As many of you know Rocky has had a bad 2 weeks healthwise. In and out of the hospital 4 or 5 times, he was seizing in clusters on tues 3/6 5 of them in an a wee hr of the morning the morning, hospital, valium, back to self again, a repeat the following nite better, for 2 days then all night seizing (no sleep again) i asked god if it was his time to take him he didn't vet says he has a strong heart, sandie from the canine epelipsy network form chicago called me last weds when i was spending my last hour with him before putting him down she encouraged me there may be hope with pheno meds, but had to go back to hosp for sonogramand bile acid test to be sure the sz'ing wasn't from a live shunt, they ruled that out and we started him on the pheno on thursday, rocky made miraculis improvements on sat sun and mon morning, he was walking on his own in and out of rooms instead of the circle jerk he'd been doing all the time before at one point he couldn't even walk but he got better so much better on the weekend, then last night........... he started the pacing and the circling and running a trotting from room to room looking back in fear as if he was being chase, i called the doc and she said you gotta leav him in the bathroom and get some sleep, i pappded the bathroom with all the pillows i could find, including the one i use.when i woke up this morning he we racing in tight circles i dont think he slept a wink last nite, took him to hosp this morning and asked to put him on valium to see if he would come out of it, then the doc noticed his one eye had been damaged from the circle jerk and bumping into somtin that wasn't padded, 1 eye was pin point the other eye wasn't she said that's a sign of a brain tumor and would explain all the circling and disorientation, $1200 to scan the brain to confirm and then add'l dough to try and operate when they werent even when they were done that it would have been worth there while.

so with all that information i decided i had spent what i could spend and did what i could do and didn't feel it made any sense to do anymore at this point his eye was in pain form being banged into a lot and if he was just gonna be hyper active and spin in circles all the time i think u all would agree with my decision to send him home. so i held rocky, dan made it by just in time to say goodbye rocky gave me one more puppy kiss as i watched him silently close his eyes and go to enternal sleep, it was tuff folks, im sure man y of u been there, but to see the life leaving him and wondering for a split second am i making the right choice with a living being, oh gosh that's not a good feeling especially taking him away fro his yorkie father tank. tank and i buried him when we got home rocky wore his brand new sweater that rachel gave him last nite and we buried him with his favorite train blanket and teeny weeny stuffed teddy bear, a pic of rocky and flowers, and used a welcome home sign that rachel gave me as his cross in the dirt.

notice Tank standing at attention out of respect for just burying his son Rocky

So I wanted to thank everyone for their support during my canine family ordeal. Mike Clark for being there for me every step of the way right till this morning with his offer to assist me in the end. Dan my son for keeping an eye on him for me when i was out making music. My best friend Rachel for coming over on those tuff nites to help me get thru it and for the sweaters she bought them and the reiki prayed on him, rocky is buried in the sweater rachel got him, look at the pic of tank its the same sweater.

My thanks to Carolyn and Paul at my job who have similar seizing issues with there dogs which helped me to understand the condition. Thanks to Sandie of The Canine Epilepsy Network Online for all the advice and concern, and everyone else on the site that posted messages of encouragement and support. also George my bandmate for sneaking out of the open jam Saturday nights to come home and check on rocky. and all my coworkers don, gail, brooks, diane frank, my mom and dad, claudine and everyone that showed me how much they cared, and for my neighbor Ernie who came out of his bed this morning to dig the hole for me for rocky as i was in no condition. i'm sorry if i left anyone out my mind is a little clouded now to say the least

a special thanks to all the doctors at Atlantic Coast in Bohemia

Dr Adams (Medford Animal Hospital)

Dr Kramer

Dr Acevedo

Dr Harding

Dr Karnik

Dr Andronescu

Dr Wong

& Dr Karnik

a special thanks to all the techs

Rebecca

Donna

Patty

Kelly

Stephanie

Joanna

Mike

& Megan

a special thanks to all the receptionists that had to field my frantic calls to the doctor

Debbie

Teresa

Chrissy

Jeanine

As you can see i tapped into the best network i could have to give rocky his best fighting chance.

Thank you everyone, I shall keep you posted if Tank will be adopting a new companion.

Please read this poem below it really hits home........

A Dog’s Plea