work well with me. I hate the way they make me feel, so I don't take them. As a result I'm blowing my nose all the time. Hopefully I'll be back to normal in a few days. I look like Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer now.

There was a beautiful sunrise this morning. It was almost worth getting up early. I think we have to get up early tomorrow as well. Janet has plans and Dash won't walk anymore without both of us nearby. Hopefully Dash will be a little steadier on his feet for tomorrow's walk. I don't have any plans at all, but I'm sure that something will happen. It always does.as

Mack is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2719

I stayed busy today. There were several more trips to the storage warehouse. I don't know why I saved all the rugs, but they will be useful to someone. Janet packed up a box of stuff to donate to a local rescue group. Dot's wheelchair joined another wheelchair that was custom made for Spot. Unfortunately Spot's chair was not adjustable so it probably will never fit another dog. We've tried to let friends use it, but the fit has to be exact or these things just don't work. Dash will inherit Dot's adjustable chair at some point. I'm in no hurry to bring it home again. We hope that Dash remains healthy for a long time.

Yesterday, I discovered that we've got a large rat living in our atrium. The rat startled me and almost jumped into the house when I opened the sliding glass door. This is the first rat I've seen around the house in a long time. We used to have a huge rat problem until our neighbors got several large outdoor cats. These cats, along with the existing feral cats in the neighborhood, did a good job of controlling the rats. Unfortunately, coyotes started eating the cats and the rats eventually returned. This isn't a good place to be an outdoor cat. The rabbits haven't fared so well either.

I hate to use poison to kill the rats, so I've always trapped them with a Havahart trap. Yesterday, I baited one of these traps with cheese and set it in the atrium. This morning, the cheese was gone, but the trap was still open. I was either dealing with a very smart rat, or my old trap had gotten rusty. I know these traps work, so I went to the hardware store on the way home from the storage warehouse and bought another one. This new trap worked like gangbusters. I baited it with cheese again and an hour later a large black rat was sitting inside. I usually take these rats down to the park and turn them loose, but this one will have to sit in the cage overnight. It's dark already and it's raining outside. Oh, well. The rat has plenty of cheese to eat.

After I finished my chores this afternoon, I went to the gym. I need to start going several times a week. I haven't been working out regularly since Dot started requiring additional attention and it shows. I did my usual routine today and I was exhausted. Getting in shape shouldn't be this hard. Cleaning the house shouldn't be this hard either, but what are you going to do. I don't burn calories sleeping and the house doesn't clean itself.

Janet bought a pressure washer recently to clean away all the spider webs on the porch. I sure wish things like came assembled and ready to use. When I tried to put the pressure washer together this afternoon, I could have sworn it was made by Ikea. Simple instructions like "press with your thumb until you hear a click" just didn't work. I wasn't going to press too hard, because there is nothing worse than getting your thumb out of joint. After failing to install the wheels using a hammer and a crescent wrench, I finally discovered that the tool I use to open the water meter in the front yard worked perfectly. The pressure washer is now ready to go. Spiders beware.

After taking all the rugs to the storage warehouse, I went back and brought one of them back home again. Dash liked to sit on one of these rugs in the kitchen while we ate dinner and he seemed irritated when it wasn't there today. When a Dalmatian gets irritated, they start barking, so I went and got the rug. I hope he didn't become too attached to the other things I put away. It had to be done. Our house was a mess.

It's weird not having a time limit when I leave the house. For over a year, I've been very careful to never leave the house for any length of time when Janet wasn't there. I learned quickly that it didn't take long for Dot to get in trouble. Dash is fine on his own, but I still think he's lonely.

Daisy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2708

Each day is different. Sometimes Dot wakes up at 6 AM and is ready for a walk. Other times she doesn't kick into gear until after dinnertime. I can never figure out what to feed her. None of the things she ate yesterday interested her today. I couldn't get her to eat anything at all this morning. Dot wasn't even drinking water. This was alarming enough that I took her outside after making sure she'd taken her morning pills and fed her water through a syringe.

Things didn't improve when it was time to take her afternoon pills. Basically, I had to put each pill down her throat without any food, because she wasn't eating anything. The only thing I got her to eat was a small piece of banana bread. Certain smells trigger food memories and others don't. If Dot spits something out after chewing it for a while, she won't touch it again. It's almost as if the saliva from her mouth spoils the taste for her. We waste a lot of food this way.

I was thinking that Dot would have to survive on the Dogsure liquid supplement today when Janet came home from work with a new bag of sliced turkey breast. I think Janet planned on eating the turkey herself, but when she offered a piece to Dot, she snapped it up. Somehow the smell of this turkey jump started her brain and she started eating again. She ate most of the turkey in the bag and then proceeded to drink a lot of water. It was already 7 PM at this point. Once again Dot had come back from the brink.

Her legs seemed weaker than usual today, so we used the wheelchair for our evening walk. Some of our neighbors stopped us along the way and wanted to pet Dot. Everybody in the neighborhood knows Dot, but many people don't realize how fragile and weak she is until they see her in the chair. I've gotten so good at walking Dot using the Help 'Em Up Harness that it often looks like she is walking normally. Trust me, she isn't. On our way home this evening we were joined by a mom pushing her disabled son down the street in a wheelchair. We didn't say much, but I could tell by the way she looked at Dot that she understood what we were going through. Dealing with disability is difficult. I have tremendous admiration for parents who have to deal with a severely disabled child. I don't know where they get the strength.

When we returned from our short walk, Dot went to her bowl and ate some kibble. I felt relieved. We were good to go for another day. I wish each day wasn't a cliffhanger. Realistically, Dot can't go more than two days without eating food. There are many mornings when I think we have reached the end, but somehow Dot's always manages to rebound. I have to remember that a good day today isn't quite as good as a good day last month. We have been slowly sliding downhill for a long time.

Janet went back to the store and got some more sliced turkey breast in case she still has a taste for it tomorrow. Dot doesn't like salmon anymore, so I guess that's what I'll be having for dinner soon. Our refrigerator is rapidly filling up with things that Dot ate once but won't eat a second time.

We'll see how tomorrow goes. Since we got such a late start today, I have a feeling that I'll be taking Dot outside to pee in the middle of the night again.

Ziggy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2679

I was so optimistic yesterday and today it's the exact opposite. Dot had an extensive evaluation at the cancer center this morning and the prognosis was not encouraging. In addition to all her other problems, Dot now has anemia. The oncologist gave her a Vitamin B12 shot, but this is just a temporary solution. The combination of Dot's decreasing appetite, her difficulty swallowing, the ongoing nerve damage, the cancer in her liver, and now the anemia made the oncologist conclude that Dot's body is starting to shut down. She was very worried that Dot was losing her appetite. When I asked how long Dot could maintain a reasonable quality of life, I was told that she probably has two to three months at best.

I kept asking about the cancer, but the oncologist stopped me at one point and said "Dot is a very, very old dog. She's dying of old age." It's hard to deal with the fact that every beginning has an end. Dot has been my constant companion for so long that it's hard to imagine a time when she's no longer there. After much discussion, we all decided that the best thing we could do now was keep Dot free from pain. The oncologist thought that pain might be causing Dot to lose her appetite, because her vital signs and blood chemistry were still basically good. We're putting her on a stronger and much more effective pain medication that is intended for end of life care. Extended use of this medication can cause liver damage, but her liver is quite damaged already. If she's comfortable she might start eating normally again and if she's eating normally a lot of things will improve.

The one bright spot in a rather dismal day was that I discovered a way to get Dot to take her pills. I bought some Velveeta cheese on the recommendation of Dot's physical therapy vet and she loves it. I had no problem getting her to take her meds today. I did have a problem finding the Velveeta cheese at the grocery store. I kept looking in the refrigerated section where all the other cheese was displayed. No Velveeta there. I finally found a big stack of yellow Velveeta boxes sitting on an unrefrigerated shelf next to the chips and dips.

For some reason the Velveeta cheese brings back distant memories of the days when I lived on Ramen noodles and beer. I don't think this stuff is even really cheese, but don't tell that to Dot and Dash. They love the stuff. Actually, it's not that bad. I ate some myself while I was giving the dogs their meds this afternoon and it made me hungry for queso and chips. I may need to go buy a can of Ro*Tel tomatoes.

I walked Dot with her wheelchair again this evening. She walks really well using the device, but it's a little difficult navigating the gravel alley behind our house until we get to a smoothly paved road. Although the wheelchair protects Dot from falling, it is not a magic bullet. Dot still gets tired because she's still moving four very weak legs. We walk slow and I let her stop whenever she feels like it. All in all, the wheelchair is a big plus. I just hope she stays strong enough to continue using it.

I have no big plans for tomorrow. After back to back vet appointments, we could all use a little rest. I did manage to retrieve my jacket today, although I probably won't wear it again until Fall. Summer is definitely on the way.

Pogo is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2678

Dot got her wheels today. We really didn't know what to expect. Some dogs are baffled by these contraptions and others start walking almost immediately. Dot was a natural. It only took her a few minutes to discover that the wheelchair provided some much needed stability and allowed her to walk without struggling to stay upright. For the first time in months, she seemed to relax.

The key to success with a doggie wheelchair is making sure you've got the height adjusted properly. You want all four of the dogs paws to touch the ground and encourage a natural stride. If the chair is too high, the dogs can't get any tactile feedback from the pavement and probably won't walk at all. If the chair is too low, it won't provide the necessary support, placing too much weight on the legs. If you get the chair adjusted just right, the injured dog will feel like it is walking normally, without the burden of supporting its own weight.

I was pleased with how quickly Dot seemed to adapt to walking with wheels. It probably helps that we've been helping her walk with the Help 'Em Up Harness for over a year now. She's used to having some sort of assistance. Dot knows she can't walk on her own anymore and seems to appreciate anything that will help her keep moving. The vet said that most dogs take a lot longer to adjust to walking with wheels. Dot seemed to get the hang of things in a matter on minutes. Maybe she's not as senile as we think she is.

Sadly, I think I'm the senile one in the family. I took my jacket off at the vet because it was hot in the exam room and then promptly forgot about it. I didn't even think about the jacket until about three in the afternoon when I looked in a mirror and realized that I'd put my shirt on inside out this morning. I'd been wearing it inside out all day and didn't even notice. Damn. Now, I've got to drive all the way downtown again to retrieve the jacket and it's not even jacket weather anymore.

I was pleasantly surprised today to get a letter from the State of Texas saying that I was eligible to renew my driver's license online. This was great news, because nothing is worse than standing in line at the DMV, except maybe being called for jury duty. I renewed my license immediately, just in case the state decided to change their mind later. I wish I could renew my passport online. I think you need a new photo every time you renew your passport, so I'll need to take care of this chore in person. Oddly, the driver's license folks don't seem to care how old their photo is. My photo is out of date already. Lord knows how different I'll look five years from now.

My morning smoothie tastes normal again. I still have no idea what caused things to go terribly wrong last week. The ingredients I use are always the same. One of life's many mysteries, I guess. Another mystery is why Dot has trouble swallowing her pills in the morning, but does just fine in the evening. I'm determined to solved the mystery of the bug bite on my leg that refuses to heal, so I finally made a doctor's appointment. The vet suggested trying Velveeta cheese to get Dot to take her pills. I wonder what the doctor will suggest for me. I bet it's a pill.

Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2677

Yesterday was a fluke. The rare burst of energy Dot experienced appears to have vanished. She woke up shaky this morning and had trouble standing. She had difficulty swallowing her pills again. And an hour after finishing her breakfast, she threw up. Dot didn't seem to be in pain, but she did seem tired. The only remedy I could think of was a day of rest.

While Dot rested, I worked. The rug she threw up on needed to be cleaned. The sheets needed to be changed. And I really needed to get up on the roof and inspect the recent repairs. There was a lot of standing water to remove, but for the most part, the new patches have held up well. The crew missed two spots, but that wasn't surprising. They always miss something. I cleaned everything up and made a mental note to call the roofers again. I still think it would have been more effective to re-coat the entire roof with the new material, instead of coming out again and again to make patches. Eventually they will have re-coated the entire roof anyway.

By the time I got to the gym, I was already tired. I tried my best to keep my heart rate up and did end up burning a few more calories. I think one of the reasons my workout seems to be deteriorating is that I'm getting better on the basketball court. It use to take me forever to sink my self imposed quota of free throws and now I can make my shots fairly quickly. You'd think I'd just stay on the court longer, but I always do everything exactly the same. Once I've finished a routine that hasn't changed in several years, I'm out of there and on my way home. Things would probably be different if I actually enjoyed going to the gym.

It was an absolutely beautiful day today with clear blue skies and a nice breeze. It's too bad Dot wasn't feeling better. She loves this type of weather. Dash got a nice walk today and since Dot did perk up a bit as the day progressed, I took her out for a very short walk around sunset. I should have gone out and looked at the stars tonight because the sky was as clear as its been in months. Evenings are a fixed point in time though. I always have the blog to write. I feel compelled to never skip a day, and if a choice needs to be made, the blog always comes first.

Tomorrow morning, Dot comes first. We have an appointment to take her downtown to the physical therapy vet to get her evaluated and hopefully fitted for a doggie wheelchair. I think the plan is to try both two wheel and four wheel varieties. I'm not sure how Dot will respond to either. Some dogs know what to do immediately when fitted with wheels and others just stand there. There is definitely a learning curve with these things. Spot had a wheelchair towards the end of his life and he was always tipping it over by trying to walk up and over curbs. It helps if you have a dog who likes to walk in a straight line.

I wonder how long the allergy season will last this year? My nose is running. My eyes are watering. And I've completely used up my little bottle of Visine. I'll have to run down to CVS and get a new bottle tomorrow because I can't stand rubbing my eyes all day.

I sure hope I have some good news to report tomorrow about Dot's wheelchair. She loves to be outside, but just can't stand up very well. Maybe a set of wheels will help.

Wyatt is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2675

I stayed home and made French Toast this morning. As expected, Dot remained active after her morning walk. She needed to go outside twice while I was fixing breakfast and then just as I thought things were settling down, she pooped and made a big mess as she struggled to get up. I took everything off the stove, got some wet rages to clean her up, and fitted her with the spare harness we have for occasions like this. After I got everything cleaned up and started a new load of laundry, I warmed up my breakfast in the microwave and finished my meal. Basically, it was just a normal morning.

The good news is that Dash seems back to normal. His appetite has returned and he didn't seem nauseous at all. By 10:30, both dogs were ready for a nap. I made sure they were sleeping soundly and then ran my morning errands. While I was at the bank, a teller asked me if I was trying to get everything done before it started to rain. "It's going to rain," I asked? She told me that there was a severe weather warning and that there was going to be hail in the afternoon.

Since I avoid rain at all costs, I hurried to get everything done before the bad weather started. I picked up dinner at Central Market and swung by the vet to get Dash's blood pressure medication on the way home. It really didn't look like bad weather was on the way to me, so I checked the weather radar as soon as I got home. The only storm clouds I saw were in Oklahoma. I wonder where the bank teller got her information? She seemed convinced that something bad was about to happen.

The only bad thing that happened today was that the automated garbage truck driver crushed my can again and failed to empty all the trash. There were still two bags in the bottom of the badly dented can when I went to retrieve it. I hope we haven't lost our good driver. For the past three months we've had a very good driver who knew how to operate the high tech truck properly. Now we're back to square one. I hope today's driver was just a temporary replacement. From the looks of things he made a mess of the entire street. After making sure the dogs were still asleep, I took the abandoned trash bags to a dumpster. I'll have to ask the city for a new can again too. I wish the sanitation department could master these new trucks they've got. It shouldn't be that hard to get the trash in the truck.

Dot slept for a long time today. She didn't wake up until mid-afternoon, but after that, she kept me busy for the rest of the day. Dot was eager to walk this afternoon, even though she can barely move. I really hope we are successful at fitting her for a wheelchair next week. Her rear legs have been weak for a long time, but now she is starting to lose muscle coordination. If I don't hold her up properly using the harness, her rear legs start to drag. It's amazing that she still wants to walk, because it seems so difficult.

It's been a long day, but at least we made it through another week. Next week is going to be busy. Dot has a major cancer recheck and we've got a lot of questions for the oncologist. Hopefully Dot will have a new wheelchair next week as well. At least we will test her to see if she would benefit from wheels. If I have time, I'm going to replace the hard drive on my office computer with a higher capacity drive. I'm out of space. I found a place that offers same day service on drive upgrades. I'm sure I can go a day without a computer these days. That's all in the future though. All I'm worried about tomorrow is making sure Dash holds down his dinner and Dot can swallow her pills.

Joe is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2666

I made an appointment to get Dot fitted for a doggie wheelchair. Unfortunately, the first appointment I could get is two weeks from now. I hope that Dot hasn't deteriorated further by then. I'd really like to see her get some use out of the wheels. It's too bad she can't use the wheelchair we had built for Spot. The wheelchair has been sitting in the storage warehouse for years, but since it was built specifically for Spot and is not adjustable, it is of little use to another dog. The design of modern dog wheelchairs has improved quite a bit. They are more durable and can be easily adjusted for an exact fit. Some dogs learn to use these things almost immediately and gain a new sense of mobility and freedom. Other dogs are confused and don't know what to do with the wheels strapped to their legs. Dot is a smart dog. Well, she was a smart dogs before she became senile anyway. I hope she can understand the concept and start enjoying walking again.

I kept seeing blood in the kitchen when I was eating breakfast this morning. I couldn't figure out where it was coming from. I checked both dogs paws to make sure they hadn't gotten cut on their walk. I briefly thought I had squashed a strawberry when I was making my morning smoothie. Then I looked at my hand. Jeez. Why hadn't I even noticed that the blood was coming from me? I never felt anything, but it was a pretty bad cut. My blood clots pretty easily, so the cut had already scabbed over, but it was pretty obvious that this was where the mess in the kitchen was coming from. I still have no idea how I cut myself.

A friend suggested that we try yoga mats to give Dot traction around the house. It was actually a very good idea. I don't know why I never thought of this before. Probably because I don't do yoga and have never owned one of these mats. I've seen them though. They are lighter and much easier to clean than the rugs we are using now. The only downside might be that I don't think these mats are very absorbent. If Dot peed on one, the urine would probably just roll off the surface and stain the brick floor. It's worth a try though. We certainly haven't come up with the perfect solution yet.

I mailed out my April invoices this afternoon. Invoicing clients used to take me most of the day. Now I can take care of everything in a few minutes. It's pathetic how rapidly the business shrunk after I became eligible for social security. When I was young we used to laugh about how routinely creative folks were put out to pasture at the ad agencies once they turned forty. I never even considered what might happen thirty years after that. Sometimes I think that my few remaining clients have just forgotten that I'm still on retainer. I rarely see these people anymore. Some of them probably don't even know who I am.

I need to make a doctors appointment. I'm way overdue for new blood work, but I just don't feel like going in. My doctor told me at one point that one of his biggest frustrations was that many of his older patients just quit taking their meds, despite all his warnings about heart attacks and diabetes. It didn't make sense to me at the time, but now I'm starting to understand. You take all these pills for years and years and you still keep getting older. After a while all the warnings seem pointless. When you look at yourself in the mirror and see your Dad's face looking back at you, you know how it's all going to end.

Nellie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2556

We didn't make it to the back door this morning, so there were a lot of rugs to wash. This one was my fault. I knew Dot had to go as soon as I woke up, but I failed to make sure that the back door was already open before we made our race for the back yard. Slowing down just a little to give Janet a chance to open the door was all it took and Dot peed all over the place.

I'm learning to get everything done in the morning now. After their morning walk, Dot and Dash will still go back to sleep for a few hours. Today, I used that time to take my invoices to the post office and run a few errands. I left the house before I took a shower or even turned on the computer. I really didn't know how long I had.

Maybe it's the Tramadol pills that are giving Dot a little more energy. Maybe it's something else. I'm glad to see her moving around more, but it sure keeps me busy. I've tried to let her wander around the house on her own, but it doesn't work very well. Dot is still very unsteady on her feet and she usually falls within a minute or two if I am not supporting her rear end. Since her incontinence has gotten worse, she also tends to leak a lot. Whenever she falls, there is usually a puddle of pee on the ground when I lift her up.

I've thought about trying a doggie wheelchair for her, but they don't work very well for larger dogs. Our first Dalmatian used a wheelchair during his last year, but he was always tipping it over. A wheelchair is terrible for a dog that likes to alternate between walking around and lying down. You spend all your time hooking them up and detaching them from the contraption. A wheelchair might be good for longer outdoor walks though. I'm almost at my wits end and am willing to try almost anything.

I think I'm coming down with a cold. I rarely get sick, but if I do it's almost always during the holiday season. Everyone seems to have a cold in December. Even though I do my best to avoid people, there is inevitably someone coughing or sneezing nearby. So far, I've just got a mild sore throat. Hopefully, that's as far as it goes. I'll see if I can shake this one off.

The large format printer is clogged again. I wish I could bring myself to just throw this albatross away. I have a lot of compassion for old dogs, but it's hard to be sympathetic to an old printer. At some point I'm going to realize that I get nothing in return for all the expensive ink and maintenance I pour into this relic. I need to find a twelve step program for people who are attached to obsolete gear. Keeping all these things running is getting ridiculous.

Cookie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day