update on ted

[dawniy]

hello , sorry I haven't been on for a few days , things have been a bit hectic, Ted has decided that he doesn't mind having legs he can't feel , that whatever he is having to put up with it isn't going to make him stay still ! So we've been having to either make sure he is in his crate or lying on a knee.

We seem to have sussed this expressing thing , I never thought it would get easier , but just like you all said , it has got easier. If I feel with my eyes shut that's seemed to help me locate his bladder(goodness knows why!), and just firm but not hard pressure - it's really a relief to be able to make sure he is safe

His legs are stiff now and he doesn't have any movement in them at all , but we see the odd movement in his tail , Lana seems to get her hopes up over this but I've told her it could be nothing more than a reflex.

I never thought we would be so calm and getting used to living with his FCE but it's so much better than I would have ever imagined.

To anyone starting off in the trauma of a sudden stroke or paralysis type illness - just try to be calm and stick with it , it does get easier and it is so rewarding , you can almost see Ted grinning at all the fuss, he seems to wonder what all the fuss is about!

Thank you all for your support when things were really dark and bleak - you carried us thourh and showed us the way!!

Love Dawniy , Lana and Ted

[GabrielDeafBlindPupFamily]

Good words of advice, dawniy, it is a shock, and you can get used to just about anything. Good for you. Can you try to massage his legs, just to keep a softness to the tone?
Your journey is one of courage, faith and love. Ted's story is inspiring, in that you have come so far right along with him.
Please give us updates...
Best to you.

[Dianne]

Good Morning Dawniy and Lana,

Glad to hear that you are successful at expressing Ted's urine. Are you expressing at least 3 or more times per day? I express more than that to keep Schnitzel's bladder empty. After expressing urine, I always offer an extra drink of water so that he stays hydrated for the next time.

Karen suggested massage. Cindi, couldn't Dawniy bicycle Ted's legs to keep them flexible? Does Ted react at all when you play with his toes? Do you know the nursery rhyme, "This little piggy went to market, this little piggy stayed home..."?

Glad that you are staying positive.

Dianne

[connie]

hi dawniy,lana,
so glad things are easier on you and ted. been thinking of all of you.
but don't give up on little fellow getting more movement. if someone had told me months ago that cricket would get this much better, i wouldn't believe them. keep up the P.T., and move those legs a lot, don't let them get stiff. like dianne said, use the bicycle method. the surgeon and my other vet both told me to do that a lot to keep cricket's legs loose. i also bent his legs a lot, and every time he tryed to cross feet, i undid them and made him stand on all 4's. ted might be contented , cricket was also, but we always want more for our babes.
your doing a great job, and so glad the stress is letting up.
have you done hyrotherapy yet? i fill bathtub 3 times a week and do p.t there. i pray you get the results we all want, our babies walking.
my prayers are with you all.
hugs to you all,
connie and cricket

[dawniy]

Ted's got a lovely picture of him and Lana here http://caring4ted.blogspot.com/
and some more here http://ourlearningtogether.com/?p=182#comments do pop and see us

we're doing well I think , Ted now needs to deal with the fact he can't do everything at the moment , but the pain has gone and he has got his smile back.

we've had some bowel accidents but peeing wise we are doing ok now, indeed better than i ever imagined we could - it was so hard to start with.

today while he was eating his tail wagged from side to side like in slow motion- maybe a reflex or something but we noticed it

thank you all for your support you've really made such a difference for us , and the chicken stock advice has been a real boon !

Dawniy Lana and Ted

[Tiffany]

Hello,
I'm so happy to hear how well things are for you. I just wanted to kind of re-state what everyone says about stretching I know its not the same thing but my dog Eros lost all feeling to his foot due to a nerve injury and when the feeling came back he chewed his toes down to the bone and had to where a bandage for several weeks and I could not stretch his foot once the bandage was off stretching his toes was a major hurdle to get through you want him to be able to move them if he gets the ability to. Sorry to seem like a nag but it really was a tough time trying to get him stretched back out after not moving for so long and I wouldn't want anyone else to have that setback unnecisserily, God knows the last thing any of us needs is setbacks =-).I hope Teds conditoin continues to improve and we wish you the best of luck!
Eros & Tiffany

BTW don't forget his toes when your stretching I overlooked them for too long in the beginning and had to struggle with it then too.