Cold? Or allergies?
I don't know, but MAN I feel like crap. It's all sinus -- well, except for the cough, but that was caused by the sinus stuff. Yesterday I spent all day with a vicious sinus headache. I finally went to the pharmacy and, biting the bullet, went to the window for the too-dangerous-to-stock-on-regular-shelves Sudafed with ephedrine. You have to give your damn DRIVER'S license in order to buy it, AND you have to sign a form and provide your home address. That's fucked up, man.
ANYWAY, I bought that and Robitussin cough pills (hate liquid cough syrup). I got home and took a handful of pills (2 Sudafed, 2 Robitussin, and 2 Advil). And then we went out to dinner with our friend Wayne and drank a lot of wine. And then we went home and I took another handful of pills (same as before). And then I didn't sleep. And today I feel like shit.
This SUCKS. It's, like, SUMMERTIME here and I feel like crap. And I feel like a medicine head with all the drugs I've taken on top of very little sleep. I need a naaaaap. I know I wouldn't be able to sleep if I tried to nap, though. I just wake up choking on...well, you know. No need to be gross about it. I did actually drag my ass out of bed this morning at 5 a.m. to exercise. And that did make me feel better for awhile.
************************************
I took Lola to her new vet on Wednesday. It was obvious that she had had a seizure sometime between lunch and when I got home from work. They've been getting more frequent and closer together. The new vet's office is about 3 times the size of my old vet's place, and the vet techs are actually nice and friendly and look you in the face. Lola saw a vet tech first, who took down a bunch of notes about her and even asked additional questions to clarify what she thought I was saying. Then the vet came in and immediately Lola calmed down (she was fine, but a little anxious -- the last time I took her to the vet, I left her there for the day for x-rays (not my choice). You can't tell me that she doesn't remember because I KNOW she does). The vet gave her all over scritches and soon Lola was flopped out on the floor. The vet conducted her exam with Lola on the ground the entire time. And anyway, they have a scale/table that can be raised, rather than having to haul Lola up on the table (she hates that, and I don't blame her!).
We talked for a good long while about what was going on with her and what my concerns were. She wasn't on board about a Natural Food Diet as I hoped she would be, and even called it a "fad" diet, which says to me that she hasn't done much reading on it. There's been some scientific stuff done on different diets -- it's not just "whatever sounds good." Anyway, I wasn't too disturbed about that because she assured me that she'd work with whatever diet I wanted to try, as long as it wasn't harmful. So I tabled that issue because she increased Lola's dosage of Phenobarbital from 130 mg to 195 mg (1.5 pills twice per day) and she's going to do some blood work on Lola in two weeks to check her levels again. Plus, she's going to run a thyroid screen on her to make sure she doesn't have hypothyroidism. I almost hope it's that and that that's the cause of the seizures. The vet says that Lola is a little young for hypothyroidism, but that she's been surprised about it before, so we'll do it anyway. I've read, too, that PB can lower thyroid readings (which are a bit complicated to begin with), so I'll make sure I ask the vet about it when we go in.
Lola's PB level at Fredonia Animal Hospital was within therapeutic levels, but on the low end. Instead of blowing me off when I'd call and tell them that she was having breakthrough seizures, they should have taken into account her weight gain and increased her PB dosage. It can cause liver damage, so we have to be cautious, but an increase was clearly called for. Damn them!
I agreed to change her dog food to something less colorful (fewer dyes) and of a better nutritional makeup. After looking around, I think I'm going to go with Diamond Large Breed 60+ Adult Dog Formula. I'm hesitant to start her on a low fat food before I know what's going on with her thyroid. The vet wants her down to about 90 lbs.; she's 108 right now.
***********************
Ummmm....well, not much else seems to be going on. It's a long weekend, which I am SO looking forward to, and we leave for Hatteras in less than 2 weeks. Yippee!!!! We're planning to harvest the Shiraz this weekend for the winery, and we're going to harvest the Gewürztraminer for our own use. We should have LOTS of great "everyday" wine to drink this year and next!
We're still waiting on the Cabernet and the Carmenere, but we'll get at least the Cab harvested before we leave for Hatteras.
Sally's going to be home for her October break tonight. Looking forward to seeing her.
And that's it, I guess.
ANYWAY, I bought that and Robitussin cough pills (hate liquid cough syrup). I got home and took a handful of pills (2 Sudafed, 2 Robitussin, and 2 Advil). And then we went out to dinner with our friend Wayne and drank a lot of wine. And then we went home and I took another handful of pills (same as before). And then I didn't sleep. And today I feel like shit.
This SUCKS. It's, like, SUMMERTIME here and I feel like crap. And I feel like a medicine head with all the drugs I've taken on top of very little sleep. I need a naaaaap. I know I wouldn't be able to sleep if I tried to nap, though. I just wake up choking on...well, you know. No need to be gross about it. I did actually drag my ass out of bed this morning at 5 a.m. to exercise. And that did make me feel better for awhile.
************************************
I took Lola to her new vet on Wednesday. It was obvious that she had had a seizure sometime between lunch and when I got home from work. They've been getting more frequent and closer together. The new vet's office is about 3 times the size of my old vet's place, and the vet techs are actually nice and friendly and look you in the face. Lola saw a vet tech first, who took down a bunch of notes about her and even asked additional questions to clarify what she thought I was saying. Then the vet came in and immediately Lola calmed down (she was fine, but a little anxious -- the last time I took her to the vet, I left her there for the day for x-rays (not my choice). You can't tell me that she doesn't remember because I KNOW she does). The vet gave her all over scritches and soon Lola was flopped out on the floor. The vet conducted her exam with Lola on the ground the entire time. And anyway, they have a scale/table that can be raised, rather than having to haul Lola up on the table (she hates that, and I don't blame her!).
We talked for a good long while about what was going on with her and what my concerns were. She wasn't on board about a Natural Food Diet as I hoped she would be, and even called it a "fad" diet, which says to me that she hasn't done much reading on it. There's been some scientific stuff done on different diets -- it's not just "whatever sounds good." Anyway, I wasn't too disturbed about that because she assured me that she'd work with whatever diet I wanted to try, as long as it wasn't harmful. So I tabled that issue because she increased Lola's dosage of Phenobarbital from 130 mg to 195 mg (1.5 pills twice per day) and she's going to do some blood work on Lola in two weeks to check her levels again. Plus, she's going to run a thyroid screen on her to make sure she doesn't have hypothyroidism. I almost hope it's that and that that's the cause of the seizures. The vet says that Lola is a little young for hypothyroidism, but that she's been surprised about it before, so we'll do it anyway. I've read, too, that PB can lower thyroid readings (which are a bit complicated to begin with), so I'll make sure I ask the vet about it when we go in.
Lola's PB level at Fredonia Animal Hospital was within therapeutic levels, but on the low end. Instead of blowing me off when I'd call and tell them that she was having breakthrough seizures, they should have taken into account her weight gain and increased her PB dosage. It can cause liver damage, so we have to be cautious, but an increase was clearly called for. Damn them!
I agreed to change her dog food to something less colorful (fewer dyes) and of a better nutritional makeup. After looking around, I think I'm going to go with Diamond Large Breed 60+ Adult Dog Formula. I'm hesitant to start her on a low fat food before I know what's going on with her thyroid. The vet wants her down to about 90 lbs.; she's 108 right now.
***********************
Ummmm....well, not much else seems to be going on. It's a long weekend, which I am SO looking forward to, and we leave for Hatteras in less than 2 weeks. Yippee!!!! We're planning to harvest the Shiraz this weekend for the winery, and we're going to harvest the Gewürztraminer for our own use. We should have LOTS of great "everyday" wine to drink this year and next!
We're still waiting on the Cabernet and the Carmenere, but we'll get at least the Cab harvested before we leave for Hatteras.
Sally's going to be home for her October break tonight. Looking forward to seeing her.
And that's it, I guess.