Ms H and Mom please update

Roberta · May 29, 2008, 01:50:33 AM

I and I'm sure others await.........................
Roberta

Barb · May 29, 2008, 07:36:55 AM

Feet and paws tapping here....... we want a report on our girls !

Suzie · May 29, 2008, 07:54:22 AM

Dee is taking Hallie to the neurologist this morning. The drive is very long, so it is a whole day process. Send all your good thoughts and prayers and rayz to Washington today.

Kari · May 29, 2008, 08:16:27 AM

We are thinking of them too!!

tpoof · May 29, 2008, 08:31:25 AM

Allrighty then.... Washington it is.....

cheryl186 · May 29, 2008, 12:23:56 PM

Mega mega prayers and well wishes on their way to Washington

TerriL · May 29, 2008, 03:44:09 PM

Rays and many prayers for Hallie and her mom.

Dee Dee and Hallie · May 29, 2008, 07:41:46 PM

Sorry to be so late posting, Hallie woke me up with diarrhea at 3:30 this morning so we just went ahead on up to the clinic and were there 4 hours early. By the time we got home this afternoon I barely could get into the house and collapse into bed with Hallie.

The Neurologist is now tending to agree with the first one that Hallie does have that dilated spinal cord thing. :( We did not do an MRI since she is feeling good right now again but we are going to treat it as if that is what it is since it most likely is. There is a drug to try that might help. It will keep happening but hopefully the drug will make them farther apart and maybe milder. It is really rare so not a lot is known about it. He said a disc would have been better of course because he could do something about that. It wasn't what I wanted to hear but we'll do the best we can and at least she is feeling good again now. He said no need to crate or confine. Thanks for all of the rays and well wishes.

MimisMomma · May 29, 2008, 07:44:44 PM

Here's hoping the new med will help keep them few and far between!!!! Glad your back home safe and the two of you can rest. Please give Hallie plenty of hugs and kisses from Nebraska!! We all are pulling for the both of you!!!

sollysmom · May 29, 2008, 09:40:49 PM

I do hope that the new medication will help Hallie. I know how hard it is for the both of you. I am keeping you both in my thoughts and prayers. Sending mega rays for a full recovery for Hallie.

Darcel

Roberta · May 30, 2008, 01:51:13 AM

Hope you both sleep well to-night, not what you wanted hear, but give what he suggests a go. Try and not worry as the saying goes "it may not happen"
Sweet dreams you pair.
Da gang

tpoof · May 30, 2008, 06:48:07 AM

OOooo DeeDee,, the trials we go thru...

Of course we'll always be wishing good thoughts for you and Hallie.

Brekkesmom · May 30, 2008, 07:45:03 AM

Wow, Miss Hallie! You're so special, you even have a rare thingy going on when you aren't feeling well! Rays on the way...

cheryl186 · May 30, 2008, 08:43:45 AM

Oh Dee Dee....sure hope and pray the new medication will work wonders for Hallie. I am keeping you both in my thoughts and prayers.

Deb G. · May 30, 2008, 12:13:42 PM

Glad to hear that Hallie is feeling better! We were very worried, and still remain so. As we know through experience with Stormy, sometimes a pharmaceutical is a miracle! We are sending extra rays, and Sophie is sending her best and fanciest licks to you both! Hopefully, this med will produce for Hallie a miracle, like Stormy's did for him. And DeeDee...don't forget to take care of YOU, too!
Deb, Rich, Stormy & Sophie

Dee Dee and Hallie · May 31, 2008, 12:00:49 PM

Thanks you guys, she did a strange thing last night that was a first so am not sure how to interpret it, she was doing very well then she started to act funny, she didn't want to walk and was slow but she could trot ok (which isn't the usual story when she is sore) and she seemed frantic, kept trying to crawl up on me with her tail tucked, would go from bed to bed to bed and back again and under covers which she never does but could never settle. I called the ER and they said to give her a tramadol and a gabapentin (she already had a pred that morning) which I did. She finally settled but it took a long time, so now I'm really worried about what these new symptoms mean. This morning she was trotting along next to me as I was walking with some food and she was looking up at me and ran her head into the door jam. So another huge worry for the day/week/month/milennium.... :( I would have taken her to Dr. Sanders last night if he were in, she had her episode last Friday evening and now this Friday evening both when he won't be back in the office for days!

Every morning I wake up thinking what a nightmare then realizing it is reality. She looks so "puny" to me she has changed so fast and is even more white in her face...every movement looks odd to me now and I'm not sure if it's normal or not. I have never loved anything or anyone like I do this little girl this is just unbearable.

Mel (Mimi's Mom) called me last night which was really nice of her. She is having problems posting and wanted to let everyone know that she is still kicking but she is really in a bad way still without answers so can still use a lot of rays and prayers. She was just put on the same med Hallie just started (gabapentin) although it hasn't helped her yet. And she's taking the same dosage as Hallie which doesn't seem right...I just googled to make sure I wasn't overdosing Hallie and I'm not but makes you wonder if Mel needs a much higher dose...

Barb · May 31, 2008, 12:11:50 PM

DD - my heart breaks for you. The not knowing what is going on is the absolute worst. I just wonder if it is the meds that are affecting her. I am sure it is scary for her. Please-please take care of yourself. You are doing everything in the world possible for your girl. I know how hard it is - and I know that Hallie is your heart.

Just know we are all thinking of both of you and could take the hurt away if we only could.

Lots of love from Texas,
Barb, Rudy, Brandy

Leslie · May 31, 2008, 12:14:56 PM

Quote from: Dee Dee and Hallie on May 31, 2008, 12:00:49 PM
she was doing very well then she started to act funny, she didn't want to walk and was slow but she could trot ok (which isn't the usual story when she is sore) and she seemed frantic, kept trying to crawl up on me with her tail tucked, would go from bed to bed to bed and back again and under covers which she never does but could never settle.

It means she is looking for a place to be where it doesn't hurt. Their little brains don't register that the pain comes from inside them. Loki did the same thing at her first episode and it was (*&^%$ for her to find a place in the yard to poop that didn't register "It hurt when I pooped here last time." Poor Hallie.

so now I'm really worried about what these new symptoms mean. Every morning I wake up thinking what a nightmare then realizing it is reality. She looks so "puny" to me she has changed so fast and is even more white in her face...every movement looks odd to me now and I'm not sure if it's normal or not. I have never loved anything or anyone like I do this little girl this is just unbearable.

It is so terrible and we are praying for you to keep finding strength -- you gotta keep reaching down inside yourself for a while longer. We love you both and continue to send our rays and prayers.

Mel (Mimi's Mom) called me last night which was really nice of her. She is having problems posting and wanted to let everyone know that she is still kicking but she is really in a bad way still without answers so can still use a lot of rays and prayers.

They are on the way!!!!!!!

I do have some good news for at least one of our puppers--Loki is now switched on to "full tilt bonkers". No pain meds today, just anti-inflams. Will withhold the anti-inflams tommorrow and see how this goes. Hang in there, kid.

Roberta · May 31, 2008, 03:15:03 PM

Dee Dee it could be a side effect of the drug, it effects people animals in diffrent ways, most aare seen in the first few days, so it may pass. so hang in there.
Roberta

Dee Dee and Hallie · May 31, 2008, 04:37:21 PM

That is great news on Loki Les. I am so glad she is doing so much better.

Yes I figured Hallie was trying to avoid some pain by her behavior, but it was way different than how she behaved on any of her other pain episodes. So something different was happening to her which is what worries me. It unfortunately wasn't the meds because she hadn't taken the new meds yet when this happened, she had just had a pred that morning and it was her first tapering dose of pred so she had not had a dose the day before. When she started to act this way I called the ER and they said to give her tramadol and gabapentin. So I am still stumped at what was going on to make her so frantic.

She seems to be pretty comfortable today she was out in her xpen while I was mowing the lawn now she is laid across my arms sacked out. I wrote to Dr. Clare Rusbridge in England who is the main researcher for syringomyelia in Cavalier King Charles Spaniels (which is the breed it runs rampant in...very tragic). I told her Hallie's symptoms and that two neuro's have now told me it is not the same kind of syringomyelia that the CKCS get. She wrote a quick note back (as did her Mother/assistant) and both said they don't think Hallie has that kind of syringomyelia either...she said she would write more later but just wanted to shoot a quick email to let me know she got mine and was going to answer. I have so many questions needing answered on this thing. I got the neuro notes today and he did say she should never do any jumping or running...jumping is no problem as we never have but I was very sad to hear about the running she is so joyful and we loved our daily walks she would run pretty much the whole way. :(

cheryl186 · May 31, 2008, 08:44:18 PM

Leslie, I am so glad to hear the good news about Loki...that is wonderful. Many prayers and comforting hugs to Mel. I am praying so hard that her new medication will work for her.

Dee Dee....my heart breaks for you and Hallie. I am saddened that she is not allowed to run anymore....she is just so beautiful when she runs and she enjoys it so much. I hope that Dr. Clare Rusbridge can give you some answers about Hallie's condition. I am continuing to say many prayers for you and dear sweet Hallie. I pray that you both will feel better very soon. I don't know what it is lately but it seems that a lot of us here on WW are having some very bad things happen. I think everyone here needs prayers so that our WW family either stays healthy or begins to get healthy very soon.

DeeanDave · May 31, 2008, 08:50:48 PM

Leslie, glad to hear that Loki is feeling good again!

DeeDee and Hallie -- Rays and prayers are coming your way in full force. Hugs to you both! Dee, Dave, Sarge & Duggie

doxielady5569128 · May 31, 2008, 11:17:16 PM

I'm really sorry I'm so late in replying to this post!! I was gone all week taking care of a four year old. I'm so sorry Hallie is having so much pain!!

I will be praying for both of you.

I would be a wreck if Porky was in that situation.

That is really weird that Hallie and Mel have the same dose of medicine.

Seems strange to me. I just hope it works for both of them!! :xfinger: I too will miss the pictures of Hallie's blissful running.

I am so happy for Les and Loki!! :apls: What a relief that she is doing better.

Sending ultra healing rays from Nebraska to Hallie.

Roberta · June 01, 2008, 12:03:38 AM

Is there any way you could say to hell with the cost and get a phone like up with this Lady with your neutro there, or even just call her and speak to her and record it, as sometimes speaking is easier than trying to get it on paper.
Take it easy.....................
Roberta

Dee Dee and Hallie · June 01, 2008, 09:53:49 AM

Thanks yes I think we need a huge prayer/ray rally on this board lately. How is Zoe doing Cheryl? I've been praying for you 2 also if we lived closer we could share some lorazapam!

That's a good thought Roberta. Cost is certainly not a factor (I would sell my house if I had to!). There is always the risk of bruising egos though, our neuro doesn't feel necessarily stumped (i.e. not looking for answers elsewhere) so I am not sure how he'd take a suggestion to talk to Dr. Rusbridge...and honestly I don't know if Dr. Rusbridge would know more in this case or not. Since the syringomyelia is not the same type she is researching. The snippets of info I am getting from different sources don't all gel, I was hoping I'd see a common pattern and pieces to a puzzle to figure out the answer but I guess there are too many variables for that. Some of the things our neuro says makes sense that it would be the dilation rather than a disc. But some don't. He feels that a disc would not come and go like this and that we'd be seeing some neuro deficits if a disc were causing that much pain which we never have.

I heard from Dr. Rusbridge this morning. What a wonderful lady....her message has me wondering for sure. I wish we had gotten an MRI but everytime we had it available Hallie was feeling better so we chose the conservative route and to rest her and not put her through it. Every time she's had a bout of this pain here, it has been on a Friday night when we couldn't see the neuro for at least 3 days and by then she'd be more comfortable etc. But I am sure an MRI is in her future. I am posting Dr. Rusbridge's comments in the hopes someone somewhere will read this and have been through a similar situation and hopefully have some further insight.

I think I need to know more about the investigative results for Hallie. Am I correct in thinking that she has recently had another myelogram and that this has shown a dilated spinal cord but that the cause for the dilatation is unknown? or have there been other tests such as a MRI scan which reveal the nature of the dilatation? I note that the neurologist stated that there was syringomyelia on the basis of the myelogram however myelogram does not normally show a syringomyelia unless the contrast media happened by chance to to injected into the spinal cord central canal or the syrinx. If it truly did show a syringomyelia then you would need to quality / qualify this better with a MRI scan - e.g. why is there a syringomyelia

the spinal cord can be dilated for 2 reasons
1) it is swollen e.g. impact from a disc or an inflammatory process.
2) there a "space occupying lesion" inside e.g. cyst, tumour, syringomyelia.

In a Dachshund 1 is a more likely explanation. If impact from a disc then the swelling is usually centred / worse over the disc space. If inflammatory then it is likely that the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF( are abnormal. (CSF is a fluid collected at the time of the myelogram and if this has not been done then it would be the next logical step although the results can be affected by the myelogram)

To rule out 2 and to ascertain if there is truly a syrinnx then I would recommend a MRI. Did your neurologist offer this - most have access to one these days? Where do you live? It needs to be a decent quality MRI for a small dog like a Dachshund

Tramadol is a good short term medication for spinal pain. Gabapentin is used for a more long term solution. I think you need to establish better what you are treating.

If Hallie is 7 and has syringomyelia then there is a good chance it could be managed successfully medically however again you need to establish what is the cause.