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The 'crouch' stance of
Spondylosis VIDEO
of her walking
March 10, 2004 9am
Procedure: Gold Bead Implants + Removal of 3 Fatty Tumors
Purpose: Spondylosis
<-- click to see 2004 x-rays of Spondylosis
The Beads
Vet shaved her and installed the IV for fluids before doing the
anesthesia.
Propofol was used to induce for intubation, then maintained on Isoflurane.
Procedure started at 10:21am - Ended at 11:04pm - Home at 12:05pm
I was invited to be in the room as it was being done ... I declined.
( I faint when watching injections - gushing blood is ok, just not needles)
I chose instead to sit in the waiting area crying for fear of ladyR dying
from the anesthesia.
The needle
Vet said ladyR went through anesthesia like a trooper. I think the VET
is the trooper for not over-doing the anesthesia. She took the time to
show me everything beforehand and explain every detail also.
With this Vet, I will no longer be terrified of anesthesia.
Vet waking ladyR up
48 points were beaded. Approximately 300 beads total.
6 in each point, with 12 in one point and 18 in a particularly weak hip.
Entire spine, both hips and both shoulders were beaded.
This Vet has been doing acupuncture on ladyR for 4 years.
She utilizes heat sensing, as opposed to pulse sensing to ferret out
areas of need.
( I should have asked her to bead ladyR's ears to correct her selective hearing )
All the red dots are injection sites
SOME CLOSE
UPS
Actual injection sites
Shoulder
3 Fatty Tumors were removed
Lordy ... what a trip. The Vet said the large one looked like the perfect breast implant. It was definitely strange to
touch and photograph it. Yuck.
But really nice that it is gone.
NOON, at home.
At home, ladyR peed, had a drink, then crashed on the couch until 6pm.
Roasted Chicken and baked sweet potato for dinner. She was walking
guardedly. Still sort of drowsy, she rested all night until midnight. Got up
to pee, and ate her normal midnight meal with gusto. Walked the entire
yard while deciding where to pee. Then went to bed for the night.
Some dogs, I have been told get remarkable and noticeable results right
away.
We did not. Others get steadily increasing improvement over time.
I can be patient.
Dr. Durkes told me that GBI is as much about balancing the entire being
as about treating specific issues. That balancing is what causes the
reversal of the ailments. He said that if she lives long enough, as much
as 2 years ... the calcium deposits on her spine would re-sorb, leaving
her with much better mobility.
He initially was concerned about her advanced age, because the younger
a dog is done, the better the results I could expect.
When I explained that ladyR is not at all decrepit and is in fact in superior
physical condition other than the Spondylosis, he advised we go for it.
The procedure would have been done 2 months earlier, but current x-rays
showed an area of concern that looked like it could be Osteosarcoma.
Thankfully, a Board Certified Radiologist determined it was nothing more
than arthritic changes.
DAY 2
All the points had tiny scabs, welts/swelling has subsided.
For all intents, she is back to where she was prior to the procedure.
Vet said to keep on walking schedule.
Still no noticeable improvement.
DAY 3
Posture and balance during urination seems steadier.
Then again, I would be a very willing victim of wishful thinking
now.
1 Week after
Implants - MARCH 19, 2004
We are seeing some improvement.
Minute, but improvement none the less.
Things like.....
Before: took a couple minutes to get going after napping
Now: Gets up and walks away quickly, no warm up time
NOTE: Her right rear leg is definitely noticeably improved, that's the one that got so many more beads.
Before: the CROUCH came and stayed at 5pm
Now: it comes after a long walk, then after nap, no crouch
NOTE: We doubled the distance of walks per Vet orders
Before: She had mellowed with age
Now: She is being alot more mouthy lately
Before: maybe 1 poop accident a week
Now: none this week
Before: Back feet scuffed 100% of the time
Now: Scuffing is barely audible
Before: little body shakes - only when I told her to
Now: doing full shakes almost everytime she gets off the couch after nap
NOTE: Those full body shakes amount to a doggie chiropractic adjustment !
Before: I hollared "EASY!" when UPS came and she tried to run to the door
Now: I found myself saying it ALOT the past 2 days for normal walking in the house.
I must stop the hollaring. I must stop the hollaring. I must stop the
hollaring.
Before: She used to go through the door, down a step, carefully.
Now: I noticed today, that she is not even paying attention ... just going.
Like I said ... little things, little changes.
Oh! She got a toy, went to Oreo, jammed it into O's face ! That's a PLAY signal ...
I about peed my pants, she hasn't done that in the past 2 yrs.
The surgical site of the largest fatty tumor has swollen horribly...
just horribly ! Nothing is making it go down ... so off to the Vet
we go tomorrow to get it drained.
It will be interesting to see what improvement SHE notices.
5am - John noticed the bed was wet...it was pinky brown and thin watery.
We looked at the tumor site, it seemed definitely 1/2 smaller. I checked her pisser - no wetness, checked butt, no wetness. Then noticed that all the way up to the top of her rib cage on that side was soaked. The tumor must have squirted out.
But I'll be damned if I can see where it leaked from. I immediately re-wrapped it !
APRIL 12, 2004 - 1
MONTH after
Implants
Cosmetic Surgery AKA Fatty Tumor is now totally healed, flat and
normal looking.
Right Rear Leg/Hip mobility has AMAZINGLY improved !
She is now making sharp turns without tripping on her own feet.
Crouching is 80% non-existent.
Rear feet are spaced further apart more while standing = better
balance.
Full body shakes are much stronger now ... yippee!
She is sleeping less now than before = more energy.
Posture and balance during urination definitely IS steadier.
Not 1 yip of pain ... not 1.
Gets up & down from floor with EASE.
A few poop accidents, but I am sure it was from something she ate.
Now can give her me her paw without going off balance.
APRIL 30, 2004
We seem to be
experiencing a set back. We lost most of the improvement
except for the right rear hip which is still wonderful.
We are doing twice weekly Acupuncture treatments in hopes of kick
starting the beads again.
MAY 30, 2004
WooHoo! the Acupuncture
is working ! Her improvement ALL AROUND
is incredible. She is actually running again. Heart be still
!
She is doing "circles" on the bed, taking double walks,
swimming, hardly
sleeping - we got all we thought we had been set back PLUS she is
moving and acting like she did 3 years earlier. We are thrilled
beyond
belief. Every day we say to each other My Goodness ... she is
really back
to normal, like when she was younger, Look at her !
JUNE 14, 2004
Our hearts are broken.
Our ladyR died on this date. She is 10 yrs 8 mo old.
She got up on the couch to take her nightly nap while we watched
the
news ... and simply died.
Her last day was like all of her wonderful normal days.
No sign, no warning. Just gone.
Her Vet said it must have been a blood clot from the description I
gave.
Hug your Dane everyday .... Hold them close ... very close.
©
Copyright 2004, all rights reserved.
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