Day 1 5/13/11 - Gold beads

My mom and dad took me to the vet and found out I had wobblers disease. I started having more symptoms from my waddle, hanging my neck low, dragging my feet when I walk and recently walking on my back knuckles. Wobblers can cause paralysis so it was important to have a procedure on my neck and spine. Doctors wanted to do spinal surgery which was scary for me and my parents. Mom searched online for other options and found Dr. Durkes in Marion, Indiana that does a procedure called gold bead implants where these beads are implanted at acupunture points in the neck with a high percentage of success. I guess dogs from all over the world visit him for this procedure and I met another doberman there from Virginia the same day I was there. So instead of the major spinal surgery with lengthy recovery, we tried the alternative method. Dr. Durkes shaved my neck and inserted the beads. Mom and dad came back to get me in a couple of hours. I was embarrased because I looked a little funny because I had a huge, thick neck brace on. But I got up on my own and walked out to the car. I was a little tired but feeling pretty good. Time to go back home.

Day 2

Saturday was a good day. I've been up and outside and trotted back to the door feeling pretty good except I still can't figure out this thing on my neck. I look like one of those wrinkle dogs because my face is all squooshed forward. But I feel good. The doctor said I'll have to wear this for 2 to 3 weeks and if the procedure worked, we should start seeing all my symptoms go away in about 1 to 2 weeks.

Day 3 - It's raining!

It's another good day but it's raining outside so what does that mean for me? It's not bad enough I have this funny looking brace around my neck but Dr. Durkes said it can't get wet so when it rains (which it's doing today) I have to wear a plastic bag over my brace. I don't like it! But oh well, I look funny anyway!

Day 4

I feel great! Mom's been taking pictures of me in my funny looking neck brace. I think she put one here on my page. Don't laugh when you see it!!

Another good day

Not much to report because I'm still feeling good! Yea!! I'm sad that my sister had to have knee surgery though. Mom said she'll be home tomorrow and I can't wait to see her. I think she's going to be sore though so I'll probably leave her alone so she can sleep and get better. Hey, there's a delivery man at our door...gotta go bark...

Day 6

It's raining again so on went that silly trash bag around my brace so it doesn't get wet when I go outside. I hope none of my friends are outside to snicker at me! Mom says I'm holding my tail up more and don't seem to be waddeling as much. It's still a little early but she has high hopes that she's seeing some good signs from the gold bead implants already. Dr. Durkes is going to call on Friday to discuss my progress so we should know more then about his thoughts. My friends are keeping their paws crossed for me that I'm going to get all better. Destiny's coming home today, yea!!!! I've missed my sissy. Aahh, mom's scratching under my neck brace, heaven.

Thanks

Thanks to my paw pals for all your well wishes. I'm pretty tired today and trying to find a comfy spot to go to sleep. Trying to move my bed around so I can lay on the floor and lay my head up a little higher on my bed so it's a little more comfortable with this big silly thing on my neck. Mom said I'm still dragging my piggies a little which isn't great, but it's still early. We want all the old symptoms to go away and Mom keeps telling me she has faith they will. They have to because I just don't want spinal surgery. So pals please keep on keeping your paws crossed for me because we'll know over the next one to two weeks how successful these gold beads are going to be. Guess what, I just sent a loving woof over to my sissy Destiny telling her to get better too. Her leg hurts and she looks at me with sad eyes. Mom's got her hands full with us two!!

Beautiful Day

Wow, the weather's really nice today. Mom and I walked down the street to get me a little bit of exercise. I didn't see any of my friends out except a little dog across the street who kept announcing to everyone that I was out and to look at me! Mom loves to walk with me and tells me I'm a really good girl because I walk just ahead of her and if I get a little too far, I turn around and wait for her or come trotting back beside her. Mom talked to the doctor today since it's been one week since the implants for my Wobblers. She told him I still waddle for a few steps but then I do a little hop skip and a jump and start walking with my back legs straight. But, I'm still dragging my piggies a little. He said I'm still shifting my weight from my back onto my front legs so I need to overcome that but he was pleased to hear about my hind legs. I know this is going to work and my family keeps thinking really good thoughts. Time to go, I need to put my head in Mom's lap and see if she'll scratch under my brace. Yea, that's heaven!

Up and down

It's been a strange couple of days for me. Two days ago, I was feeling great and Mom took me for a short walk and I was running ahead and being really playful and was very happy and upbeat all day long. But then I wasn't feeling very good yesterday. I've been laying off by myself and when we walked down the street a couple of houses, I was dragging my front feet a lot and walking next to Mom instead off on my own. Mom said I've been acting mopey and is a little worried about me. My sissy was playing with her toys yesterday so she seems to be feeling a little better. She crawled over to me yesterday and we sniffed noses. I wish Mom would have had her camera cause that would have been a cute picture of us two girls. I'm not sure how I'm feeling yet today because it's my nap time this morning so I'm a little tired. Yawn...

Stubble

Ok, don't laugh, but I think my hair's coming in but in little stubble patches! I still have my neck brace on and my neck is shaved under there, but part of my back is shaved too and Dad said I'm starting to get some stubble but not all over yet. Hhmm, so it's not bad enough I look like I stuck my head through a toilet paper roll, but my hair's coming in funny too. But I'm a happy go lucky little girl so it won't bother me so long as no one points and giggles! Destiny was sniffin my stubble today but she knew better than to laugh!