Day 1907

It was nice to get out for a while this morning. The snow is gone and the weather is warming up. It seemed like a perfect day to get a haircut, enjoy a delicious breakfast and do a little shopping. None of these things took that long, but they were important. With a full belly, some new jeans for Spring, and a decent haircut, I felt ready for anything.

Dot woke up feeling great this morning. I think that her acupuncture session yesterday evening really helped her. She's walking faster now and doesn't crisscross her legs as much. Today, for the first time, I noticed that she's learned to redistribute her weight when she starts to slip to one side. I'm still providing support for her rear legs using the Help 'Em Up Harness, but I can tell that each passing day, she is doing more of the work herself. The challenge is to encourage her to walk without leaving her unsupervised or letting her walk on her own. Dot is an obedient dog and if I constantly told her to lie down or stay in her crate, I think she'd become discouraged and wouldn't even try after a while. I let her sleep as long as she wants, but when she's active, we do a lot of physical therapy.

I forgot to take the trash out to the curb last night and by the time I woke up this morning, the truck has already come and gone. There's just too much to remember these days. I forgot my morning meds as well. You guys need to remind me about this stuff. I don't know what to do about the trash. Since the can is almost full already, we'll never make it until next Thursday. It sure was nicer when the city picked up trash twice a week. Older neighbors say that a long time ago the trucks came three times a week. Probably the next step will be for the city to eliminate trash service altogether.

Dot was indignant today when I put her in her crate so I could take a shower and get a little house cleaning done. She hadn't been in the crate more than thirty minutes when I started to hear loud persistent parking. Dot was mad. She's perfectly willing to take a long nap, if she gets to pick the place. So far, I haven't been able to convince her to take her naps in my office. I'm glad that Dot is more active, but I'm still trying to figure out how to stay active myself. Being a good dog nurse is almost a full time job.

If the weather stays nice this weekend, I'll wash the car, get the water off the roof, and clean up the back yard a bit. I need to start looking for a soft dog crate that I can put in the back of my car. The sooner I can start transporting Dot in the car, the sooner we can begin her water therapy again. There's going to be so much to do this Spring, but on a sunny, warm day like today, anything seems possible. Let's hope there are a lot of sunny days in the weeks ahead.

Anne is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1906

Dash got a rare chance to experience snow this morning. It was starting to sleet when we went to bed last night, but somehow it turned into five inches of snow by the time we woke up. This was a thick, wet snow that would have been perfect for making a snowman if I was so inclined. Dash was intrigued by the snow for a while, but quickly decided that it was too cold. Although all my Facebook friends seem to have uploaded a movie of their dogs racing around playing in the snow, Dash had other plans. He was more interested in going back to a warm, dry house for breakfast.

I was going to cancel my haircut appointment because the driveway and roads were icy, but the salon beat me to it. They called while I was eating breakfast and said that nobody showed up for work this morning. We rescheduled the haircut for tomorrow morning. This was a very strange snowfall. At 7 AM, the roads were treacherous. By 7 PM the snow was completely gone. By the time I gave Dash his evening walk, there was no more winter wonderland. There was just a lot of mud.

Work has been unusually slow this week. Maybe it's the weather. If my clients are like me, they're not really thinking about new projects right now. They're wondering if their car will start in the morning. They're wondering what to do with the kids if there's another snow day. They're wondering why the grocery store shelves are picked bare. Most of all, they're wondering when Spring is going to arrive. Spring is a little late this year.

I think Dot knows that she is queen of the house now. She has a comfortable dog bed in every room, with non-slip carpet runners connecting everything together. When she needs to get up, people come running to help her. Her vet even makes house calls now. Early this evening, Dot got another acupuncture treatment here at the house. Dot is funny. She always barks at her vet when she arrives, but as soon as the acupuncture session begins, she is quiet and relaxed. When the session is over, the barking starts all over again.

I'm looking forward to tomorrow. The weather is supposed to be warmer. Janet has time to watch Dot while I go to my breakfast restaurant and get a haircut. When we trade places in the afternoon, I'll work on my taxes while the dogs are sleeping. Whatever happens, Friday is bound to be better than this week of sleet and snow. Enough of this cold weather. I'm ready for Spring. Dot will be able to resume her water therapy in the Spring. I'll have wildflowers to photograph instead of sullen grey skies. With any luck, my friend and I will have some new business to work on. Spring will be good.

Rory is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1905

Rain, rain go away. The dismal weather we've been having this week is really beginning to wear me down. Wet is bad enough, but freezing cold wet is even worse. I tried to use the weather radar on my iPad to take Dash to the park to pee between downpours, but both times I failed. If Dash wasn't so particular about where he poops, we might have made it home relatively dry. Since he insisted on finding just the right place, we got drenched.

It has rained almost continually since Dot's discharge from the hospital, so she hasn't been able to get any outdoor physical therapy. We are continuing to walk up and down the hall, but I think Dot is as bored as I am. We've all got a bad case of cabin fever.

Dot was in a stubborn mood today. I wanted her in the dog bed next to my desk in the office, but she decided she wanted to be in the kitchen instead. Every time I lured her back to the office with a dog treat and got her situated on the bed, she tried to get up on her own and return to the kitchen. Needless to say, she can't make it to the kitchen on her own, so I had to jump up from the computer and quickly grab her harness before she could hurt herself. Eventually, I just gave up and grabbed Dot's harness with one hand and and my laptop with the other. I set up shop on the kitchen counter and everybody was happy again. Dot went to sleep on her kitchen bed and I finally was able to get a little work done.

It's really hard to get anything done when your main role is to be your dog's legs. I could have just put Dot in her new crate while I was working, but that wouldn't be fair. The whole point of this early-stage physical therapy is to encourage Dot to move. She needs to keep using her rear legs to prevent further muscle atrophy. If she sits up in her dog bed and appears to want to go somewhere, that's a good thing. I don't want to discourage her by continually telling her to stay or lie down.

Dot and I are still working things out. I wish her recovery was measured in weeks instead of months, but it will take whatever time it takes. I've just got to be patient and take things one day at a time. Dot is certainly doing her part. She remains in good spirits, despite what has happened to her. At times I even get the impression that she enjoys being the queen of the house, with her family waiting on her hand and foot.

It is supposed to snow tonight, but I hope this forecast is wrong. Since it is only 27 degrees outside, we could easily have slick, frozen roads again tomorrow morning. Conditions are supposed to improve by the end of the week, but that isn't fast enough for me. I've got a bad case of nurse fatigue and cabin fever all rolled up into one big ugly ball.

Maybe tomorrow will be better. It would be nice to see the sun again. It would be nice if Dot slept all the way through the night too. That's unlikely, because her prednisolone dose has been temporarily  increased. We're back to going outside to pee at 4 AM again. It may sound like I'm complaining, but I'm not. I'm delighted that Dot is slowly getting better. It's just very tiring trying to keep all these balls in the air.

Orion is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1904

It was an unrelenting grey day. At times the rain pounded down on the roof. At other times there was just a light drizzle. We didn't get the predicted thunderstorms, but it certainly was a rainy day. I'm supposed to take Dot out four times a day using the harness for some light physical therapy. The goal is to keep Dot's legs moving to slow down muscle atrophy. Since the weather was so nasty, I walked her up and down the hall instead. To keep her moving, I'd keeping a couple of small dog treats in my pocket and throw them down the hallway when she became bored with our exercises. This reminded me of a time long ago when I used a fishing pole with a dog treat attached to the line to keep another old and lame Dalmatian motivated. When you're standing behind the dog, holding up their rear legs with a harness, it can be challenging to get them to move forward at times. Food often works when nothing else will. When a Dalmatian loses interest in food, that's when you've really got to worry.

The house looks like a designer's nightmare now. We've got an assortment of carpet runners, small rugs, and rubber mats connecting all the rooms to provide a non-slip surface for Dot to walk on. She still requires assistance to walk, but it helps if her rear legs aren't sliding all over the place on the slippery bricks. There is also a dog crate in the bedroom now, where Dot sleeps. I didn't initially think we could get Dot to use the crate, but once again we lured her inside using a dog treat. Having a large crate with two doors made it much easier to get her situated for the night. Once inside, Dot actually liked the soft dog bed we bought and slept soundly for the rest of the night. I didn't sleep so soundly, because I'm used to hearing her breathing next to me, but I'll get used to this. When Dot adjusts to being crated, she'll be much safer when we have to leave the house.

Work was slow today, but as always there were things to do. I got my own insurance company involved in an attempt to unravel the confusion surrounding the accident claim with the rental car company. As a result, I had to send a new batch of documents to a new batch of people. It took a while, but hopefully this will allow me to put this entire mess behind me. I don't care whether it's health insurance, business insurance, car insurance, or homeowners insurance, it's never pleasant dealing with insurance problems.

Dash seems to have overcome some of his fear of rain. Out of necessity, we've been walking in the rain for several days now and he's been acting like everything is completely normal. We get wet, but it's no big deal. Maybe Dash has got cabin fever too. When you're confined to the house for too long, even a walk in the rain can be a treat.

I'm trying to think ahead and take care of a lot of out-of-the-house errands before Janet returns to work. I've already picked up several things I know I'll need soon and I've scheduled a haircut for later in the week. Luckily, Dot has not become incontinent like she did after her last surgery. That will make life a little easier in the days ahead. If I have to crate Dot when it is necessary for me to leave the house, I definitely don't want her to be forced to sit in wet bedding. As her pain meds gradually decrease, I want to make sure she's not in pain either. Dot seems comfortable now. I'm pretty comfortable too, because she's always right beside me. This Spring will be a learning experience for both of us as we develop a rehabilitation routine and slowly inch our way back to normal.

Maggie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1903

Dot is home again. The hospital released her late this afternoon along with a lengthy list of post-operative instructions and a big bag of meds. Dot was eager to return home, as you might expect. She was a little too eager in my opinion. Dot still can't walk on her own, but apparently she thinks she can. She's going to be a handful in the weeks ahead. Considering the complexity of her surgery and the fact that she's still on a lot of meds, I was absolutely amazed at how much more mobile she appears today. After just a few days of recovery, she is already moving her feet much more confidently than she did before the operation.

The Center for Veterinary Specialty and Emergency Care is an amazing place, but I sure wish it were closer to Dallas. I wouldn't recommend trying to transport a sick dog back and forth to this place during rush hour traffic. All is well though. We arrived home safely and Dot is now resting comfortably on one of many dog beds strewn around the house. Since Dot can still injure herself by trying to walk on her own, we're going to have to crate her whenever we leave the house. Dot never enjoyed going into a crate even when she was healthy, so this ought to be interesting. As soon as we got home, Janet went to a nearby pet store and bought a new crate that had two doors, one on the back, and an additional door on the side. Hopefully this additional door will make it easier to get Dot in and out of the crate when necessary. At least Dot likes to sleep a lot. When she's sleeping, life can continue like it normally does.

When I had the accident in California, the rental car company assured me that the minor incident was absolutely routine and that their insurance would take care of everything. Apparently this was wishful thinking. Over a month later, the other driver's insurance company still doesn't seem to know that the rental car company is handling the claim. I have received repeated calls from a subrogation specialist asking me to pay damages. The accident wasn't my fault either. Now it appears that I'll have to track down the information about the claim myself and put the two parties together. I'm convinced that absolutely nothing is easy anymore. Sooner or later, just about everything in life turns into a complicated mess.

At least the weather is improving. It was still a grey, rainy day, but there was no ice. It was actually quite a bit warmer today. It will be even warmer tomorrow, but unfortunately there are thunderstorms in the forecast. Then later in the week, another cold wave arrives and the temperatures dip below freezing again. The plants and trees are already totally confused. I saw some early blooming daffodils in the park the other day and when I saw them again today, they were wilted and frozen. By early April, nature will have sorted everything out, but March is usualy pretty crazy in Texas.

Last night, a European friend left a blog comment making fun of all the attention I was paying to Dot. She was "just a pet" he said, implying that I should be spending my energies saving the whales or helping Palestinians or something. I was genuinely offended and deleted the commend even though I rarely delete anything. For the rest of the evening I felt irritated that there are people out there who still don't realize that a good dog makes a far better companion than most people. "Just a dog," my ass. I think I've got my priorities straight. It's people who suck.

Tucker is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1902

Dot looks like a football. Her back has been shaved and right in the middle is a huge eight inch incision that is held together with fifteen surgical staples. Despite her appearance, Dot is doing great. When we visited her at the hospital this afternoon, she appeared happy and alert. She was eager to eat the treats we brought and seemed equally eager to walk on her own. One of Dot's nurses brought her to the exam room for our visit supporting her with a sling under her belly, but you could tell Dot was already doing some of the work herself. I'm amazed that Dot can already stand on her own for a considerable amount of time. She couldn't do this before the surgery. After seeing her today, I am convinced that with the proper physical therapy, Dot will learn to walk again.

Since Dot is making such good progress, she will probably be discharged from the hospital either tomorrow or Tuesday. Once she's home, the hard part begins. Very few Dalmatians know how to take it easy. I will have to monitor her very carefully, so she never tries to do something stupid, like counter surfing, or hopping up on the bed. You know how weight lifters frequently use a spotter when doing bench presses to prevent injury. I will be Dot's spotter for quite a while, using the harness to keep her from slipping until the damaged nerves can  repair themselves and her leg muscles grow stronger.

A friend let us borrow some rubber backed rugs that we can strategically place around the house to keep Dot from slipping on the bricks. I think we've come up with a good way to keep her safely confined to a small, well padded space when I'm taking a shower or taking something to the post office. Since I have little desire to leave the house anyway, the extensive rehab period should work out pretty well. Janet will be going back to work soon, because she hates retirement, but I can walk Dash a little earlier in the morning while she is still at home getting ready for work. I'm sure there will be a lot of surprises and there will be times when I'll wonder what I've gotten myself into, but right now I'm uncharacteristically optimistic. We can do this.

I wish the weather would get better. It continues to rain with the temperature hovering right around freezing. It warmed up enough today to melt all the ice off the roads, but tonight it will refreeze again and there will be another thin layer of ice in the morning. I think the cold spell is just about over though. I certainly hope so anyway.

It's hard to believe it's March already. It's time to get my tax return started. It's time to start thinking about re-landscaping the back yard. One more month and we won't have to worry about ice storms for another year. I always look forward to Spring. The next few months won't be easy, but I hope when the wildflowers start to bloom in April and May, I'll be able to walk through them again with Dot at my side.

Lucky is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1901

Although the weather got even worse overnight, Dot continues to get better. I was amazed that Dot's medical team even managed to get to the hospital today, since roads throughout the area were a sheet of ice when we woke up this morning. We were a little nervous when we didn't get our usual morning progress report phone call from the neurologist, but I imagine that things were pretty hectic at the hospital today. When we did get the call, everyone was all smiles. Dot continues to beat the odds with her amazing strength and determination. The neurologist told me that she and and others at the hospital find it hard to believe how old Dot actually is, since she continues to act like a much younger dog.

Dot is using her legs more than she was yesterday and appears to be in good spirits. Her appetite is good and she is sleeping well without strong sedatives. The hospital has already discontinued narcotic painkillers like Tramadol because Dot doesn't appear to need them. I'm glad they did this. I've never liked Tramadol anyway. It can be very addictive and has been responsible for many more accidental overdose deaths in humans than most people realize.

If Dot continues to improve at her current rate, she may end up being one of the lucky dogs who begin walking again in two or three weeks. Her nurse says she is already trying to put weight on her rear legs, although she still receives support from the Help "Em Up Harness whenever she tries to move. When I was using the harness with Dot before her surgery I could easily tell when she was trying to walk. There is a handle on the rear part of the harness just above the dogs hips and you hold it so the rear legs touch the ground without having to bear much weight. It feels a bit like being a puppeteer. As you get better at using the harness, you can sense when the muscles are working and when to provide more support. You can even encourage natural leg motion with subtle movement of your wrist. I think it is fantastic that Dot is already tentatively trying to walk, because I have heard that it can take up to three months before this happens.

The weather is so bad that Dot is much better off at the hospital that she'd be at home right now. Our yard is still slick and icy and the house is a bit chilly. Luckily, our furnace is working great this winter and there haven't been any problems with roof leaks. I'm used to spending lots of time in the house, but Janet is already getting cabin fever. She was determined to get out today and decided to go do her usual Saturday errands anyway despite the bad roads.

As the day progressed, the traffic in front of the house began to move faster and faster until I eventually became convinced that the roads were safe. I bundled up in a warm coat and left to do my errands as well. This was probably a mistake. The first thing I encountered was an enormous downed tree that had fallen across the road, blocking all but a single lane of traffic. When I successfully navigated this logjam, I quickly discovered that everyone in town had cabin fever. The roads were actually crowded today.

Most roads were clear and dry, except when they weren't. There were still patches of black ice here and there and they often caught people driving fifty miles an hour completely by surprise. Even though most of the ice had melted by mid-afternoon, I still saw quite a few wrecks. I drive slowly in this type of weather, never braking hard and coasting to a stop wherever I can. I'm always keeping an eye on my rear view mirror. I learned to drive in Alaska where the roads were icy all Winter. Ice is seldom the problem. It's the driver behind you who ignores the ice that causes most of the wrecks.

Dash has already appropriated Dot's special new dog bed. This is a minor problem though. Dogs are just like children in many ways. Tomorrow we will work on getting the house ready for Dot's return. If her progress continues, she could come home as soon as Monday afternoon.

Connor is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1900

When Dot's neurologist called this morning to give us a progress report, she seemed pleased. Dot is already eating and drinking water on her own, so she was taken off of IV fluids today. When the nurses help her out to pee using a special sling under her belly, Dot moves her rear legs and even squats fairly normally. She can't support her own weight yet, or walk unassisted, but the neurologist assures me that this is normal at this stage of the game. Dot is still very weak and on a lot of pain medication, but everyone at the hospital thinks she's doing even better than expected. Her doctors are optimistic that she will learn to walk again.

I'm glad Dot is safe and warm at the hospital now, because the weather in Dallas has turned cold and nasty. It snowed most of the day and the temperature never got above freezing. Traffic was a nightmare and there were lots of wrecks all over the city. Janet and I both canceled afternoon appointments when we saw how the traffic was inching along in front of our house. It just wasn't worth trying to get out in this mess. You don't really worry about snow or ice when you venture out on days like this. You worry about the other drivers. A single idiot who doesn't know how to drive on snow can snarl up traffic for hours.

Dash is such a baby about walking in the rain that I didn't think he'd go out in the snow at all. Much to my surprise, he seemed to enjoy the stuff. We took a long walk where he hopped around in the small drifts, smelled the tracks left by other animals in the snow, and peed on everything. I think I got cold long before Dash did. I took some pictures while we were out to document the rare snowfall. The one I liked the best captured a single perfect snowflake caught in a spiderweb. If you look carefully, you can see the six sided flake suspended in the web.

We were going to visit Dot this weekend, but that will depend on the weather. It could get better tomorrow, or it could get worse. I think even the weather forecasters have given up trying to predict things. Two days ago, they said it was going to be sunny today. UPS delivered Dot's new rehabilitation dog bed this evening. It looks like it's about the right size and can be easily repositioned around the house when needed. Now we've just got to figure out an easy way to quickly assemble a secure fence around the bed when we have to leave. A friend said that that we could use some of the rubber backed rugs she'd used when she had an older dog who had difficulty walking. Slowly but surely, we're getting the house ready for Dot's return.

I'm glad I went to my favorite restaurant yesterday, because I certainly didn't feel like venturing out in the snow today. Apparently, not everybody shared my aversion to the wet stuff. Schools closed early and children were enjoying sledding down hills all over the neighborhood. I guess I've lost the fascination with snow I had as a child. I didn't build a snowman or even make a snow angel. It was fun watching Dash cavort around in the snow on our walk, but even he was glad to get back inside again where it was warm. I've got my fingers crossed for another sudden temperature reversal and a quick return to warmer weather. With the fickle Winter we've been having, it could happen at any time.

Thanks for keeping Dot in your thoughts and prayers. I'm looking forward to tomorrow's report from her medical team and I'll keep you posted on how she's doing. This remarkable dog has beat the odds again and again. Dot has been an inspiration to me for many years and it looks like the old girl is not ready to relinquish her role as the head of the household yet.

Princess is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1899

I've been on pins and needles all day. Time passes very slowly when things are completely out of your control. We got up early this morning and drove Dot to the veterinary specialty center in Lewisville so she could be admitted for surgery. We filled out a bunch of paperwork, said goodbye to Dot, and then we waited. It was very quiet in the house today without Dot to warn us of cats and squirrels in the back yard. Even Dash could sense that something was wrong. I could tell Dot was scared when we were admitting her to the hospital this morning. I tried to reassure her, but I don't think I did a very good job. I was scared too

I tried to keep myself busy while I waited for the all important phone call from the surgeon. I went out to breakfast, even though it was almost lunchtime when we arrived back in Dallas. I finished a couple of writing assignments and sent them off to the client. I took Dash on a long and somewhat cold walk and then did a lot of pacing around the house. Finally, about 4:30 PM, the call I'd been waiting for arrived. The surgeon had good news. The arduous three hour surgery has gone well. The surgeon felt that she had been successful in removing the broken disc fragments in the L1 vertebrae that had been pressing on Dot's spinal cord. Now that the spinal cord is no longer compressed, the nerves will have a chance to heal and if we are lucky, Dot will walk again. Sometimes when a spinal disc ruptures, the fragments become attached to, or embedded in nearby blood vessels and are very difficult to remove. Dot was lucky. The fragments that had broken off and caused her paralysis were still clean and the surgeon was successful in removing all of them.

Dot is still not out of the woods yet, but she survived the surgery. That's the important thing. When the surgeon called, Dot was just waking up from anesthesia and was still under heavy sedation. She will be watched carefully tonight and for the next several days until her condition stabilizes. On Saturday, Dot's physical therapy vet will come to the hospital to give her acupuncture. This, along with cold pacs and laser treatments, will help reduce inflammation and speed healing.The best thing I heard from the surgeon today was that while Dot was waking up from anesthesia, she moved her rear legs. It was just a reflex action, but it means that there is still a nerve connection between the legs and the spine. There is hope.

Dot will spend the next five days in the hospital. While she is recovering, Janet and I will try to prepare the house for her return. We will need to connect the rooms with rubber backed carpet runners so Dot can safely move about without slipping on the brick floors. We will construct a "safe" area where we can leave Dot for short periods of time when we have to leave the house. It is very difficult to crate a large dog with leg injuries, so I am envisioning something that can be placed securely around a dog bed, so she cannot attempt to get up and move about on her own without supervision. Even if things go very well, we will have to continue to support Dot using the Help 'Em Up Harness for quite a while.

Our very first Dalmatian had spinal surgery to remove a tumor when he was eight years old. Spot's recovery was difficult for all of us, but he did learn to walk again and continued to live a happy life. I'm hoping that Dot can do the same. Spot's spinal surgery was the first. I'm hoping that Dot's will be the last. After dealing with nine difficult surgeries on five different dogs, I'm not sure I have the stamina to do this again.

Bingo is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1898

I'll never get used to Texas weather. There was rain mixed with sleet when I woke up. By the time I finished breakfast, the rain had turned to snow. By lunchtime the snow had already melted. By the time I took Dash on his evening walk there were clear blue skies and sixty five degree temperatures. This happens frequently. Actually, I think we are supposed to repeat the whole schizophrenic weather pattern this weekend.

I spent a big chunk of today retouching a photo for a client in Photoshop. It amazes me how much Photoshop has changed the way we look at things during the past twenty years. Photoshop isn't just for Sports Illustrated swimsuit models these days. Everybody uses it. We have gotten so used to looking at idealized perfection that people can't seem to tolerate images that show anything less.

Against my better judgement, I climbed up on the roof and cleared the accumulated water off the roof as soon as the skies cleared. There was an enormous amount of standing water on the roof and I didn't want it to freeze. Yes, within 48 hours another cold wave will arrive and we will have sub-freezing temperatures again. I wish I could just ignore the water, but it is so heavy that the longer I leave it, the sooner it will cause the roof to settle and buckle even more. I think the low spots are already sinking lower, because less water seems to drain off the edge of the roof than it did a few years ago. At least the roof doesn't leak anymore, but my fear is that the roof leaks will start again if I leave four inches of water on top of it continually. In July this water would just evaporate after a rain. Not in February.

I wish I could report that Dot had miraculously started walking again, but she still spends her day laying in various soft dog beds scattered around the house, waiting for me to move her around, or take her out to pee. She is in remarkably good spirits, considering her lack of mobility, but this is no way to live. I really hope that the surgery provides some relief and allows the healing process to begin. If I could ask Dot if she wanted to go through major surgery again, I'm sure she would say no. If I could ask her if she wanted to walk again, I'm equally sure she would say yes. I hope we made the right choice.

I called the hospital again today to confirm our check-in time and continue to hope that Dot will stay strong and be able to cope with the difficult days she has ahead. The surgeon told me that some dogs begin walking on their own within two weeks after her type of surgery. Others of course, require months of physical therapy. I hope that Dot is one of the lucky ones. She has been my friend and constant companion for over a decade now and I don't want to lose her. Please keep Dot in your thoughts and prayers tomorrow as she goes through this difficult but necessary surgery. The surgery itself will take about three hours, which seems like a very, very long time to me.

It feels like there is still a lot of unfinished business today, but it is getting late and we all need some sleep. Tomorrow is going to be a very long day.

Cookie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1897

Another cold, grey day. Although the temperature hovered around freezing all day, a lot of the ice melted anyway. I'd say the worst is over, except that I'm hearing we are supposed to get snow tomorrow. Our Winter is so mild compared to what people are experiencing on the East Coast, but it's still too cold for me. I'm ready for Summer. Truthfully, I think I'm always ready for the next season, never fully appreciating the season I'm currently experiencing.

Work was slow today. I think I finished all my assignments before noon. On days like this, I usually fret. What happens if it snows when we have to take Dot to the specialty center for surgery? What happen if my teeth start to hurt again before I get Dot's surgery paid for? What happens if the water heater starts to leak? What happens if I fall off the roof? The list is endless.

In a lot of ways it's better when I'm overworked and trying my best to meet impossible deadlines. When I'm trying to meet a deadline, I don't have time to think about anything else. I seldom fret when I'm really busy. I think this is one of the reasons that Janet wants to go back to work. Having time to think can be a dangerous thing.

I made a list of questions for Dot's vet and neurologist. I feel a little better now that most of them are answered. I actually learned a few things by asking questions today. Does Dot get her heartworm pill on March 1, while she is still in post-op recovery at the hospital? Nope. It's better to wait until she comes home again and is a bit stronger. Does Dot continue taking prednisolone while she is at the hospital. Yes. Actually the dose will probably be increased right after the surgery to minimize inflammation. Will Dot became incontinent again? Maybe. She will have to be on fluids for a few days.

I got a call from an insurance company in Indiana this afternoon, asking me about the accident in California. I told them that Hertz was handling the entire thing, but they didn't seem to be aware that Hertz's insurance was taking care of this or was even involved. I have a feeling that this is going to be like dealing with Medicare problems. I'll have to explain the entire story to ten different people before the whole thing gets resolved.

A few people in Dallas are looking forward to snow tomorrow. Most of us have more sense. We didn't move to Texas to deal with snow. When you've got rattlesnakes, tornadoes, and 110 degree days in August, you don't need to be throwing snow into the mix.

I must not be sleeping well. For the past several days my fitness band app has been asking me if I was actually asleep the night before. Apparently, I've been sleeping so lightly that the UP band can't tell whether I'm awake or not. When I say say "yes" of course I've been sleeping, the app prepares a pitiful chart that shows three or four hours of light sleep. I'm sure that the sleep deprivation and fretting are connected somehow. It's weird. It's so easy for me to just not care at all about so many things, but I really do care about these dogs.

Nora is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1896

The dreaded ice storm wasn't as bad as everyone expected. There was certainly a fair amount of ice and sleet on the ground when we woke up this morning, but we still had electric power and a few brave souls were even out on the roads. I had no desire to join these people. Driving on black ice is just asking for trouble. I started the car to make sure the battery still worked in the sub-freezing temperatures, but I never left the driveway.

There was plenty to do around the house anyway. Taking care of Dot is almost a full time job. She's starting to get cabin fever, so I try to walk her around a bit using the harness whenever she appears restless. Neither of the dogs wanted to be outside for long today. It was just too cold. Dash has become a model of efficiency about doing his business lately. He used to take forever to poop on his evening walks, but for the past two days he poops and pees almost immediately. We had completed our walk and were back in the house within five minutes this evening.

There were no writing jobs today, so I took care of my usual website updates and began editing another video. I can edit using either the laptop or desktop computers, but I've got to choose one or the other. Dot must have thought I picked the wrong one, because almost as soon as I began the tedious editing process in the office, she wanted me out in the living room with her. Even though Dot mostly just sleeps, you can't really let her out of your sight. You never know when she'll try to get up on her own, and since she's still taking prednisolone, you have to be able to get her outside to pee in a hurry.

I'm so glad that our power didn't go out today. Ice and snow days seem to last forever anyway, but enduring frigid weather while trapped inside a freezing house is even worse. Dealing with all these things with a sick and very immobile dog would have probably driven me over the edge. Dot did surprisingly well navigating our icy back yard when I took her out to pee. She had lots of help of course, but it was still encouraging to see her front legs move so confidently on the slick ground.

There is already another NASA event on the horizon and it appears that two people in the group that joined me at Vandenberg Air Force Base are planning to attend. I'm a bit envious. I wonder how these people have the time and money to do this so frequently. This event will be the first test firing of the rocket that will eventually take astronauts to Mars. This is a static test, so the rocket will never leave the ground, but it will still be very impressive. The test site is located near Promontory, Utah, which is even more remote than Vandenberg Air Force Base. Lord know how expensive it would be to fly there from Dallas. Oh, well. Maybe in a year or so, when Dot gets healthy again, I can start thinking about attending these events again.

It's going to be another very cold day tomorrow, but at least the danger of ice is receding. I'm mainly worried about the weather on Thursday, when we have to transport Dot to the specialty center in Lewisville where she will have her spinal surgery. It would be nice if you could deal with all stressful things on clear, warm Spring days, but nature doesn't work that way. As long as we continue to have electric power this week, I guess I'll be OK.

Joey is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1895

I took my morning shower armed with a plunger and drain cleaning tools. Before the hot water ran out, I managed to unclog the slow moving shower drain, do several of my shoulder stretching exercises, and wash my hair. This is as close to multitasking as I'll ever get. Later in the morning, I changed the furnace filters and discovered that, much to my surprise, there was nothing wrong with the Anton Bauer camera batteries after all. Silly me. For weeks I had thought I was going to have to buy new Pro Pac batteries because they would no longer power my LED lights. I completely forgot that the Gold Mount adapter I had added to the lights actually had to be plugged into something. Oops. When I plugged in a little cable I found in my camera bag that connected the battery adapter to the power input, the lights worked just fine.

It was nice to have a free flowing bathroom drain and some movie lights that actually work, but I couldn't rest on my laurels. As the day progressed, it kept getting colder and colder. The dreaded Icemageddon storm is on it's way. I did a big load of laundry to make sure that we didn't have a washing machine full of dirty towels if the power went out during the ice storm. I started systematically charging up my electronic devices. I wish there was a way to store up heat in advance, but there isn't. We have lots of single pane glass in the house and no fireplace. Once the power goes out, it gets cold almost immediately.

I dread taking Dot out to pee during the night if the ground ices over as everybody expects. It's hard enough to choreograph our short walks as it is. The goal is to keep Dot upright using the special harness without falling over myself. It's pretty easy to step in poop in the dark as well. Maybe we won't get freezing rain and sleet tonight after all. That would be nice. I'm not counting my chickens before they hatch though. It's currently raining outside and the temperature has already dropped to 32 degrees. This sounds like a recipe for an ice storm to me.

Even with her crippled legs, Dot is still better about doing her bathroom business in bad weather than Dash. When she needs to go, she takes care of her business quickly and immediately comes back inside again. Dash, on the other hand, freaks out whenever he gets wet. I tried to use a brief lull in the rain this afternoon to take Dash on a walk. It was still sprinkling a bit though, so Dash thought the sky was falling. He didn't pee or poop at all and we both came home wet. This means that he will probably whine at the back door tonight, but refuse to go outside when I open it. He still seems to think I have the power to stop the rain and gets mad when I don't make the bad weather go away.

Janet is listening to the Oscars in another room. I can't sit through these award shows anymore. They are just too long. The Oscars and the Grammys both make the Superbowl seem short. If you count all those red carpet fashion shows that precede the Oscars, you could easily spend the entire day watching this event. I did manage to see two movies that were nominated for an Oscar this year. That's two more than I saw last year.

Jeez, I hope we wake up with electricity and heat tomorrow morning and don't see any downed trees in our back yard. Ice storms have not always been kind to us.

Maggie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1894

I went to Home Depot while Janet was watching Dot to stock up on furnace filters, drain cleaners, plungers, light bulbs and other mundane items that never seem to be there when you need them. On the way home, I paid another visit to the storage warehouse and resumed my search for the Anton Bauer battery charger. This time I found the elusive gadget, although it remains to be seen whether this charger is any better than the other one at home which appears to be worthless. I'll give the batteries 24 hours on the charger before I declare the entire effort a lost cause.

Dot seems to have reached some sort of plateau. She's not getting better and not getting worse. When I lift her up with the harness, she will move her legs but they will not support any weight. I try to hold her at just the right height, so her legs just touch the ground and she can simulate walking. Nobody's fooling anyone though. She and I both know that this is not really walking. For those of you who have asked, Dot's surgery is scheduled for next Thursday.

Since life is kind of hectic right now, I didn't finish all my assignments before the weekend rolled around. Watching over Dot this afternoon gave me an opportunity to catch up on everything. I wrote another article and shipped it off to its destination. I completed the updates on two more websites and looked at a video link that a client sent me. When people e-mail me YouTube links with a subject line saying "beautiful example," it usually means that they'd like to do something similar. I guess if we need to copy something, this would be a good place to start. The video was quite nice.

I'm grateful that we don't have to deal with all the snow that people on the East Coast are getting, but our Winter has still been a bit strange. One day it will be freezing cold and the next day it will seem like Spring. The plants are getting very confused. I have already seen daffodils blooming in the park and some trees are starting to bud. This is unfortunate, because there is more cold weather on the way. We are supposed to have freezing rain and sleet on Monday and Tuesday. Freezing rain is just a code word for power outage to me. I hate freezing rain.

I've got everything I need now to unclog the slow bathroom drain, so I guess that's what I'll do tomorrow. Maybe something more exciting will intervene and allow me to postpone this loathsome task. I certainly hope so. I need to get the water off the roof too, but I'm a bit wary about climbing up on the roof these days. Seeing Dot's condition reminds me that these things can happen to people as well. The last thing I need right now are back problems.

Lizzy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1893

We have scheduled Dot for surgery. This was and will remain a very tough decision. Dot is an old dog. She doesn't know this however. Her irrepressible spirit has carried her through tough challenges before and I'm hoping it will again. Watching her progress this week, I am convinced that she is determined to walk again. Unfortunately, it doesn't appear that prednisolone alone will ever provide a realistic path to recovery. After a week on the drug, she still can't stand on her own. Prednisolone isn't a long-term solution anyway and we have already had to reduce her dosage to avoid risks and complications. The real problem is that her spinal cord is still compressed and pinched by the herniated disc. Until this pressure is released, there is a real danger that she could damage the cord further, eliminating any chance for recovery.

If Dot could continue to make small improvements day after day until she eventually walked on her own again, I probably wouldn't even consider surgery. Both the neurosurgeon and my regular vet have already told me that this outcome is unlikely. The initial improvements we saw from giving her prednisolone have already slowed and we can't continue using steroids forever. I'm becoming more and more convinced that despite the risk, spinal surgery is the only alternative that will give Dot a realistic opportunity of walking again.

I really hate making decisions like this, but avoiding them is even worse.You've got to be able to make decisions to lead a normal life. I have known some genuinely indecisive people in my life and most of them were miserable. You simply can't stay sane if you are continually second guessing every aspect of your life. I know that Dot wants to walk again. I also know that Janet, Dot and I cannot continue living like this forever. Our current routine is unsustainable. When Dot finally realizes that she can no longer move, she will become depressed and lose her will to keep going. Janet and I will simply burn out at some point. The surgeon told me today that in the best of worlds, Dot could be walking again within two weeks after surgery. In the worst of worlds, recovery could take up to three months. I can live with that. Of course there is always the possibility that the surgery will fail completely. Everyone says this possibility is very small, but you've got to be prepared for it.

I'm glad I had an opportunity to go out and have my special breakfast this morning. The rest of the day was extremely busy and stressful. I spent the day trying to anticipate what Dot was going to do next while I was working on completing my writing assignments and fine tuning the new business presentation my friend and I are working on. There were some website revisions as well, but I haven't even had time to get around to them yet. I wish that Dot preferred sleeping right next to my computer, but she usually doesn't. The petcams work pretty well for monitoring Dot's activity in other rooms, but I have to act fast if I sense that she is going to try to get up on her own. We don't want her to do that! Dot needs to go outside and pee a lot more often now as well. That's one of the side effects of the prednisolone. So far, I am juggling all these activities pretty well, but it is exhausting.

I'm glad that Dot is still happy. That helps a lot. I wish I could sleep all day tomorrow, but I suspect that tomorrow will be exactly like today. They say that what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. If that's true, I should be pretty strong by Summer.

Odie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1892

The days are starting to run together. I get up at 4 AM to take Dot out to pee. I go back to sleep again for a few hours. I walk Dash. Janet and I figure out a schedule for who is going to monitor Dot during the day. I do some writing. I work on a few websites. I take a shower. I worry about Dot some more. Now, what day is it today?

During one of the periods where it was Janet's turn to watch Dot, I went to the storage warehouse to look for my Anton Bauer Quad charger. I couldn't find it anywhere. Did I throw the charger away years ago because it was defective? Is it really at home somewhere? Is it hidden away behind a cardboard box in the storeroom somewhere? I don't have a clue. What is the use of having a storage warehouse if I can't find anything anymore?

On my way home, I stopped at the pharmacy to pick up a prescription. I was surprised to see that the price had doubled. "Has my coverage changed," I asked the pharmacist? It was a legitimate question, since insurance coverage is constantly changing. "No, your coverage is the same," the pharmacist said. "We just raised our prices."

I finished my component of the new business proposal that my friend and I are working on. He thought it looked good, but wondered whether we could deliver something so ambitious. I think this is doable, but we'll never know till we try. If we get this business, I'll be even busier than I am now. A lot busier. Busy is good though. At least I won't worry about vet bills so much. It's amazing how much better I've become as a writer since I've been forced to totally depend on this skill for a living. What I accomplish in an hour these days used to take me an entire day at the ad agencies. That being said, I had a lot more fun as a young ad agency creative. Work has been more of a chore than an adventure lately. That's what I like about this new proposal. If we get this gig, it is entirely possible that the adventure may return.

When my vet came over this afternoon to give Dot acupuncture and cold laser therapy, I asked her what she would do about surgery if Dot was her dog. "I'd probably go for it," she said, and then quickly added, "but only because I'm a vet." I wanted to ask "But what would you do if you were me," but of course she isn't me. This is a very rough surgery for a dog as old as Dot, and I don't have the knowledge or the resources that a good vet has. When she's having a good day I want to leave Dot alone. If she's only got a year left anyway, why make six months of that year an arduous recovery from major surgery? When Dot is having a bad day, I want to pull out all the stops and do everything possible. I need to remember that this go for broke attitude doesn't always work.

I still regret trying to intervene when we discovered Greta had liver cancer. The surgeon was very good, but the cancer had already metastasized and Greta was too old and weak to survive. She never even made it out of the hospital. Spot's second TPLO surgery was a mistake. The surgery on his left knew was so successful that we thought it would succeed equally well on the other knee when he tore a second anterior cruciate ligament. The second surgery failed. Spot was a lot older by then and even though the surgery was technically a success, Spot never walked again. It's hard to forget these things, even though many other surgeries succeeded brilliantly.

Janet is going to stay with Dot tomorrow morning so I can go enjoy my favorite breakfast. She goes to the gym almost every day now to stay sane. I depend on a great breakfast at least once a week.

Spot is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1891

I got a call from an old friend this morning, asking if I'd like to work with him on a new business proposal. It was kind of therapeutic to have something to think about other than sick dogs. If we got this business, it would be fun to work on. Almost like old times. I gave my friend an enthusiastic "yes" to his proposal and will begin working on a budget for the project tomorrow.

Janet and I are having a tough time making a decision about spinal surgery for Dot. We have both talked to friends with back problems and some have opted for surgery while others wouldn't even consider it. Spinal surgery is very different from repairing broken bones or removing tumors. Even the surgeons themselves are very guarded about promising a successful outcome. All I know is that sometimes it works and other times it doesn't.

For the moment, Dot seems happy enough. She isn't depressed and doesn't appear to be in much pain. Dot spent a big part of her day sleeping before the injury and she still spends a big part of her day sleeping. She still very enthusiastic about eating her dinner and she can pee and poop relatively normally with my assistance. The only thing she really misses is her morning walk. I can see the disappointment in her face when I take Dash on a walk without her. If I walk Dash, Janet stays behind with Dot. If Janet walks Dash, I stay behind. One of the things I need to ask the neurologist before we make a decision is whether she will ever be able to take a normal walk again, with or without the surgery. Dot loves her walks, and if her walking days are already over, it might be pointless to put her through the trauma of risky major surgery for nothing.

This month's credit card bills took my breath away. The trip to Vandenberg Air Force Base to watch the satellite launch, the recent cancer re-checks and ultrasound imaging for Dot and Dash, along with Dot's recent MRI were all on the same bill. I definitely hope my friend's big new project materializes. One way or another, I'm going to have to step up my game a bit to pay for this stuff.

Dot's vet is terrific. She's going to make another house-call tomorrow to give Dot acupuncture and evaluate her condition. I've seen improvements in Dot's condition every single day, but I don't know whether these small changes will continue or ever be enough. Even with the prednisolone, Dot still can't stand up on her own. The question I have for all vets at one point or another is "what would you do if this was your dog?" Usually they're pretty honest.

All in all, today wasn't bad. Dot and I are working out a routine that gets us through the day. Janet already has a nice job offer on the table from someone she respects. For the past two days I've been able to take care of Dot while still completing my normal workload. Maybe we can get through this after all. It was even relatively warm and sunny today. By the time Dash and I took our evening walk, it was 60 degrees.

Bailey is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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