Carmella Gets Neurological Referral

Today the phone rang. It was Jocelyn from Dr. Norwood's office calling to let me know the paperwork had been completed for Carmella's referral to Ga. Veterinary Specialists. It had been a long time coming and I was relieved that finally we would get to the bottom of the myelin damage causing her constant jerking and atrophy of the leg.

As it turned out transportation was really the biggest barrier because I had only two people I could ask and finances and health problems were preventing one of them from driving more than two trips, and the other one's job prevents her from going until later in the day, and even then only on Thursday and Fridays because she takes work home with her three of 5 days every week.

The policies dictating when GVS does certain things narrowed it down even further, but finally after several hours of vascillation and negotiation we came up with a workable plan and set the date for March 18th at 11:45 AM. Carmella will see  veterinary neurologist that day for an exam and most likely will have to come back another day for the MRI and any other tests.

I spoke on the phone with a very nice woman who told me that although they usually don't do this it's possible that something can be arranged the same day once I get her in there and talk to the vet if the radiology people can fit her in that day. This has taken so long to arrange that it would be nice to get it all out of the way in the same day, especially since I won't be picked up for several more hours after her exam.

Apparently they will put her under general anesthesia during the MRI so that she won't move, and it takes 2-3 hours because the MRIs they use for dogs are less powerful than the ones used for humans so it takes longer to get all the pictures. The neurologist might order other tests and will give me a price quote ahead of time once it's established all the tests she's going to need.

Since the time I called over a year ago when Carmella needed the CSF procedure they have added a new neurologist that used to be an intern and decided to specialize. I was thrilled to hear this, as the other one wasn't very interested in helping Carmella before. I hear this one is very open-minded, so that is who I made the appointment with.

I took some really cute pictures of Carmella tonight. As she often is she was chewing on something in many of them.

For some reason she seemed to be particularly hyper tonight and wanting to chew on my arms. I threw a rubberized dumbell for her to fetch that she'd stripped of the outer surface long ago, and I played tug of war with her for awhile until we both were worn out.

Hopefully she'll sleep well tonight after all that exercise and won't jump off the bed at the crack of dawn as she sometimes does when I'm not awake enough to get up.

This morning was one of those rare days that she stayed curled up beside me until around 12:00 noon. I needed the rest anyway after the long hours I'd worked the day before getting a wedding order completed.

This morning I wasn't feeling so well and needed to stay in bed until the pain in my back, stomach, and legs subsided.

I had also stayed up around the clock one night getting a bunch of my jewelry ready to go to a store. I am going to prepare another batch this month also in hopes that I can make a decent amount of money this month. There will be alot of money to raise given the upcoming medical expenses for Carmella.

I see it is 3:30 in the morning already so I'll get this posted and then get some sleep and promote this entry later on today. If any of you find it in the meantime please feel free to post your comments! If you aren't yet following and you would like to keep up with Carmella's progress please do so. Things should be getting very interesting in the coming weeks and months!

Happy Birthday, Carmella!

Well, time sure has flown! Carmella is 2 years old today. She still looks and behaves much like a puppy, but sure enough she's all grown up.

I took some more beautiful shots of her.

This dog has a real sense of humor, and a presence which is almost human.

Sometimes I wonder whether she understands alot more about what's going on than I even realize.

On Saturday I went with a friend to Dr. Norwood's office when she was taking her dog in and got a chance to ask him whether he'd put in the referral for Carmella's MRI. He'd been sick with the flu that's been going around this winter, but told me he was going to get on it now and that somebody  at the specialty clinic could help pave the way for the MRI and a full neurological work-up.

Tonight while I was taking pictures of her eating she put her right front leg in that position I sometimes see in which her arch flattens almost all the way to the floor. I snapped a picture just before she moved it.

I hope we can get the right people on this to repair the damage. There are at least a few other dogs who could also benefit from this help if we can identify which of the various techniques will be the most effective.

Over the weekend I was reading alot of journal articles about stem cell transplant techniques, and there seem to be several versions currently being used. Luckily for Carmella, many of these are being done currently in dogs or at least are not illegal for use in dogs right now!

One foundation completely devoted to stem cell techniques and technology has put together a team of the top specialists in the world who are on the cutting edge of research in the field. Each of these specialists have their own sub-specialty and focus within stem cell research. Some of them are physicians for humans, and some are PhD level scientists. I plan on contacting some of them to see whether they can help brainstorm and solve Carmella's problem.

I didn't have a gift to give her today, but if we can restore her to the way she was before Distemper uprooted her life, that will be the best birthday present anyone could wish for.

Update on Carmella

On February 12th we had about 4 inches of snow here and I took some beautiful pictures of Carmella in it! She really had a great time running around in it. I'd been meaning to post these for awhile but have been so swamped making new products for my Etsy shop and working on getting Carmella's MRI arranged that I haven't had a chance until today.

I'm waiting for Dr. Norwood to get the necessary paperwork done because the clinic that has the MRI machine requires a referral to get an appointment with them. This MRI is way overdue, as I had wanted to have one done before she was treated for Distemper 16 months ago, then later to see if there was any documented healing of damage that was done to the CNS by the virus.

 Her stem cells have repaired some of the damage on their own (her back left leg) but since this is still new territory it is anybody's guess just how much damage will repair without help and when the endpoint is. Even Dr. Sears doesn't know what to expect. Like man's first walk on the moon, it seems Carmella's journey is a voyage of mystery.

I remain concerned about the awkward way she has had to hold her right, front leg for the past year to balance while it's constantly jerking, and the changes to the wrist that have taken place.

Seeing her run like a jackrabbit across the yard in the snow the other day made me realize just how precious that is and I don't want her to get to the point that she can't do that anymore. It would be a tragedy after all this if atrophy left her even more disabled than when she had Distemper.

In every other way she is healthy and robust.  It is hard to know until we look at the brain and spinal cord whether the problem is all demyelination, whether scar tissue has complicated the neural pathways (or both). I just wish that I had the appointment set up so that we'll have an answer soon. I'm going to call Dr. Norwood again today to see whether the wheels are in motion, and hopefully get that referral done today.

I'm finding it hard to think of anything else even while I'm working on other things. Sales have been at a standstill this month so far and I don't know why. Had I been making better sales her bill could have been paid off by now. I'm looking into the possibility of doing two indoor shows, but they're at least a month or so away, if I can arrange it. I'm also keeping my eyes peeled for new stores to carry my work.

I'm still collecting Carmella's fur for the miniature I'm making of her. I have the wire armature frame made and next I will add the core wool. Here is a picture;

My plan is to make a number of different miniatures of dogs who have been cured of distemper the way Carmella has.

Squirrels have taken up residence in my attic and they wake Carmella up as soon as it gets light outside, squeeking and chasing around above my bedroom like mischievous children with too much time on their hands.

There must be an overpopulation of squirrels in this area, as it almost seems like an infestation!

The first time I heard the noises they made in the attic I thought a nest of birds had hatched up there.

Carmella jumps off my bed about 6 times every morning until I drag myself out of bed to let her out so that I can rest.

More often than not she's more interested in looking out the window in the computer room at the front of the house than going outside, so I have to practically shove her out the door after she plays dead and limp on the livingroom rug. She looks up at me as if she thinks it's funny. I am not amused, trying to lift her up and out while a blast of cold air bursts into the house, her body like a sack of potatoes. It's way too early for these kinds of shennanigans.

All of this usually takes several minutes of coaxing and chasing her from room to room as she tears around the house like a greyhound on the racetrack before I can finally convince her to go outside.

Once out she seems to enjoy the crisp air and she runs over to the side where the neighbors are just getting into their cars to head off for work, barks a few times, then runs back across the expanse of the yard to nose around in the leaves and pinestraw that have dropped from the trees and chewing on fallen branches.

The snow is gone but it was fun while it lasted.

http://Giftbearer.etsy.com

Eating On A Budget in Today's Economy

If you're not making alot of money you may think you can't afford to eat with today's food prices what they are, but with a little ingenuity you can turn ordinary and inexpensive ingredients into a very nice meal!

Have you ever seen those bags of pre-made seasoned croutons at the grocery store that cost around $4.00 for about as much as you'd get in a single serving potato chip bag? You may even have bought them.

Here's how you can create croutons just as high-class and do it on a shoe string. How many of you have pieces of left over stale or soon-to-expire bread lying around your house that you don't think you can do anything with but throw away?

I get these nice ready-to-bake french breads from Kroger that cost about $1.99 and I often end up with remnants that start to expire before I can eat the whole loaf. I do one of two things with them; either cut them in slices and let them dry out (to prevent mold) and then use them later as toast with cheese or butter by browning them in a toaster oven, or I make my fancy but easy crouton recipe with them.

You can make these with ordinary spices you have around your house, and if you have a Farmer's Market in your city you can get these spices even more inexpensively than you can at any commercial market. Powdered Rosemary is great because you can have the flavor and all the health benefits without constantly having to pick out all those stiff little leaves. Not all commercial grocery stores carry it but if you have a Farmer's Market or an organic food store they will most likely carry it.

If you also have butter or olive oil (or even margerine) then you have the ingredients for a batch of delicious croutons you can use in any salad, soup, or even as a snack.

These are the ingredients:

* Bread cut into cubes (as much or as little as you have)
* Garlic Salt (to taste)
* Old Bay Seasoning (to taste)
* Pepper (to taste)
* Powdered Rosemary (just a light dusting)
* Oregano or Italian Seasoning (optional)
* Butter, Olive Oil, or Margerine (a scattering of little pieces or dribbles evenly distributed)
*Toaster oven tray or cookie sheet lined with tin foil

Once you have all the ingredients prepared in your toaster oven tray or cookie sheet, place this in the toaster oven on "dark" or in a 400 degree oven.

Make sure to watch them carefully so that they don't burn, as each oven varies somewhat.

If you find that some areas are crispy and some are still soggy with the butter, scoop the done ones out and place the others in fir a little longer. What you're looking for is that rich golden brown and the croutons should be crispy.

Then remove them from the oven when ready, dump them onto a paper towel to remove excess butter or oil, let cool for about an hour in the open air, and they are ready to use!

Because they are crisp and moisture has been removed they can be kept in an air tight container or plastic bag outside the refrigerator without molding or getting stale for quite awhile. I have had these stay fresh for more than a month!

Campbell's tomato soup goes well with these, and if you get it at the right places you can buy it for around .69 a can.

The entire meal probably costs you $1.50 at the most for a whole can of soup and one serving of croutons! If you add a salad to that then it might cost you $2.50 for the entire meal!

Healing The Damage of Distemper-The Next Leg of the Journey

It's been a year as of October 1st, 2009 since Carmella has had the CSF procedure and though she's done alot of healing it appears that the myoclonus in her right front leg still remains. Generally everything that will heal on its own will have done so after a year.

Her leg has over time become somewhat weakened as though she has a fallen arch and that appears to be from holding it in an awkward position much of the time in an attempt to balance herself. The wrist looks somewhat elongated compared to the other and she holds it up off the ground or even knuckled over the way a primate holds its hand leaning on it on the ground. This is not natural for a dog and I'm worried if left that way could result in further weakening, and atrophy.

Dr. Norwood noticed this too the last time he saw her in the office, and it has continued to worry me. Initially I was looking into the use of Quinine but only found one research paper but then was not able to find it again to give him.

I started thinking about stem cell transplant, as I have heard more and more about this in human spinal cord regeneration. Since Distemper-caused myoclonus generally originates in the brain stem or spinal cord around the shoulder of the dog it occurred to me that maybe if a stem cell transplant could be done on that area that was damaged by the virus Carmella could regenerate new myelin!

When I did a search I found that MS has been particularly challenging for scientists to treat with stem cell replacement because there is a missing link in the technique that would make it more complete for that disease which is not as complex in other diseases and injuries.

MS in humans is closely related to canine distemper in much of its biochemistry, but my hope is that the reason MS is so tricky to treat with stem cell replacement is that research has been done on non-cured patients, whereas Carmella no longer has active distemper (so the damage , I believe, would more closely approximate a regular spinal cord injury).

I'm thinking she may need an MRI to find out exactly where the damage exists and whether it's just one small area or whether it's more than one.

I found this company that offers stem cell harvesting from the dog and preparation for transplant; http://www.vet-stem.com/

They mostly mention things like ligaments, but I found alot online about the possibility of CNS applications for it, so I think this just might work!

Carmella does not look very comfortable having to live with the constant jerking and a leg that seems like it might or might not support her weight at any given time, and at times her wrist nearly lies flat on he ground when she doesn't hold it knuckled over, looking more like a hoof sometimes than a paw, so if I can get this for her, and it works I'll be thrilled.

If Carmella's experience proves successful this will provide alot of hope to other dogs out there who did not get the Distemper treatment soon enough to prevent this sort of permanent damage!

Buying Fiber Outerwear Is Timely With Increasing Cold Weather

Raspberry Rhodalite Scarfette - $24.50

This scarfette is really soft and smooth against your neck and has a lovely drape to it!

Snow is falling in a varieties of cities and states here in the US and the temperature seems to be falling with no real warm-up in sight. Now is the best time to invest in some items to keep you warm, and support handcrafted work in the process.

If you can't justify purchasing jewelry then handmade outerwear is something you can always use (unless of course your entire closet is stuffed with it already). I myself only have one pair of gloves and so I have my eye on some on Etsy as well as a whole bunch of fiber supplies.

I truly believe that ultimately the key to repairing our economy is to resist the urge to buy such items from commercial stores that import, and instead to make a conscious decision to buy those things from "the little guy".

If we don't then the modern american artist/craftsman will become a dying breed.

Sending money out and none (or not enough) coming in does not make for a strong national economy, and although it's nice in theory to provide business opportunities outside the US to those who otherwise would not have such opportunities, we've farmed out way too much to foreign sources, and not enough money is coming in the other direction.

If we all start to make changes in this direction our economy will start turning around sooner than we now realize!

Doing this requires a shift in mind-set, and a mindfulness about where our money will end up.

When we go to Walmart or large chain department stores or small stores in the local shopping mall we often don't even think about where our money is going, but we should. Most such stores work with plants that originate in other countries and those jobs are taken up by people overseas. Most commercial stores do this because they can buy and sell these proucts cheaper because of exchange rates and the difference in cost of living, but it also drives down the perceived value of items made by artists and fine crafters here at home.

What we end up with is tatamount to the story of John Henry who attempted to compete against a machine and killed himself trying.

It is tempting to view things as interchangeable but the inherent value of items is the individuality from one maker to another.

I am finding that even among those who spin yarn the mark of the maker is distinct and unique.

Many of us have probably heard the unfortunate statement, "I can buy that same thing for half-price in Taiwan." Of course that is a generalization. A machine-made item or mass-produced item can never be identical to one that is made by a sole-proprietor or small group of artists who can give individual attention and quality control to what they make before it goes to the customer. Such a statement is intrinsically devaluing to the inherent worth of the individual product.

Mindfulness of the erosive mechanisms at work in such a mind-set goes right along with sustainability and living a greener lifestyle.

Who among us would not want to have a more personal relationship with what we buy.

When we buy from the grocery store from huge manufacturers in commercial plants we cannot make special requests and put in special orders, or influence the future manufacture of those items, whereas in dealing with smaller operations we can.

I thoroughly enjoy reading about the animals and seeing pictures of them that produced the yarn or roving I'm buying, or knowing where other fibers come from. I also know that I can request whatever blend I want. I could never get a commercial yarn company to custom make the yarn that works best for me. They would care less if I wrote and asked them to do that and probably would tell me they don't do that (if they even answered my e-mail at all).

Tonight I'm getting ready to start on another piece of outerwear.

Keep an eye on my etsy store for something stylish and useful for the cold weather in your size and color! I look forward to putting these new items to good use! My 90th sale will receive a free gift worth at least $20.00. This deal is still available as nobody has claimed it since before Christmas.

http://giftbearer.etsy.com/

Back in the Saddle Again-A New Direction for the New Year

Frost Grape Scarfette - $22.00

15 1/4" Long X 4 1/4" Wide

6mm thick

I was able to get my pictures to upload on this laptop and have been thinking about ways that I can sell more frequently, and I noticed that items such as hats, scarves, and scarfettes seem to be selling very well on Etsy.

Although Christmas has passed the cold weather will be around for several more months, so I figured I'd make use of it and make some of these wearable items and list them in my shop. I used to knit and crochet years ago but then didn't continue with it once I chose jewelry as my main medium to make and sell for my business.

If it's one thing I know it's that you never can be too sure of your product, as alot of the reasons that dictate marketability are out of an artist's control. You can make the most beautiful, unique, and even affordable product and today it might be hot and tomorrow in an instant the bottom could fall out and it will just sit there collecting dust.

In this depressed economy especially, business owners must adjust and adapt their business plans in order to survive.

I have learned a few useful pieces of information in the past few months.

1) The more necessary a product is the more likely it is to sell in a bad economy

2) Those supply stores that are continuing to do well despite the bad economy are those selling transparent faceted stones, diamond beads, and rough stones.

The agate and Jaspers in my supply store did not do near as well as I expected. Probably if I'd had Ocean Jasper that would move, but this seems to be one of the few exceptions to the rule. Finding a ready source however, has proved problematic. For those of you interested in Ocean Jasper I am working on getting one of my wholesale suppliers to work something out with a cutting plant in Madagascar where it is mined along the shoreline at low-tide.

Selling diamond beads is a longer-term goal, but carrying some of the other blingy stuff is feasible in the near future.

Carmella is almost out of her non-allergenic prescription dog food and the total vet bill seems to be hovering around $3,000 regardless of what I do. Donations for her expenses have completely come to a standstill as well in recent months, as have the blog ads.

If you are looking for a good inexpensive way to advertise these are $5.00 each and your little banner stays on my sidebar until it gets bumped by overflow (and those whose ads are there now have gotten quite alot of bang for their buck!)

If you are not in themarket for advertising please give this link to others you know who might be and suggest it to them. One thing I can say is that the number of followers and the traffic to this blog has really grown! That means you or others who advertise on it will be very visible!

If you read this blog please leave a comment at least every once in awhile. I always appreciate knowing that people are interested in the content and enjoy reading here, if they've seen my shop, like an item, what they like about it, etc. It is an artist's life-blood to know that their work is bringing others joy and that they have touched the viewer.

My free gift to the 90th buyer in my finished jewelry shop is still available and if you purchase my outerwear that counts as well. I just heard on the evening news that despite the economy online sales have increased 15.5%, so maybe that's a sign that things will start improving for me and other artists.

How about a warm hat or neck warmer? If you prefer a different color I have more to come, but this color is quite versatile with all the earthtones. I wanted something neutral but something more exciting than just a cream or brown.

Moss Hat - $40.00

Circumference 22"

6 1/4" high

features a lovely textured band

I am even considering making some leg warmers and knee warmers. I don't know if your knees get cold easily, but mine do. It's the strangest thing. Sometimes the rest of me will be warm enough but my knees and just above them are completely cold and I often wish I had something just to cover that part. As far as I know there is nothing commercially available just to cover the knees. Who knows, maybe more people have this problem than realize and I'll find a nitch market. If you are interested in some of these I would sure love to hear from you.

Wishing all my readers a happy and prosperous New Year!

http://Giftbearer.etsy.com

http://GiftbearerSupply.etsy.com

On The Bench-The Effects of the Economy on an Artist

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I don't have access to my pictures and cannot list anythng on etsy now because yesterday my computer started to turn on and then promptly turned off. This is a disaster right before the holidays and at a time when I'm trying to get expenses paid down.

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On top of all of this I have not been feeling well but have just been trying to get over this hump, thinking things would be better tomorrow. I guess I was wrong about that.

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Now I'm going to have to figure out a way to pay to get my computer fixed and hope that it's not way above my head. This laptop is not completely set up to do all that my desktop was doing. It doesn't have micosoft Word and will probably have to have some software loaded on it so that I can put photos on it.

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I may have to just get this set up as the main one. The problem still remains to be no money.

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I'm going to have to pull back on all my activities until this is solved. Paying down Carmella's vet bill and getting this fixed will have to take precedence.

This is about all I can stand. Not a thing has sold in my Etsy shops for over a month, I have to keep changing my plans, and my entire life has come to a grinding halt.

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Last night I started a necklace. I don't know that it was because I was inspired to do it but just because there's nothing else I can do. I find it ironic because it is going to be quite elaborate but what's the point because I can't list it and people won't even buy my $8.50 earrings, so I must be out of my mind to think they'd buy that piece. I don't really. It's just my nature to keep putting one foot in front of the other even as tears are streaming down my face because I see no solution anywhere on the horizon. Even so, I am wearing out fast.

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I can't even sell my hair until I have somewhere to upload pictures.

I'm sure that other artists are going through similar upheavels but too much of this for too long can't be good for a person.

Would You Like A Free Gift???

Who wouldn't! I am at 88 sales in my etsy jewelry shop and to get things moving I have decided to offer the 90th buyer a free gift in their package! You could guarantee the 90th customer to be YOU if you buy just 2 items from my store. (Two sales in one transaction also counts!) Please take a look at the variety of jewelry I have available and match them to the people on your list.

I will be making something special as a surprise just for this lucky buyer. (If you have an etsy account be sure to leave your favorites visible so that I can get an idea of the style you would like).

This is not going to be some two-cent promo gift that nobody wants, but something that you will really enjoy! I'll even wrap it and you can put it under the tree (or open it then when you get your package if the curiosity is killing you).

OK, ready...set...GO!

http://Giftbearer.etsy.com

Eye Candy Interlude - Sneak Preview!

Silver and Gold and Sugarplums!

Glow from a Distant Fire (bracelet)

7 1/4" (with additional ring to expand to 7 3/4")

9mm faceted black Onyx rondelles, wine freshwater pearls, black frosted glass rondelles, flat Moukaite pebbles, facetted Brecciated Jasper rondelles, and red garnet with sterling silver beads and findings.

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I made the two bracelets while watching Obama's speech on TV last night and realized only later that I was using some beads I had bought from a vendor at a bead show who was from Afghanistan. He had some of the most gorgeous Lapis, but also some material of other stones in shapes I'd never seen before. The brown (what is referred to as Blonde Onyx) came in alternating slender tubes, tiny rondelles, and flat round disks drilled through very thin pieces! The man told me all the strands were hand-made by the Afghani people. He also had all kinds of unusual natural jade that came in shades of green more like Peridot than what one usually sees. I'm not sure if it's in the category of Jadeite or Nephrite, but I find it much prettier than the Chinese material the industry is saturated with. I bought several strands of the most beautiful spring green tubes!

Check out the photo at the bottom to see both of these close-up.

Oxidized Twist Pattern Sterling Stacker Ring $20.00

Size 7 1/2

This ring is another very reasonably priced piece with a lovely twist pattern; simple but elegant.

Smoke The Peacepipe (bracelet)

7 1/4", Gold-filled, vermeil, 22 Kt. lined glass beads, frosted Blonde Onyx and Jade from Afghanistan, pale peach Moonstone, 22Kt. Delica beads, faceted Brecciated Jasper rondelles, Moukaite, and Aventurine.

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As I worked on the bracelets and watched the Presidential speech I was really disappointed in what was about to happen right before the holidays. The old, tired arguments of the Bush era were revived and paraded for all to see, meant to convince us that we are not safe unless millions more are pumped into a war that never seems to end. I wasn't convinced. If the past year hasn't moved us closer to a resolution than I doubt that another 6 months will, and meanwhile that money could be spent on jobs and assistance for the people here.

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The lives lost chasing the elusive Al Kaida spread out into too many countries to keep track of should be saved instead, and as much as he tried to pretend that all this would achieve a positive outcome I really don't see how anything good could come of it; our people dying, their people dying (and not just military people, civilians. Perhaps even some of those who made the very beads I was using to make my bracelets).
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Injecting ourselves into the war in the middle-east which has been ongoing since the beginning of history and being naaiive enough to believe that we can do something to stop it by being a part of it can only further entangle us further and earn us more enemies, some we probably never anticipated and never intended.

The other night I went online to look for resources for someone whose husband has been unemployed for a year and found websites on which people were posting their stories, desperate for help; people without healthcare, people whose utilities were about to be cut off, and people in foreclosure. People with several school-age children who literally didn't know how much longer their little bit of assets saved would hold out and then not be able to feed them.
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The dispair and level of hopelessness and malaise out there is deafening, and NOW we're sending more troops to Afghanistan (talk about living above our means), now THAT gives new meaning to the term!
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If the American people become so depleted and so impoverished that they cannot function then I ask the President how does that in any way strengthen our nation?
Now should be the time for peace, not war. Americans have in many respects lost their soft place to fall, and before we should even think about solving problems "out there" we need to solve the ones we have here at home.
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An over-stressed, under-funded country is fertile ground for the very elements feared, so I believe Obama's decision is a big mistake.
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Perhaps we just don't have that kind of power to achieve peace in the middle-east and that may be something that has to be worked out between the various factions there.
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What we do have the power to do is to take care of our own, build them up, and fix some of the problems that have been put off for far too long in our own country. Only when our own people are properly provided for can we expect to have any real impact on others outside our borders.

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Not to engage in war is often the strongest example of all.

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Peace!

Pass The Turkey and the Stuffing, Celebrate The Ones Still With Us, and Remember the Ones We've Lost

Thanksgiving is both a joyous time and a time of reflection.

This year the effort to save dogs from distemper has been a big success wherever those striving to help these dogs in a number of different venues, connecting with owners wherever they are found; on various messageboards, dog-related forums, websites, and blogs, both on the internet, and in the community.

One by one more and more dogs that once would have been considered hopeless will now spend the holidays, happy and healthy with their families.

More vets have begun to venture out and try the body and/or the CSF treatment, and are happy and intrigued with the results.

The broader the base of support for this cure becomes, the bigger its impact. There are many people who have made this possible, some who are highly visible and others working behind the scenes to bring about change, hope, and health, and working to educate the public, each in his or her own way, advancing science in a very tangible way.

Because of all of you who've contributed in one way or another more dogs this year will curl up by the fire, sit next to the table tomorrow night when the big feast is served, and will live to see the lights on the Christmas tree, play in the snow, and sleep securely in the knowledge that they're home with people who love them and will be for a long time.

At the same time though, there is much work ahead of us, and there are dogs and owners that will not spend the holidays together because they didn't know about the treatment until too late.

For the owners of these dogs the holidays this year will be a time of mourning, a reminder that although a cure now exists the vast majority of vets still do not make use of it and many have not even heard of it.

To many dogs and their owners in many parts of the world Dr. Sears' treatment is still out of their reach. They must travel great distances to get to a location in which a vet can perform that more invasive CSF procedure many of these animals need to fully rid them of the virus after it's reached the brain and spinal cord.

Many still have no way to travel these distances, or they do not have the money to pay what it costs to save their dog's life, and/or cannot do it soon enough.

This beautiful black brindle puppy is one of those who didn't make it. He was only 11 weeks old. By the time his owner found out that there was a cure his pneumonia had severely compromised his breathing. No serum was available where he lived, and antibiotics could not knock back the pneumonia enough for him to wait to reach a vet in another state.

Unfortunately, he did not make it through the weekend.

This next puppy in India died despite her owner and vet's best efforts to save her life, but her immune system was too weak and she got the treatment too late. The CSF procedure was performed 5 days after she was diagnosed, but what happens too often is that dogs aren't diagnosed before the disease has taken too much of a toll.

Her littermate survived and seems to be returning to health.

To those of you who have been reading and wondering how you can help, go to the links of the distemper projects on your right and donate, talk to your vet about this cure, send them the link to this blog and the other informational websites, talk to shelters, rescues, the Humane Society, and other dog-related groups and encourage them to get involved too, volunteer to make serum if you're a vet or an owner whose vet is open to this, print fliers, business cards or other written material and hand it out, set up a fundraiser benefit, or if you have the connections see if you can arrange speaking opportunities with Dr. Sears and Dr. Muller someplace where it will really have some impact, pull strings with news media, medical journals, etc. Be creative. There are all kinds of ways to move this forward.

I look forward to the day when a dog is diagnosed and the same day it can be treated with the serum or NDV; a day when no dog has to wait and decline because he or she can't access the care needed, a day when no dog is left with seizures, with myoclonus, with paralysis, or with blindness, a day when this cure is first line for the treatment of canine distemper in every shelter, clinic, and country.

Lets make that day soon! With all of you pitching in we can get there.

This ground-breaking treatment for distemper is really something to be thankful for.