Another uncomfortable day....

Last night it was hard going up the steps to go to bed again. I stood looking at the bed knowing I can't get up there anymore, but I wish I could. Mom and dad were sad too because they could tell what I was thinking. This morning, the swelling was worse than it's been. There was even fluid on the top of my head, and it doesn't even leave my face anymore. Going down the steps was even hard. I didn't want to eat or even move around. Then dad asked if I wanted to go for a ride. That sounded good. But, getting into the car was hard too. I got my front legs onto the ramp, and then I just stood there. I had to get up enough energy to lift my back legs up. They're huge now too. It's tiring carrying all this extra weight. Even though the ride doesn't make the swelling go away like it used to, it makes me feel better. After we came back, I felt like eating then. It was an uncomfortable day, and the heat makes it worse. I got ice cubes throughout the day. They taste good when it's hot. And, I always get up enough energy to go and have red peppers when mom packs her lunch. Tomorrow I have a session with Chris. Maybe she can help me feel better.

Love,
Casey

"Old dogs, like old shoes, are comfortable. They might be a bit out of shape and a little worn around the edges, but they fit well." - Bonnie Wilcox 'Old Dogs, Old Friends'

Memorial Weekend....

My swelling over the past several days continues to get worse. My face is swollen most of the time now, and there is more in my back legs, chest and belly area. Rides help it go down in my face a little bit, but the swelling doesn't stay down for long. I'm really tired too. When I go up the steps, I have to rest two times until I get to the top. But, mom and dad coax me to go up at night to sleep because it's cooler upstairs. It is so hot outside for me now.

On Saturday, my face was huge when we woke up because it didn't go down much Friday. Mom and dad and I went for a ride in the morning. We went to the farm again and saw the animals, and then we watched two horses. One of them kept running back and forth in the field. Then we found a creek and sat and listened to it and watched squirrels playing. Dad forgot to take the camera along, so we don't have any pictures. Saturday afternoon, mom and dad went away for a big part of the day. Mom's sister Shelly, her daughter Shelby, and Shelby's friend Amanda came to stay with me when they were gone. After they got here, Shelly was crying because it made her sad how my face looked. Shelby and Amanda brought dolls along to play with, and they fed me treats. Shelby held green beans in her mouth instead of giving them to me with her hand. She likes to do that. One of the neighbors called and told Shelly that a skunk was in their yard and was nose to nose with their dog and then was running after their kids. They wanted to warn us to be careful when we went outside. But, we didn't see any skunk when I had to go out. Mom and dad came home for a while and fed me, Tigger and Roo. Tigger didn't want to eat though. Then they had to go away again, and Donna stayed with me later. She was reading, and sometimes she read out loud to me. And, when it got cooler outside, we sat outside for a while, but then I heard gunshots from the gun club and I wanted to go inside. She gave me treats too. I missed mom and dad because they were gone, but I got lots of attention and treats from everybody who stayed with me.

On Sunday, mom and dad had lots of errands to run. They took me along, and we had the air conditioning on in the car. I sat up a lot while we were driving, and every time we stopped at a place, one of them stayed in the car with me. My face went down after that, but it swelled again a few hours after we got home.

Today I felt about the same. Dad was clipping my nails, and he cut one too short, and it was bleeding for a long time. Dad kept holding the styptic pads on, but it kept bleeding. Mom was really upset at first, then she calmed down. She then held the pads on and pushed harder and held my foot up the air. It finally started slowing down, and she got it to stop. Then she took wet cloths to clean the dried blood out of the fur on my foot. She was being so careful so she wouldn't bump the nail. They were afraid it would start bleeding again. After she was done, she laid her head down next to mine, and I was licking her face and hand. I don't usually do that to her. She started to cry then. She said she knew I was saying thank you. Dad went away in the afternoon to a picnic with his relatives, and mom stayed home with me. I was happy when he got home. I don't like it when he's not here. I feel better when everybody is at home.

Till next time...

Love,
Casey

A week of visits....

Things with me are about the same. My swelling seems to be slowly increasing. In the mornings now, I'm not very hungry when I wake up. They told dad that there is probably fluid around my belly so that's why I don't feel hungry. He gets me moving first, and that moves the fluid, so then I feel hungry. I don't go upstairs with mom and dad to bed every night anymore. Most days, I spend a lot of time just lying around, but I sometimes get little spurts of energy and want to play. I look forward to the great food I'm getting and the times when I get to see people.

On Tuesday, some of my friends from Rodale came to MY HOUSE to see me instead of me going to see them. The phone rang, and then dad told me we had to go outside because the girls from Rodale were coming to see me. I ran outside and waited in the alley for them to come. As soon as I saw the car, I was barking because I was so excited. When they got close enough, I could see it was Heather, Linette and Susan. They came into the yard with us. They said they didn't have any treats for me, so dad went inside to get some for them to give to me. They got to see Tigger and Roo at the door too.

Dad took me to Rodale on Thursday morning. A lot of people came out to see me. The usual people like Heather, Linette, Susan, Joanne, Melissa, and Ann were there. Andrea and Sharon came to see me again, and I met someone new -- Dennis who works in the mail room. Marian also came out to see me. Heather had red peppers for me again. I can always count on her to give me treats I love. And, Heather gave me a new ball too. She said it glows in the dark. I'll have to see tonight. Everybody was playing with me with my ball for a bit. I love all the attention everyone gives me. But then I heard a train coming, and I wanted to get back in the car. I don't like those loud noises. Soon after that, we came back home. Mom came home for lunch, and when she left to go back to work, I didn't feel like going outside to her car. It's getting hot for me, and it makes me really tired. When mom came home from work, my face was big again. She gave me ice cubes to chew and then some peanut butter in my bone. That was great, and it helped the swelling in my face go down a little bit. Now I'm just going to rest again.

I hope everyone has a nice, long weekend. Heather, you have a nice vacation next week.

Love,
Casey

Friday wasn't a good day. My face was swollen all day, and I was mopey. Mom and dad took me for a ride, and that didn't even help. I didn't even want to sit up and stick my nose out the window. I didn't even go upstairs to sleep Friday night. My back legs are retaining a lot of fluid now just like my front legs, and there's more in my belly too. It makes it hard to go up the steps.

Saturday morning my face was really huge because it didn't go down much Friday, and it grew bigger over night. In the afternoon, mom was in her garden and flower beds so I sat outside. My face got better, but I didn't have much energy. We all went for a ride later in the day, and I got a little more energy and was happier after that.

Today was another so-so day. I don't seem to have a lot of energy the past few days like I did in the middle of last week. Mom and dad are upset because they try to get me to play, and I don't want to. I understand that this is the natural progression of this disease. Not much else to say.

Love,
Casey

Rodale visit, but later scary thunderstorms....

Yesterday was an ok day. The morning started out good. After we all had breakfast, mom, dad and I went for a ride. They went into a building, and I could see them through the window. They wanted me to come in, but I didn't want to get out of the car. Then we went to see my friends at Rodale. Thank you, Heather, for having peppers for me again. You're swell! When we got back, mom and dad went away by themselves, but they told me they would be back for lunch. After lunch, mom was gone in the afternoon, and I was in the basement with dad while he worked. Then thunderstorms came. I don't like them. I was uneasy then. After dinner, mom and dad had to go away again. They're leaving me alone more than they were. I don't like being alone. I like to be with people. When they came back, my hips hurt, and it hurt when I walked. Mom was worried. She told dad I was walking funny. Dad said maybe I was stiff. Then they kept trying to get me to walk, and it did start to feel better.

This morning dad had to coax me to eat breakfast until we got to the good stuff in the can. My face is swollen again. I have had some pretty good days, so I have to expect that they won't all be good.

Have a good weekend, everyone.

Love,
Casey

Another pretty good day....

Yesterday was a pretty good day. We had a session with Chris, and I felt better after that. Some of the things Chris does are animal communication, energy work, kinesiology, and reiki (on humans too). We found Chris through Anita Curtis who also does animal communication. Anita has helped mom and dad know when I was having pain and other problems that they didn't know about. See links to their websites on the right side of the page under Links.

I didn't have very good days on the weekend, and Chris helped mom and dad realize that I was upset because dad was stressed about his one job. And, when dad was relieved, I was happier too. I try to talk to mom and dad, but sometimes they don't get it, and that's when Anita and Chris help them out. Chris also let mom and dad know that I really don't like one of the Chinese herbs because it's bitter. She also told them I do want to keep taking it though because it seems to be helping. I had more energy yesterday after the session too. We went to pick up dad's car at the garage, and before dad could set up the ramp, I jumped right into the car like I used to. It felt great to be able to do that again. Also, I've been having trouble going up the stairs at bedtime. Last night, I went right up the stairs without hesitating or stopping. I seem to be slowly feeling better and better.

Today when I woke up, my face had a little swelling, but less that it has been. It looks like today might be another good day.

Have a good day, everyone.

Love,
Casey

Today was a little better...

This morning I had an appetite when I woke up. My face stayed swollen for over half the day, and I didn't feel like doing much. But, later in the day, the puffiness went down, and I had more energy. I played tug with dad a little bit. After dinner, we went to see Dr. Donna. She adjusted me and made me feel better. She said because of the larger amount of swelling on my left side, it's causing my muscles to work harder on that side and is moving bones in my spine. This is the first time she has seen me since I'm taking the Chinese herbs. She says it is working. She said the fluid is not so dense and hard. It is more like liquid now which is a good thing because that will help it to be moved out of my body. When I came home after seeing her, I wanted to play more. Thank you, Dr. Donna, for making me feel better.

Dr. Donna brought her dog, Zia to the vet because she has had diarrhea for over a week. We all hope and pray Zia will be ok.

Mom wanted to share the following quote with everyone. She heard it from her friend, Laurie Shenkman who lost her golden, Hank at the end of March.

"If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went." - Will Rogers

Love,
Casey

A not so good day....

Today when I woke up, my face was really puffy and I wasn't hungry. Dad waited about an hour and tried to feed me again. He and mom were trying all different things to get me to eat. They did manage to get all my medicines in me either by putting them down my throat or mixing them with food. But, then my good food tastes yucky. I didn't want to do much today either. I did better with food and meds at lunch and dinner, but I just felt blah today. Mom was telling dad she thinks the humidity must be affecting me because the temperatures are low.

I must go to bed now. Last night I had a hard time going up the steps. I hope tonight is easier, and tomorrow is a better day.

Love to all,
Casey

Friends, Playing, and More New Friends.....

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Thursday and Friday were good days. The swelling is still there, but I had energy. I even did a bit of a slow run in the yard both days. We went to Rodale on Friday morning, and there were signs in the window where Heather, Linette and Susan sit. In the pictures, you can see a picture of me focused on the door waiting for everyone to come out and see me. The usual people came out to see me, and Heather had peppers for me again. Later in the day on Friday, dad and I were playing tug with my sheet and towel. I love to play tug, and I'm happy I have the energy to do it again. Mom and dad said I have spunk in my step again.

Saturday was kind of a mopey day, but I didn't feel as bad as before I was taking the Chinese herbs. Saturday evening, we went for a ride back to the Da Bar farm. Lots of animals were out this time. They were near the barn and came running to the fence when we got there. They must have remembered our car. We were watching them, and a lady named Ann Miller who lives nearby came to feed them. Her horse and two pigs live on the farm. She told us the names of a lot of the animals. Mom was trying to write them down, but she missed some of them. The ones she got were: the two pigs are Millie and Winston (dark pig), the big goat with the huge horns is Ying, the chicken is Spike, the donkey is Lollipop, the white goat is Frosty, and the small black goat is Silverado. Mom says sorry she missed the names of the other goats. Ann told us she's a 1st grade teacher. Her horse is used to do carriage rides. They do the rides in Emmaus for the Old Fashioned Christmas. They also do hayrides and are available to rent for parties and other events. The name of the man who owns the farm is Dave, but I didn't catch his last name. They were coming back with the horse and carriage from an event in Lansdale. We didn't get a picture of Ann's horse because he went from his trailer into the barn. It was starting to thunder, and I got scared so I laid down in the car. The horse you see in the pictures is one we saw after we left the farm. Dad was trying to take his picture, and he kept walking along the fence. Dad had to keep backing up to try to take his picture. It was getting dark then so we went home.

Today was an ok day. I wasn't super mopey, but I didn't have as much energy as I did Thursday and Friday. Donna came, and I started barking and running to her, and I got a dizzy spell. Mom had to hold me steady until it passed. Dad came out in the middle of it, and he held onto me too. She wasn't here long. She came back later again, and she was hiding something behind her back. I knew it was for me. It was sardines. Dad said they're gross, but I loved 'em. Nothing else exciting happened today, but I got great food again. I don't really like those Chinese herbs (sometimes I spit it out), but the liver and the meaty stuff I get now are awesome. Mom has vacation this week, and she has a lot planned, and dad is really busy with work now too. But they said we'll try to get to Rodale to visit one day. Enjoy the pictures!

Till next time...keep love in your heart!

Casey

A Day of Road Trips to my Drs....

Today was a good day. Even though it was pretty warm outside, I had energy and wanted to play. Maybe that yummy liver is giving me energy. Dad and I played a few times today. First in the morning after mom left for work we played, then we went to Dr. Cummings to pick up pills for me. Then we came back and dad worked until lunch time. After lunch, dad worked again. Late in the afternoon, we went to see Dr. Draper again. He thinks the swelling in my chest and belly is less dense than it was last week. My weight was the same so that probably means no more fluid accumulated (big word for a dog, huh!) since last week. He didn't stick me with any needles today, he just felt my body and listened to my heart. Now he gave me two more Chinese herbs that are supposed to attack the tumor. And, because of him, I get to eat all these yummy foods. I guess he's an ok guy.

When mom and dad were having dinner, mom said there were baby birds coming to the feeders now. She said some of those birds could have been born on my hair. That's cool -- those birds are comfy and warm thanks to my hair. :)

Till next time, be happy!

Casey

Liver, Chicken, Sardines...Yum Yum!

Sorry, I haven't done updates for a few days. The days were mostly the same as usual. I get some energy, but mostly I rest.

My face was swollen again this morning. Dad took me for a ride because that usually helps the swelling go down. It did again. On the way back, we stopped at Rodale, one of my favorite places. So many people come out to see me. Today I met two new people -- Sharon and Andrea. They came out with Heather, Susan and mom. Then Joanne, Mel and Dennis came out too. I missed you, Linette. They said you were home because your son was sick. I hope he's feeling better. Mom didn't feel well yesterday either. She came home from work and went to bed without eating dinner. I could never do that. Food is one of the things that makes me feel better. Oh yeah, I forgot, thanks Heather, for bringing me red peppers again when we were at Rodale. And, tell Barb thank you for cutting them special for me. I'm getting to eat all kinds of good stuff since we went to Dr. Draper. He told mom and dad stuff to feed me to give me certain vitamins and iron. I got liver for dinner tonight, and I had sardines yesterday. And I got a new canned food that has chicken and turkey in it. Yum, I loved them all.

Dad talked to Dr. Draper today. He told him that there hasn't been much change since we started the Chinese herbs and vitamins. We go to see him Wednesday again because he has some other ideas to try. Even though I'm not feeling much different, I am enjoying the new foods I'm getting to eat.

Till next update...thank you again to everybody for caring about me.

Casey

Hot, Yucky Day...

Today wasn't a good day. I woke up with a swollen face, and it stayed like that most of the day. It was hot for me too. I didn't want to go outside, didn't want to play or chew bones. I didn't want to do anything. The heat makes me feel really tired and worn out. When it started to cool down this evening, I finally started to feel a little better. But, I'm still tired. I got up from a nap to do an update. But, I think I'll go lie back down again.

Pigs, Goats, Horses, Chickens and Friends... Oh My!

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On Monday, we went to Dr. Draper. We were there most of the afternoon. He gave me some new vitamins and minerals and some Chinese herbs that could help me have more energy and reduce the swelling. When we dropped mom off at work, Heather and Linette came out and brought me water and red peppers. They are so good to me. That tasted really good, and they knew just what I needed. We got to see pictures of Hailey's and Bella's doghouse that Heather built. It's really cool! Check it out in the pictures.

On Tuesday when I woke up, there wasn't much swelling in my face, but it got worse later in the day. But, I had energy that day. When mom came home, we were all playing. I was even fetching my squeaker ball for a little bit in the house. Dr. Donna called to see if Dr. Draper thought he could help me feel better. She is always so concerned about me.

Today my face was big when I woke up. I felt mopey and didn't feel like doing anything. I got an email from Heather this morning checking in to see how I was feeling. That made me feel a little better. She's always concerned about me too. Then dad took me for a ride on country roads again. We drove by farms and saw horses, goats, a pig, and a chicken. The goat had big things sticking out of the top of its head. It made me laugh. The chicken kept staring at me, and it was following us along the fence. Dad drove real slow and took pictures. Then we saw two horses far down in a field, then they came up to the fence to see us. My swelling went down a little bit after the ride. I didn't feel like doing much after that. I had a little more pep when mom got home. We went outside after dinner, and I was chewing a big stick. Tigger was out too, and mom had to keep chasing her because she would try to run out of the yard. Roo was on the upstairs porch. She doesn't come out in the yard with us. I think she's afraid, and she feels safe on the porch upstairs. I'm antsy now. I'm just pacing in the basement. Gotta go do something. Bye for now.