Not such good news

A couple of weeks ago, I was watching TV one night, when Polly, who was sleeping nearby, went into a full-on seizure. With no warning, she went rigid, convulsing and drooling; the scariest part was that she stopped breathing. I had no idea what to do or what caused it, but after a few minutes (that felt like an eternity), she came out of it, gasping for breath and disoriented.

I had hoped it was a one-off sort of thing, but a week later, she had another one. Less scary this time, because even though she stopped breathing, I knew it wouldn’t last for long. Still, seizures are not to be ignored, so I took her in to see the vet.

The vet was very straight forward, saying that in dogs this age, seizures are usually caused by brain tumors. We ran some blood tests to rule out other things, and they all came back fine. Which means, in all likelihood, that Polly has some kind of tumor. To be sure, I’d have to take her to the university vet clinic for an MRI, and if I chose to treat her, it would mean radiation treatments there as well.

I’ve chosen not to pursue the MRI/radiation route. Polly is 12 years old, and I just can’t put her through that, especially if it would mean her being away from home for an extended period. Instead, we’ll focus on keeping her seizures under control. She’s started on Phenobarbital and for now, that seems to be working. She hasn’t had a seizure in that last week.

Polly is such a lively dog, full of contradictions. She makes me laugh every single day, but she can also exasperate me to no end. She follows me from room to room, but outside, completely ignores me. Sweet and loving, she can also be very bossy and domineering around other dogs. I don’t know if I’ve ever met another creature who so fully embraces life as she does. Every new activity is greeted with excitement and joy…we’re going outside? Awesome! A car ride? Oh boy! Nap time? ZZZzzzzzzzz

While she has moments where she is Horrible, they are pretty few and far between. She teaches me every day to be grateful and happy for every moment in life. I love her fiercely for that.