Art Life Newsblog

2009-07-10T00:08:00.009-04:00

Distemper Season Is Upon Us

Yes, the wolf is at the door, and our work is cut out for us with all the cases coming in from California and Texas especially. As the heat rises so do the number of distemper cases around the world.

Despite the frustration of young puppies from whom we cannot obtain serum and those folks who follow a feedback loop of denial and procrastination, there have been some successes recently.

A tiny black and white Chihuahua named Inky recently received NDV in both body and CNS, traveling from Texas to Atlanta. Here he is before treatment; very undersized and underweight, almost looking like a newborn

and here he is 2-3 weeks after treatment!

He has doubled in size and in weight, and looking much more mature. The change is really amazing!

In the course of the past few weeks another vet has emerged (possibly 2 from the same practice
who are willing to treat dogs with Dr. Sears' protocol in both body and CNS) out of California. This will potentially help many dogs this summer and beyond.

A donor dog is badly needed in New York right now, so if you would, please ask around and give anyone you know there who has a vet and a dog the link to the Facebook group. Vets still seem to be very hesitant to try making the serum, but we need for somebody to start stepping up to the plate because puppies 12 weeks and under are unlikely to respond to NDV and their only hope in most cases is serum made from another dog.

It is tragic to see puppies out of luck because nobody will follow this simple process (which is outlined on my blog in a former post, on Facebook, and on Ed Bond's regular website). This really is not that much more risky than donating blood. The only difference is that the donor dog is under anesthesia because the amount of blood taken is larger than what would be taken from a leg vein. As long as the vet uses proper precautions there should be no complications and the donor dog will wake up and resume its normal activities shortly thereafter.

If you live in New York and have a large mixed-breed dog this is a wonderful way to help other dogs whose lives depend on your generosity. You and your vet will be providing a great service to puppies in need. You will truly be giving the gift of life.

To those of you who think or know your dog has distemper please don't delay in getting your dog tested and treated. Contact me on Facebook or leave a message on this blog. If you are having trouble financially paying your dog's veterinary expenses there are options available. Don't assume it is out of your reach. A thread on Save Dogs from Canine Distemper Facebook cause has a list of financial resources. Although it may be somewhat of an inconvenience to incur some debt or to contact a bunch on non-profit agencies, your dog deserves the help he/she needs just as you or your child does when you have a medical problem.

Distemper is a serious illness and so now is not the time to skimp on the necessary tests and treatment. If your vet's fees are astronomical and you cannot find any way to afford them even after exhausting all of the options on the list (including Care Credit) you might seriously consider looking for another vet whose fees are more reasonable and who takes more forms of payment. Don't just call 2 or 3. Finding a vet who will work with you financially and offer your dog the care it needs may require running through several lists of vets. The ones who cannot help you may have other vets they know which they can recommend. Take notes and don't be afraid to ask everyone you know for referrals. If you go to pet stores to buy food and other pet products that is another good place to talk to people who might have possible leads. Ask your co-workers, your friends, shelters, even at your kids' sports games. The key is to network wherever you can. Lots of people own dogs and cats, so the answer could be just under your nose.

Today the sun was shining again so I took lots of cute pictures of Carmella in the back yard. The Ivermectin has really gotten rid of the last of her mange and the dark pigmentation on her flanks is even beginning to fade now! I was beginning to worry that she would have permanently visible black blotches showing through her fur, but that too is healing.

She has a new stamina and vigor she never had before. It has not even been a full year since her treatment in the Central Nervous System and I can really tell that her immune system is finally returning to normal!

Now she seems to be doing wonderfully on just fish oil. I did not know whether or not the opportunistic bacterial infections would return after I stopped the Pet Tabs but they have as of yet stayed away.

Today Carmella was able to be outside for several hours chasing sticks and lying in the sun.

Her coat is gorgeous right now.

I think she's probably ready now to have photos submitted for dog food endorsements.

It seems that I can see a different breed in her from just about every perspective!
Above, her profile looks like an American Foxhound.

But in this picture she looks very much like a German Shepherd. Some of the other photos look alot more Dingo-like, Basenji-like, Husky or Malamute-like. She has come a long way from the day I brought her home; a small, frail puppy who wasn't expected to live through the weekend.

2009-06-17T01:33:00.009-04:00

Spreading The Word To More Vets That Distemper Is Cureable

A series of informational pamphlets are in the works to reach more vets and owners about the hope that exists for dogs with Distemper and how they can be proactive in the diagnosis, treatment, and the aftercare of their pets.

These pamphlets can be printed on just about any computer and/or a xerox machine and the advantage is that any number of people in any country will be able to access them, print them, and distribute them at the touch of a button.

It will be important for informational materials to be as user-friendly as possible so that vets and owners will feel comfortable using Dr. Sears' treatment.

Oftentimes people are overwhelmed by the mass of reading material written in small print with long paragraphs and no pictures, and at a time when their dog is in crisis wading through such long documents might seem insurmountable.

Thanks to everyone who provided pictures of their dogs for the pupose of creating this material, we now have a growing database of pictures of not only those who have died of the disease,

but those who are successfully cured with the use of NDV.

Pictures are worth a thousand words and these dogs speak for themselves!

Concise pamphlets presented in an easy-to-understand format are now being created for distribution and we will need all the volunteers we can get to take these over to vets' offices. Please contact me if you are interested in helping with this task once these are written and laid out.

It will be increasingly important as more dog owners hear about this cure to locate more vets spread out around the country and beyond who will be willing to perform the CSF procedure for dogs with ODE (Old Dog Encephalitis). As this phase can be extremely debilitating, involving the brain and spinal cord and progressive demyelination, this part of the treatment is vitally important to the dog's survival and quality of life.

Tragically, there are still many dogs for whom this half of the treatment is out of reach because they don't live near a vet who is proficient in spinal taps. Not all vets learn this skill in veterinary school as not all achools require it in order to become licensed for general practice. Carmella's regular vet only saw it demonstrated in his curriculum but never had any hands-on experience.

I cannot stress enough how important it is once the disease is diagnosed to move ahead expeditiously. Distemper, especially after it shifts to the central nervous system can be brutal and unforgiving and its damage can be irreversible even after the virus has been killed if not treated before significant neurological impairment sets in.

A good rule of thumb once you confirm your dog has the disease is to treat it as though you're best friend, wife, husband or child were bleeding to death. Yes, it is really that urgent.

Don't be lulled into a false sense of security if one day your dog seems to be slightly more playful, or appears to be in a holding pattern. He or she might not be showing any neuro symptoms today, but tonight at 9:00 pm when no vet is available, at 2 in the morning, or 12 noon, things could suddenly change for the worse and then it becomes not merely a day-by-day thing but minute-to-minute.

This is the message that we need to convey. Dogs can be saved and miraculous recoveries can happen, but this is not a disease in which to wait and see the symptoms is appropriate.

Earlier I looked on Google to see what other sources were writing about Distemper testing and was disappointed to see that the Brush Border Smear was conspicuously absent from the mainstream literature readily available online other than the two groups currently supporting Dr. Sears' methods.

Much time is wasted, as many are tested with one antibody test or other types of smears after another, taking too long before receiving the results and too often render false-negatives. Many vets hold off on treatment until they see a smoking gun (which with most of the other tests may or may not ever happen, and by the time the diagnosis is confirmed that way tissue, organ, or brain damage may already have occurred).

One of my goals is to have the process for this test widely and readily available to all vets. I recently heard a dog owner say that their vet had never even heard of the test. That has to change if we are to get an effective program put in place promoting early detection and treatment.

The most reliable test to confirm distemper is a Brush Border Smear.

It’s very fast, very cheap, and very accurate for DX of Distemper.This test can all be done inside the VET Clinic with no problems and also poses no danger to anyone in the clinic or out. It is a very safe technique. Call your VET to see if they can do this procedure, and if not, ask the VET if they know of anyone in the medical field who can do it, hit the web or phone books and locate someone who can do this for you.

1) Use a urinary catheter, empty the bladder, flush with saline, and collect some of the last saline.

2) Spin down the saline and remove the cells.

3) Prepare a slide with the bladder transitional epithelium of the inside lining from the bladder and dry stain with diff-quick. This is a very common stain used by most medics or lab people who use medical microscopy.

4) These cells ALWAYS have inclusions. So easy to collect, easy to stain (quick dip), and instantly diagnoses, showing inclusions in these cells which will stain a beautiful carmine red color in the cytoplasm of infected cells and para nuclear.

5) About 90% of the bladder cells will be positive for inclusions in the early stages of Distemper.

These inclusions will NOT be present in long-term distemper cases.

6) If negative, then your dog either has Kennel Cough, Respiratory Herpes, or Toxoplasmosis.

***Note that once dogs develop neuro symptoms inclusions may not always be found in the Brush Border Smear, so in that instance one cannot rule out Distemper.***

In some cases not even a spinal tap analysis may detect the virus and can only be confirmed by brain biopsy (which is not very feasible in a live dog).

When tests are inconclusive and clinical symptoms warrant, it is safer to assume the dog has it and treat, than to be sorry by waiting too late.

Other Tests:

Rarely, inclusions can be seen in the red cells.

I have never seen inclusions in the conjunctiva.

An IFA test of the conjunctiva to test for inclusions is available. I have no experience with this test.

Important:

It is best to initiate all the tests and then give SERUM or NDV immediately.

Don’t wait for test results to come back. Time is of the essence. Wait for the test results AFTER treating.

If wrong, your dog will suffer no adverse reactions.

If right, you are ahead of the game; stopping the Distemper virus before it does significant and possibly irreversible damage.

(A.W. Sears DVM)
For further clarification please contact AntiDistemper@aol.com

People need to be as urgent and insistant about this as they are for the cure for Breast Cancer. If you think this is only important and relevant for dog owners think again! Dr. Sears has said, and many other researchers throughout the world agree, that much of the same biochemistry inherent in canine distemper and in its treatment provides the building blocks for MS in humans.

If saving dogs doesn't particulary linterest you get involved for the benefit of people you love who have or might develop MS disease in the future!

The veterinary profession and the human health profession run paralell and so the key to your dog's health may someday be instrumental to your own.

2009-06-14T21:18:00.009-04:00

On To New Frontiers! More Donor Dogs Needed

The Facebook Group (and the entire Distemper Cure community) continues to grow. New vets are beginning to take interest, we have a good bit of data now, and it seems that the need for serum is becoming ever more apparent after the loss of two puppies under 12 weeks of age.

Unable to obtain the life-saving serum which was the first-line substance for treating puppies in the body this young, the owner, with the proper veterinary approval, had to go to plan B and give them NDV in an effort to save them because time was running out. All this was done strictly by the book.

Although the serum might have bought the two pups the time it would take to travel to Atlanta for the CSF procedure, and the owner was willing to pay for it, it did not arrive, one died, and then the other; another example of just how quickly Distemper can strike a dog down and how little time there is to waste.

In times such as these even one day's delay can mean death. The owner did the best she could, and followed all of Dr. Sears' instructions, but this was out of her, (even out of his) control.

Now we are mobilizing our forces to solve this problem of access as quickly as possible. Although we are not likely to have more than a few dogs now and then in special circumstances who cannot be saved by the bird-based NDV thus it is highly unlikely that the demand will ever exceed supply, however, it is the season when the number of Distemper cases increases significantly and we need to be ready to meet the need when and if another similar case presents itself.

When that time comes these especially vulnerable young ones' owners will need to know exactly who to obtain the serum from, and those offering it will need to be prepared to get it to them right away.

We are working on developing serum banks and will begin raising money toward that end at some point so that even those for whom money would be a barrier to treatment will not be out of luck. I know that both Dr. Sears and Dr. Adams would want it that way, as the owner will already have expenses piling up most likely for his or her vet's services.

The founders of this treatment meant for it to be widely available and during the years he practiced, treating dogs in the body, Dr. Sears did not always charge for every single service, as he was doing this because he believed in it, and the good deed spoke for itself in the eyes of the owner, and their beloved pet relieved of suffering, once again restored to health, happy, and enjoying life. The results are their own reward. Besides, a dog is a dog whether it belongs to a rich family or poor one, and they are all just as worthy of our help.

That is what Dr. Sears' life's work is all about, and you can't really put a pricetag on that even though for logistical reasons we are tackling the task of putting a fair price on it for the purposes of the Foundation's future dispersal of funds.

Applicants who want to ask that their expenses be paid to create serum as an "approved serum bank" will be required to comply with certain requirements set forth by the organization, and will be bound by signed contract to follow those requirements as a condition of their arrangement with us.

We are looking for people (owners and their vets) who exemplify the spirit of Dr. Sears' and the late Dr. Adams' work, people who although they might be reimbursed have it in their heart to do this for other dogs and would do it even without pay because it's the right thing to do. These are the kinds of people who would give bone marrow to someone they don't even know when a drive was organized, or who would pull together an effort to raise money for a boy with a deadly form of cancer just because they care.

The actual cost of serum production is not as steep as you might have thought. Below is a quote from Dr. Sears, and he would know since he developed the technique.

"If you provide the donor dog then you are looking at an office call and the price of the assistants time, and the glass bottles (usually free). Need a jugular catheter also. Total cost if you provide the dog is about $100-$150. 00."

If you think you may be interested, let me know, read more about the process and criteria for the dog below, print out, and run this by your vet:

PROCESS FOR MAKING THE SERUM

1. Dog- use a 10-12 month old mixed breed dog, 60-90 lbs, 27.27kg to 40.91kg, young and healthy.

2. Do full lab work-up to eliminate all possible health problems; specially- blood born diseases.

3. Must be previously vaccinated against all local diseases.

4. Do not use breeds or individuals known to have immune deficiency problems.

5. Make up Newcastle virus vaccine 1000 dose vial. (Use only the 6 cc of diluent vial that comes with the NDV or Saline if Diluent is not available). Inject 3.0cc of Diluent or Saline to the NDV vial. Discard the balance remaining from the Diluent vial. The La Sota strain or B-1 are most common. Other strains of this virus should work as well but do not use Killed Virus NDV Vaccine. Use Modified Live NDV. This virus is your cell immunity inducer.

6. Place IV Catheter in dog.

7. Inject 2.0 or 3.0cc of Newcastle virus into the I.V. from your vaccine bottle depending on the official weight of the dog. (Treat dog with I.V fluids accordingly) (Do Not use Corticosteroids)

8. Induction of Newcastle’s disease virus for cellular immune serum (cytokines) may only be done once on any dog. The second time around, only antibodies to Newcastle’s disease are produced. These are of no use and can cause an adverse reaction.

9. Timing is absolutely essential for taking serum against distemper. Take blood 11-12 hours post injection (11-12 hrs post injection= Anti-viral factors=Very effective against Distemper Virus in VIVO.) Timing is important. (Interferon, antiviral, regulatory, anti-inflammatory cytokines all have different times of production).

10. All procedures must be sterile. Just prior to the 11-12 hours post- injection, anesthetize donor dog (approx. 5-10 minutes before).

11. Place Jugular catheter.

12. Start I.V fluids.

13. Withdraw blood between the 11th and 12th hour and inject into 10cc blood vials [sterile no additive vials] and allow the blood to clot. All VETS please take out only up to maximum amount from donor dog. Remove blood just short of putting the dog into shock. That can be determined by the color of the gums and respiratory rate. What is amazing is the speed with which a healthy dog recovers. Fluids of course help recovery. We could take about 250 cc whole blood from a 90 lb dog and get about 100 cc of usable serum.
(A.W. Sears DVM 6/8/09)

14. Centrifuge immediately after clotting for clear serum. Do not allow RBC’s to lyse.

15. Remove serum and place into sterile bottles.

16. Place serum bottles in baggies and store in refrigerator. Bottles of serum can be stored for up to five years in a refrigerator; longer if frozen.

17. Cryo-precipitates may form after refrigeration. Mixing causes clouding. This is not harmful.

18. May be filtered out with a .02micron filter. Keep sterile.

19. All my donor dogs have survived. I have not lost any. (A.W. Sears)

Note: Revisions may be made as new data becomes available.If you have any questions, please contact Dr. Alson W. Sears DVM for further clarification at AntiDistemper@aol.com

2009-06-06T03:04:00.009-04:00

The Secret Life of Trees

The other day I was reading through some of the various online groups' e-mails I belong to and saw a call for entries into an online exhibition called "The Secret Life of Trees". This intrigued me because I have always felt a special kinship with trees, so I read further.

Amanda Makepeace with Worldwide Woman Artists (also on Etsy), has put together a very lovely variety of art in several mediums, among them, drawings, paintings, fiber, and jewelry. (My piece is Hemlock Wreath Reflecting Mountain Stream), the heavily fringed bracelet with quartz crystal briolettes.

http://amandamakepeace.com/pages/wwao-june-exhibition.php

You are sure to uncover some buried treasure you haven't seen before!

I'm getting ready to enter a few more soon through Cafe; http://callforentry.org/

if I can find out how to submit jewelry dimensions in their image upload and item description form. The way it's worded is definitely geared more toward larger-scale artwork rather than jewelry. It literally won't let you save unless you enter in whole numbers; exact inches, centemeters, etc; no fractions (even if that is the true size of the piece). I'm not one to lie or misrepresent my work, so I hope there is a cohesive way of conveying the true measurements in "jewelry terms" that will be comprehensible to those looking to buy.

As part of my current marketing plan, this is my year to enter as many exhibitions and competitions as I can that I feel my jewelry might fit. With the economy as it is a career artist has to think outside the box.

My goal this year is also to get at least one piece of my jewelry published in a trade magazine. That is one experience I have not yet had and I hear from others that it's a great way to bring in interested buyers.

This blog article would not be complete without some adorable pictures of Carmella.

She is almost over her mange completely and her coat is growing back in nicely, even on her flanks where it was the worst. Only a little area near her tail is still red. She feels nice and soft now and has more pep in her step. I have the impression that her immune system is finally normalizing (Thank God!). I was really beginning to wonder if these residual immune issues would ever resolve.

More is happening in the fight to save dogs from Distemper; some hopeful, and some not-so-hopeful. As in any war we lose a few along the way. The ones in underdeveloped countries have the most difficult time obtaining NDV because facilities tend to be much more primitive and the regulation of drugs and vaccines varies from country to country.

Next hardest are the situations in which the owner doesn't have the money or credit to travel to one of the main vets doing this treatment, and doesn't have the staying power to convince any of their local vets to use it there. Unfortunately also family can influence the main caregiver into ending the dog's life before he/she has a chance to try the treatment. This is particularly sad because in some cases the logistics can be worked out but there are the ties that bind in that caregiver's closest relationships that ultimately result in the sacrifice of their beloved pet.

On a positive note, there is one more case in California right now with two puppies under 12 weeks old now trying to arrange obtaining the serum from people in Texas. That sounds like it will have a successful outcome as long as arrangements are made without much delay. These puppies must have the dog-based serum (not the bird-based commercially manufactured NDV) because they would not be able to tolerate the bird-based substance. I suspect it's because it is too foreign for their as of yet not-fully-developed immune systems to assimilate and adapt to.

Suzanna Urzuly (also from California), the one I wrote about earlier who drove all the way to Texas to have her dog treated, is very happy to report that her dog, Hunter, once 80-90% blind now has 100% normal vision just a few weeks after the CSF procedure! Here is Hunter before treatment.

5/7/09 Squinty, unfocused eyes

5/7/09 Discharge from eyes and nose

5/7/09 Cracked and crusty nose

And here she is afterwards! Look at the difference in her eyes.

5/20/09 eyes brighter and clearer-getting better; a new lease on life!

5/26/09 even healthier; eyes bright and wide, more playful, coat shinier, more muscle-tone

If all goes on schedule we should hear of another success soon with the two young puppies! Carmella continues to be a shining example that lives can be saved, that a dog's quality of life can be beautiful, and that such lives are worth saving! Her face absolutely glows in this picture!

http://Giftbearer.etsy.com/

2009-05-31T21:52:00.015-04:00

Companies Giving it all Away. Are They Crazy?...Or Crazy Like A Fox?

Friday's episode of the Tyra Banks show revealed some fascinating freebies as well as unconventional ways to make money in today's troubled economy. I watch her show often and it is often entertaining but she really outdid herself this time!

Among the guests featured were people who sold everything from plasma, to a kidney, to one woman who made about $1300 selling her hair!

In addition there were some people who frequented particular websites giving away various products for free; individuals who had won food, big screen TVs, and even lavish all expenses (or most expenses) paid trips, health, and beauty products, and there it was reported that some unusual networks of people allow strangers to trade houses with them while on vacation or stay a night or two with them at their house when they needed lodging when they couldn't afford a stay in a hotel.

One little known fact is that General Mills gives away not only coupons but free full-sized products they manufacture just for asking or signing up on their website.

Many companies are willing to literally give things away in order to gain new and devoted customers long-term. I've seen this among sellers on Etsy, but it doesn't seem to be quite as prevelent in commercial circles (or at least it's not widely publicized). Well, after Tyra's show I guess their cover is blown, LOL.

These companies probably factor into their marketing plan the number of people who just take one of something and never come back, but they figure losing a few items is worth what they'll gain in those who try their products and love them so much they decide to make something of theirs a regular household staple.

I know that I have stumbled upon much loved items this way myself. I have found a number of new favorites by sampling the local faire at Sam's Club via those little tables set up by people hired to hand out samples, and similarly at the Dekalb Farmer's Market in Atlanta. Just a few weeks ago I discovered a delicious new Onion Bread this way (and believe me, I plan on buying more when June comes around and I go back for more groceries!)

These types of arrangements in the long-term (although requiring a short-term sacrifice) do pay off. They are win/win situations.

Some might assume if it looks too good to be true then it probably is, but that can't be taken as a given or you're likely to miss out on some really wonderful opportunities!

Now, ironically, more than ever, retailers everywhere are willing to try new and riskier marketing ideas. The old standby's aren't always enough to increase one's market-share in an arena where everyone is starving to make a go of it and total resources are fewer.

Even computer manufacturers who haven't sacrificed much from year to year are now lowering prices, taking advantage of each holiday to run special deep discount promotions, and placing their trust in the market to scratch their back later like never before. Just a few months ago I didn't see anything decent for sale under around $900 in laptops, but now many are down around $500-$650, and store credit cards are extending all kinds of "same as cash deals" to entice customers to buy.

I turned on the TV today and noticed that the housing market is starting to do all kinds of creative marketing as well; reducing the required down-payments people are required to place, gated communities sponsoring new and luxurious amenities, and many developers are even lowering their total prices on newly-built homes.

Hotels are dropping their rates as well in hopes that people won't cut back on vacations this year, and websites like Expedia.com are becoming even more widely used by the traveling public.

I have not seen alot of deep discounts yet from wholesale jewelry suppliers, (but I suspect it's just a matter of time).

These were the websites recommended on the Tyra Banks show (and some suggested by posters on her forum who had personally tried them and found them to be legitimate and helpful. I've organized them and divided them into categories:

Free Stuff (or Get Paid)

Food and Clothing
www.mysteryshop.org (pays people to shop or assess product display in stores)
www.craigslist.org (Free Clothing)
www.shespeaks.com (Free health and Beauty Products)
www.freebirthdaytreats.com (Free stuff on your birthday)
www.pssst.generalmills.com (Free food; will send you full sized products)

Medication
www.pparx.org (Free Medications)

Travel or Place To Stay
www.kayak.com
www.homeexchange.com
www.caretaker.org
www.courier.org
www.couchsurfing.com

Financial Aid For School
www.finaid.org

Sweepstakes
www.sweetiessweeps.com

Various Free Stuff
www.freecycle.org
www.freebies4mom.com
www.freeflys.com
www.shop4freebies.com
www.ilovefreebies.com
www.freestufffriend.com
www.sweetfreestuff.com
www.buzzagent.com

Sell Your Hair
http://thehairtrader.com

After I took a look at the hairtrader site I decided this would be a fantastic way to raise some of the money I need to pay off Carmella's vet bill! Unlike giving plasma or selling a kidney, cutting your hair really has no risk involved and the great thing about it is that it grows back. I discovered that cutting the hair after you find a buyer brings the highest price.

Some buyers seem to want to cut the hair themselves. There seems to be two or three reasons for this that I can identify;

1) The fresher it is the better it works in creating a wig or hair extension

2) Some buyers may want this because if they cut it themselves they can be sure what they see in pictures is what they will get

3) There seem to be some buyers who want to cut the hair themselves because they have some sort of hair fetish (those are the ones you want to avoid). Some of them seem to want to shave the person's head too.

I don't think I would be comfortable with that, and besides you never know when dealing face to face with strangers whether you're going to meet up with somebody harmless or an axe murderer. With the recent serial murder case which took place on Craig's List you can never be too careful. I think I will opt for the shipping option with hair cut at a salon or by myself just to be safe. There are some buyers who have above-board reasons for buying the hair and are still willing to pay high prices.

Right now I have about a foot of harvestable hair but the ones who usually command the highest prices have longer hair than that. I was amazed to see that there were some women who had grown their hair to two feet or more!

I don't think I want to wait that long to sell mine, but maybe a few months more growth will get it into the range at which I can reasonably expect more than $1,000.

The fact that I have a large percentage of both Native American (Iroquois) and Hawaiian in me will also be to my advantage. There is a woman with one of the Iroquoian Nation tribes in her lineage who sold hers within days, and a guy (I think the buyer) left a question for her asking where he could get more Native American type hair, so I know that it is sought-after.

Doing this could have all kinds of side-benefits as well; possibly increase the customer-base to my Etsy stores, raise awareness even more to the Distemper cure cause, and who knows, it might also end up helping Carmella in ways I don't even imagine right now!

Sales (though most of them small) have started to become more frequent in both my finished jewelry and supply Etsy stores since I've been listing more items in my supply store lately. Things are looking up. I hope this will continue to increase.

This Southwestern Cross necklace and earring set is my latest.

The set has been wire-wrapped with fine silver wire, Southwestern Sterling silver beads, red coral, tiny hematite beads, and has a nice weighty sterling chain. It's available now on Etsy.

Keep the donations coming for Carmella. She needs all the help she can get. We won't be out of the woods financially until this bill has been reduced quite a bit more.

I think finally her expenses are slowing down. Her mange is alot better than even at my last writing. You can see that the sides of her face around her whiskers have healed very well and most of the fur has grown back there.

However she still has the look of buckshot on her flank (one side more than the other).
I sure hope the hair follicles are not destroyed in that area and that this too will heal and the fur will grow back.

She has been full of energy over the weekend and even chewed some wood in the kitchen. I have not been able to locate where it came from, but I came home from running some errands to find splinters scattered all over the floor and Carmella with a guilty look on her face. Now that she is free of much of the previous immune system stuff I have been taking her for walks in the neighborhood. Sometimes it is me who hasn't felt up to it.

Now I can attend to some of my own health problems and gradually make headway on some of the consults that have been on the back burner. I have an appointment with an ENT for mid June to look into the status of my bone loss and assess whether or not there is still any active infection before going ahead with bone regeneration. Then there is the Dermatologist appointment.

Meanwhile the marketing for both shops continues, and the making of new pieces of jewelry, as does my work with the Canine Distemper cause.

http://Giftbearer.etsy.com

2009-05-23T22:52:00.016-04:00

Distemper Cure Successes-Latest News!

On Monday, March 9, 2009 a 4 month-old puppy in Texas by the name of Maya with severe abdominal spasms was treated in both body and CNS and came through it successfully!

As of March 28, 2009 these 2 dogs were treated by another vet in Texas with Newcastle Disease Vaccine (NDV) in both body and Central Nervous System;

A little dachshund was in what is considered "end stage" Distemper. He was showing the characteristic "chewing gum" seizures for months, yet was still able to be saved! This is another great example showing that it's never too late.

Next, on Monday, May 11, 2009 a 5-month-old Border Collie mix named Hunter from California traveled with her owner to Texas and received the life-saving treatment in both body and CNS. Her nose started softening within about 24 hrs, and amazingly her pneumonia disappeared fairly soon after both injections. This sudden resolution of the pneumonia rarely happens without Baytril and Pennecillin G administered over a 7-day period, and the result implies that the NDV might cause an overall immune system improvement in some dogs! The owner was elated and had this to say:

"There is a huge group of people in LA who are mostly pet rescuers and they can't wait to see the results. They have been emailing me all day in the last 5 days."

Then on Monday, May 18, 2009 Dr. Muller here in Atlanta treated another dog, Sammy, a mixed-breed terrier of about 1 year in age who traveled by air from Florida. The body treatment and the CSF procedure were done back to back, as this dog had had a turn for the worse in the days preceding their arrival. I met with the couple while they were here in Atlanta and am happy to hear he is doing well. Sammy had reached the "chewing gum" stage and was starting to progress to Grand Mal seizures before he got treatment. His owners were greatly relieved when Dr. Muller stepped up to the plate. Their dog now has a chance at a normal life!

Sammy

The success of the above 5 dogs combined with those previously treated is beginning to gain the trust of more vets. In all there are 9 or 10 dogs to date who have been treated in both body and CNS with Dr. Sears' treatment and are doing well.

In Texas the very first donor dog created 60ccs of serum! His cytokines will help sick dogs beat this deadly disease.

Next, a beautiful yellow Labrador whose former owner gave him up was taken in by the small rescue operation owned by the family who had the Dachshund and the Boston Terrier, treated by their vet. The family who took him in named him Alson after Alson Sears, the vet who developed this cure. He is healthy and of the optimal age to donate the dog-based serum used in place of the manufactured NDV that will save even more dogs from Distemper. The procedure for him poses no risk, utilizing his natural cytokines stimulated by the bird-based NDV and then harvested, seperating the serum at the exact time-frame necessary.

Texas is one of the biggest hot spots for Distemper in the US where epidemics are running rampant, and there are many dogs in need in that area. This is a wonderful thing that these people are doing to help their local community!

Carmella continues to do well. Her mange has gotten better and better since she started on Ivermectin and she has not had any more opportunistic bacterial infections!

She still looks a little as if she was shot in the butt with some buckshot, but the fur is gradually growing back and the itching is much less frequent.

Over the past week while I'd been house-sitting she has been very rambunctious, nosing around, investigating the new surroundings, and trying to chew my shoes as I put them on in the morning. The people I was house-sitting for had two cats and one dog. All had to be kept seperate or it would have been pandamonium. Carmella has never been around cats so she was captivated looking out the sliding glass window at them on the second-floor balcony enclosed in lattice-work. She whined with anticipation and stuck her head between the bamboo blinds to stare at them (I'm not sure if she wanted to pounce on them and eat them for dinner or just play with them) but I wasn't taking any chances.

Once home, she settled back down and curled up on her black fuzzy pillow in the kitchen after chomping on her rawhide stick and playing with her stuffed rabbit. It was a long week over at the other house, as the quarters were cramped and I had to watch her like a hawk to make sure she didn't chew up anything. I'm happy to be home myself, to sleep in my own bed, and have access to my computer files, and jewelry supplies.

Before I left to house-sit last weekend I created a poster about the importance of early detection and NDV treatment of dogs with Distemper that can be printed and hung in vets' offices. I included the photos of 4 dogs who have died because they didn't find this treatment in time or the owners were unable to get their vets to do it before the disease overtook them. The file was so big in png format that I couldn't send it by e-mail so I have saved a copy in jpg and uploaded it to Flickr;

http://www.flickr.com/photos/giftbearer/3563218569/

If you have a vet for your animals please share the link to this poster and my blog with him or her and encourage them to follow what we're doing on behalf of these dogs. As more and more people adopt dogs from shelters it becomes evident just how vital and needed such a cure is. Preventative vaccination alone clearly is not eradicating this virus, and in a shelter environment where many dogs are housed close together all it takes is one infected dog to infect the others, as Canine Distemper is an airborne disease. The numbers of dogs saved by NDV continues to increase, and with them, the evidence that it is indeed is a real cure!
http://Giftbearer.etsy.com/

2009-05-23T03:43:00.005-04:00

Distemper Cure- Get the most up-to-date information

To see evidence look at pictures of my dog Carmella after she received Dr. Alson W. Sears' treatment (Newcastle Virus Vaccine) in both body and CNS.

Notice her paw pads are fully healed in only two weeks after IV injection. The last headshot in this album was taken after she had the procedure to inject NDV into her spinal canal. (Note the dramatic increase in muscle-tone afterwards; even in her ears);

http://www.indiepublic.com/photo/albums/946391:Album:541951

You can print the full two-part protocol and give it to your vet. Find it here:
http://www.caninedistemper.proboards.com/

Find more successfully treated dogs and their owners in this Facebook Group:
http://www.causes.com/savedogsfromdistemper/

I'm away house-sitting this week and don't have access to my own computer but will be posting more great news and of course more cute pictures later today or tomorrow when I get home!

Stay tuned! More dogs have been saved since my last posting!

2009-04-27T18:19:00.010-04:00

Carmella's New Plan of Action Against Mange Mites, and Mine

Carmella went back to the vet on Saturday and started a new regimine to combat the Mange mites that proliferate at the slightest opportunity. Dr. Norwood did a skin scraping and found that she in fact does have Demodectic Mange as she had before. The bacteria seem to be under control for the most part, although she was developing an infection in her ears. Just my luck that one problem ends, just to make room for another.

Dr. Norwood seemed perplexed as to what to do to improve Carmella's immune system, and mentioned that maybe there is a product that could be ordered that he doesn't have in stock, although he doesn't know alot about that kind of stuff, as it falls more under homeopathic medicine than mainstream veterinary medicine. In the meantime, something would have to be done to kill the mites that are multiplying currently. I asked whether she could be given a higher dose of the Pro-meris every two weeks, and he said that that might possibly work, but that there really was no precedent for it and it would be off-label, so he was reluctant to try that option.

Then I asked him what he thought about using Ivermectin. That he seemed to think was a good idea. He went into the back room where he deliberated for a good 15-20 minutes about the dosage. When he had finished his figuring he sent the male vet tech in to give me the instructions for dosing.

Invariably this guy always seems to forget something or relay some instruction insufficiently. It would be much more reliable if Dr. Norwood delivered these instructions himself. The prescription for Carmella's ears was predicatably forgotten and the vet tech ventured a guess as to whether the Mange treatment would address the secondary ear infection, so I asked him to go ask Dr. Norwood, not wanting to take any chances. In a matter of just a day or two Carmella could be worse and need to come back in, so I figured I'd save myself that hassle.

The vet tech returned with a tube of antibiotic ointment and some stuff to clean her ears with, then went over the instructions for the Ivermectin (1% solution). I am supposed to titrate up as follows:

Day 1: .2 ml

Day 2: .4 ml

Day 3: .6 ml

Day 4: .7 ml

Day 5: .8 ml

Day 6: .9 ml

Day 7: 1.0 ml

Day 8: 1.1 ml

Day 9: 1.2 ml

Day 10 on for 2-4 months (continue to give 1.2 ml per day)

So far as of day 3 there have been no adverse reactions.

She is on Gentizol ointment (manufactured by VetOne) for her ear infection (Gentamycin sulfate, USP, Betamethasone Valerate, USP, and Clotrimazole, USP), taken for 14 days, and the ear cleaning solution is Vet Solutions Vetoquinol (an 8 oz. bottle).

Carmella is still biting and licking herself somewhat but not constantly. I let her spend a good part of the day out in the sun this afternoon which she thoroughly enjoyed, lying on an old green cushion just outside the back porch. Maybe being out in the air and the sun will help dry out some of the pests that are plagueing her.

Yay! The Carmella-cam is working again! I thought I might have to buy the hosting service's paid service to have it work again, but apparently it fixed itself. When I got on the computer today I saw it come up on my computer for the first time in several weeks. Then I checked the link in my seidebar and saw it was working here too. Be sure to check her out in the kitchen!

I am preparing for some jewelry competitions and finishing up a local custom order, as well as going to some doctor's appointments.

After seeing my GP last week it looks as if the bone loss in my jaw and pain in those bones is finally going to be addressed, as will my appeal to Medicare for my Benicar.

By Friday or Saturday I began to have intermittant shortness of breath. Now that I have run through the medication I had stockpiled some of the earlier symptoms are returning, (but it doesn't take a rocket scientist to have predicted that outcome). You'd think that Medicare would know that. What is really disturbing about that whole situation is that they obviously know but don't care. I am not the only one on that off-label protocol whose health is in jeopardy because Medicare is too cheap to continue paying for the lifesaving medication that people with a number of autoimmune diseases need for which this regimine is indicated. Their denial is hurting many, possibly hundreds of people with Sarcoidosis, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and Lyme Disease, just to mention a few conditions.

I may have to ultimately take my case before an Administrative Law Judge because although it is cheaper out of pocket by buying it from India than from the manufacturer (Sankyo) here in the US, I do not know how long I could fork out that amount of money either (or whether I could do it every single month).

I have made only two small sales this month and that's not enough to keep me and Carmella going. I hope these two sales are just the beginning, and that larger ones and more of them will follow.

If I can find out whether or not I have an active bone infection, and get that taken care of on my insurance, then getting the bone regeneration procedure should not be any expense at all since it is research.

My GP is going to speak with the guy doing the bone regeneration project and ask if he knows anyone he reccomends for me to see to assess the infection status before we get started.

Please check out my Etsy shop often and tell your friends and relatives about it. The 20% off Repeat Customer Appreciation Sale continues through midnight Mother's Day (May 10th). I want to be around for years to come to make lots more jewelry, and to continue to take care of Carmella. If I can pay off her vet bill it will sure be one big load off my mind. I've currently got a long way to go to raise $2,000, but if enough people take action it is an achievable goal. I created this ad for a necklace that I think would make another wonderful gift for a mother. The Labradorite, pink pearls, and faceted Rose Quartz create a understated and classy look combined with the sterling melon beads and Hill Tribes Silver Rose focal.

http://Giftbearer.etsy.com/

2009-04-22T00:03:00.012-04:00

Buy Your Mother A Gift She Will Cherish Forever!

Promises and Keepsakes- These are some of the best pearls I have ever had in my posession. The creamy yellow Jade pendant and sterling filligree heart create an ambiance of elegance and finery. Your mother is sure to feel special while wearing this classic piece!

Update on Carmella

Carmella goes back to the vet on Saturday.

Her paws are much better

although not completely healed.

As the areas that were affected heal they seem to turn kind of purpleish.

I took the cone off for awhile after giving her a bath today with the special antibacterial shampoo. I do this once a week.

She still sneaks a lick at her paws every once in awhile.
Now patches are developing again on her fur.

I hope her Mange isn't coming back.

As you can see it looks as though her hair is getting choppy again in certain places. Tomorrow is the day I put more Pro-Meris on her. She is on a double-dose of this for what she would normally get if she was having it applied just for flea-killing. I am beginning to wonder if this stuff is wearing off after only about a week and a half instead of lasting for two weeks even at this higher dose. She gets the amount a very large dog would have. Apparently research has shown that this is effective in controlling Mange on a maintenence basis, but I'm not sure what we do next if this is not controlling it. Maybe, we should try Ivermectin.

I did try the boric acid and peroxide way back after we discontinued the dips and I think that actually just inflamed it more. Lemon helped a little, but still didn't fully get rid of it.

I could try pure Tea Tree oil, but from what I read it stains everything. Since she sleeps on my bed and I am always hugging her throughout the day I don't know how feasible that would be. It would get all over my clothes, the carpet each time I let her out of the kitchen to go outside, possibly all over the walls if she leaned against them, and also I don't know if I'd ever get it out of her fur.

I woke her up from a nap tonight to give her her pills and she was kind of groggy at first, but then got really rambunctious and started to get in one of her chewing moods. She grabbed onto my sleeve and tried chewing my arm too!

Then she jumped on her stuffed aquirrel as if it were a real one that she was trying to kill.

The Carmella-cam is down again and I had to write the hosting service to see what could be done to get it working again. Since I have the free account they might take 4-5 days to respond. I hope it will be up and running again soon.

The little duckling died over the weekend. I was really bummed because he was starting to get quite tame. He had begun to stick his head out of the bars of the cage to greet me every time I came into the computer room, and was able to stay on my open hand that last day without trying to run. One morning I woke up and went in to check on him and found him lying completely still in his cage. I picked him up and saw he was not breathing and that he was cold.

He had eaten heartily the night before and was very active. There was no clue that he was going to die anytime soon. I am beginning to think maybe his mother abandoned him because he had something wrong that I couldn't see by looking at him. It may have been a genetic defect of some internal organ.

The last day of his life I took some more pictures of him luckily.

I had really hoped he would make it and I would be able to raise him.

Rest in peace, little guy. :(

Back to some happy news; I finally sold something after a slow period. Promoting for the previous weeks had been like breaking rocks with little result. Oddly, it was when I'd almost turned my attention away that it came in, but it seemed to happen while I was renewing things that had expired. I checked my Etsy store after walking away from the computer to do somethng else and then coming back, and found that my number of sold items said 82! When I checked to see which piece sold I found that it was a pair of my Haiku Earrings. The pair I sold had Variscite rondels, but my last pair has frosted Amethyst. At only $8.50 just about anybody can afford them.

This line is just perfect for Earth Day, with natural wood and genuine gemstone!

It is simple yet still retains the elegance I strive for in all my pieces. If you have not bought from me before and would like to make use of my 20% off Repeat Customer Appreciation Sale, you could buy these at full price and then use your discount on something more substantial! Just imagine what you could save on one of my Budding Vine bracelets for instance!

I also finished a necklace recently using a Blackberry leaf and set a Citrine cab in it.

Here is it in it's entirety, with a hand-made patterned bail, and lovely flat link chain with a Bali sterling hook.

Buy your mother a gift she will cherish forever!

http://Giftbearer.etsy.com

2009-04-16T20:41:00.006-04:00

Surprise Package!

This morning I let Carmella out in the back yard and since it was a nice day I went out there with her. No sooner had I walked out I saw something skitter across my field of vision. There are lots of squirrels because both back and front yards are full of trees so I thought it was another squirrel or maybe one of the chimney swifts that sometimes gets into my house when I open the door or in through the chimney. I didn't pay much attention to it until Carmella ran over and pounced on it (which she doesn't usually bother to do with a squirrel or a chimney swift. This animal she was intent upon trampling, and pinning it down with her front paw and then tried to grab it in her teeth. She normally hung back a bit, but this time she seemed to be going in for the kill, so I ran over and said loudly, "Give me that, Carmella! Drop it!" I looked down to see a squirming little thing beneath her grasp and upon closer inspection I realized it was a little duckling! I picked it up and although it was terrified, flapping its tiny fuzzy wings and peeping loudly, it was not hurt.

It seems I rescued it just in time. Carmella continued to sniff the area and I watched her thinking that if this duckling was wandering around out here in the back yard that there might be others not far behind. You don't usually see just one baby duck by itself, but after about 5 minutes I didn't see any littermates nor the mother, so I figured a neighborhood dog or cat must have gotten them for this little guy to be out by himself like this. There is a small lake about a half a mile up the road where ducks and geese live but normally they don't come in this close to the house, and I've only seen geese fly honking overhead; never land.

The small duck was struggling to get out of my hand and Carmella jumped up on me as if I had a dog treat for her or a juicy steak! It was quite a feat to keep it from hopping away as it was surprisingly agile for a bird that is not really known for agility. I left Carmella outside while I went in to find a container big enough to keep it in, found one of my shipping boxes that some supplies had come in earlier in the month and put it in there temporarily, folding the flaps over and under to keep it securely closed.

The sun was shining brightly, so I took some pictures of it while the lighting was good. Trying to snap a picture with one hand while holding it with the other was not easy and capturing it for the short moments when it wasn't moving, even harder.

Then it occurred to me that Carmella's old carrier that she'd grown out of would make a perfect cage. It had holes that were too small for the duckling to escape, yet big enough so that it would get air and for me to see in. I lined the bottom with newspapers and then took the bird out of the box and put it into the carrier. It seemed to take to the space easily and settled down after just a few minutes. I placed it on top of my washing machine and closed the shutter door in front of it so that it had the effect of a protected little cave.

Then I looked on Google to see what it would eat. The information I found said that ducks are mostly vegetarians but that in addition to things like fruit, vegetables, and grasses, they will also eat bugs. Apparently they drink alot of water but the dish cannot be filled any deeper than about a quarter of an inch or they might drown while playing around in it. I found a jar top and then cut off some kernels from a corn cob I had in the referigerator and placed them in a cut-off styrafoam cup bottom. A little while later when I came in to check on it, it seemed to have eaten some of the corn already.

Carmella seemed to be very jealous of the attention I was giving the newcomer and whined as if she both wanted to eat it for dinner and felt a little ignored. She hovered close by while I typed on the computer and read more about ducks. I petted her and finally when she realized that I had no intention of giving her the little fellow to eat she lay down on the carpet and fell asleep. She soon forgot about the little guy in the next room.

I called Petsmart and asked whether they carried any special food for ducks and the woman answering the phone told me that they do actually have some sort of mix specially made for ducks and geese. a 10 Lb. bag, she said, was only $7.00 and could last a young duckling quite awhile. In the meantime, stuff I have around the house would be fine to feed it. In addition to various fruit and vegetables my house has no shortage of bugs. The new addition should be a great solution to my moth problem and I believe, cockroaches too.

As a child I had all kinds of animals and it seemed that strays always managed to find me. Many summers in Baltimore I would come across baby blue jays that had fallen out of the nest, turtles, snakes, baby squirrels, etc. I'm surprised actually that this is the first orphan duckling that has ever come along.

I had heard that ducks bond to people pretty easily and that youg ones such as this imprint upon humans as if they were their mother. From what I was able to tell from pictures on the internet I believe this one is probably a mallard. I hope it's a male because I love the irridescent green head the adult males have. What I read sounded as though it could be hard to tell the gender of the duck; that sometimes a young male has a weaker cry and sometimes the bill is darker but these methods of telling them apart are not always foolproof. Since I only have one I have no way of comparing a weaker cry from a stronger one and I don't know how dark or light the bill should be. This one has almost all black on the top half and partly yellow and red on the bottom half.

His feet have an interesting pattern with yellow and a little bit of red running vertically to the toes on each side of black webbing.

Carmella's face is continuing to clear up after about a week and a half of antibiotics, and I was able to take her cone off for a few days but then she started biting herself on the flank so vigorously I thought she might bleed soon and start to sneak licks at her paws, so I put the cone back on her today.

I called Dr. Norwood's office to find out whether they ever got the results of the fungal culture. Gwen was in but Dr. Norwood was gone for the day, and she said he'd be back tomorrow and would give the results himself.

I listed several new pieces of jewelry last night. So far there have been no buyers to make use of my 20% off Repeat Customer Appreciation Sale. I've been tweeting the past few days on Twitter and expanding my network there. Another jewelry seller on Etsy told me she sold 8 things on Etsy in one week and 7 things in her Ebay store just recently, so I hope to see some serious buyers soon. People should be getting tax refunds soon if they have not received them already and that should expand most people's buying capacity.

If you'd like to help Carmella here's how you can do that:

1) Purchase jewelry from my Etsy store http://Giftbearer.etsy.com

2) Buy a $5.00 Scratchback ad on my blog

3) And/Or use the donation button to your right in the sidebar.

I need to raise about $2,000 currently to pay off Carmella's vet bill.

2009-04-11T02:16:00.006-04:00

My Little Friend is On the Mend

Carmella's paws look alot better after 5 days on the antibiotics!

The sores are beginning to look more like callouses

and what used to be raw, oozing flesh has now dried up alot

and the pads seem to be returning to more their normal color.

I'm not sure what this yellow coloring is though. It almost looks as though she stepped in pollen and it soaked into her pores, but I think it has something to do with the infection. Hopefully this will go away also.

Even Carmella's face is clearing up. It turns out that what Dr. Norwood thought was the remnants of the mange was really the bacteria. It seemed to be taking inordinately long for the lesions on the side of her face to heal, but I see more hair growing where it hasn't grown for weeks or months! Her eyes are also not getting goop in them constantly as they were before.

Her crotch still has a few little pustules but not near as many as before.

As you can see, her ears look better and the scabbiness is gone from her cheek!
Her snout where the whiskers are is still kind of red, but it is getting better. I hope it will look alot better by the end of the weekend.

She's not itching near as much and so is not licking, scratching, and biting herself except for every once in awhile. If this keeps up I may be able to take her cone off pretty soon!

I just added some more jewelry to my Etsy store. So far nobody has used the repeat customer sale, so if you like something you see I have things in a number of price-ranges, so go ahead and pick some of your favorites up and take them home. I've spread this out for a full month to make it easy for most people over several pay periods to fit this into their budget. I hope you all are seeing my shop and checking it often and that you will become regular customers if you're not already.

Those who have already bought jewelry from me can get the 20% discount on your very next purchase, and remember that once you have bought the first time you have all the way through Mother's Day to buy as much as you want at 20% off! If somebody's birthday is coming up but it's not for a few more months then why not just buy their gift early and keep it on hand while the discount period lasts. Now's the time to jump on it and make it work for you!

http://Giftbearer.etsy.com/

I recently finished a bunch of stuff to send off to VIX Emporium which will be having it's Grande Re-Opening after it's owner gets back from maternity leave.
It looks like I'll just barely have enough money to mail the package.

2009-04-06T18:26:00.008-04:00

Blowing Their Cover

Carmella's first round of test results came back today (the segment which tests for bacteria and antibiotic sensitivity) and they found E-coli, Streptococcus Group G, Pseudomonus, and Enterococcus in abnormal levels. The part of the culture for fungii should be in within the next few days.

I spoke with Dr. Norwood over the phone today and he said that she should be put on both Clavomox and Ciprofloxacin. Some of the bacteria respond to one and not the other. He is also going to prescribe Hyrdoxezine for her itching, and a medicated shampoo with antibiotic in it. He thinks she may have rolled in something when she was outside and because of her compromised immune system it took hold in her body.

She now has this stuff not only on her feet,

but more of it on the left side of her face,

her crotch,

and inside her ears.

She's beginning to treat the plastic collar the way some people treat their glasses; hardly noticing
it's there and eating,

drinking,

and running as though she didn't have it on.

A case study, written by a vet a Cornell describes what is known as Necrotizing Faciitis, one of two presentations of the Streptococcus Group G bacterial infection. In the case of this boxer the dog had to be hospitalized to have dead tissue removed surgically and was given IV antibiotics to save its life. It did recover but I hope that won't have to happen to Carmella, because removing dead tissue is really just a more minor form of amputation. It sounds horrible. http://dspace.library.cornell.edu:8080/bitstream/1813/11267/1/2003%20Gerdin.pdf

I sent pictures to Dr. Norwood tonight to see whether he thinks any of the skin on her paws is necrotic. He should receive my e-mail in the morning. Here are some I took of her left front and back paws (the ones that are affected the worst.

I am concerned because when I picked up her back paw to photograph it the skin oozed some sort of clear liquid.

This article which appeared in the Journal of Clinical Microbiology documents the likelihood that streptococcus Group G bacteria can jump species from dogs to humans. That is kind of scary! http://jcm.asm.org/cgi/content/full/45/7/2327

Some of the other material I read said that spreading to humans is not very common, but at the same time not enough study has been done for them to know for sure.

My reading about Pseudomonas reveals that it, like Streptococcus Group G can be a very nasty bacteria that is hard to get rid of and can cause serious damage. Pseudomonas tends to attack the ear and in some cases can damage it so badly that surgery is needed. Some dogs have had to have cochlear implants as a result of such damage.

Pseudomonas is most often treated with Flouroquinalones and when present in the ear the dosage must be high in order to hit the bacteria hard and fast before it has a chance to become resistent to it. Sometimes medications are also given directly to the ear in addition to oral medications, and in tougher cases inhections are even given. Treatment can be costly and the infection can sometimes re-occur and require treatment again.

http://www.marvistavet.net/html/body_ear_infections.html

This article goes into quite a bit of detail about strategy in treating difficult bacterial infections, and talks about how certain bacteria interact. http://www.vin.com/proceedings/Proceedings.plx?CID=WSAVA2007&PID=18189&Category=2993&O=Generic

I sent the above link on to my vet as well. I really hope this won't be a long, drawn-out process and that these antibiotics will work on the first try. Carmella has had so much happen to her in just a year she deserves to be healthy the rest of her life.

Carmella's vet bill is now over $2,000. so your help is urgently needed. Be sure to stop by my Etsy store and make use of the month-long sale. You may find that you love being a repeat customer! Buy your mother a nice gift, and help a dog continue to get the treatment she needs.
http://Giftbearer.etsy.com

2009-04-05T23:51:00.006-04:00

Woohooo!!! It's the Repeat Customer Appreciation Sale at Giftbearer!

This special offer is for repeat customers only, so if you have not purchased from me yet and have been coveting that special piece of jewelry now's your chance to become one!

Between now and Mother's Day buy anything from me at regular price and then buy again and on your second purchase you'll get 20% off on anything in my store.

If you have previously bought from me at least once before it's even simpler; you are eligible on this purchase; just convo me and let me know and I'll adjust the price on the item or items you'd like your discount on. I'll check my list of previous purchases and then notify you as soon as I've made the reduced price adjustment.

During this time there is no limit to the number of items you can buy at 20% off!

Some of you regular readers already know her but for those who are just coming across my blog and my story the dog you see on my banner is Carmella, a former shelter dog I adopted who is the first in the US to ever be fully cured of Distemper through a cutting edge treatment.

Although cured, she continues to need special care due to a compromised immune system. I hope to pay off her $2,000 vet bill.

She is a very special dog and I want to give her everything she needs.

***A Very Heartfelt Thank You To All My Repeat Customers...and Those Soon to be***

http://Giftbearer.etsy.com

2009-03-25T22:45:00.010-04:00

Groping Around in the dark

It has been several months now since any of my jewelry has sold on Etsy and I'm not sure what gives. I feel as though I'm groping around in the dark trying to find a foothold. Tonight I watched American Idol and noticed that a number of the singers were having the same problem. What they thought would appeal to people seemed to miss the mark with the judges in some vital way in many cases. Only one or two seemed to hit the nail on the head in enough areas to get that unhesitating "Yes!" response that all artists strive for, the kind of response in which the beholder doesn't have to think consciously about what worked, but knew unequivically that it did. Even after polishing their act taking into account all the feedback they'd been given, still several of them were told that they veered left when they should have veered right, or that they'd gone too far in one direction that they'd been told to go in the previous week and over-corrected.

I thought about how visual art is similar. It's like that game "pin the tail on the donkey where you're blindfolded and have to rely on often ambiguous cues and instructions as to when you're getting "hot" and when you're getting "cold".

As artists it seems that often we come kind of close (and someone may like something we've made enough to compliment but maybe not heart it), or at times very close (and then somebody will heart it but not buy it), then on those lucky occasions when all the conditions are right... bingo! (Somebody buys).

Those moments to an artist are like a juicy steak set down in front of you at the end of a long day, but what are they made of? Better yet; we all wonder how we can repeat them, yet the formula seems to elude us and remains a moving target.
Sometimes it seems as though an art-based business is more like trying to win the lottery than other jobs in which you can be sure your pay is going to continue week after week. Althought ironically with all the recent lay-offs the two might be more on a par with each other now more than ever.

It is alot like going fishing. You choose where you think is a good fishing spot, attach the worm (choose types and decide on your methods of promotion), then drop your line in the water and see if there are any fish around to see it, and whether they are interested (is your demographic where you're advertising and do they want what you have to offer on this day?)

Sometimes they see it but stay where they are, not making a move forward. Other times one comes close and even takes a little nibble.

I remember when I was a kid out on the pier many summers waiting patiently to catch "the big one" and it did come around. It's presence massive, an impressive creature, fins glistening like polished silver, sunlight glancing off it as its muscular body maneuvered effortlessly through the water below. My heart seemed to stop for a moment in anticipation. I was afraid to breath for fear I might scare it away.

It was these fish that were hardest to catch, as they all seemeds to have grown to this size by narrowly escaping capture any number of times. Some even had remnants of hooks in their mouths which had partially healed over. These big granddaddy fish would glide up to my hook and appear to sniff around at the juicy morsel attached, assessing whether or not to go in and chomp down. More often than not they'd nibble around the edges, avoiding the hook inside as if they knew that there was a price to be paid for not controlling their hunger. Then they'd dart off if there were any sudden moves, or seem to get distracted while staring at it and lose interest, sailing up to, then beyond my offering, eyes focused forward.

I never could figure out what the determining factor was to their deciding to bite down solidly versus the other two responses. To this day it remains a mystery.

In my jewelry design process I have alot of versatility and often challenge myself to look at trends and then create my own twist on elements that seem to appeal to a number of people. I don't want my work to look like everybody else's but at the same time I often wonder if there is such a thing is going too far off the beaten path.

I have read that certain shapes such as circles appeal to most people and afford them a kind of security. Maybe there's something to be said for predictability in an increasingly unpredictable world. Sometimes I will look at work that does not seem very unique and see that nevertheless it is selling pretty regularly.

Two questions keeps raising their heads; "How plain should I go before the work becomes boring? How complex or unusual should I go before the work is too far afield for viewers to relate to it?

It is easy to go too far in either direction, but where that line in the sand exists is not well understood.

Tomorrow between 1 and 3 pm someone is coming to look at my poor kitchen floor that the other repairman tore while moving the refrigerator and Carmella continued to peel back.

I will be relieved to have that work done so that I can mop it without worrying that it will warp. I want to wash the floor with bleach as soon as I can in case Carmella's foot microbes re-deposit onto her while she's walking in there.

You can see when you look close-up that these torn areas trap hair, and stains, and all kinds of unwanted stuff. Yuck!

Carmella's second day wearing the cone has been touch and go. She has found ways to get around the thing now and then and either stick a back foot inside the cone or slide the cone down her neck toward her shoulders and then reach her front feet. I have to keep pushing it forward. I hope this infection gets better soon because I can't watch her every second of the day and keep re-adjusting that thing or I'll go nuts! Luckily she has fallen asleep on the chair in here in the computer room. I almost hate to wake her up to bring her into my room and put her onto the bed, but I can't leave her by herself to wander around the house unsupervised. There's no telling what sort of mischief she'd get into and how much it would cost me to replace whatever in here she might destroy with that deadly micro-snout of hers.

Goodnight to you all! Keep reading and commenting, and if you see any big fish be sure to send them my way! Minnows will work if you have enough of them but it's nice to have a big meaty Salmon at least once in awhile.
http://Giftbearer.etsy.com/

2009-03-24T19:17:00.010-04:00

Carmella Cone-head Fights Unseen Enemy

Just as my own health seemed to give me some reprieve and I thought that Carmella was on the way to total health something tiny but deadly attacked her feet with a vengeance. Getting one's butt kicked by something microscopic is not a pleasant way to start a new week and Carmella found herself compelled to lick the bottom of her paws between the pads, only making a raging infection worse.

Nothing I had on hand was any match for this miniscule, aggressive creature. It seemed her paws just got redder and redder and increasingly blistered and her face around the whiskers looked as though it had been burned in a fire.

Now I know why they refer to these things as "opportunistic" infections. The little bastards seemed to take full advantage of the fact that Carmella was licking and thus adding moisture to her sore paws. The more she licked the more it itched, and the more it itched, the more she licked. Then one of her back feet started bleeding again last night. Giving her a bath with aloe shampoo only seemed to provide temporary relief and then this morning she was back to licking between her toes every 5 seconds.

I took her to the vet this afternoon and asked him whether she might have a fungal infection since we already had her on an ointment that was a mix between an anti-bacterial and steroid and the flea drops that also are supposed to treat the mange, both of which failed to prevent this current flair-up.

Dr. Norwood thought about it a minute and then said that is a possibility, and/or it might be some sort of antibiotic-resistant bacteria she picked up from the ground outside. Oh, God, no! That's all we need.

I asked if he could culture it and he told me that there is a very good test available (although there is some costliness involved) that will identify the type of microbes she has and actually test what grows with certain antibiotics and other drugs so that we can be absolutely sure what will and will not work against these bugs. If it is bacterial, or fungal we should know what it is and how to treat it in about 10 days.

Although I was not looking forward to adding to my already towering vet bill on Care Credit, I figured this looked like a "pay kind of big now or pay HUGE later" situation, so choosing the lesser of two evils I bit the bullet and forged ahead.

Knowing that there are lots and lots of antibiotics and at least as many microbes, we could spend the next 5 years guessing and that could REALLY run into some money. Like they say, "A stitch in time saves nine".

The female vet tech was working today and remarked that Carmella looked really good (other than her feet and around the mouth). She weighed her and commented that she was down about two pounds (43) on this visit, but that it probably wasn't anything to worry about as changes in exercise could account for some small bit of weight-loss. I have been taking her for walks lately in addition to her usual running around in the back yard. I hope she hasn't picked up anything nasty from the street.

Dr. Norwood took the culture, which Carmella wasn't thrilled about, as she pulled her raw back left foot away reflexively and whined slightly as he obtained some material on a Q-tip and dropped it into a small test tube to be sent to the lab.

Then he recommended she have one of these plastic collars to keep her from licking her feet, and prescribed some more Entederm ointment, some other liquid called Conofite (an anti-fungal medication), and said to continue the Pro-Meris flea drops on an every- 2-week schedule for awhile more. He covered all bases and said that at least while we're waiting for the results of the culture she should not get any worse with all three of these medications and the collar to keep her from licking her wounds.

I walked out of there with almost another $200 tacked onto my Care Credit. Gwen had put it in for 3 months same as cash but upon reflection thought maybe she could have done it as 6 months. I told her that I sure hope this works because I can't get reimbursed anymore for mange by Carmella's insurance, and the new year doesn't renew her yearly limit until July. If this turns out to be something new then it might be covered then if it is still going on, but I really hope it will be all over with by July. It seems like just when I think Carmella will have no more health problems something else happens.

She will have to go around for awhile with what looks like a satellite dish on her head, but maybe that will give the area a chance to dry out so that it doesn't continue to fuel whatever these vicious beasts are feeding off her flesh.

http://Giftbearer.etsy.com/

2009-03-22T14:46:00.012-04:00

Sowing Seeds With Recycled Materials

I started thinking last night after my last blog post about what I could do to save money on my groceries and figured that other people must be wondering how to do that right now too, especially artists who are not getting rich from their art and are having trouble making ends meet.

It occurred to me that I had some fruit and vegetables and those have seeds in them, that I have all kinds of bits and pieces of materials from planting in previous years, and it's a good thing I'm careful about throwing anything away! In my front yard were some pete pots from last year with perfectly good potting mix still in them, and I have plenty of plastic recepticles lying around in my garage, so I pulled these things out, collected the seeds in paper towels from Watermelon, Honeydew melon, and Bell Pepper and decided that in keeping with my theme of resilience and regeneration I would share this process with my readers.

What You Need:

1. Seeds from inside your fruit or vegatables (soaked overnight if melon seeds)
2. Containers with small compartments (preferably w/a top and pan)
3. Paper Towels
4. Plastic Container filled with water
5. Old pete pots or plastc pots filled with left over potting mix
6. Old plastic or wooden markers for names of items planted
7. Permanent marker

Once you have all these thing set up outside fill the containers with some of the potting mix (about 3/4 of the way full). Stick seeds in the center of each compartment.

Melon seeds (such as these Honeydew seeds below) should be planted pointier side down sticking up in the soil.

Rounder seeds can go in any old way.

If you don't have containers at home they are very inexpensive to buy at Walmart or Home Depot in the garden department. The best ones to get are the type shown here which come in three parts (a clear plastic top, thin plastic insert with holes for each seperate seed and dirt, and a bottom pan for water). You can also use plastic containers with lids that you have left over from coffee, yogurt, margerine, etc, and poke small holes in the top and bottom, then put a dish flled with pebbles underneath (in place of the plastic pan) if you can't buy the containers and don't have this type at home.

Next, cover all compartments with more potting mix. Make them alittle bit too full, as soil will settle over time.

Planting is such a soothing activity and today is the perfect sunny day for it. I plan to buy some Tomato plants and Basil next month, as those I think are harder to start from seeds, but for now I have these three delicious varieties of seeds that I can plant right out of what I have in my own refrigerator.

Next, just fill the bottom pan with about one inch of water.

This will allow the seeds sitting on top to suck up the water from the bottom as needed.

Then place the insert with dirt and seeds inside the water pan, take old leftover seed markers, and using the back blank side write the name of your fruit, vegetable, or herb seeds on it lengthwise. (I got 3 new markers out of one old marker). Cut into strips and cut a point at one end. Stick these into the dirt in the corresponding containers.

Put the clear plastic top on, and set in a sunny location.

Notice that in only a few minutes there is condensation inside the clear plastic top. This is helpful in keeping the temperature warm and the conditions moist at all times (like a mini greenhouse). It means that the soil is already drawing up some of the water from the bottom which will cultivate a nice stable root system and soon, healthy little sprouts! The time it will take to see green peeking through depends alot upon the variety you are growing, the amount of sun you get, and the climate where you live. These containers can be placed outdoors or indoors if you have a window which gets full sun for a few hours a day.

Once your seedlings grow to be about 4 inches high you should be able to replant them in the ground or in a large pot. There are even upside-down hanging systems you can buy now if you have limited space or just want to keep your fruits and veggies off the ground and away from bugs. There's nothing like fresh grown food, and for the "starving artist" it can make all the difference between starving and eating during some months of the year.

http://Giftbearer.etsy.com/

2009-03-21T21:20:00.012-04:00

This is Your Face on Medicare and Medicaid

Imagine that you have never seen a Dermatologist because finding one in the private sector who takes your insurance is like finding a needle in a haystack.

Carmella's Mange is doing better except for her persistently red snout (and paws which she keeps trying to lick).

I could call her Rudolf the red snout reindeer!

She made friends with the boxer next door and I took some very cute pictures of them playing through the fence.

I have been spending most of my time trying to find the specialists I need for my own health problems. One of my doctors stopped taking Medicare altogether and it was the best doctor of all of the ones I see.

That has been a fulltime job in and of itself, and now I also need to see a Dermatologist at Emory but the soonest appointment isn't until August. They are that backed-up! I have some dark areas on the right side of my face that may be melanoma, and a number of other complexion problems that have never been evaluated that have been brewing for a number of years.

It seems less and less doctors are accepting Medicare and even fewer accepting Medicaid as coinsurance. I am already forseeing that I will probably have to see at least two more in other specialties as well and am really afraid because I wonder with these forms of insurance whether I'll really get the level of care I need. The amount of work this is requiring is taking up all my time now when I'm not in bed resting.

Apparently the repairman who tore my brand new linoleum in the kitchen, bashed into my railing in the driveway, and made the crooked and uneven gate to my front porch entrance has decided to hone a crisp sense of entitlement, so he will not be asked back. People with that kind of attitude don't deserve repeat business, and I don't want him doing anymore damage to my house. The jerk really needs a lesson in humility. In this economy nobody can afford to give customers "the finger" like that. It looks as though it will have to be done over; at least one half of the room. I hope to hear something on Monday from Lowes (a real repairman) to set up an appointment for a price-quote. At the rate things have been going the entire floor would have eventually gotten peeled like a grape by Carmella if something is not done and soon because those edges stick up. I have tripped over it a number of times and stubbed my toe, especially just after the guy tore it moving my refrigerator. A family member is going to cover it, or I'd really be out of luck, as I don't have that kind of money.

My son gained a job briefly and has been laid off again. The town he lives in is very small and he's worked at a number of places already, so I don't know what he's going to do.

More fodder for letters to Barack Obama, I guess; all of these issues.

One hopeful possibility on the horizon is that when looking on Emory Clinic's website I came across a doctor who is doing research on a new stem cell technology to regenerate bone!

Those of you who have been diligently reading my blog will remember that I had rapid bone loss in my jaw several years ago when I almost died because of an acute flair-up of my Sarcoidosis. This bone loss was very aggressive and happened within only 5 days. I had some trouble getting help with it because one periodontist didn't want to bill it as medical because the area of the bone loss is in my mouth and billed it as dental which is not covered under either Medicare or Medicaid, so of course my insurance did not cover any of that visit. That was when NIH was just beginning to prove that bone loss around teeth can be caused by autoimmune disease, but that research was very early and they were just establishing the connection. That guy I saw as a consult did not believe bone loss like that could happen that fast and said that I must just not have noticed it until then and it must be regular gum disease, but I told him that it absolutely did not happen before that. I was and still am 100% sure of it because the onset of all my symptoms was sudden, my gums turned black overnight and each day (for five days in a row) my teeth were further and further apart. It was so shocking and scary that I made sure to document it. Antibiotics given to me by a GP turned my gums back to their normal pink color within about another week, way before I was referred to the Periodontist. He didn't get to see it as it was happening, and I'm sure his rather disdainful demeanor had something to do with my being on Medicare and Medicaid. He seemed to view me as some kind of derelict who didn't take good care of my body. You'd think doctors would not have that kind of bias but you'd be surprised at how many of them stereoptype people on Medicare and Medicaid. I then received a big bill and did not know where to go for treatment from there. I knew that at some point the research would bear out what I was saying and so in addition to brushing I washed with peroxide and just tried to keep the area clean until another option presented itself. My GP was as clueless as I was as to where to refer me next.

The research I found the other day involves some sort of patented material that is mixed with stem cells and used as filler in the recessed bone areas. From what I understand this material allows the stem cells to take hold and grow new bone onto existing bone (I guess the same way potting soil or fertilized fortified soil does in planting seeds.)

Well, I wrote the doctor in charge of the study and told him my situation and he thinks it would work for me! He said he has never worked with bone in that area but it should be no different than long bone.

I'm thinking that I may need to first confirm whether any current bone infection still exists and if so how far it extends beyond the jaw and address that. It occurred to me that if I have ongoing bone infection that could account for the way I've been feeling lately; the all over inflammation and fatigue. With technology having advanced confirming the connection between auoimmune disease and bone loss in the jaw since I last checked, it should not be considered dental this time around. This doctor asked if I'd seen an Oromaxilarfacial surgeon and/or ENT about it and asked what they said about my bone loss, and I had not seen these specialists for that yet. That gives me some direction as to what I should do. I sent an e-mail to my GP last night. He should receive it first thing Monday. I don't know if this research doctor will want me to have been seen by one or both other specialists before I start with him or whether he can call them in as part of the process as his consultants.

The local customer never ended up sending the money for those commissioned violet leaf earrings, so I have pretty much given up hope, as it's been several weeks since she told me she was sending it.

If it wasn't for $11.00 in my bank account I would not have been able to buy any groceries this weekend.

Carmella needed her fish oil and Pet tab vitamins refilled on Friday at the vet's. She is set for about another month or so with those. I am now really broke!

My Medicare part D claim for Benicar is still up in the air. If any of you are on Medicare or Medicaid, I urge you to write President Obama and encourage him to create a healthcare system that is more equal for those who have no other insurance option. If you have about as much chance winning the lottery as finding a quality specialist, then it's almost like being uninsured. Note that if you have Medicaid as coinsurance you cannot buy another coinsurance such as AARP that more providers accept. Such a system is intrinsically flawed and should be changed. The 20% co-payment to pick up what Medicare doesn't is often more than we can afford out of pocket. About a year and a half ago I had a surgery which took me a year to pay off the co-payment (and most doctors these days won't make that flexible a payment arrangement).

http://Giftbearer.etsy.com/

2009-03-09T18:34:00.007-04:00

What May Spring Bring?

I am getting ready to start covering some more violet leaves with fine silver slip for a local custom order. Across the street from my house these leaves grow abundantly, so I can take my pick of size and width. That is a start, but I will need more than one order to keep things going. I made these hoops and more are in the works. I've seen others' hoops sell repeatedly on Etsy, so these should also do well.

Try These Angles Fine Silver Hoops - $35.00

Blackened Chili Pepper Fine Silver Hoop Earrings - $28.00

Hand-forged Fine Silver Latch Hoop Earrings - $50.00

Fine Silver Bamboo Leaf Hoops - $25.00

Fine Silver U-shaped Hoop Earrings - $22.00

Dime-Sized Fine Silver Hoops - $20.00

Last week I ordered some more supplies for soldering. I've had a butane torch for several months but until now have not been able to get all the supplies I needed to go with them. Then the company called to say that the copper sheet and hard 75% silver solder is out of stock. I guess everybody was mobbing those two items when I ordered and then as my order was being processed they sold the last ones. Now I will have to get those two things from Rio Grande, but have little money left.

Recently I found out that Carmella's yearly insurance limit had run out and so I won't be reimbursed and further for any of her mange treatment claims. They only paid a small portion of that before her limit was reached, and now it will be July 11th before any illness can be reimbursed. If her mange re-occurs they won't cover it then because it will no longer be considered a "First Time Illness". I hope she won't get any more illnesses but I am worried about the mange coming back, as Dr. Norwood told me at the last appointment that it may be awhile before it is gone for good, and that can get expensive especially if it can never be reimbursed again. Even putting lemon on the side of her face (the area that is slowest to heal) in addition to the supplements and new flea drops which smell like heavy duty bug spray for a full day still has not returned that one area of her body to normal.

Now that she is not getting dips I am going to try putting on some other things as spot treatments and see if any of them work.

Soon I'm going to start approaching Science Diet about dog food endorsements using pictures from before her Mange and current ones showing the left side of her face where all the hair has grown back. Here she is on March 1st; the only day it snowed this year.

She was a little bit tentative about sticking her feet into the snow. She wrinkled her nose when flakes landed on it.

I took a picture of the purple/pink sunset and got a beautiful view of the snowflakes as they came down around my chimney.

I need to raise as much money as possible now that Carmella's insurance will not be paying any of this back to me. I'd really like to be able to have all her medical expenses paid off within the next few months.

My own insurance troubles are ongoing. Medicare Part D has continued to refuse to pay for one of my necessary medications. If I literally cannot get them to do that I don't know what I'm going to do because living without it is not an option and there is no equivalent substitute.

On Saturday, March 8, 2009, I received a denial letter in the mail dated March 2, 2009 stating the same reasons as my doctor's nurse had told me that the doctor had received last week. It said specifically;

"A prescription drug is a part D drug only if it is used for a medically accepted indication, meaning that it is prescribed for a use that is approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or approved for inclusion in one of the following three compendia:

1. American Hospital Service Drug Information;

2. United States Pharmacopeia-Drug Information (or its successor publications); or

3. Thomson Micromedex DrugDex"

The letter goes on to say;"Furthermore, beginning January 1, 2009, Part D will also accept anti-cancer chemotherapeutic drug uses that are approved for inclusion in the following additional compendia:

1. National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) Drugs and Biologics Compendium;

2. Clinical Pharmacology, or

3. Peer Reviewed Medical Literature.

Because the drug requested is not prescribed for a use approved by the FDA or in one of these references, the requested drug is not considered a Part D drug and is not covered by the plan.

BENICAR IS DENIED FOR NON-FDA APPROVED DIAGNOSIS. THE USE OF BENICAR IS NOT MEDICALLY ACCEPTED FOR THE TREATMENT OF THE FOLLOWING DIAGNOSIS IN THE COMPENDIA LISTED ABOVE: SARCOIDOSIS. REVIEWED BY: AXN, PHARM.D

You should check with your doctor for another drug that is included on your formulary and has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for this use."

The only one I know of that is officially FDA approved (because of the woeful lack of money devoted to research in this disease) is Prednisone which not only does nothing to cure it, but causes avascular necrosis among other serious adverse reactions and can severely compromise the immune system. The biologics and anti-cancer drugs are even worse! Some of the clinical trials on those actually had to be called off due to deaths and other serious events.

I've been on Benicar for several years with no adverse reactions whatsoever! I wonder how on earth the government allows a pharmacist to over-rule my doctor on something like this!

I don't have several hundred dollars to pay for this medication out of pocket, as I'm on Social Security Disability, and most prescription assistance programs require that you be totally uninsured before they will cover the cost. They don't pick up the slack when insurance companies choose not to cover a drug and leave the patient at risk of relapse; even death.

I could buy it cheaper from a manufacturer in India but even so, with sales not moving I don't know that I will have the money for that either.

It's possible that I may have to take this to court, but in the meantime I wrote President Obama, and sent another letter to the editor of a news blog which exposes inhumanity within the Medicare system. Apparently there have been cases that are in litigation now on this same issue.

Take a look at these interesting articles written by David Glendinning. They may help you or someone you know;

Medicare drug not covered? You can help patient appeal
For patients who need to veer from their drug plan's formulary, the assistance of their physicians will be essential.
By David Glendinning, AMNews staff. March 20, 2006

http://www.fiercetelecom.com/story/parsing-verizon-warranty-services/2008-10-24

Suit opposes Medicare denials of off-label, non-compendia drugs
The administration is interpreting Medicare law in a way that prevents coverage of lifesaving medications for people with rare diseases, a patient advocacy group says.
By David Glendinning, AMNews staff. Jan. 21, 2008

http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2008/01/21/gvsb0121.htm

Physicians complain Medicare Part D decisions threaten patient care
The AMA urges physicians who are encountering problems with Medicare drug plans to report them to CMS and the Association.
By David Glendinning, AMNews staff. June 5, 2006.

http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2006/06/05/gvl10605.htm

With the new economic stimulus package allowing American citizens to keep more of their earnings each pay period I hope that some of it will be put towards buying more wonderful handcrafted items.

Those of you or with family member(s) going on interviews should consider buying your outfit and accessories from a small designer/maker instead of going to your local Walmart, mall, or department store this year.

After all, there is no better way to stimulate the economy than buying handmade! Remember that with love and action, all things are possible!

http://Giftbearer.etsy.com/

2009-02-24T22:47:00.013-05:00

New Approach To A Pesky Problem

Carmella's Mange is getting better in most places, but the combination Mange and bacterial infection on the bottom of her feet has persisted despite several weeks of antibiotics, dips, and some supplements to boost her immune system, and a few days ago I noticed she had worms again.

I took her to the vet today for a worming shot and her sore feet and he suggested putting her on a new type of flea drops called ProMeris that research has shown has improved Demodectic Mange dramatically. They only had the size for extra-large dogs 88-110 Lbs., but they want me to split it in half and put 3.5 MLS on her every 2 weeks. We are doing this now instead of the dips, and he gave me an ointment called EnteDerm which has a small amount of steroid and Nystatin, and Neomycin in it to put on the ottom of her front paws 2 times a day just until most of the inflammation goes down. We also talked about trying her on a new food to rule out any possible allergies that could be preventing her from healing and I got her some special Science Diet hypoallergenic food. I was surprised at how light it was considering the large size of the bag.

As Dr. Norwood prepared the worming shot, Carmella began to panic. These seem to sting particularly much, but despite this momentary panic she still eagerly wanted to jump up on the vet and all his staff before and after, and the shot was quickly forgiven and forgotten.

The female vet tech and Dr. Norwood both commented on what a beautiful dog she is, and I told them that I have taken some really beautiful pictures of her and plan to look into some possible dog food endorsments pretty soon since she is so photogenic.

I want to start getting some of these photos blown up and offer them for sale next month too. I was hoping to do so this month but my natural gas bill seemed to suck up every last bit of money I would have had for new endeavors, so I've had to hunker down this month and concentrate mostly on planning for new items and strategies about where to market my work.

I hope to be able to make a decent amount of money in the next few months and pay off all of Carmella's health expenses so that I can then turn my attention to getting some dental care (which I have not been able to afford in over 20 years). Now that CareCredit covers that as well I may be able to correct some problems I haven't been able to for a very long time.

During the time my own autoimmune disease spun out of control, the summer I was finally diagnosed with Sarcoidosis, I suffered sudden and frightening bone loss in my jaw within only 5 days. I first noticed that my mouth and my eyes felt very dry. One day I looked in the mirror and to my horror there were suddenly gaps between my teeth that weren't there before and my gums had turned black. Each day for five days this gap got wider and wider. I was given adntibiotics (Zithromax), which stopped the acute infection in that area but much of the damage had already been done by the time I was able to get to a doctor.

Neither Medicare nor Medicaid covers dental care and all I was able to get was an assessment of the damage. I remember going to two dentists both of which were contemptuous and not interested in helping fix my problem and neither were willing to believe this happened within a 5 day time-frame. "Oh my God!" the first remarked, looking into my mouth and then again after the X-ray. I was told in a very cold and dismissive tone by both of these dentists that my teeth would probably fall out soon because the damage to the surrounding bone was quite extensive and there was nothing to replace it. Later when I started talking to others with this disease I learned that these kinds of problems were not uncommon and that dentists often wanted to blame it one's not taking care of one's teeth rather than recognizing that autoimmune diseases do correlate with sudden damage in this area due to disordered Vitamin D metabolism. I knew in my heart that I'd always had good teeth despite the fact that I'd had to do a DIY job of teeth-cleaning for the past 20-some years, so it was not a matter of neglect on my part. Even after all this my teeth were intact. It was the bone around them that was disappearing before my eyes. I set about calling 60 or more dentists around the Atlanta area, none of which were willing to make a payment arrangement. Isn't it ironic that dentists as a group tend to blame the patient when anything goes wrong yet when you try to arrange some sort of payment plan they refuse to make it at all possible. "Sorry, but I'm not young or pretty enough to go out on a street corner and come up with a few thousand to pay my dental bills, thank you", I wanted to tell these guys. I don't think CareCredit was very well-known at that time and very few if any dentists were taking it. Besides, I'd just filed bankruptcy after I had to stop working completely and put my business on hold because of my health problems, so had it been available I probably wouldn't have qualified anyway. I remember bursting into tears after seeing that first dentist and finding out he wouldn't even do so much as a cleaning unless I could come up with enough cash to do a root planing, and that wasn't going to happen anytime soon.

The other dentist, a periodontist, was even worse, and not only did I walk out of there with no work done. I was socked with a big bill that took a year to pay just for the consultation. Medicare was supposed to have paid for that but he vindictively billed it so that the claim would be denied. He promptly told me to go to "some free clinic" with all the vehemence he could muster.

The only one I knew of was unsanitary and I had a friend who had his tooth opened up for a crown and then was told that they "don't do crowns" so he "better go get some other dentist to do the rest within two weeks before infection sets in". He was flabbergasted to say the least and said to them that surely they weren't going to just leave him with a gaping hole in his tooth when they knew he didn't have $400 to get the rest of it finished by another dentist. He had paid them something already. It certainly wasn't free, just reduced, and had he known ahead of time they were going to leave him like that he would never have let them open up his tooth.

I knew that such "care" could leave me wide open to further infection and even possibly hasten my death given my medical condition, and I knew not to go that route.

After that I read up on anything being done on bone regeneration and NIH was doing quite a bit on that and research correlating bacteria in the mouth with autoimmune diseases. Even so, nothing was on the market yet and my doctor didn't seem to have the time to stay on top of the studies to get me into any on the ground floor. After that I have been trying to maintain as best as I can in hopes that I don't lose any more of my jawbone, keeping in mind that someday the technology would be there to regenerate bone.

A friend of mine recently told me she had a bone scan and that she might have osteoporosis, and that got me thinking again about regeneration of bone. I'm sure many of you readers have seen the commercial for Boniva with Sally Field in it where she talks about that not only does this medication for osteoporosis stop bone loss but also reverses it. This advent of science has not been on the market very long, so chances are there are paralells in the science of jaw bone regeneration. I'm not sure that this same medication would work for the jaw as it does for other bones because I think some people have had side-effects that involved spine or hip bone regeneration at the expense of jaw bone (meaning Calcium was pulled from there to build up the spine or hip bones where osteoporosis tends to hit).

I need to look again at current studies in this specialty and see what has been done in the past few years. Maybe now is the time to act, when science seems to be gaining in leaps and bounds! Just yesterday I saw a news segment saying that scientists may be onto a great discovery which could render all strains of Flu virus defunct. They've identified an antibody which when introduced into a flu cell accesses an area in which the cell is defenseless and cannot mutate to escape the immune system's assault upon it. The discovery is even supposed to work on Bird Flu which the CDC has been worried would be a major agent for a pandemic.

This could be of tremendous significance and it could really tell us alot about how viruses work.

It is amazing how all of these seemingly unrelated pieces fit together to give us the bigger picture. Perhaps NDV also does this? I suspect that what we know about it isn't all.

I wonder what role stem cells play in all of this too? The body is like an amazing machine with all parts being integral in its peak performance, so science's focus on optimizing its function rather than merely killing the virus (or bacteria for that matter) is right on target. If the body can be helped to do the job it was designed to do with outside help playing more of a supportive role then the chances of permanent cures to any number of diseases are much better.

When you look at disease as a give and take process you can see how all this fits. Science has confirmed that in most cases disease takes hold because of two triggers; one being genetics and the other being environment. If one finds out how to control both of those two factors therein lies the key to a solution in the end.

Virus, bacteria, and other parasites are often all around us at all times and sometimes even within us at certain levels, yet there are many people and animals that manage to coexist with these things without ever becoming ill.

Others get exposed to these microorganisms and become very sick and seem unable to shake them (like Carmella or me, for instance).

The common denominator is a geneticly programmed weakness which allows these microorganisms to enter areas of the body and its cells where it should not be. Certain genes determine susceptibility or lack of susceptibility depending upon whether they are switched on or off. Scientists are just beginning to get a handle on which genes are in which position in which diseases and what determines whether these genes are switched on or switched off.

Until fairly recently genetics was thought to be fairly set in stone, but recent discoveries have proven that theory wrong. This is where they are finding out that diet and other practices can change the body's programming at any stage of life. The adage that "biology is destiny" no longer holds, and that brings new hope for cures to many conditions that up until recently were thought hopeless.

I watched Barack Obama's address to Congress tonight and his speech was quite inspiring. In the short time he's been in office he has already done alot that is positive. I had written him letters a few months ago about healthcare, the economy, and one or two other topics and lo and behold this guy really does use suggestions in his policy-making!!! He has already used some of the ones I wrote in my letters.

I've always been very active in the political process but in most cases never got any inkling that any of my suggestions were implimented by other political officials. Occasionally I'd receive a letter back saying he or she agreed with me, but rarely did I see any action come out of it. I figured that it went on the pile with thousands of others and was quickly buried, but not this time! Obama made a point tonight to emphasize that he is fast-tracking more access to healthcare, and help to people who have been laid off.

I am dismayed at Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue and other conservative Governor's stubborn talk about refusing Federal stimulus money to their respective states on principle simply because they don't want to be held accountable (what they consider "strings attached"). These guys should be ashamed of themselves refusing or even considering refusing money which is absolutely vital to their constituents basic needs. Of course this will not affect them at all; these well-fed, well-housed, "VIPs" who have the top of the line health insurance.

As it stands now COBRA is only getting about a $25.00 subsidy toward premiums whereas the full stimulus package (if accepted by the Governor) would enable states to kick in 65% of the premium, something that laid-off workers desperately need. At least in this state COBRA costs about $900/Month for a couple to remain insured after one spouse loses his/her job.

Obama tonight made a wonderful point that certain people may be angry at the terms of the package that was recently passed, but that decisions should not be made out of anger. Such political protest that negates the needs of the people is not helpful. I wholeheartedly agree. If these Governors want to make a statement then let them refuse money for their personal expense account, salary increases, bonuses, or turn down their own health insurance, etc., but they should not get to decide the fate of the lives they are entrusted with; those who have nothing left to sacrifice and expect them to sacrifice some more simply because of their personal power struggle with the new president.

The other day I decided to post a thread in the Etsy forum to generate some ideas as to how to solve the batch uploading problem on Etsy. The response was rather dismal with several people posting versions of "That would be nice but...impossible" with few answers about how to improve it. It was sad to see so many resigned people who could not even fathom that anything better could be devised to make everyone's work more easily seen. The current system is just not cutting it for me and I gather I'm not the only one. By responding that way we unwittingly give permission for the status quo to stay in place and we don't open ourselves up to the possibility of change.

All progress starts with big dreams. To those naysayers who continue to cling to the old ways that have grown obsolete I say, "How's that working for ya?"

For every new and great frontier there seem to be sticks in the mud along the way, in science; as in those who are slow and resistent to embrace wonderful cures as they unfold such as that developed by Dr. Sears for Distemper, in politics; as in the new approach of Barack Obama, and in many other arenas. We must pull these sticks out of the mud and set them on the path that will take us all where we need to go. As much as we would like to think we do, succeed or fail, we never do it alone.

http://Giftbearer.etsy.com

2009-02-09T02:22:00.007-05:00

Are You Ready For Valentine's Day?

This long, luxurious necklace was just listed on Etsy tonight.

Here's a close-up of it. You can see the pretty speckled nut that I got from the Phillipines just above the heart which is made from ultrasuede. This necklace is 23" long with a variety of gemstone, copper, and ceramic beads in it.

That makes 6 pieces of jewelry I've listed for the big day! Stimulate the economy and pick up something for yourself or for someone you love. You won't find another one of these like the necklace above. I wanted to make something out of the ordinary; not the typical jewelry you see being offered all over, so I combined materials you don't always see together.

I need to re-charge my camera battery pretty soon, but was able to get a few new pictures of Carmella.

She loves this chair in the computer room and so I took some of her tonight hanging over the side and curling up in it.

She's a little less red tonight except that she keeps licking her right, front paw and making that red again. She's not limping on it as much, so I think the antibiotic is helping somewhat.

I think I narrowly escaped getting a cold or flu over the past few days, but taking Zicam seemed to keep it from taking hold.

Today I bought some vitamin E for Carmella. It is 1000 IU, so it should be strong enough to do some good. Hopefully that and the pet tabs and fish oil will start to build up her immune system.

Carmella had a strange night and was kicking her back legs in her sleep quite violently. I'm not sure what was causing that. It woke me up because at some point she actually kicked me. She woke up and tossed and turned several times, then sat up. She might have forgotten that she was sleeping on my bed and gotten disoriented. The night before she had slept like a stone and so had I. Hopefully she will stay still tonight and sleep all the way through. I'm glad that it seems to be working overall because after she chewed up her bed the floor in the kitchen was pretty cold for her to sleep on and I was worried about her not being warm enough at night.

http://Giftbearer.etsy.com

2009-02-07T00:30:00.010-05:00

Nasty Little Bugs Taking Advantage-Bacterial Co-infections

Yesterday I took Carmella to the vet for what I thought was a bruised foot from stepping on a rock or possibly a chemical burn from the Mitaban dip, and found out that what she really had on the bottom of both front feet is an opportunistic bacterial infection. Most likely it's what she had earlier on her stomach after the previous round of antibiotics; probably Staph. These nasty little bugs take unfair advantage when a dog's immune system is compromised and often they are hard to kill and keep away.

If any of you run into this problem maybe this will help. My vet prescribed the following;

* Cephalexin 500 Mg. every 12 hours for 14 days (antibiotic capsules)

* GenOne Spray to be sprayed on affected areas 2-3 times/day for 14 days (antiseptic/antibiotic spray containing gentamycin sulfate)

* 3V Caps Liquid (Dietary Supplement containing Fish Oil plus antioxidants (2 pumps into food for a 40-59 Lb. dog to strengthen immune system)

* PetTabs multivitamins (also to strengthen immune system; can obtain at vet or any pet supply store)

There are other supplements/herbs that will help build up your dog's immune system as well. Somebody sent me about a 30 page document about Demodectic mange in which many more supplements to build up the dog's immune system are outlined in great detail but they are way too voluminous to mention here. I may go into those in future writings, breaking the document down into a number of seperate posts. I don't want these posts to become too dry and bore my readers.

My vet asked if Carmella had been licking her feet and I told him yes she had been. He said that the moisture breeds fertile ground for the bacteria to grow. I'd always thought that it helped for a dog to lick its wounds, but apparently not. Trying to get her to stop, though, is nearly impossible.

Dr. Norwood did not want to wrap up her front paws thinking that would keep moisture in as well, and just suggested I wash them off and then dry them if she got dirt on them after going outside.

I spoke with Dr. Norwood again about the research paper between him and Dr. Muller and he said that he had not gotten in touch with him yet but would do that soon. We talked briefly about her having repeat antibody tests at some point and possibly others to document her recovery. He seemed even more excited than the last time we'd talked seeing how good Carmella looked aside from her current problems, and noted that she has gained a pound and a half more just since Saturday when one of the vet techs weighed her. She now weighs 44.5 Lbs! She's really getting to be a big dog now and it doesn't seem like she's finished growing yet either!

I think the Distemper had stopped her growth and that put her behind schedule by 5-6 months and as soon as she was cured of that she started growing again. If I am correct about this she may still have more to grow until she's a year and a half old.

Last night I accidentally left my bedroom door open and after letting her back inside from the back yard she barreled in and jumped up onto my bed. She plopped herself down right where I sleep and seemed to close her eyes within just a minute or so. First I tried calling her to get her to go back into the kitchen, as I was starting to get sleepy, but she wouldn't budge. Then I tried lifting her to get her off the bed but she was like a bag of sand drooping and sinking in every possible direction.

Being too tired for this task that late at night I just moved her aside and fell into bed myself, crossing my fingers that I wouldn't wake up to a shredded comforter in the morning. Quite surprisingly I slept better than I had in weeks or possibly even months. She stayed curled up against me throughout the night and did not jump down to see what she could get into as she had done in the past when I put her on my bed during the daytime for shorter periods.

One reason I think I slept so well is that she kept me uniformly warm. Many nights I wake up because some part of my body or another gets cold in the middle of the night or at some unGodly hour around the crack of dawn. Last night that didn't happen and I awoke more rested than I had been in a long time! It also seemed to me that there was a long period in which her jerking stopped altogether. That is all good news! I had wanted to be able to let her sleep on my bed but up until now she would have pulverized anything in the vicinity so I dared not risk it. Maybe she has just about grown out of that habit, especially when she's not alone in the room. I'll probably try her again tonight and see if she is still on her best behavior.
Note: the photos I'm using are from about a week and some are from 2 weeks ago. She's no longer this red in the face and alot of her fur has grown back since then. I hope to take some current pictures of her tomorrow.

The Facebook group on Distemper is continuing to show promise and Ed Bond has now created an informational page on blogspot about the treatment so that we can boost Google ratings. As more successfully treated dogs are blogged about we're all going to link these together. Be sure to check these out. I should have these various links added within the next few days.

I'm getting ready to send in another payment on Carmella's vet bill within the next week, so if you'd like to help her this would be a good time to buy an ad on my blog, buy jewelry from my Etsy shop, and/or donate via the button above in my sidebar. Valentine's day is just around the corner so that is a perfect occasion to buy jewelry, and it is going to the upkeep of a great dog!

http://Giftbearer.etsy.com/

2009-02-04T01:50:00.009-05:00

Healing After Distemper! Some Improvement In Carmella's Myoclonic Jerking!

Did I mention earlier that the left rear leg jerking that had just started before Carmella had her NDV treatment in the central nervous system is gone?!!! That was the newest damage she'd obtained from the Distemper virus, so it's logical that it would be the first to heal.

The biggest hurdle is the jerking in the right, front leg which was the most severely affected. I have noticed just a little change there. It used to be more pronouced when she was asleep than awake, but now if she is deeply asleep it will become much milder and for short periods even stop temporarily!

The day after I noticed this improvement it seemed she stepped on a rock in the back yard in the past day or so and bruised the pad, so is limping and holding it up. Her stepping on that rock with that foot could mean she's not favoring it as much (which is both good news and bad). Clearly she's not as careful with it as she has been, thus the injury. I hope that bruise resolves soon so she can start using it again. It's important for her healing myelin that she stay active. It's been bitterly cold and she really didn't want to limp out there to go to the bathroom tonight and has been whining when I'm in the computer room and she's in the kitchen. She's gotten used to keeping me company lying on a wicker chair in here while I'm doing my work online.

Her Demodectic Mange is still itching her somewhat but I think she's over the worst of it. This past Saturday she went back for her third dip. Dr. Norwood didn't see her because they want to wait to do another skin scraping.

Next time when she has the skin scraping I need to talk to him again about the research paper.

It will be vitally important that he and Dr. Muller stay on this and share their data and submit Carmella's case history to medical journals because there are still ignorant people out there, those who not only do not know about this, but who want to see it fail for personal dysfunctional reasons. I think that is very sad. I ran across someone on one of the dog forums who was not genuinely interested in this treatment but went out of her way to try to debunk it. Her dog had myoclonus in her back leg which will most likely do her in as it progresses to full-blown seizures and/or paralysis if left untreated.

This particular woman is one of those people who has an emotional need to use her dog to hold on to an "illness identity". This is common in the human disease community but less so in animals, but I believe that when it is projected onto an animal it closely approximates Muenchausen by proxy. People like this resist or sabotage treatment in order to prolong the secondary gain they get. In humans they actually make their children sick by giving them toxic substances or not giving them needed medication, etc, but I think the principle in denying an animal medical care that will resolve a disease is the same principle. Animals depend upon us to take care of them just like children and when they're sick they are at the mercy of the owner. If the owner thinks of the animal's needs first they are taken to the vet and everything possible is done to cure or at least help them the best they can.

When somebody continues to post on forums that they or their dog doesn't need treatment and tries to prevent others from getting lifesaving treatment when there is something they can do about it, then that is just flat-out medical neglect; sabotage and self-sabotage!

The sad thing is that her dog has no voice in all of this. The dog is the real victim while this woman gets all this attention by dragging out the duration of the dog's positive Distemper status, asking pointed questions while her dog waits, just to try to pull others into a fight, and discounting any proof we offer her. Apparently her own vet has been indulging her in casting these aspersions.

Well, it's like this; one can either see the glass as half-full or half-empty. Medical cures are a beautiful thing and everything should be done to support them and boost them up when they come along. I can tell the difference between real interested questions and pointed questions which are really snide statements masquerading as questions. The latter has no intrinsic value. It seeks to tear down a good thing; not learn about it.

As a matter of fact I received one of these zingers by somebody tonight who read about the requirements of the Etsy street team I run for jewelry artists. Since I didn't feel it was a legitimate question I simply answered by saying that what she was saying sounds more like a statement than a question. Again, another form of self-sabotage on her part. If she'd wanted to apply for membership in some indirect way this was not winning her any points. If she didn't like our requirement of listing at least 1 or 2 items a month (which I think is very lenient if you ask me), then she should have just applied to another team. Instead she went out of her way to seek me out by convo and get nasty to me. Maybe she was bored and had too much time on her hands. I don't know, but clearly she was not using that time to make jewelry, LOL.

I surely did not need this after being sick again the past few days. I came back online feeling better, answered my e-mails and convos only to find what amounted to a verbal fart or dog-doo in the flaming bag in my Etsy convo inbox! Usually people are writing to say nice things about the team and more than willing to accept the requirements to get in.

On a happier note; I finished several more pieces of jewelry and got them listed tonight! I've had to catch up on my jewelry because of all the time recently spent on Distemper-related activities, and it was a relief to have some new things completed and ready for sale in time for Valentine's Day. I hope to finish a few more before it gets too late for customers to order.

The Facebook Distemper group continues to grow. We had one loss recently. The woman in Indonesia received the NDV and her vet gave the first part but then balked when it came to injecting it into the spinal canal and at that crucial time began calling around to University vet schools to get some other vet to take the risk. Unfortunately the owner lost hope and decided to have him put the dog to sleep. I still find it perplexing that vets are willing to kill dogs on purpose yet they are afraid they'll kill them accidentally while trying to save them.

Carmella is over here in the chair fast asleep right now and her jerking has really slowed down. If that's not proof her Distemper is cured I don't know what is! It was clearly the NDV that caused the improvement because as fast as her disease was steadily getting worse before treatment it was not about to slow down right up until October 1, 2008 when she had the CSF tap procedure. It is clear that the collision course she'd been on had been aborted when I brought her home from the vet, and then it was all over but the healing! What Dr. Sears said about it being a minimum of 4 months before I would see any noticeable regeneration has born out to be true. The next 8 months could be quite exciting as I watch for even more!
http://Giftbearer.etsy.com/

2009-01-27T02:51:00.005-05:00

Exciting New Developments in Facebook Distemper Group

Saving Dogs from Canine Distemper (Facebook group) has reached 114 members now. With all the dog-lovers on Facebook many the first few of us invited to join already had alot of dog-related contacts who in turn joined also, and we are off to a great start!

We're gradually finding more and more vets who are willing to treat dogs with Dr. Sears' treatment and adding them to our list.

There is the possibility for some media activities in the future, and the group is working on getting all our members to post links around the internet in various dog-related forums so that we can reach as many dogs as early as possible who have the disease.

The woman I'm helping in Indonesia is in the process of arranging to get NDV and her vet is now reading up on the process for both parts of the treatment. Her dog has been going downhill fast so I hope that the vet is able to treat her fast enough to save her. She has to get the bottle from Thailand through a friend and then get it to her vet to administer. The obstacles in this case have been harrowing.

I hope that one day NDV will be a regularly stocked item in all vet's offices and veterinary supply companies. I can remember when trying to find it here in Georgia and that it was like trying to find a needle in a haystack.

Tonight I gave this woman Dr. Muller's number for her vet to call him if he needed any instructions on how to use guided ultrasound when doing the neuro part.

She is still waiting on the edge of her chair for the price quote her vet will give her. She does not have much money and it sounds as though he is slightly on the fence about doing it. She's known him for awhile now, so hopefully he will help save her dog's life. The puppy is quickly approaching paralysis and just developed diarrhea. It is a relatively rare case seeming to develop most of its neuro symptoms before body symptoms (usually it happens the other way around).

Dr. Sears is back after having had some computer problems, but this case seemed somewhat of a puzzle to him.

It still remains to be seen which manifestations of the disease respond best and how severe it can be and still have the dog be salvageable.

That reminds me; I'll have to ask Dr. Sears again what the level should be when Carmella has her spinal fluid tested again in about a year to prove that it's gone. There is a certain level that shows up if a dog had it in the past but is now immune versus active disease. I think as more and more dogs are fully treated others will want to know the answer to this question as well.

http://Giftbearer.etsy.com

2009-01-25T03:06:00.005-05:00

Friend Me And Carmella On FaceBook

Just a quick note to let all of Carmella's fans out there know that I've started a FaceBook group Support Carmella; A Former Shelter Dog to help speed up the process of raising money for Carmella's vet bill, and to invite you all to friend me, join, and send over your friends. I've linked that to this blog and to my Etsy shop as well, so it will be interesting to see what the results are over the next few days, and where people enter from one end to the other.

http://apps.facebook.com/causes/200981?m=96aaaf39

I have had a FaceBook account for awhile now and have just recently started using it once I joined the Saving Dogs from Canine Distemper group there and getting heavily involved in growing it.

I'm finding the atmosphere quite interesting as I look around to see what's going on there. There are many dog groups of one kind or another, not all of them in English. I think I noticed a few more Distemper groups in other countries and wish I could communicate with those.

There seems to be unlimited networking potential on FaceBook, although I'm not familiar with howe to use all the features.

I would like to thank Theresa for purchasing a slot on my blog. Gradually those slots are starting to fill up, and I hope more people will purchase one in the near future.

I've also entered Carmella in a photo contest sponsored by the Humane Society.

Be sure to check out my Facebook profile to learn more about these various activities and how you might get involved;

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1039042031&ref=profile

Carmella's Mange is continuing to get better, and she seems to be more energetic after her second dip. The hardest part about it is not being able to give her a bath until all these are finished because she sort of stinks on some days more than others. I find that wiping her down with lemon seems to help in the meantime in addition to also helping dry up the Mange.

She's been gnawing away at a ham bone much of the day, thoroughly enjoying herself.

http://Giftbearer.etsy.com

2009-01-22T01:43:00.005-05:00

The Struggle To Save More Dogs From Distemper Continues

For awhile all is quiet and then suddenly the mortal combat between life and death starts anew; in Indonesia a puppy fights for its life, its owner frightened and trying desperately to keep it from fading away.

Then two more emergencies pop up; one in Houston, Texas, and another in California. They all need swift and decisive action in an arena filled with doubt and trepidation, where most vets would sooner see a dog die than to undertake the rare treatment that might save its life. Technical assistance is often too little, too late when there are not enough NDV-knowledgeable vets to go around, and with multiple time-zones, all too often these dogs and their owners fall through the cracks.

In these crucial hours is where the rubber meets the road, courage is tested, and so is faith. It is at such a time when one really finds out what his/her own vet is made of. Will he or she have what it takes to follow written instructions in the absence of the man who wrote them, or will this person who is to administer the treatment buckle under the strain like a chance passer-by, a stranger faced with delivering a newborn baby on a New York subway?

I remember this well. It was just a few short months ago when I was fighting for Carmella's life this way. Now other dogs are embarking upon the same perilous journey and their owners stepping out and hoping their foot comes down on solid ground; following leads, sending e-mails, and making phone calls in hopes that they can patch together enough resources to get across the finish line.

Due to the amount of flash on Dr. Sears' website, people seem to be having difficulty posting there and sometimes accessing it at all. It is still under construction. I have e-mailed him regarding some of these emergencies but have been unable to get a hold of him for the past few days. With Distemper each day and in some instances each hour is crucial while a dog owner tries to mobilize the support and practical help he/she needs. It is quite literally a race against the clock.

Not too long ago we lost one in the fight against Distemper. This is tragic because each one of these is a dog that somebody loved. Often in was because they just couldn't reach the right help soon enough. Some of these owners give up, thinking it's just too difficult, and the odds of finding a vet who can do what is needed just too low.

We need to change that!

Never again should a dog have to die because the cure comes too late!

Part of this outcome can be changed by all the owners out there who get their dog treated and then disappear into anonymity. All of you whose dogs have been treated are resources, and your vet can prevent another dog from becoming a statistic.

A database and a network of survivors who come back to help the ones who come after is badly needed. If your dog has been successfully treated with NDV please let us know your vet's contact information so that we can add it to the list and don't drop out of contact. We need to know your dog's progress as it heals.

Too many people stop trying because there are so many roadblocks. I recently read a post on one of the pet forums where somebody wrote that all they were able to find in the way of success stories were the same few dogs and that this discouraged them because they assumed that this was all there were out there in the entire world.

That is not the case!

The problem, again, is that too many after they get the treatment and their dog is out of the woods go away and never come back to tell their stories. There are many out there but finding them and bringing that data together has been hard. We absolutely must work together to make this treatment accessible to other dogs. Success stories are very important.

I run across blogs every so often in which it is mentioned that a dog was treated with NDV (sometimes even Blogspot blogs) but then that seems to be the end of the documentation. Once the crisis is over people go back to their jobs, their children, playing golf on Sundays, or posting about the latest musical artist on Myspace. Perhaps some of this is to be expected, but those of us whose dogs have beaten this deadly disease owe it to the others to make our experiences count for somebody other than just ourselves and our families.

We must carry the flame and pass on this legacy, paving the way for the next group of warriors against the disease. If we are doing this correctly then the trails we blazed will not have to be re-visited upon the next ones afflicted. As the numbers grow and the proof continues to be documented it will get easier for dogs to be treated sooner and thus suffer little or no permanent damage because of long waits.

It still bothers me that Carmella had to develop brain damage causing this myoclonic jerking before we could get someone to treat her Central Nervous System. She is alive today but bears a constant reminder that her silent screams and mine (not so silent) fell on deaf ears for way too long.

All the time wasted on certain vets' silly academic arguments about whether or not this treatment was legitimate enough because it wasn't written in medical journals while Carmella was left to languish.

All the times I begged for them to help her, saying "She's getting worse. She's getting worse! Do something!" and they refused, standing like so many deer in the headlights with hands behind their backs.

It still remains to be seen as to whether the damage is permanent, but it may well be. Had she gotten the help she needed only weeks before she would not have any remnants at all.

We can't turn back the clock now, but we can prevent it happening to others. If you have animals tell your vets about this treatment, about Dr. Sears and about the dogs who are still suffering and dying from Distemper. Tell them that now there is a cure and all they need to do is use it. There is no time to waste. If a dog comes in with Distemper use it NOW! Not next week, not in a month, not in six months. Every day one waits can result in more lost myelin.

Distemper causes brain damage, disability, it is crippling, and it kills!

NDV works. It is as simple as that. Leave the point/counter point to the university pontifs to argue, and go ahead and treat. Vets who see these animals have a duty to do everything in their power to help them no matter where it comes from, no matter how it was discovered.

Vets, like the owners also need to network and pass on their positive results to their colleagues and they need to partner with us in writing papers and documenting the medical miracles that come into their practice, and start speaking at conferences about it. Don't assume that somebody else will do it.

To join the cause click here: http://apps.facebook.com/causes/176113?m=92eea645&recruiter_id=39891263

We would love to have some open-minded vets join who are interested in being part of the solution!