The Winning Numbers

Since Sunday we haven't really been doing much. Mom went to work Sunday-Tuesday night so we did a lot of sleeping. Yesterday we slept most of the day and then we took a short trot while mom and dad rollerblading up the road to the pool, around one short block, and back home. We haven't been in a while and Cole and I had our tongues hanging to the ground by the time we got back! When we got back, I got my meds and went back to bed and Mom and Dad went to visit Gramma Kat. This morning we got up around 10...well Mom did, but Cole and I were up chasing the cats around 8 and 9. They are so fun to chase! They growl and make those funny hissing and spitting noises! Anyway, Mom attempted to give me my Pepcid in some wet dog food and I just was not having it. No way! Ick! I know there is something better in that fridge! "She's holding out on me", I say to myself, and sure enough, wet cat food is presented to me! That's more like it! I'll eat that almost anytime! Oh, I can be such a little s#%& sometimes! Hey, gets me what I want, I know when you people are holding out. Just give up the goods the first time!
I'm a pretty smart pup and know when there is something better! But, I think Mom suspected something may be off when I also was not interested in my kibble this morning, even after she put some of our Natural Balance Dog Food Roll crumbled on it...I picked those pieces out and left the kibble. I heard Mom mention to the doctor that she thinks my appetite was less than desirable b/c she didn't give me enough Hydrocortisone for my activity level yesterday. Still tweaking and learning what I need. Wish I could speak human. Why can't you people learn to speak dog, for Pete's sake? You domesticate us and ask us to live with you and be your companion but refuse to speak our language?!? Ya'll wonder why we have so many problems? Just kidding..but not really. I digress, on with the story.
I got 10mg of Hydrocortisone this morning to account for my 2 vet visits. I usually get 7.5mg but since I was maybe lacking from yesterday and then going to be stressed out today with the 2 vet appointments, Mom gave me a wee bit extra. I'm sure it may have made her feel better and I suppose it helped me too, but man, I was thirsty and peed a bit more today than normal! Not like a couple weeks ago, though. Every 2-3 hours out to pee and then more to drink, that was just ridiculous.
My first stop of the day was the doctor that does my acupuncture. She said I looked a lot better and was impressed with my mood and how inquisitive I was with stuff in her room. She was glad to see that I was interested in giving her some love too. Last time, I just laid on the floor the whole time..and I hate laying on hard floors! I got my acupuncture and she looked at my tongue and felt my pulses, palpated my neck, and felt my back. Hey, give me a massage while you are at it! She mentioned my tongue was still pale which indicates a blood deficiency but she doesn't want to help strengthen my blood yet b/c the antioxidants may be too hard on my gut and we are still working on strengthening that! One thing at a time please people! She still felt some "heat" (yang) in my pulses and in the lumbar area of my back (could've been from my little jog yesterday). The whole Yin/Yang theory is interesting and is also a balancing act within the body, when one is out of whack, the other takes over and an illness is born. The link on the yin/yang is very interesting and explains it all very well. Take a look, fascinating and something worth considering! Back to the rest of my story! Apparently, the pulses she felt heat in on my first visit and with this one are connected to my gut and I still need to work on strengthening that...thus the supplements of 6-gentlemen (Xiang Sha Liu Jun Wan) and Gastriplex that I take. One was just added today, but I haven't started, Gui Pi Wan. Guess my pale tongue has something to do with the addition of this one! Before I close this portion of my entry, I wanted to better explain the traditional Chinese medicine (very interesting site that I linked to the words to the left, navigate the site if you are interested in TCM or more explanations of what I am talking about) :

"TCM is a holistic approach to health which views the patient as an organism with interrelated energetic parts rather than breaking the individual down into separate systems and symptoms. Holistic Medicine is an approach that considers the animal as a whole... body, mind, spirit, diet and environment. It can be Eastern, Western or Integrated in its basic philosophy and still be holistic. " http://www.veterinaryacupuncture.net/

Somewhat off subject but neat and made me believe more in this mumbo jumbo was when the doctor was petting Cole, I mean literally brushed her hand over his lumbar area in passing, she said "OOOH, he has some heat right there." Now here's the cool part, not cool for Cole, but anyway, Mom said, "Where?" and the doctor showed her, and Mom replied, "That is so funny you say that b/c for a couple weeks he has been lifting his back left paw and limping at times, still runs and plays, his leg and paw are non tender to touch, but he has been laying around a lot more and sitting a lot more like he hurts back there." Reminder: Mom didn't mention this to the doctor until right then. Pretty cool, huh?? The doctor massaged Cole's back and told Mom to do that at home and do some heat and cool pack therapy. Maybe there is something to all this zen, yin, yang, chi, qi stuff after all!
Well, my second stop involved a needle of a different kind! Time to get some blood drawn and see what was happening in my xue (blood). My sodium was 157 (norm 144-160), potassium 4.3 (norm 3.5-5.8) . My ALT, a liver enzyme test, was elevated at 155 (norms are 10-100 at my vet office..every office can have a slightly different normal value range depending on their machine). The ALT (alanine transaminase) is an enzyme found in liver cells and when the liver is damaged (by drugs, illness, drug overdoses) this enzyme leaks into the blood and is measured as high. It increases dramatically with illnesses such as hepatitis and drug overdoses such as Tylenol. In my case, I have been hit with high doses steroids and am now just finding my "physiologic" dose and the ALT is expected to be high. Of course, I am on an herb to combat that too, Milk Thistle, which is a liver protectant and has been proven to stimulate new liver cell growth. I am due to go back in 13 days for my next set of labs and another Percorten-V shot. My intervals between shots may be more or less, depending on how it breaks down in my body. My dose may increase or decrease also. I have been told that it could take a year or so to learn what I require and we are just taking it one day at a time! OH! I weighed 137 lbs today which is up 7 lbs from my visit last week. I must be retaining a little water! Do I look bloated to you? Damn steroids!! Can't live with 'em, can't live without 'em!
Ok, guess what? Time for me to go crawl in my mom's side of the bed! We have a big day planned for tomorrow! A big day of sleeping! I'm going to get started now! Thank you and good night! Atlas has left the building!