Incision and Laying Down

Madison is continuing to make improvements every day and it is obvious that she feels good by her perky attitude and the significant reduction in vocalization we've noticed, both while active and when just laying still.

Here are some pictures of how her incision is healing.  It is already just some pink skin and we aren't a week post-op until tomorrow. They put PRP (Platelet Rich Plasma) on the incision, which seems to be accelerating healing.

Day of surgery, January 16th

2 days after surgery, January 18th

5 days after surgery, January 21st

She is healing so nicely.  She's not licking or otherwise bothering the incision.  No "cone of shame" for her, yay!!!

Laying down used to be a stressful event for her.  Although she didn't cry out, she was very vocal with whines and squeaks.  I am sure that going down is harder than getting up, (based on my own experience when I'm sore), so consistently laying down without much ado will take a little time, but the progress so far is still significant - very little vocalization which tells me she's more comfortable, although navigation isn't perfect yet.

This first video is her laying down some days before the surgery procedure.

By Sunday, she looked much better getting down.

On Monday morning she laid down in her Vari Kennel without crashing into the side of it.  How cool is that!

She feels good enough now that it is a challenge to keep her and Stetson from acting up in the yard, even with her on leash.  We began letting them be out in the house together, under supervision, on Tuesday.  If things begin to get a little iffy, it's easy enough to crate one of the two.

Enjoying an antler

Stetson on duty

Getting her ears rubbed and loving it

We have moved the condo back into our bedroom and she's navigating the raised entry to get out of the bedroom and into the family room (which is the required path to the kitchen and backyard) pretty well.

Dave and I had high hopes for her outcome in all this and I feel like I need to pinch myself to make sure I'm not dreaming of how well she is doing.  She's a little dynamo.

Stem Cell Therapy Progress

When our Union Hill Animal Hospital started to offer this procedure for the treatment for osteo-arthritis (and other degenerative diseases), I knew in my heart that this was something we needed to pursue on behalf of Madison.  Dave and I decided to jump on the opportunity to possibly provide her with any level of comfort we could in these geriatric years.

Snoozing in her Vari Kennel some days before her therapy

Dr. Diane Castle gave us the final okay to schedule her just before the new year holiday based on results from testing and her evaluation.  The date was set, January 16, which coincidentally was Madison's 14th birthday.

I am trying to capture before and after videos of her progress in various activity; primarily her ability to get up from a prone/sleeping position comfortably and her ability to lay down comfortably.  The following videos are of her getting up.

This video is of her getting up in her "condo" after having been resting for some time.  It was taken prior to the procedure and was one of the reasons we wanted to pursue stem cell therapy to see if this every day activity could be made more comfortable.  She often would struggle more than this to get up.

The following video was taken on Saturday, 2 days after the procedure on Thursday.  This is her first time to "get up" after having slept overnight (she was heavily sedated after the procedure, so Friday was a day of rest and she was pretty wobbly).  We are pleased because there is much less vocalization involved with her movement.  She doesn't appear to be able to "pop" up much more in this video, but she seems more comfortable with the activity.

This last video was taken today, Sunday, January 19.  The procedure was done on Thursday, so we're now three days post op/procedure.  This is remarkable and we are astounded by the benefit we are already seeing in her.  She literally just sat up, like a youthful, non arthritic dog.  Wow, just wow!!!!!!!!!

I'll continue to document her progress.  It is exciting and I'm so very, very grateful to Dr. Diane Castle and everyone at Union Hill Animal Hospital for bringing this technology to their practice.  What a special, special gift we are receiving from their skills!

Maybe, just maybe, we'll get to take her to the river again for a walk/trot.  My hope has been ignited.

Fourteen Years

Happy Birthday Maddie!!!

Relynka's Maiden Voyage, MX, MXJ

As I sit here watching you sleep, I cannot believe you are fourteen.  You are obviously not a young dog, not a puppy; but you don't seem to be a geriatric dog either.  Tons of energy, happy attitude and plenty of sweet kisses are what greet me each evening when I walk into the house from work.  It is such a blessing to have you here, and especially to have you happy.

All that lacks in your health is the lack of visual depth perception and the pain and stiffness associated with osteoarthritis.  Getting up and down are hard, very hard right now.  The lack of depth perception makes navigation of small steps stressful for you and for and us.  Those are the only times that we are really reminded of your age.

Watching you slap Stetson in the head and dive into a play bow just makes me giggle.  He is truly your best prize.

Hilton Head, November 2013

I cannot think of you without a smile on my face, you just make me happy that way.  My heart still races when I recall walking away from you at the start line and turning to see you crouched and waiting for the game of agility to begin.  You are my biggest adrenaline rush, even if memories are what stir it up.

Happy birthday love, I hope that today will bring you relief from the osteoarthritis.  You see, today is your stem cell therapy day and I think it is perfect that it falls on this special day.  It feels like I am giving you back something that will enrich this senior part of your life in the same way that you have filled me up all these years.

Siberian Husky Club of America 2004 National Specialty award ceremony memory wall - she earned three of four awards that she qualified for, with 6 classes in regular agility classes being awarded.  

You are loved more today than you have ever been little girly girl.  Happy birthday my love!

She has melted Dave from the day she was born

Recovery and Injury Prevention

With goals set for the 2014 triathlon season, training has begun and I'm beginning to feel like I'm getting into the swing of things.  There are three areas that I am focused on to see how they benefit my overall performance this year.  They are, strength training, core training, bike to run brick training, and probably most important to the overall execution of the previous, effective stretching.  Of course I train with Stetson, so I always incorporate those things that benefit me to his training as well.

One of my doctors advised me to begin stretching a little before each workout, and then stretch extensively afterward in order to keep the hamstring tension (that has become my nemesis), at bay.  I've also taken to using a foam roller for my hamstrings thanks to the encouragement of a fellow runner and dog agility competitor as part of my routine.  One of my Chiropractors who does an exceptional job of "resistance stretching" with me, taught me to use a door jam as a replacement to his weight and pressure to get a thorough stretch on my hamstrings.  Between the foam roller and the door jam, I am keeping my trouble areas relatively loose.

I stretch Stetson after we work also.  Diane and Trish at Union Hill Animal Hospital taught me to work with him from his toes to his shoulders and/or hips.  When I get it right and he really does give me his limbs to be stretched and manipulated, he will doze off.  He works hard, I'm always glad to see that he is trusting me enough to let me have his body while he snoozes off and on.

Crashing out while I stretch him after our workout today.

Nutrition is a huge part of recovery for canine and human around here.  For a long time I have put together a mix of grain free kibble, dried apricots and freeze dried animal organ (typically chicken hearts) for the dogs that are working with me.  They love the reward after giving me a workout and I feel like I'm supplementing some of the calories that they are burning.  This is especially important to me now that I have an unaltered male to work with.   He runs more calories off than I can blink at, and will drop weight as quick you can imagine, (wish I could have that problem). Replenishing him after a workout helps him recover, but it also helps him keep his weight in check.

Stetson's recovery snack of grain free kibble, dried apricots and freeze dried chicken hearts

I suffered from muscle cramps in my feet and legs during the 2013 training season.  My coach, Holly Marzetti advised me to replenish potassium depletion with either a supplement, or preferably, fresh bananas. I don't like bananas, but if they might serve me, I decided to give them a go. Since having a banana after a workout, I admit my muscle cramps have ceased.  Recently a coworker told me about studies that have been done showing how chocolate milk helps muscle recovery after a workout, reducing soreness.  Since I'm dairy free, I did some additional research and although the original studies were sponsored by the dairy industry, the information seemed worth taking to the personal test.  So I bought chocolate almond milk.  I am amazed that after a hard strength training, or brick workout, I am not having muscle stiffness or soreness.  It is crazy to me, but it works.  The one thing that the chocolate almond milk does not manage for me is muscle cramps.  Basically I have "Charley horses" in my feet and calves during the workout following a difficult workout.  So now I'm having the banana and the chocolate almond milk.  My recovery has been smoother and more complete than during any other time in my previous training., no more soreness and no more muscle cramps.

Have a great run; hopefully you can hit the road or a trail with your dog, they are just the best training partners ever!

Stem Cell Therapy for Madison

Madison is my dream dog and Dave's heart dog.  I imagined her and dreamed of having a dog like her long before she was born.  I've followed each and every dream that she awakened inside me over the span of her life.  She turns fourteen on the 16th of January, but it seems like yesterday that she came into this world...

She was born more out of science than nature.  We bred Nakeeta via artificial insemination using "fresh extended semen".  The semen was collected from the sire living in upper New York state and shipped to Kansas City, Missouri where it was non-surgically introduced to Nakeeta.  Of that fabulous science was born three glorious puppies.  We kept the first born, Maddie and named her "Relynka's Maiden Voyage".  The name represents our kennel name (newly established with the virgin litter, Relynka) and the symbolism that we were taking off on the first of many adventures in the dog world, i.e. Maiden Voyage.

It should not be surprising that we have again found science and technology to help us achieve perhaps our final goal with her.  This time we are striving to bring balance and comfort to a very fit and healthy geriatric dog.  It is hard for her to lay down.  She will stand and whine for a time and then get her butt to the ground, gradually after that, she begins to "walk" herself from a sit to a down with one front foot in front of the other, or she'll simply tumble over onto her side.  Once down, she'll look you in the eye and raise her head to you as if to say, "I've got this..."  When rising from a prone position, she often "digs" herself into a sit and then gently raises her rear.

Aside from a depth perception issue that keeps her unsure about steps and the aforementioned seeminly arthritic problems, she is in excellent health.  Her bloodwork is spot on and Xrays show a "beautiful" abdomen and chest.  She happily stretches, her walks are at minimum a mile at a time and her appetite is fabulous.  She instigates play with Stetson and will actually slap him in the head if he isn't paying attention when she dives into a "play bow".  Every time we make a new treatment available to her, she responds incredibly well; whether it be chiropractic, laser, Adequan injections, Dasequin oral bites or anything else.  There is nothing about this dog that says life is running short.  With all of these things in consideration we are eargerly anticipating some relief for her with the Stem Cell Therapy that is being scheduled for January.

Madison will undergo a surgical procedure to remove fatty tissue which will then be broken down, washed, cleansed and then prepared to be put back into her.  After evaluation by Dr. Castle, she has determined that Madison will receive the Adult Stem Cells via injection into both elbows for specific relief to those joints.  She will also receive an IV administration of the adult stem cells for additional support not specific to the joints.  Ironically, we are hoping to schedule this for the 16th of January and that will be Madison's 14th birthday.  Happy birthday princess, you won't appreciate the anesthesia (no Siberian does), but the days to follow will be brighter for you!

Here is a short clip of Madison and the effort it takes for her to lay down in a VariKennel.

Dave and I are well aware that our fourteen year old dog is not going to move the way she did when she was four years old and jumping 26 inches in agility.  But if we can have her able to lay down and rise comfortably again, we will be so eternally grateful.  And I have this hope that she will again be able to to go the the river and join us for a 5k walk.  It is a special place and we have many beautiful memories there, but the distance is too much for her in her current state; maybe, just maybe...

Dr. Castle (Diane) and Dr. Smith (Meghan) are available at Union Hill Animal Hospital in Canton, Georgia.  Their phone number is 770-664-8380 and the website is: http://unionhill.vetstreet.com/  The doctors and staff at Union Hill have an awesome gift with our kids, they always have and we are so blessed to be able to call them our partners in the care of our dogs.  Diane, (Dr. Castle) will remain focused on small animal clients, but Meghan, (Dr. Smith) is also available for equine patients.  Somehow I think they will always remember my call within a minute, (literally), of them posting the open house introduction invitation for Stem Cell Therapy; I can hear them all laughing in the background, but it was just meant to be that we were there when the answer to Madison's problems were given out.  These people have our hearts and the hearts of our dogs; they are special to us as friends and partners in the ongoing health of Madison and Stetson.

Running at Night and Cold Weather

Winter months are here and that means nighttime runs for the dogs and I.  There aren't sidewalks in our neighborhood and I'm fine with that because the asphalt is definitely friendlier to human and canine joints and feet, but it does pose an additional safety issue for us, especially at night.  We are more intimately sharing the road with vehicles than if a sidewalk were readily available.

I run for the benefit of my health and the health of my dogs, so naturally safety is a big concern for me.  Sharing the road at night with drivers you cannot see can be dangerous and stressful.  The number of people driving these days who are not focused on the task at hand, but rather a phone, or conversation or some other distraction has caused us to hop into a yard, or driveway on more occasions than I care to recall.  In an effort to make us more visible, I run with a headlamp and reflective vest.  The dogs have a blinking light on their collars which is very visible on the Siberian coat.

All my Siberians have had white legs, feet and most of their faces have been white with darker outlines.  I have always been able to find my dogs in the yard at night without flipping on the patio light; until Stetson.  He is as black as night with most of his white hidden on his underside.  His long hair absorbs the blinking collar light and you hardly even notice it is there unless I can manage to keep it around the side near is ear.  He is easy to miss in the yard and I often turn the light on to see where he is.

In an effort to make us more visible and hopefully safer, I purchased a reflective vest for him.  During our first run with the vest on it seemed that cars began to move toward the middle of the road before getting too close, which was a welcome change.  I still stopped in a couple of driveways to let people go by that either weren't paying attention, or they just weren't willing to give up enough space on the road for me to be comfortable with the remaining road.  Overall it was a better run than several we have had of late with fewer stops to let traffic pass.  I think the vehicle headlights are picking up the reflective vest on him before they catch my headlamp and moving over sooner. That is a good thing indeed.

New Vest

Reflective properties work

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The vest is lightweight and unlined, so it shouldn't heat him up.  Since we work pretty hard on the road, I didn't want to have anything that was going to add much heat to his body.  It's weather resistant, so it should work okay for us on drizzly nights too.

 

I've noticed that Madison's coat isn't as thick as it was when she was younger.  Her lack of undercoat coupled with aging joints and spine made me think she might benefit from a coat that had some fleece for extra warmth.  I found a pink coat with a reflective stripe on it and I hope she'll benefit from it on cold walks.

 

We always have called Madison "The Princess".  Her collars, leash and harness are in the purple/lavender family, so I was happy to find a Princess Pink color for her.  She's such a doll.

 

 

Both of these items were purchased at PetSmart.  The blinking collar lights were purchased from REI.

I believe life is what you make it to be, and although I'm not particularly creative, I thoroughly enjoy carving out my little piece of heaven where I find it.  It doesn't matter if I'm on the road or on a trail, if I have a dog next to me for the run, life just can't get better than that! 

 



Reflection and Dreams

It seems an eternity since I sat at the keyboard and put my heart and brain together on the page.  The year is drawing to a close and my emotions are mixed as to what I want my goals in 2014 to be.  I am unusually conflicted, but grateful, and amazed that I have so many options to choose from.  Balancing triathlon, road racing, agility and perhaps obedience is going to be a challenge; but I cannot say I have ever been in a place with this much opportunity waiting for me to seize it. 

2013 has been an outstanding year for personal goals and accomplishments.  I "smoked" my personal best in Sprint distance Triathlon in August.  A few weeks later I put my foot at the start line on an agility course for the first time in six years.  I won't ever forget standing next to my amazing partner Stetson, and shedding a tear of anticipation as I heard the automated timer say "go" that morning in Blue Springs, Missouri.  And so a new career between woman and dog was borne in that moment.  Lastly, I finished my fourth half marathon in October.

Some of my favorite pictures from this season of triathlon, road racing and agility follow.

Acworth Women's Tri August, 2013

 

Handsome guy practicing some start line "stays" at the Triune Agility trial in Blue Springs, MO

 

 

 

Mist on the lake and a wild turkey during an early morning run in September at Lake Jacomo in Lee's Summit, MO

 

 

 

 

 

AKC agility at Wills Park in October (Alpharetta, GA)

 

 

 

 

 

A cold fall run on Kennesaw Mountain this fall

 

 

 

 

 

 Recovery run at the Chattahoochee River just before the Athens Half Marathon 2013

 

Athens Half Marathon - knowing the finish line was doable even though I was still recovering from a strained hamstring...

 

 

Then the bottom fell out, I got sick. I crashed for five weeks. When I go down, thunder rolls.  I do nothing lightly and illness is no exception. The previously strained hamstring was healing; but my head, ears and lungs were fighting me for every second of my waking hours (and many of those I should have been sleeping) to find relief. 

 

During vacation on Hilton Head over Thanksgiving, four weeks into the illness, I began to feel better.  But the dry cough that kept me up at night, and resulting fatigue was only manageable because I was on vacation without the demands of maintaining a normal lifestyle and schedule. I went to a Minute Clinic on Wednesday this week because my physician was booked until next week.  It was determined that I had infection in both ears and sinus.  Thankfully my lungs were clear, but my blood pressure was at the breaking point of Stage 2 Hypertension.   I was prescribed antibiotics and given a stern warning that if my blood pressure wasn't normal in a week, an appointment with my primary care physician was immanent.  I have already been in touch with my PCP and am keeping them informed of my progress as I track readings twice daily.  Yesterday my readings were almost normal and just barely tipped the Pre-hypertension level. 

 

 

Hilton Head beaches will always be at the top of my favorite running places - it was the first time in weeks that I felt good enough to strap on my heart monitor and take Stetson for a run.  We didn't go particularly long, and it was cold with a strong wind, but I don't know of any run that ever felt better to me than this one.  I have a strong connection to this island, there is a part of my soul that belongs there.  Somehow, the surf and wind always find the places deep within me that need mending and they are able to sew them together once again. 

In the past two days I have bounced into recovery with the typical spirit and abandon that anyone who knows me well would expect.  I'm feeling good and looking forward to coming off antibiotics Tuesday so I can run with Stetson on Thursday, and hopefully be in the pool Friday morning.

As I begin to breathe freely, I believe I can start to focus on the goals for 2014.  What do I want to accomplish this year personally in road races and triathlon?  What do I want to accomplish with Stetson in agility and obedience?  Those answers will be resolved in the days to come and my plans will be laid.

Sweet dreams for 2014, I know not what they are today, but I am excited to take off on the journey to their fruition.  I have gained much in 2013 and I will not look back with any regret, but I look forward with dreams to answer.