Cory's Story

I submitted my manuscript almost a month ago and am still waiting to hear back.  In the meantime, for those of you who have asked that I bring the focus of this blog back to canine epilepsy, here is a snipet from the book:

“We hoped that there would not be another seizure, but there was, not even two months after the first Grand Mal.  We took Cory to his regular vet in Seattle and explained about the 2 seizures he’d had, and we had a full work up done. Everything was negative which meant that Cory had no brain tumor, no thyroid levels off, absolutely nothing physical that could explain why he was having seizures.  So he was diagnosed as having idiopathic epilepsy, and we were advised to keep track of the seizures to see how often they were and if we could determine any possible triggers.  I, of course, became the appointed seizure keeping secretary.”

We found that it is very helpful to keep a seizure log.  For me, it helped me stay honest about the seizures because my mind wanted badly to be in denial about them.

Hi everyone! I hope you had a great weekend =)

I recently got done sorting each blog post thus far into appropriate categories. Since Cory’s story is all about canine epilepsy (and more recently, cauda equina syndrome), I wanted to make this blog an easy resource for anyone else who has dogs suffering from either affliction. There are two new navigation buttons at the top which allow you to filter blog posts by cauda equina, or dog seizures. I will be adding new content to each of these categories regularly with the hopes of this blog becoming not only a way to update you all on Cory’s condition and the progress of the book Sandy is writing, but also a valuable resource for all dog owners.

I visited home this weekend and was delighted to see Cory. I can tell that he has made progress, and I took a video to show you all his condition so you can see for yourself. I will post the video very soon =)

Hey everyone, I know you’re waiting on news about Cory, but I’ll let Sandy make that update since she has more information than I do, but I can tell you that it’s great news =)

But for now, I wanted to let you all know that Cory’s Story now has a Google Buzz profile, so if you want to stay easily updated on Cory’s Story but you’re not a big fan of Twitter, Facebook or RSS feeds, you can connect with us on Gmail! You’ll also notice a new button to the left of every post, which you can click to easily share Cory’s Story with your friends on Gmail. We have zero followers right now, so it would really make our day to connect with some of you on Gmail Buzz!

http://www.google.com/profiles/mrcorysstory

As most of you know, “Cory’s Story” is the name of a book that I am writing.   I have most of it done, and am now  in the process of “fine tuning” it.   I had lunch today with Shirley Enebrad who recently published her book “Over the Rainbow Bridge” which is one of my favorite books of all time.  Shirley shared with me some of her experiences about writing and publishing a book, and she is going to refer me to her publisher.   I am hopeful that “Cory’s Story” may be ready by mid to late summer.   Coincidentally, Shirley’s story is also about a “Cory,” whose life experiences will positively affect anyone who reads it.   Here is a link to her website, and you can purchase her book at amazon.com.     Check out the reviews of her book on amazon.com!!  While you are waiting for “Cory’s Story”  I strongly recommend that you read “Over the Rainbow Bridge”!

www.overtherainbowbridge.com

Cory is getting close to his 13th birthday, and has some pain issues relating to arthritis and joint inflammation.  We have tried a few different prescriptions, the most recent being Rimadyl.   We have an appointment to see Cory’s vet this coming Monday to see what his other options might be, because the Rimadyl isn’t giving the relief he needs and is causing him nausea.  He still has spunk and energy and wants us to play with him every evening when we get home.  If any of you have any tips to pass along, Cory would be very grateful.

Cory and I have many traditions together, but one I really look forward to is our Christmas Eve night walk. Every Christmas Eve for the last several years, around midnight, we walk to Arbor Heights Elementary, which is where I went to school from Kindergarten through 5th grade. Of course, we all have fond memories of our childhood, and going back to the huge playground there always brings back great memories for me and Cory.

A couple years ago, it snowed heavily on Christmas Eve, and Cory and I had a blast trudging through the snow, which was so deep that Cory had to bounce his way through it, up to his belly in snow.

Before we turn around and head home, we love to sit atop the hill and absorb the peacefulness all around with the Christmas lights, silence, and the moonlight.

What are some of your favorite traditions with your dog? I’d like to hear about them!

“The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, not to worry about the future, or not to anticipate troubles, but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly”  — Buddha (after incarnating from his previous life as a dog…)

I would love to share what we can do to make our dogs more comfortable as they age.  Cory loves to get up on our bed in the morning so he can get his hugs and sleep by us while we read the newspaper.  Over the past few months his body won’t let him jump up or down, so we invested in a sturdy but portable set of carpeted stairs which we set at the foot of the bed.  Cory was afraid to use it at first, until I put him on his leash.  For some reason he goes up and down without hesitation as long as I have it attached.  We would hate to miss out on those mornings with Cory next to us, and I am very pleased with the steps we bought.  Please share your tips with us!

Hey all, just wanted to say hi real quick. Sandy and Jay are on vacation for a week, so Cory and I are holding down the fort until they get back. I went home to feed Cory and play with him tonight and he seemed more energetic than usual! We went for a walk and talked about life, and it was a great time. I’m feeling a little under the weather though, so I’ll stop here and update more soon.

By the way, Sandy brought her laptop with her on vacation and is hard at work continuing to write Cory’s Story!