24th March - Day 12
All well on the western front.
Yesterday morning & this morning was greeted with cold legs & feet so I spent about 1/2 hour doing Ttouch over her ears to support her heart & all over her body for the circulation. She adores Abalone on her torso - her eyes just seem to melt away as she slips into a dream-like state. She’s back as quick as a flash when I go to her front feet though!
Whoever returned the medium t-shirt, thank you. Heidi is now wearing it & it fits beautifully. Meg had got herself into such a state without her jumper that I put her old t-shirt on; it’s about 3 years old now & looks as though the moths have been at it (they haven’t, she’s just run through too many bushes), but within 1/2 an hour you could see her beginning to return to our planet & she actually spent most of the evening cuddled up on the sofa with us which is unusual at the moment. This morning I was greeted with a cheery grin & a very waggy, wet kiss the second I opened my eyes. This is the same Meg who was struggling to get up in the morning & would return to bed at the drop of a hat. It’s almost as though she has lost her protective skin & feels vulnerable when she’s not wearing either her Hotterdog or her T-shirt, but she is so relaxed when she is. I’m very grateful we have them in the house. Perhaps I’ll get her a new one for the summer… Since Heidi has been wearing her t-shirt today she has stopped being a velcro dog; it must have been exhausting for her as every time I moved somewhere she would have to follow. At lunchtime I had to call her over for food for the first time ever! She is so much more chilled in it.
I feel that although Heidi’s extremities have been generally better, there are times when they are so cold that she evidently needs the medication so I have given her a half dose (as suggested by Barbara) so that any potential light-headedness can be coped with more easily. Fingers crossed.
We’re back at the vets this afternoon for a progress report. I wish the surgery was closer - 50 minutes each way can get wearing, but they are SO worth the journey. I shall post something later if there is anything to report.
How’s this for progress:
Heidi has put on weight & is now up to 12.9kg (this is the heaviest she’s been with us); her heart has stopped making the “pinging” noise & is a steady 100bpm which indicates that her heart is definitely under less pressure, although the murmur remains; her wound is healing well & beginning to shed bits of scab (sorry if you’re eating); her mammary growth is much less tight & is more mobile within her skin - Barbara expressed concern that there was a danger of it bursting before (I’m glad she had kept that one to herself). The expression used was “Heidi is doing very well.” Everyone was amazed at how bright & lively she is, & they hadn’t seen her on the grass before we went in where she was having a delightful bounce.
Whatever you are sending Heidi’s way, do please continue if you are in a position to - it really is making an extraordinary difference & she still has a way to go. We are all hugely grateful to everyone. My hope is that others may be inspired by Heidi’s story & establish their own teams of people who can create the same magical healing & supportive environment where the animal or person can get the most out of the treatment they are receiving. It would also be good for others to appreciate what can be achieved naturally, working with the animal & creating a healthy body instead of attacking its natural defences.
My smile is wide. Heidi’s tail is wagging furiously. Meg is grinning & doing helicopter-tails. Moley is giving everyone special Moley kisses. Kugel watches from her spot on the stairs. Tig calls for more food please. Do share our joy.
R x
22nd March - Day 10
Heidi is amazing. The extra dose of herbs each day is doing the trick & her legs are warm & her tongue has lost its blue tinge. Thank you Barbara.
HRH has been really bright & managed a trip out yesterday with my parents to a garden centre. She looked a little flat at one point so I opened the side door of the van & did some TTouch with her. While I wasn’t looking, Meg popped out & went off sniffing around the car park which would have been fine if I’d had a pocket full of treats to get her attention back on me. She’s pretty emotionally wrung out at the moment & was therefore unable to hear me. I realised too late that wasn’t coming back as I saw her tail disappear into the farm shop. I grabbed her lead & trotted in behind. It was one of those moments when you just wanted the ground to open up & swallow you. The shop was heaving. Meg isn’t a people person but hadn’t realised that there were quite so many in there until she’d done one complete circuit, looked up & saw what, or rather, who was around her. You could see the panic wash over her as she dived under one of the display stands. I prayed there was nothing edible under there or there may have been rather more explaining to do when I grabbed the debris from her mouth. It was a good news, bad news situation. Beer bottles all neatly lined up in tidy rows. That was before Meg arrived. She had turned into a snarling wreck who had no idea which way to turn or what to do. I was endeavouring to remain calm as any sign of any kind of emotion tips her right over the edge & you stand NO chance of doing anything with her; this was against the odds as I was getting truly filthy looks from some of the shoppers, & sympathetic ones from others. They perhaps didn’t realise that I knew she wasn’t meant to be in there, even though I was grovelling around on my hands & knees replacing the falling bottles as I went, calling out abject apologies the shop-keeper whilst endeavouring to clip a lead onto a snarling, snapping dervish. I was keeping the image of her flying out from under the stand & snapping at one of the children right out of my mind (that took some doing as she’s more than capable). She was SO scared poor girl. I was relieved to see a quarry tile floor which meant she could skid elegantly across it when I eventually got a hold of her collar. I truly hate dragging a dog over a floor but there really was no option. Once the lead was on her, she suddenly came back to our planet, looked around in wonderment at the devastation then trotted out alongside me as though someone else had done it. Darling Meg, I do love you, but I’m glad I understand you & your ways. I rue the day I vaccinated you & made your brain misfire the way it does.
Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Heidi had launched a successful takeover bid on Meg’s front seat position & was very happily sprawled in the sunshine. I returned to the shop minus Meg & continued grovelling to the shop-keeper (without explaining that my dog truly is a nutter or using the excuse that she’s a rescue (she isn’t) which some people happily fall back on) while I collected up the still rolling bottles to line them up in neat lines once more. Will I ever be able to show my face in there again?
Who's getting the therapy?
Heidi not only managed this trip out but then spent a happy hour wandering around us while we had afternoon tea - terribly civilised, if only you knew. She was very happy to sit with my dad & get some special strokes while she leaned gently in. By late afternoon she was very deeply asleep with her legs in the air back on the sofa & she remained so through the rugby. Her supper was dutifully wolfed then she returned for a snooze. Yesterday was her first walk away from home & it was a total joy to see her trotting happily along the lane. Meg was overjoyed & did her special “happy gallop”, missing out the buzzing part where she invites the other to play by pushing her bum out toward them as she passes. Heidi, as usual, paid her no attention!
My family are completely amazed at how bright she is, & Chris commented on how well she is so soon after her operation. My response was this:-
1. I don’t know of any other dogs who have so many people sending them healing, love & prayers to help them with their recovery.
2. Having a vet whom we trust completely means that we aren’t spending our time worrying about whether there is anything else we could be doing, because we’re already doing it. Also, with our feeling confident, Heidi is going to pick up on this & spend her time getting well instead of worrying about what we might be worrying about.
3. We have the space on our Welsh hilltop for her to get fresh air & no worries about being bothered by people or dogs.
4. She’s an incredibly determined creature who looks as though she’s made a decision to stay & will do all she can to achieve that.
Today she is happy, bright & warm, barking when something interesting happens (like the new lamb by the pond - they say that sheep spend their lives finding new ways to die, but I think this lamb was starting on day one, it was very precarious until it was moved). Her new bark is so strong & deeper than it was. It still fills you with a deep smile as it is an expression of her happiness to be alive.
Blessed be.
21st March - Day 9
Heidi is much brighter this morning but still icy cold in the leg department. I have put her body suit on her after a load of TTouch. Her ears are at least warm now & her legs & feet are less sensitive to being touched; it must be horrible being so cold in the extremities, but very comforting having warm hands make little circles all over you. She was back in her bean bed last night, which she’s not been in since the operation. It is an over-large affair which Meg alwaysstruggled to coordinate her way into & used to try to beat it into submission by stamping her feet all over it!. Heidi just leaps into the middle & she’s set for the night. It was lovely to see her snuggled in.
When Heidi & I returned from the vet yesterday we were greeted by a very anxious Meg who gave us both a very thorough once over. I then realised that normally when I go somewhere either on my own or with HRH that I always explain to Meg where we are going & roughly how long we’ll be. We left in such a hurry yesterday that I said nothing to her. Her demeanour on our return was very much one of the concerned parent, “Where were you? I didn’t know when you were coming back, or, indeed, if you were coming back.”
Meg used to suffer from terrible separation anxiety as a youngster & someone suggested we tell her what we’re doing before we do it & the change was incredible. I could tell her what time we’d be back & she’d disappear to one of the sofas & settle down. If we were ever going to be late back from the time given I’d send her a thought message that we’d been delayed & she’d be fine, but if I didn’t she’d be very anxious on our return. Yesterday’s anxiety was about a lack of information & a mental note has been made; no matter how rushed our exit from the house, we must take a few moments to explain the situation, what might happen, what the consequence could be & any timings. How awful to imagine not seeing your new best friend again. Sorry Meg. It was an oversight.
Heidi is seeing one of her favourite people today; her Grumps (so named by my nephews!). There appears to be a little bit of magic when the 2 are together & I think it will do her good to have some people therapy now she’s ready for it. He will understand what she’s going through as he has had heart problems & an encounter with cancer.
R
20th March - Day 8 & heart stuff
We had an unscheduled trip to the vet this morning. Heidi’s gums were very pale & her legs were icy cold again from first thing this morning & the Carb Veg was making little difference so Barbara suggested I brought her in. Heidi met a beautiful blue merle collie (sporting a TTouch body wrap for her anxiety) in the waiting room but really wasn’t herself today, preferring to stay glued to my side rather than cruising the waiting room for fuss like she normally does. Her temperature was up slightly but nothing else appeared untoward. We are increasing her twice daily dose of Hawthorn & Motherwort to 3x a day for 3 days & if there is no change we have the Fortekor to try. Fingers crossed the herbs do the trick.
I have nothing against conventional medication, but if something can be addressed in a way that it works synchronously with the beings system & helps it to heal itself it has to be preferable. From what I have seen, much conventional medication can upset a natural balance which exists within every body, sometimes requiring further medication to redress the balance, & so on. The joy of working with a holistic vet is you know when conventional medication is suggested, all other avenues have been exhausted & this is the only one to take.
Beverley Cuddy mentioned that John Carter insisted on CV247 animals drinking only bottled water from glass bottles to ensure that they are as chemical free as possible. The herbs which Heidi takes for her heart are in alcohol & I pondered over this with Barbara. On a level playing field (i.e. no heart problem) we would work towards a chemical free existence, but ours is somewhat bumpy so a small amount of alcohol is going to ensure that she’s alive to get the benefit of the CV247! On the water front, we are going hunting for springs this weekend as our well water supports a healthy population of frogs & newts but I’m unsure how good it would be for our little dog (apart from being highly entertaining!). One thing we are not short of in Wales is water…
Plenty of TTouch for Heidi this afternoon & I shouldn’t have mentioned alcohol.
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