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Dave & Teds Most Excellent Adventures 2013

Nerve Test

I have always been of the opinion that we need to take an ACTIVE role in our own medical care.
If we leave it 100% up to the doctor, we are likely to get f%#ked. Hope everything turns out OK
and that you figure out what's going on.
 
A much wiser man than I once told me, "Charity starts at home."

And I understood the statement at the time it was told to me, but until this weekend, it hadn't hit home.

Kind of like one of our local State Representives, R0B P0rtman, making national news this week, cause he changed his stance against gay marriage, as he was totally against it, even co-writing the Deffense of Marriage Act. But now that his son has come out to him as being gay, and his son making it clear that its not a choice, except to be honest about it, and then much soul-searching, 2 years worth, he has now come to believe that he thinks his son should have every opportunity to have the same as he himself had, a loving partner with which they share their lives, a home & even children if they so choose, be it in a traditional 'sense' or a modern 'sense'. But all the time before, he didn't believe in that until it effected his life on a personal basis.

Totally unrelated, but yet fitting to my own personal story, of something not being totally understood til it hits home. You see, I found myself distancing myself from my siblings, more to selfishly protect my fragile psyche from their negativity, as being without our Spyder has really been a difficult propostition for both Teddy & I.

There is no doubt in my mind that we are both addicted to ryding 'Teds Red Sled, cause the withdrawal symptoms are palpable, the depression and mood swings are obvious, without our Spyder sunny days are just like pouring salt on an open wound.

I had another strange dream involving Teds Red Sled, but more about Teddy & I reconnecting with my family. Something about blood thicker than water, and not being able to choose them, but they are THE ONLY one you will ever have. I woke Sunday morning with a shock, looked at the clock & it was 10:20am. I knew McDonalds stopped serving breakfast at 10:30, so I skipped shower & everything else I normally do upon waking besides putting clothes on & grabbing a hat to hide my bed-head, quickly put Teddy's harness on him, grabbed the keys to the Cougar and sped out of our driveway. McDonalds is only 2 blocks from the condo, so we made it with a couple of minutes to spare. While waiting in the DriveThru, I called my brothers (2 live together & another has his own place) and told them I was picking up breakfast & that Teddy & I would shortly be on our way out to there place, about 40 minutes from where we live. My one brother that has his own place said he wasn't sure if he could make it, as he was waiting to see if he was going to have to babysit his grandson, but if he could, he'd make it.

It started snowing pretty heavily, but I didn't care, something told me I needed to do this so I just went with it. I ordered 4 of their Big Breakfasts & an extra hashbrown (hey, its potatoe) for Teddy & off we went thru the heavy snow. 40 minutes later, we pulled up to their trailer and both their trucks were in the driveway. I had to wait for Teddy to 'do his business' as I hadn't even let him do that before we left & the lil guy was busting, but patiently held it til we finally got to our destination.

Once inside, and Teddy started shmooze'n like Teddy does (especially when food is around ;) I started to see a different side of my brother than I hadn't seen in a long long time. No talk of doom and gloom & just waiting to die, now it was all replaced with almost baby-talk to Teddy & him hugging and loving on him & him asking for more kisses & doggy baths. I tell ya, I know that did alot of good for him, but I think I may have gotten more out of it than even he did. To say it physically warmed my heart would be an understatement, It was good for my soul.

After a few minutes, my other brother showed up, not having to babysit, he decided to join us as well. It was all of us left out of our immediate family except my sister, as she lives about an hour away up in Ohio & we all live in Northern KY. It was nice to be together again, without it being due to an emergency like usual. My mom was the one that held the family together, and after she passed, well, we are all very different people and with me being the youngest, it can be hard to relate at times, and we've all just basically gone our seperate ways, but we still live physically close. Before my one brother retired & all my overtime got cut out here at work, we'd meet every Sunday for brunch, often times including my sister, just so we could 'keep up with each other & keep the family together.' But knowing that they couldn't afford it, my one brother or I would have to pay for everyone, and it worked for a year or to that way, that is til he retired & my OT got cut out, then we just couldn't afford it & we let it go.

This was a wake up call of sorts, as I take Teddy to many Senior Homes & see ALL the Joy that the lil guy brings to so many, all the while, I was neglecting my own brethren who possibly needed it more than most. In giving so little, I got so much more in return.

Now if we can just get Teds Red Sled back from the shop ....................................
 
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Good Brother

And I understood the statement at the time it was told to me, but until this weekend, it hadn't hit home. .......

This was a wake up call of sorts, as I take Teddy to many Senior Homes & see ALL the Joy that the lil guy brings to so many, all the while, I was neglecting my own brethren who possibly needed it more than most. In giving so little, I got so much more in return.

Now if we can just get Teds Red Sled back from the shop ....................................

Dave ...you are a great brother! Thank you for sharing this personal part of your adventure -- you are right, your family is the only one you get and it is best to appreciate (in whatever way you can) the family you have while they are here. I had tears in my eyes as I finished readhing ... for I lost my father 30 years ago (he was only 56) and my brother 7 years ago (he was 54) and I still miss both of them terribly.

Thanks again for sharing .... Ann
 
Mine is at Middletown also

Nothing serious just a hitch install and some lighting upgrades. Hopefully we'll both be back on the road before the week is out though the weather doesn't look promising.

Curt
 
Gave it a try, but Teddy & I aren't Windows 8 fans, its going back

I posted on another thread about getting one of the new HP ENVY X2 Convertible laptops, which comes with the new Windows 8 User Interface platform. I just wanted something small & convenient to take with us on our many road trips and be able to keep Teddy's fans updated & most of all, be able to easily post & share pictures with. Back in the day, We've had an original Ipad but you couldn't post pics with it back then, so we switched to a Galaxy Tab & for a while, all was well. Then Lamont changed something last year with the SL site & we once again couldn't post pics using the standard browser & was suggested to download Tapatalk which we have, but we still have issues with posting pics even using that app.

So that's why I thought we'd give the HP ENVY a try, as it seemed the best of both worlds, fully functional laptop when needed, but also a nice sleek tablet when desired as well. Well, after 8 days of utter frustration, I filled out the info for a full return this morning. Its just not what I need & the learning curve is more than I'm willing to go thru, to simply be able to post pics on one forum, just aint worth all the hassle & frustration, &believe me, I've been trying, reading this & that & downloading this or that to make things easier, but its just a no go, sending it back. If anyone would like more info either on the ENVY X2 or my opinion on WIN 8 feel free to ask & I can elaborate more, otherwise, its just a nonstarter for us & we'll continue to use our TAB for now.
 
Dave

If you are familiar with Windows 7 then you should install the following FREE software.

http://www.classicshell.net

This will give you the start button back and you can set the option to automatically switch to the desktop on start up instead of the new Metro interface of Windows 8. You never have to use the new interface if you don't want to.

Russ
 
Thanks for the suggestion, I did that a couple days back, still had other issues tho

Dave If you are familiar with Windows 7 then you should install the following FREE software. http://www.classicshell.net This will give you the start button back and you can set the option to automatically switch to the desktop on start up instead of the new Metro interface of Windows 8. You never have to use the new interface if you don't want to. Russ

Thanks for the tip Russ. Someone on the other thread suggested that as well & I did download it, which helped with the different User Interfaces, but I still ran into other issues where it wouldn't recognize other media even when directly attached by cable & we were still having issues with posting pics, mostly finding, choosing and getting them to actually upload. Took me 6 tries and 45 minutes of frustration for just one post. Could be the thousands of pics that we have, but it never seemed like such an issue on any other machine or platform. Just not worth it to me for what little I would use it for. Seriously, mostly just for posting on here. Thanks for trying to help tho, its going back.
 
I have an iPad 2 and recently got a Zagg keyboard case. Now I hardly ever use my laptop. I can print from the ipad (though with less print options). But I can't use anything requiring a Flash, since Apple doesn't support that. I've also had problems using photos on the forum, since I can't "drag & drop" with the iPad.

Good luck in your tech search.

Loving your "adventures."
 
Sobering reality check but the jury hasn't even conviened yet

So I had a follow up with my GP (General Practitioner (Dr.) yesterday & I was a little shocked at what she had to say. I openly & honestly explained the situation that I've had with the Hand Specialist I've been seeing & that he finally has ordered the nerve test for me tomorrow & I asked her opinion of how I should handle his seeming lack of competancy or listening skills.

After explaining everything to her, she actually agreed with his approach thus far. But, she went a step further & explained in detail why, a step he never took & maybe I'm guilty myself for not pushing him to explain himself futher.

She first stated that she's just a GP and not a Specialist, but that the nerve running from the elbow to the index finger also branches out at the knuckle and leads to both the thumb & middle finger. So, with this knowledge, it would seem logical that if a person presents with a traumatic soft tissue injury at the elbow, (like mine) then there could definately be signs of issues leading from there to the thumb, index & middle fingers, but highly unlikely to present itself in the manner that mine has, only presenting in the index finger alone, without some other underlying issue that may be yet unknown.

Then, as she thought about it more, she as well had the same perplexed (dumbfounded) look as the Specialist did when he just stared at me for about a minute after proclaiming, "I just don't get the corelation between the elbow injury & the index finger." Well let me tell you, I felt a bit like the fool :opps:

She proceeded to explain, with my work (manufacturing) and me doing the same repetitve motions over and over again, day in day out, that I may have had early signs of Carple Tunnal & not even known it yet, and this traumatic injury could have just made it progressively & immedeatly (sp?) worse. Also, and this is the sobering thing, while she mentioned possible therapies, she also mentioned that sometimes, with soft tissue damage like I'm presenting, their are no remidies & a person just has to learn to live with it the best they can :shocked: I shudder at that thought:sour:

But I'm putting the carriage WAY before the horse here, as the EMG test is tomorrow & hopefully that will shed alot more light on what is actually going on here. Just thought I'd share ..................
 
The right tool for the job at hand

Many of you that follow along with Teddy's Adventures are probably already well aware of his medical conditions. Being born the runt out of the litter, its very common for the runts to have many health issues & that's a major reason most respectable breeders wont even entertain the thought of breeding a runt, as their goal is the betterment of the breed, not the possible deteriation of it.

And our poor lil guy has had his share of health issues, that's for sure. Many common health issues in smaller breeds are a Luxating Patella (where the tendon 'pops' out of the knee cap) which Teddy had to have surgery for right after injuring himself at the 2011 SpyderFest.

Another common ailment is called a callapsing trachea (windpipe caves in on itself when excited or overheated) and causes the dog to 'cough' insesantly until oftentimes they actually 'spit up' a little, and that helps to coat the windpipe & helps the inflamation to settle down a bit to where they can once again regain their composure. Teddy also has this issue & I have to give him a syringe of liquid medicine every day to help keep this under control. His vet didn't recommend surgery, as she confinded that its usually only about 50% effective & can lead to more complications, so the med route was the most preferred method & seems to continue working well, as Teddy will turn 5 years old on April 20th :joke:

The reason I bring the above topics up, is that its getting to be Spring time (believe it or not-I know I know) and the temps are starting to rise (sometimes going right back down tho) and with his half winter coat still on him, he's been getting overheated more often, to the point where everytime I come home from work, he's so excited to see me, after a few jumps and licks, he goes into his coughing fits something terrible. I tell ya, I hate seeing the lil guy suffering like that, so the first thing I do after I get home is to give him his medicine, and within a couple of minutes, he's once again better. But then, if we'd start playing fetch or chase or anything with him getting excited, same thing, cough cough cough cough cough cough :banghead:

So I figured it was TIME & began to shave off Teddy's Winter Coat for good (at least til next winter) :thumbup: Well, in the past I had always used a small pair of clippers made by Wahl called "The Peanut" & for the past 3 years, it worked, but let me tell you, IT WAS ALOT OF WORK. He may be a small dog weighing in at only 10 pounds ............

TBC.... work work work
 
So I had a follow up with my GP (General Practitioner (Dr.) yesterday & I was a little shocked at what she had to say. I openly & honestly explained the situation that I've had with the Hand Specialist I've been seeing & that he finally has ordered the nerve test for me tomorrow & I asked her opinion of how I should handle his seeming lack of competancy or listening skills.

After explaining everything to her, she actually agreed with his approach thus far. But, she went a step further & explained in detail why, a step he never took & maybe I'm guilty myself for not pushing him to explain himself futher.

She first stated that she's just a GP and not a Specialist, but that the nerve running from the elbow to the index finger also branches out at the knuckle and leads to both the thumb & middle finger. So, with this knowledge, it would seem logical that if a person presents with a traumatic soft tissue injury at the elbow, (like mine) then there could definately be signs of issues leading from there to the thumb, index & middle fingers, but highly unlikely to present itself in the manner that mine has, only presenting in the index finger alone, without some other underlying issue that may be yet unknown.

Then, as she thought about it more, she as well had the same perplexed (dumbfounded) look as the Specialist did when he just stared at me for about a minute after proclaiming, "I just don't get the corelation between the elbow injury & the index finger." Well let me tell you, I felt a bit like the fool :opps:

She proceeded to explain, with my work (manufacturing) and me doing the same repetitve motions over and over again, day in day out, that I may have had early signs of Carple Tunnal & not even known it yet, and this traumatic injury could have just made it progressively & immedeatly (sp?) worse. Also, and this is the sobering thing, while she mentioned possible therapies, she also mentioned that sometimes, with soft tissue damage like I'm presenting, their are no remidies & a person just has to learn to live with it the best they can :shocked: I shudder at that thought:sour:

But I'm putting the carriage WAY before the horse here, as the EMG test is tomorrow & hopefully that will shed alot more light on what is actually going on here. Just thought I'd share ..................

I had open release surgery done on my right hand on January 11th for severe carpal tunnel issues I had been unwittingly ignoring. My hand was so bad my thumb, index, and middle fingers would go numb during highway portions of my rides. The doctor was amazed at how young I was because my condition was so severe. When he looked at my nerve study he told me that therapy was not even an option, and that surgery might not lead to a complete recovery, but it was the only option I had.
That being said I am now two months post op, and life is grand. The strength is returning in my hand, and the pain is decreasing daily. I rode highway miles on monday before the storm hit and there was no numbness in my hands. I won't be going back to carpentry as a career anytime soon, but at least I can use my right hand to do things now. The only issue I have with the surgery is that I now see how bad my left hand is, and I need to find the time to get that one repaired too. Do not fear the surgery if that is the route you need to go. Good luck with your recovery, we will be praying for you.
 
I too have had carpal tunnel surgery (done with deep local anesthesia-that worried me more than the surgery). All turned out well, with a short recovery. Good luck, if it comes to that
 
Right tool for the job

So we've been using the 'Peanut' clipper for the past 3 years of Spyder Ryding. Some may wonder why I shave Teddy to begin with. Well, when we first got our 2010 RT-S Spyder & we both started learning to ryde, we'd have a heck of a time with his coat after every ryde. Poms have a thick soft undrcoat but also a long overcoat as well, being derived originally from Very Cold climate dogs, makes for a beautifull coat, but put that coat on the back of a Spyder & do a few miles at highway speeds & see what the end result is for yourself.

TBC again, sorry.........
 
So we've been using the 'Peanut' clipper for the past 3 years of Spyder Ryding. Some may wonder why I shave Teddy to begin with. Well, when we first got our 2010 RT-S Spyder & we both started learning to ryde, we'd have a heck of a time with his coat after every ryde. Poms have a thick soft undrcoat but also a long overcoat as well, being derived originally from Very Cold climate dogs, makes for a beautifull coat, but put that coat on the back of a Spyder & do a few miles at highway speeds & see what the end result is for yourself.

TBC again, sorry.........

Hey Dave. You should see my girlfriend's hair after riding - she calls it uncombable hair syndrome.

And she thinks Teddy is gaining weight. Better watch those bedtime snacks!

Bill
 
Right tool for the job: Continued

So way back when we first started learning to ryde (May of 2010-lol) Teddy was eager to go, but then the fight was on after each ryde. We'd come home and I'd have to fight with him, literally pulling out his hair to get his coat brushed back out like it should be, as I didn't want to leave it a tangled mess and risk him getting matted.

So I inquired with his vet, if there was some type of conditioner or something that would help? That's when she confided, that she could suggest many diffeent things, but in the end, I'd just be wasting alot of money for poor results, being open and honest, and I thank her for that.

So I asked if she had any other suggestions and that's when she exclaimed, "Well, you know Poms have a double coat, right? I think your best bet, if you intend for him to ride regularly, would be to shave his top coat down and just leave the bottom coat. I think that's what I would do if I were in your situation. You just want to make sure and keep him covered and protected from direct sunlight, as he'll be more suseptable to burning, and of course keep a sweater or jacket on him to help protect from wind burn and possible flying debris." This lady was good, and thinking things thru. She then added, "Don't forget doggles to protect his eyes also." Huh??? Up to this point, I hadn't ever heard of "Doggles." - lol - shades for dogs, who knew -lol

TBC. . . .
 
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