Our baby girl Maya

Frank and I just had the most horrible, terrifying, episode in our lives yet this weekend, but, the good new is, things are much better now.

As you all know, we love our dogs like they are our children and treat them that way as well, planning trips that we know will accommodate them, taking them at the very least twice daily for walks (big walks), cuddling (Maya always sleeps with me), and doting on them and playing with them all the time. Frank plays with Maya and laughs more from her than anything each day. He swears she is the best friend he has ever had and I might have to agree, they follow each other around like total buddies. I could tell a thousand Maya and Maple stories, their funny mannerisms, their funny grunts and barks and games they play with us.

Well, on Friday, we thought we were going to lose Maya and were devesated. Back in December she had a Grand Mal Seizure. We had her tested for everything, and nothing showed up in the tests. Friday, at 1:30 pm, she came to Frank for comforting like she did last time, and started having a seizure. We both knew how to react this time and held her and spoke to her calmly, and watched the clock. After 10 minutes, we were starting to freak out. It should have ended after 5. Instead, it barely ended and she was having another, pretty much constant stream of seizures with her legs all tensed up, convulsions, and her eyes glazed over and slobber everywhere, then puke after 15 mins. Cluster seizures that would not go away, so she was in a condition known as Status Epilipticus. I was desperately trying to contact the vet, but the line was busy. After 20 mins, I reached them and they said bring her in. Frank carried her 90+ pound frame and we got her to the vet after 30 mins of seizures. They gave her Phenobarbital immediately which put her to sleep and is supposed to control seizures, and put her on an IV. We had to leave her there and every 3 hours when she would wake up, the vet would see if she was still having seizures or all better, and would call us if the latter were the case. No such luck. She was there all night, and we were up all night crying and worrying and regretting and searching on the internet for answers, cures, case studies, help! We were a mess and wanted to be there at the vet with her, but when I called to see if we could, I got a long winded no.

At 8:30 am Saturday, we went to the vet to be there when she woke up. She was not waking up and we were told to come back at 11am. At 11, when we came back, we were there when she woke up from a long sleep with pento something or other (stronger medicine). She was paddling her legs like crazy and whining very very loudly and flopping her heavy head around and we would catch it. We both lost it seeing her like that and talking to the vet about her prospects which were not good at all. The vet gave her Valium to put her back to sleep, but not in such a deep sleep, and told us to come back in a few hours. She called us as soon as she started waking up, so we rushed on back at close to 1pm. This time, she wasn't paddling her legs, but was crying, but could lift up on her front legs a tiny bit and control her head a little bit (but not much). We stayed with her, calming her into sleep a few times until 4pm. She appeared to recognize our voices the last hour, and really calmed down when we held onto her and sang to her and talked to her softly. We had to leave the vet since it was closed, so we brought her with us home. The vet wanted us to come back at 7, and if she wasn't better or coming to, she wanted us to consider putting her down (which we couldn't bear even thinking of doing). After 24 hours of seizures and her not really coming out of her sleep trance, it was looking like brain damage or something else horrible and her chances were slim and the vet told us we needed luck. We needed prayers and that is all I did straight during the whole horrible episode.

Well, once home, Maple licked her all over which she seemed to like and we held her to calm her from the whining successfully again. She fell asleep. When she woke up, she cried a bunch again, but seemed to really hear me this time well, and respond to her name, and peed. That was why she was crying... Then fell asleep again. This time when she woke up, at about 6pm, Frank was with her and her mouth was finally normal (no tongue hanging out, and she could hold her head normal and use her front legs normal again). Thank God. We fed her some boiled chicken and rice and dog food and she ate it so fast and ferocious, it was crazy! She had missed 3 meals though and apparently Valium makes you starving. It was the first time all day she was really with it and not crying all loud and constantly. She was blind and couldn't see the food and bit Frank accidentally while he hand fed her. At 7, we brought her back to the vet so she could see that she had improved. The vet was so happy for us and Maya and gave us medicine to bring home for her she'll need to take regularly, and emergency Valium in case she had another seizure.

Once home, we fed her again and all of us (including Cooper and the pups) slept in the living room together. Frank, Cooper and me on a blow up mattress. At midnight, Maya woke up crying because she wanted to go out. Frank helped her up, and she was able to use her back legs and see some! She went the bathroom outside on her own all wobbly, but her legs worked!

Now, today, Sunday, my birthday, I have the best gift ever. My Maya back. She is her goofy self again and can use her legs normal now and see and knows all her old tricks. She is groggy as expected, and still unbalanced, also expected from the medications, but here with us and doing well. She has her eyesight, but its not all the way better, but almost.

Thank you everyone out there who prayed for us and was thinking of us, and please keep them coming so that she does not go into another cluster of seizures again! I am just so scared she will and never want to leave her alone!! So thankful that Frank and I are both off work right now and with her all the time. We have emergency valium if one starts, but I am praying so hard that one won't. And we are now cherishing every moment so much more than before. That is what something like this makes you do, appreciate and realize how much you love your loved ones. And makes us want to spoil these girls even more and make sure I love on them plenty all the time. Basically, love stronger and harder and take more pictures and videos all the time of the precious moments. You never know when you might lose them and that is just the scariest thing. Life is just too darn fragile, precious, and short. Hate it!

Frank and I are feeling much better today, just exhausted ourselves. Cooper is doing wonderful though and was such a trooper yesterday, going in and out to the vet with us, and sleeping the whole time, even while Maya cried and whimpered super loud. It was just the saddest thing to see and hear and she seemed like she was in terrible pain, but the vet assured us she wasn't. She was in more of a "coma" like state.

As far as other news goes, we get the keys to our new house on Friday! Amazing! 6 months it took... And then we get our stuff on the following Tuesday, but will be moving all our stuff we have with us and accumulated since moving here over the weekend. Oh, and Frank starts work on Monday and has to drive to Prague that day!

We sure realized also during this whole epic weekend, that we sure do miss home. Also realized this during childbirth last month. Nothing beats having family and friends close by for support in times like these. At least we have phones and internet though! And the language barrier/cultural differences here and medical differences aren't the easiest things to deal with in times like these. So glad we have family coming soon! Julie and Shannon and mom and dad, we can't wait!!

Maya sends lots of kisses to everyone :)