At the Beach: What a Difference

I am on vacation this week :) and we got to the beach last night.  Ella drove me crazy but I was happy to see her so excited.  It was late last night and she was running around and she knows exactly where she is and took off to the walkway to the beach.  She did not listen to me.  Finally she stopped and came back to me and kept sitting by the door like she was so sad.  I let her play by the dock but if I got her on the beach, she would have headed straight to the ocean and it was late last night and I was not about to give her a bath.  So I loved to see that light in her eyes but she was acting like a little princess and was testing me.

list of cavaliers to keep in your thoughts and prayers

I found support from others when initially faced with the discovery that ell
a has sm. I am a part of the cavaliertal
k and the ckcs-sm yahoo support group and there will be posts from people in need of help and I think of them often, but through time its hard to remember. I don't ever want to forget and I know people have reached out to me. These groups are extremely helpful with several different people from owners, breeders, scientists with the common love of these dogs. This is about ella but the main purpose of this blog is to share her experience and maybe touch others. That being said, others have touched me. I want to keep a list of names (other than ella) on the side of the blog so that I will carry them with me always.

Future and Progression

Here is a picture I took this week of Ella having a blast riding in the care.  I would like to say that I do not recommend this but we had a little fun.  She has a car seat that I talked about (I think) that has a harness for safty and allows her to look out the window.  I had it before she had SM, but when she couldn't get up, it was good for her to be able to look out.  So I am going to focus on these moments.  A dog with SM is not a death sentence. However, it is quite frustrating because you don't know what will happen. Take time to enjoy these moments and not the outcomes that you have no control over.  Doesn't she look cute?

I am overwhelmed by the response of people reading this blog and having similar stories.  I am truly touched and my heart goes out to each one of them.  I recently joined http://www.cavaliertalk.com/ and the people have been so nice about Ella and there are several different discussions other than SM.

When someone learns that their Cavalier has SM, it is frustrating.  Mainly because each case is different.  I have talked a lot about surgery vs. medication etc, but I read these stories and people are wanting answers.  I wish there was some way to know if a dog will progress.  I wish I knew what Ella's future holds.  I think I was so concerned about what Ella's future was, that I missed some of the joy of her present.  It feels like a roller coaster ride sometimes and right now she is doing great.  She is shaking her head and scratching some but she is enjoying life.

I got a camera so I could start filming her and taking pictures, but she had so much fun at the park last weekend.  She was running after the birds and I could not hold her back.  It was truly amazing.  This dog that I thought would not be here now, is having a blast! 

This is what I would say to others.  I think for a long time I have been thinking of how long.  Will there be scar tissue?  Is it going to progress fast? How hard will it be when she gets really bad?  All these thoughts kept me from seeing the positive.  I don't know those answers and if I did know, what good would it do? Now that I wrote that, I think it would just make me sad.  I how good she is doing on the medication and I can control that.  The other part, I have no control over.  I think maybe people looking at surgery might find that information helpful, but all I know is in my heart I did all I can.

Winston The Pug

Cathy contacted me and gave me more information about her story of her pug Winston who has CM/SM.  I am going to quote her email because the medication and information is very helpful.  I would love feedback.
When I first started writing this blog it was to reach out to others and maybe offer help and get support from others going through the same thing I was.  I am amazed when I read Cathy's story about Winston and how she felt seemed so familiar to me.  What I do know is that she has an adorable pug and we need to get all dog lovers together to recognize what this condition is. 

Things I Learned

1) Try to have fun and not be too serious.  Dogs can pick up on things and you need to be able to lift theirs.

2) Trust yourself. Others may think they know more than you do, but just seeking help or trying to get facts is saying a lot.

3) I was really shocked today to learn that my image of a puppy mill or back yard breeder was nothing like what I found out. Don't go by images or prices. The old saying is to not judge a book by its cover, well I thought I knew a lot and I was almost fooled.  I will write another post about this.

4) I have been overflowed with gratitude to all the people who I have reached out to during Ella's recovery.  I am amazed at how supportive they were and I hope now I can be the same.

5) I think that if a dog has surgery they tend to do well right after surgery. I believe it is better to restrict there activity, even if they seem to be fine or until you talk to your neurologist.  Better to be safe than sorry.  It is so tough to hold them back, but too much activity early on could cause scar tissue ect.

6) Go outside and let them soak up the sun.  I got ella a cool vest.  These are good for pugs especially since they have breathing problems and tend to get overheated,

So Much to Blog so Little Time

There is something about me and electronics that do not mix. First I would like to point out that I added a link http://www.cavaliermatters.org/.  I had gone to this very helpful website that has the most helpful information and was touched when she came across my little Ella.  I was so glad to be able to talk to someone who has cared and understood the things I have gone through and why I feel this is important.  Second, I will mention I got an email from a pug owner Cathy who owns a pug with SM.  My heart goes out to her. It is tough because you hear about Cavaliers but remember that there are others out there that need help also. Please keep Winston in your thoughts. I just opened the picture of Winston and my mouth dropped. He is so cute!

Bad Day Change in Weather

I have heard that change in the barametric pressure can cause dogs with SM to be worse. I can agree to that. The weather here has been switching back and forth and Ella is not the same. Today is our monthly Cavalier meet-up and I don't think we can make it. A sweet woman Betty let me borrow her dog stroller so that Ella can be around with her SM or any other dog in the group. I might take her with that, but she just really wants to be alone. My sisters lab is here and she is getting annoyed but that is because he is a huge puppy. Ella is so small but she is 4 years old and then there is Forest. He is about 4 times larger than Ella and a puppy.

Ella was in bed with me and Forest tried to jump up on the bed also. There is a huge difference between a 20 pound dog and 100 pound dog. It was funny seeing a lab like that. You never see labs in the bed but Cavaliers will always be perched on their throwns.

Missing the little girl

Ella is at my moms this week and the house is empty. Everything reminds me of her. I was watching the hills and they showed someone walking a cavalier and my heart ached. I don't know how I could handle losing her. She brings so much joy in my life. Iwas digging in my couch for a lost remote and I found a dog bone she hid.

Ella never eats bones but if another dog has a bone she will guard hers and have it in front of her tempting the other dog to take it. It is so funny to watch. It's a game we play sometimes when I give her a bone and watch her try and hid it and act like I'm going to find it. I guess sometimes I forget to get them because she will eat some. The best is when she hides them in the sand box outside. I have a doggie door and one time she came in with sand all over her nose with the dog bone in her mouth :)

where does the time go

I promised myself I wouldn't do this. When I was searching for answers I would come across blogs about their cavaliers with surgery and they would end. I would always wonder what happened and think the worse.

I am proud to say that ella has been great. We were on vacation for my birthday and after getting the okay from dr. Brofman, she had some fun. She loved the water and chased after the shells. She did not want to come off the beach!

There is so much to say but I have been sick and had some tests run myself but I think I will be fine. Dr. Brofman spoke to the cavalier group about sm which went well.

Sandy smith who wrote the wonderful book "for the love of ollie" sent me some to have. I still need to send her a gift along with money and a thank you note but I am behind. I just did not want anyone to feel like I did and that something happened.

I will keep you posted

where does the time go

I promised myself I wouldn't do this. When I was searching for answers I would come across blogs about their cavaliers with surgery and they would end. I would always wonder what happened and think the worse.

I am proud to say that ella has been great. We were on vacation for my birthday and after getting the okay from dr. Brofman, she had some fun. She loved the water and chased after the shells. She did not want to come off the beach!

There is so much to say but I have been sick and had some tests run myself but I think I will be fine. Dr. Brofman spoke to the cavalier group about sm which went well.

Sandy smith who wrote the wonderful book "for the love of ollie" sent me some to have. I still need to send her a gift along with money and a thank you note but I am behind. I just did not want anyone to feel like I did and that something happened.

I will keep you posted