Harriet and Cinder

They say, the only thing that is constant is change.  I guess I never paid a lot of attention to
that saying, until Cinder became very ill with tonsilitis, an eye infection, asthma, a severe 
cough, and finally Diabetes.  Cinder has just turned ten years old this spring, and he is a 
black toy poodle... A very quiet and stoic little guy with the patience of a saint.
  After two months of blood work and testing , the predominant symptoms that showed up
were the unending thirst and constant searching for food. He had a small amount of liver
damage, his white and red blood cells were way out of line, and he weighed fifteen pounds...
And still hungry!!   His diagnosis... April twenty eighth 2000..  Late august of that year, he
developed a cateract in his left eye, but the right one was still good.Less than one week
later, he was totally blind in both eyes. I was shocked and angry at everything ,and 
everyone...I took it out on everything and everyone too!!!   But, you know what?   That
little tail kept wagging just like usual... It was then that I thought about that ''saying''...
   Today, a little over a year later, Cinder has gone through lots of ''changes''.... He had 
cateract surgery in one eye, and can see again.   He is regulated on six units of Humulin N,
and has been for quite some time now..He won out, over a bout  with anemia, and his liver
 counts have improved drastically. Both red and white cell counts are good.... Now if we
can just tackle that asthma...!!!   I think the biggest change of all though, is the close bond
it has created.. I never would have thought,  two totally different species could relate on
the kind of level that we have now...  I wouldn't give that up for anything!!!! (me either!!)
    So,  I guess we will go with a ''huge'' thank you, 
to the support of an email  list for getting us through
the toughest of those changes, to where we are today....
Harriet and Cinder too!!!!

Updated Story on Sept 16, 2002
   In the past year and a half, the main issue has been with his eyes..He had glaucoma in his
right eye, and nothing could be done to repair that one, but his left eye had a cataract that 
we had removed, and had a lens implanted...It lasted for one year, and he developed 
corneal edema..We are not sure why this happened, but it took his vision in that eye also.. 
He has been a real strong willed little guy, and just keeps goin, like usual..I wish I could 
say without a complaint, but that is not the case..He reached a point here not so very long
ago, where he said ''enough is enough''...He became very aggressive when it came to any 
kind of interaction at all, except for his shot..From the very beginning, he has never 
objected in any way to that shot..I think they put together that it makes them feel better 
on their own..However, with everything else , such as eye medications ,or being handled,
he wanted no part of it...   I think depression had set in..He started biting me..No one 
else, just me...I guess everything was all ''my fault''
  We kept closer tabs on his blood sugar, and now he has gotten through that  pretty good too..He is being his old self again..For the most part anyway..He is eleven now, so he has
old age issues to handle as well...
   We have seen some hardships, but we have made it this far, and are thankful for each day.
Diabetes is a  constant battle, but not one that can't be beaten..
My ''Master Cinder'' is living proof of that...!!!

Cinder is on 81/2 units of Humulin N BD..
He eats a combination of W/D, and vegetables, 1/2 cup twice a day..
800 units of flax seed oil, 200 units of vitamin E, 1 mml. of liquid iron, two 275mg. caps of cranberry tabs, and 100 units of Bilberry. He also has 1 ml. of Carafate with each meal..