The Good News... The Bad News...

Well, it has been a long couple of weeks.

The good news is that Nola has been seizure free for over a week. (YAY!)

The bad news is that Bella & Nola tag teamed a praying mantis and the praying mantis lost...

Honestly, it was quite comical to watch the two of them go up against a mantis. The mantis definitely put up a fight and the dogs were very curious but wary. That is until Nola waited until the mantis was pre-occupied with Bella. Then she grabbed it from behind.

Unfortunately, I just wanted to watch them play with it. I was not expecting Nola's attack from behind. Otherwise, I would have saved the mantis before it was too late.

However, I was THRILLED to see Nola in action again.

She has improved dramatically since putting her on the Phenobarbital. She has had minimal seizure activity. And the last seizure that I witnessed was last Wednesday. She has also not had any issues with getting 'stuck' since last Tuesday. Her anxiousness has decreased as well. So even though she is still confused and still having issues with food/weight gain, I think that she is improved overall.

She goes back to the vet in a couple of weeks, so hopefully we will have a better idea of what is going on with her then. But, as of now, I am very happy with how things have progressed/improved. :)

In any case, I have been getting kicked off the couch recently...

A Nola Update...

Things have been quite rough over the past week and a half. But little by little, bit by bit, there seems to be small improvements.

There have been some side effects from the phenobarbital. She is having some ataxia (weakness and loss of coordination) in her hind legs.

The Vet Visit

So, Nola had her vet visit today.  Unfortunately, we did not leave the vet's office with good news. 

If you have not kept up with things via the forum or through conversations with me, here is a little background information:

Nola, over the past couple of months, has had quite a few disconcerting personality changes.  She has gotten quite a bit more anxious and never fully relaxes any more.  She has had several episodes of major confusion and forgetfulness.  She has been very lethargic and has lost interest in playing, toys, chews, etc.  She has also gotten very clingy and spends most of her time (when I am home) curled up either at my feet or beside me on the couch (she never has curled up at my feet before, and the couch buddy thing used to be very sporadic and for very short periods of time). 

The biggest concern for me has been the forgetfulness.  Not only does she forget little stuff, like that I am home or to eat, but several times over the past couple of weeks she has forgotten how to make herself sit or lay down.  It has been like she just forgot how to make her body do those motions and it takes her about 20 minutes of walking around and standing to remember how to sit/lay down. 

It has completely broken my heart to see my happy-go-lucky fur face turn into an anxious neurological mess.  And it breaks my heart even more to know that there may not be anything I can do to help her.

So the vet visit:

We went to the vet's office this morning.  And thankfully Nola LOVES the vet.  She is a very wonderful person who is understanding and very good with dogs.  We had to wait in the outside waiting room for about 10 minutes while they got our room ready for us.  There was a VERY friendly kitty hanging out and Nola was a very good girl and said hi several times and they even rubbed noses.  This was super cool for me to watch, because normally Nola wants to eat every kitty that she meets.  The kitty then proceeded to climb into my lap and sit there begging for attention until we were called back.  Nola was fine with that because she was paying attention to the birds that were in the waiting room.  (The vet's office is filled with tons of rescue animals, birds, rabbits, kitties, little yappy dogs...  The little animals are all caged so as to not get eaten.)

Once we were called back, Nola got weighed.  She has gained 3 pounds despite more exercise and less food and treats.  We hung out in the room for a bit while I got Nola very excited about the vet coming in to visit with her.  She was all psyched when the door opened...  But it was not the vet...  It was a MAN!  Then of course, Nola scurried under the chair to hide from the scary man (who, was, in fact, the vet tech).  After a couple of minutes of the vet tech and I sitting on the floor, Nola came out and met him.  She then got told how beautiful she was and had her temperature taken.  She was running a low grade fever.

After the vet tech left, I got out a beef rib for Nola to chew on, but she ignored it and looked out the floor length window.  She did, however, enjoy the cookies that I brought while we waited.  After a few minutes, the vet came in and let us know that her fecal sample was negative (she had been eating cat poop, so I wanted to make sure she was worm-free).  We also talked for a bit about everything that had been going on, and she agreed that we should do some blood work and get a urine sample.  So, Nola had some blood taken, she was very good and only squirmed a little. 

After the blood draw, Nola got to take a walk as a reward for being so good...  However, I did have to interrupt her potty break by shoving a plastic cup underneath her.  She was NOT okay with that.  She walked around with her tail between her legs for the rest of the walk.  Poor Nola.

On the way back in, Nola met a HUGE chocolate lab.  Unfortunately, the lab was not very well behaved and his owner was having a very hard time keeping control over him.  Nola was a little overwhelmed by his size and his exuberance, so I had to pick her up to take her back to our room. 

We had to wait about 45 minutes for the blood work and urinalysis results to come back.  During this time, Nola hung out under the chair I sat on the floor beside her playing a game on my phone.  It kept me calm, therefore keeping her calm.  She ended up snoozing for most of the wait.  

When the vet got back, she had some bad news.  All of Nola's blood work came back normal, even her thyroid function.  The only abnormality is that she has a mild UTI, for which the vet prescribed Clavamox. The UTI does not explain any of her symptoms except maybe the velcro dog symdrome.

The vet and I sat and talked things over for about 20 minutes or so, while she let me know what she thought and why she thought it.  While we were talking, the vet noticed Nola kind of space out and go through one of her confused spells.  The vet explained that Nola's behaviour and personality changes seem to be what is called complex partial seizures.  These types of seizures are usually the result of a brain tumor, which could explain a lot of the other symptoms that Nola has been presenting.  The only definitive diagnosis would be to have an MRI.  Since the MRI is quite expensive and would be pretty stressful for Nola, we have opted to not do that at this time.  Especially since a definitive diagnosis would not change how we handle things.

For now, the vet has decided to put her on a low dose of phenobarbital.  This will raise the threshold for the seizures and will hopefully lessen her symptoms.  We are going to give this a 30 day trial period and note any changes, for better or for worse.  We will then go from there.

Nola was such a great girl while we were at the vet's but she was most definitely VERY ready to head home.  She was so ready that she ignored another kitty that was in the reception area and tried to pull me to the door.  We did have to wait for the phenobarbital prescription to get filled before I could pay (OMG that was expensive!).  One of the little yappy dogs did come out to say hello to Nola while we were waiting.  It was interesting to see them interact, because Nola has never been around an adult dog that was smaller than her.  She did not really interact much with the other dog, but kept watching her rather suspiciously.  It was rather comical. 

Once we finished up our business, I took her on a quick walk outside the office and then we headed home.  She was pretty tired and zonked out for the ride.  When we got home, she was immediately accosted by Bella and was sniffed pretty much from nose to tail.  Once Bella decided she was okay, Nola drank some water, grabbed a mouthful of kibble and promptly curled up in her bed while I got ready to go to work.

It was a pretty stressful day for her, but she is now snuggled up next to me on the couch.

I, on the other hand, am doing everything I can to think positively about all of this.  My silly little goofball baby either has a seizure disorder, brain tumor, or both.  I love this dog more than anything in the world (with the exception of Bella, of course, whom I love equally as much), and it really does break my heart to know that if the phenobarbital does not help, there may be nothing that I can do to fix my girl. 

The only thing that I can hope for is to keep her as happy as possible for as long as possible.  

Sometimes We Party...

So I have been neglecting the Inus lately.  Not actually neglecting them, but since it has been so hot, we have not had much of a chance to do fun stuff outside together.


Today, that was supposed to change.  Unfortunately, due to the fires in the Dismal Swamp, we have been coated in a nice thick layer of smoke.  Neither myself nor Nola do well with smoke.  However, you do get to see a cool photo of what the smoke has done to the moon.  Interesting effect, if I do say so myself:


So instead of going on an evening hike like I had planned, we had a nice Basement Party instead.

And typical of me, I forgot to bring down the camera to capture all the fun we had.

So, instead of cute Shiba photos, you get to hear all about it.

We started off by playing hide and go seek.  This is done with a spoonful of peanut butter (a favourite at my house).  I start off in one location, tell the dogs to 'stay', then I run go hide.  After I am 'hidden', I yell 'come' to the pups.  Then the fun starts.  They have to come find me.  But once they do, they get to lick some yummy peanut butter.  This type of fun generally can last up to 30 minutes, depending on how much peanut butter I have.

After I ran out of PB, we played 'go fetch the crack ball'.  This is a fun game in which I squeak a ridiculously annoying ball, throw it, and watch them race to get to the ball first.  If Bella gets it first, she brings it back and we play again.  If Nola gets to it, then it is time to play 'mum go fetch the crack ball from Nola'.  She really enjoys that game.  Haha.

After we got tired of the crack ball, it was time for dinner.  Since it was a special Shiba Night, the girls got something special.  Merrick's Campfire Trout Feast.  They LOVED it.  And in typical Shiba fashion, begged for more.  Which, much to their dismay did not work.

They did get some extra treats when we started the dance party.  This involves me having them sit, and then twirling my finger over their head getting them to 'dance'.  This is a fun exercise that is especially good for Nola's hip.  (apparently it helps strengthen her hip muscles)

After the dance party, we came back upstairs and had a nice sing along.  This ended the Shiba Night by me playing a little guitar and singing to the girls.  Nola sang along for about five seconds before she plopped down and passed out.  Bella just stared at me until she nodded off.

So, since I have no photos of our fun night...  I present you with a photo I took a couple of weeks ago.  I call it...

SINGING SHIBAS:




Happy Shiba Night!  :)

Rides...

So I have been riding quite a bit lately.  And it has been a blast!

Road bikes are FAST.  However, they are also very bumpy.  It has been interesting getting used to not having a front suspension.  It has also been interesting getting used to those skinny tires.  However, I think I am getting better at balancing, going fast downhill, and maneuvering.

And while it is definitely no where near as thrilling as mountain biking, it has its place.  (Which is getting me through the next 10 1/2 months until I can get back on a mountain bike!)

Tonight, I went for a ride around Blackwater.  I got in about 22 miles and made it up Kemper Station without killing myself!  I also dodged some traffic since Jefferson Street was closed off due to Friday Cheers (by the way, the band SUCKED).

I ended up stretching at the Awareness Garden and took a really nice photo (with my phone) of my bike.  Here is SynSi (the road bike's name...  It took me almost 3 weeks to name it)!




Meanwhile, the pups have been battling the heat.  Nola has been having a terrible time, as she is still halfway in full coat.  We have been playing in the basement during the day, since there is more room to run around down there and it is cooler than outside.  Our morning walks have been cut super short, because even at 0600, it is 85 degrees and ridiculously humid.  B&N are completely ready for Autumn!


Nola has been a complete bum, which is so cute for her...

First Ride...

So...  I got my new bike.  :)  It is pretty awesome.  

But I was so surprised when I got it...  It was so shiny.  It has been several years since I have seen a shiny chain and shiny rear cassette:




I thought to myself, I wonder how long these will stay shiny.  And then I realized that wait...  this is a road bike, not a mountain bike.

Here is an interesting photo.  Please excuse the crappy quality, as I took these photos with my phone.


Needless to say, the bike is very pretty.  However, I was quite scared to ride it.  It took a lot to get my nerve up to put it on the roof rack and head downtown to a quiet greenway.

And it took even more to get myself to actually get on it.  But get on it I did.  And I had fun.  It was quite wobbly at first.  Skinny tires are definitely scary.  AND they are much harder to balance on than fat tires.  (Which is probably why I have always ridden off road.  And why Fat Tire is my favourite beer.)  And it took me quite a while to get used to shifting.  There are no trigger (rapid fire) shifters on a road bike...  It is a weird lever double tap thing.  I think I have gotten the hang of it though.

But most importantly, my back felt pretty good after a 14 mile ride.  My arse was a little sore though.  Even with my trusty mountain bike seat on the bike, my bum needs a few rides to get used to being back in the saddle.

I am really excited to be back on a bike.  And road bikes are fun in their own way.  (They are REALLY fast!)  I am looking forward to my first group ride on Monday!

The Bike Purchase

So...  Finally, the decision has been made.  YAY!

So after spending a couple of hours at my local bike shop, I finally decided on the Cannondale Synapse Carbon 6.  

The guys at the bike shop were pretty awesome.  They spent a lot of time explaining the differences between the different Synapse models and between the Cannondale and the Specialized Roubaix.  The Cannondale was a little more bang for the buck and the difference between the Carbon 6 and the Carbon 5 was only a few grams...  But the price difference was a few hundred bucks.  

The only thing is...  It is blue.  Boo.  I hate blue.  But, I guess it is better than the Scott CR1 that I was looking at that was bumble bee yellow and black.  Haha.

The bike should be ready in about 2 weeks.  Here is a photo to tide me over until it gets here!



Please note that this is not my photo, but the stock photo from Cannondale's website:
http://www.cannondale.com/bikes/road/performance-road/synapse/2011-synapse-carbon-6-apex-16717

That, My Friends...

Is absolutely the most fun I have had in AGES! 

I got home from work (8 WHOLE hours!) and the skies were looking a little moody.  Well, I decided that I could beat the storm and headed downtown for a run. 

As I was running, I thought a little about the past, too.  It is amazing how much trying to catch a storm (or beat a storm), while listening to some upbeat pop music (in this case, Rhianna's Hard) reminds me of my best friend.  Miss you, Dan!

I ran, and I ran.  I got about a mile and a half and it got pretty dark.  So I decided to go ahead and loop back around.  Well, by the time I got to the tunnel (for those of you who are not from around here, there is a rails to trails trail that goes through the city that branches off into single track here and there.  The tunnel is an old railroad tunnel that the trail goes through.  Quite fun, if you are ever in town, you should check it out!), it started to rain. 

When I got to the other side, it was quite beautiful.  The lighting looked like dusk, even though it was only 6:00 (PM).  There was the pitter patter of rain on the trees above the trail and the lightening bugs were out.  It was so incredibly gorgeous, it made me wish I had some sort of artistic talent so I could paint it. 

And then, the lightening struck the creek beside the trail...  Uh oh!  Better kick it up.  So I ran a little quicker, still taking everything in.  Then, apparently mother nature decided it was time for me to have a little fun.  So she let lose!

It started to just POUR!  And if you know me, you know that running in the rain is one of my favourite things to do.  And this rain was amazing!  It was cool and heavy and just made me laugh.  I ran like this for another mile, just taking it all in.

AND THEN...  I met the man of my dreams.  As I was coming around a bend, with a HUGE grin on my face, this guy flies down the hill on a mountain bike with a huge grin on HIS face.  And he looks at me and says "HIGH FIVE, THIS IS THE BEST!"  *sigh*  I love men with adventurous spirits.  Especially men who are not afraid of a little storm.  :)

Needless to say, I got home, completely soaked and happier than I have been in a LONG, long time. 

Bones...

The Inus had bones today.  They always crack me up when they get their bones.  At first they are confused:




Then they carry the bones around:




Nola hides with it behind the couch:





And Bella tries it out:



Yum!  Haha.

They enjoyed their bones.  Eventually...  Haha.

Two Second Update

Well, my return to the doctor was eventful...  To say the least.

The Good News:
I have been cleared to run and for light road biking.  
I have been advised to slowly stop wearing the "apparatus".  (YAY!  I can look normal again!)
I can return to work (my paid normal job) at full duty as soon as I feel up to it.

The Bad News:
The sciatic pain may never go away.  There is too much scar tissue around the nerve, since this was my second surgery.  
I get to start PT soon.  Normally this would go under good news, except PT sessions are $40 a pop.  
It will be a few months before I can get back to mountain biking.
It will be a few months before I can be released to full duty as an EMT.  

So yeah...  The bad news definitely outweighs the good news.  BUT there WAS good news!  So YAY!  I am truly excited to start being able to use my body again.  I am going to go for a run/jog tomorrow evening.  I am so excited!  (That, and I really need to lose the extra 10 pounds I packed on while immobile!) And I will start my shopping excursion for a road bike this weekend after getting a hair cut! 

Wish me luck!

Bad Days, Good Days

So it has been almost six weeks since my surgery.  Overall, I suppose things are going well.  I returned to work (still part time, though, but each day I try and do a little more).  It is great to be out of the house, but going back to work has really made me realize how much this injury has drained me.  Getting back in shape is going to be tough.  

I am a little worried about my progress though.  I feel as if I have hit a plateau.  I made some great progress over the first three weeks, but I feel as if I am still at the same point I was three weeks ago.  I am not sure what to do about that, as I am still immobilized and on major restrictions.  But I go back to the doctor tomorrow, so hopefully I will get some encouragement and some ideas of what I can do to get my strength and stamina back.  

But I am getting excited about starting Physical Therapy and buying my first road bike.  I have been researching just about every day.  I do wish I had someone to go with me on my search that was road bike savvy.  I am still quite confused about those curvy handle bars and the super skinny tires.  Haha.

But there are good days...  When I can relax and the pain is almost non-existent. 




And then there are bad days...  When I just want to hide from the rest of the world.


But I know that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.  And that I am strong enough to make it through. 

1000 Ways to Die...

Never thought of being LICKED to death!




Or by smelling your own flatulence...




Or by returning to work after having spine surgery and sitting on your bum for over a month...  But I got through 4 hours on Thursday and Friday and 6 hours today!  Thank goodness for finally getting out of my house and being somewhat productive.  Too bad I can only do paperwork though...  But hey, baby steps.  :)

Executive Decision...

Well, while I have been sitting on my bum being completely unproductive over the past few days, I have made an executive decision.

Sort of...

Well, I actually made this decision about 2 years ago, but due to life, it kept getting pushed back and pushed back...  And then, I broke my back...  Again.

So over the past few weeks, I have decided that I am going to buy a road bike.  Yes, an actual slick tired road bike.  (Everyone who knows me probably just fainted from shock.)

Me, the hard tail, knobby tire, mud riding zealot is branching out to the other side!  Who would have thought?

The reasons:
Well, road biking will be a bit easier on my back while I continue to recover.  
Road bikes are definitely better for commuting (has anyone noticed the price of gas lately?).
Road bikes are lighter than mountain bikes (again, for the spine recovery period).
I feel that sometimes, it is good to branch out into something unfamiliar.  
I think it might be a good way to branch out and meet a new crowd of people.  

I am sure there are other reasons, but for now, that is all I have.  I am excited about it, but a little nervous as well.  I mean, what DO people do with those curvy bars?  Where exactly do you put your hands?  And how will I know when to replace my tires since there is no tread?  And do I HAVE to wear those silly jerseys?  And will people laugh at me if I wear my camel back on a road bike?

Yep, this should be a fun new adventure for sure!

The Sleepy Thoughts of an Inu

What is it that you want?  Do you have a cookie for me?  No?  (gives the evil eye)



I can not believe you bothered me for that...



Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz....

Summer Storms

According to my doctor, I have at least four more weeks of inactivity to survive through before I can start being mobile again.  This is most unfortunate as I am very much going crazy inside the four walls of my home.  This does however, give me lots of time to reflect.

While watching a nice summer thunderstorm (or, late Spring if you must be technical about it), I realized how much I have missed running and biking in the rain.  

A trail run in the warm rain of a summer storm is one of the most peaceful adventures you can have without traveling.  The canopy of the trees diffuses the rain into an incredibly relaxing shower.  The smell of the forest in the rain is so clean and fresh and just radiates green.  All of the woodland creatures come out to frolic in the cooler air.  

It gets even better on a bike.  Dusty trails turn into slick mud.  Puddles form to splash through.  And the air turns into a nice cool breeze.  

Only a few more weeks until I can get back on the bike.  I am really looking forward to it.  I just wish this time would pass quickly!

Why Do You Ride?

I get asked this question a lot.  

Why do I ride?  

There are many reasons.  Most of them are pretty obvious.  

The Freedom:  Riding a bicycle (regardless of type, quality, or fashion) gives an incredible amount of freedom.  Bikes are relatively low maintenance and require no state issued license to operate them.  Even children can have the freedom to be mobile with bicycles.  I can get from Point A to Point B without much hassle as long as there are no major hills or maniac auto drivers.




You Can See:  The speed at which a bicycle moves along is definitely faster than we can walk, so we can cover more ground.  However, riding a bicycle is definitely a slower pace than our highly efficient autos.  Therefore, a bicycle travels at the perfect speed for seeing the world.  You can cover a fair amount of ground and still SEE what is around you.  A great example of this would be to take your bike on the Blue Ridge Parkway.  You can truly admire the beauty of the mountains around you.  Plus it is not a hassle to stop at every viewpoint and just take a gander at the amazing-ness of nature.



Adventure Awaits:  On a bike (especially a mountain bike) one can take an ordinary day and turn it in to an adventurous exploration!  Do you have any idea how many parks and trails there are out there just waiting for your knobby tires to locate them?  And do you have any idea how fun it is to just spend the day getting lost on those trails?  Granted, it is definitely a good idea to have maps and/or a GPS to help you get unlost as the sun starts to set.  



Challenge Yourself:  Mountain biking can be an incredible challenge at times.  You try balancing yourself on two wheels while navigating single track riddled with rocks and tree limbs while huffing and puffing up a 20% grade.  It will definitely get your heart pumping.  Yes, you will fall.  Yes, you will probably hurt yourself.  But once you are able to make it up that mountain, there is no greater feeling of accomplishment.  Especially once you realize you get to go DOWN that mountain!




And probably the biggest reason for me...

It allows me to really relax and find myself.  To me, getting lost in the woods with nothing but my bike, my camelback (filled with lifesaving goods like Clif Bars, water, a GPS, tool kit, a headlamp, and my iPod), and no mission is the greatest therapy from the every day world there is.  It truly makes me feel like I have control over my life.  



We all get lost in the day to day world of work, paying bills, making other people happy, and being boxed into our four little walls (of homes, stores, offices, etc.).  It really makes a huge difference in my outlook on life and my overall well being when I can take a few hours and just follow a trail wherever it goes.

In the Beginning...

There was a simple girl, living in a very complex world, just trying to find her way over the river and through the woods.

Haha, just kidding...  I would never try and get out of the woods.  At least not on purpose anyway.

Hi, I am Casey and this is my Blog.  Or what I hope will become my blog.

I have been said to have a very adventurous spirit.  And I suppose that is true.  In my spare time from my job, I mountain bike, hike, kayak, and generally just try and get lost in the mountains around the city in which I live.  Oh, and I also save lives (I am an EMT).  If that is not adventurous, then I have no idea what is.

I have two incredibly entertaining Inus (that would be Japanese for dogs as they are Japanese dogs).

Bella:


and Nola:


They are awesome.

My adventurous spirit has gotten me into trouble a few times...  And I am currently recovering from one of those troubles.  I recently had back surgery and am off the adventurous circuit for a couple of months while I recuperate.  Well, to be completely honest, I am off any kind of circuit as I have been off work for a few weeks as well.  But it has given me a lot of time to plan my future adventures!

So thanks for reading, and hopefully I can find some quasi interesting topics to discuss while I wait to get back to wandering through the mountains.  I think this blog will be a combination of random thoughts, antics about my Inus, and fun filled adventure tails that may or may not be slightly exaggerated.

Until next time!