Look Who's Walking!

A big THANK YOU to everyone for continuing to send positive healing vibes. I'm getting all of them and the power of the paw is working its magic on me. I'm feeling better every day and am continuing my laser therapy. In fact, I'm going to an appointment this morning.

I asked Mom to take some pictures and videos of me when she took me out yesterday evening. I still have to be carried to my "business" destination but when I get there I can walk! We went to see if the poodles were home last night because for some reason I like to poopie on their lawn. I know - TMI - but what can I say? Inquiring minds want to know!

Look at me go! I'm cruising all over the lawn! This is me on our lawn after we got back from the poodles' house. They weren't home so Mom took me back to our house where I refused to go potty. You can see that my right leg and foot don't work that great but they are starting to cooperate. I had a long talk with them yesterday while Mom was out and explained to them that I need them to do what I want them to do.

Even though I'm still on restricted exercise I can walk a little. A little today, a little more tomorrow and before you know it I'll be able to walk to the poodles' house! Yipee!

I'm so happy and I can't stop smiling. I wouldn't be where I am today without all your thoughts and prayers. I'm forever grateful for all the wonderful bloggy friends I have. You guys are the best!

Happy Birthday America!

Even though I'm still not 100%, I'm going to celebrate Mom's second favorite holiday. We don't have anything big planned since I'm still on restricted exercise plus it's going to be hot and humid today. I'll probably spend most of the day in the house loving the air conditioning but I'll make a special appearance in the car later to go here:

That's just how I roll. Every holiday is a Popeyes holiday! I hope you guys all have a fun and safe 4th!

I Scream, You Scream

We all scream for sunscreen! The EWG released it's 2010 Sunscreen Guide last month and not a moment too soon. Lest you think that sunscreen is only a summertime product, think again. It should be worn year round because let's face it, you go outside every day, don't you? Did you know that the majority of sun exposure your face receives is from driving? It's true. Mom learned this the hard way when she went for a skincare consultation with a dermatologist. The technician took a 3-d picture of the left side of Mom's face and when Mom asked why the left side and not the entire face the technician explained that the left is exposed to the sun more than the right side because of driving. Who knew?

You guys already know the EWG from the post Mom did last month on beauty products. The EWG Sunscreen Guide is the most comprehensive guide you'll find anywhere. It not only provides you with ratings on sunscreens but also exposes 9 surprising truths about them. I want you to read the truths because the information is really important and will surprise most of you. You can also read the full sunscreen report which includes a letter to the FDA. And don't forget to check out the hall of shame where the EWG exposes products and players that are just wrong for the sunscreen business.

The guide has a list of the best sunscreens or you can search for your sunscreen. Each sunscreen has an overall score in addition to ratings from excellent to low on the following components:

UVB PROTECTION (SPF)
UVA PROTECTION
UVA/UVB BALANCE
SUNSCREEN STABILITY
HEALTH CONCERN
OTHER CONCERNS

The sunscreen ingredients are listed along with a sunscreen UV absorbance chart. All the other ingredients in the sunscreen are also listed with scores. I think it's great that there's a link to buy each sunscreen right under its picture. You can even tweet a sunscreen or share it on Facebook. How cool is that?

These are the sunscreens that Mom currently has. I say has and not uses because some are not so desirable, like the Burt's Bees. I know, I know, everypug thinks Burt's Bees products are the bomb but apparently this sunscreen doesn't really live up to it's name. It contains, hold onto yourself - fragrance! Yikes! What the heck is Mom doing with this stuff? I can tell you what she's not doing with it and that's using it. The EWG gave this stuff a score of 4 and that's enough to permanently scare her away from it. Sorry Burt's Bees.

But what about the other sunscreens? Mom uses the Kiss My Face stuff religiously, especially the Face Factor. She hadn't always been so religious about using sunscreen on her face until after her accident. The plastic surgeon told her that her incision would definitely scar if it got sunburned so on went the sunscreen and a hat on top of her fro. She's never looked back. The EWG gave Face Factor a rating of 3 which is not great but is okay for now. Unfortunately she just bought 2 containers (before the guide came out) because she remembers it scoring much better last year. She will use it up and then move on to something better. The Kiss My Face Oat Protein sunscreen fared a little worse than its facial counterpart with a score of 4. Bye bye Kiss My Face!

The best news came from Badger. If you aren't familiar with this company you have to check them out. They make a whole host of products for your well-being and they are committed to a safe and healthy environment. Check out their mission statement:

To create fabulously pure and effective products of the highest natural quality, based on simplicity and thoughtful preparation, with the intention to soothe and heal.

To run a business that is fun, fair and profitable; where money is fuel, not a goal; and where our vision for a healthier world finds expression through the way we work and through the way we treat each other and the people we serve.

I love it! The proof of their mission is in their sunscreen which received a score of 1. YAY! And it's for the body and face so it's what I call one-stop-shopping. The worst ingredient in it is zinc oxide and while this isn't ideal, it receives a score of 4 which isn't that bad.

So often people think that for something to work it has to cost a lot of money. Nothing could be further from the truth with sunscreens. While the Badger sunscreen costs more than the brands you'll find at your local drugstore, it's far less expensive than the brands you'll find at department stores. You may have to go out of your way to find good products but it will be time well spent. Your body will love you for choosing products that won't harm it.

Summer is here and the holiday weekend is almost upon us. Check out the EWG Sunscreen Guide before you hit the stores so that you know what to buy. Educate yourself before you spend your hard earned money on sunscreen. The good stuff is out there once you know what to look for.

Personal note: I am doing much better today. I have been walking pretty good and my laser therapy went very well. The vet even said I'm walking better but stressed that I'm still on "restricted exercise". That means I still get carried around a lot which isn't such a bad thing. Thanks to everyone for sending all those healing vibes. The power of the paw is totally working!

Wordless Wednesday (not really)

Can you believe I've never done a Wordless Wednesday post? Like my friend Puglet, I always have so much to say so to be wordless for just one day is hard. And impossible. So there - I guess I can't do it.

I had a summertime post scheduled for today but I wanted to give everyone an update on my disc issues. I am doing better today than yesterday and even better than I was on Monday afternoon. I walked the entire length of the house this morning on the sidewalk because I was starving and wanted to get inside to eat. Unfortunately, I fell just as I got to the house but Dad was there to pick me up and take me inside.

I continue to try to walk around the house but most of the time I just take a few steps, stop, and then lay down - it's just too much for me. My right leg and foot just don't know what to do and it pains Mom to see me walk on my knuckles like my friend Walter use to do and like my friend Tuni still does. It doesn't really hurt me but Mom says it looks painful.

I am doing okay with my medicine and haven't had any tummy problems. I don't really like the pink liquid stuff but Mom says I have to take it to coat my tummy. I get all my other medicine wrapped in cheese so it's not that bad.

I'm going to have another laser therapy session tomorrow afternoon. The vet is adjusting my therapy so I'll find out tomorrow if I'm going to continue to receive it on my hips and back or just on my elbow, which feels better by the way.

I slept soundly last night and am back to taking naps throughout the day. Our July 4th party has officially been canceled and I'm super bummed about not seeing everyone. I plan on spending the weekend chilling in the house, eating Popeyes, and ignoring the fireworks.

A big thank you to everyone for sending healing vibes. I feel all the love from all over the continent. My friend Tweedles even sent her magic bubbles and they floated around the house, wrapping it in love. Between the healing vibes and magic bubbles I'm sure to be good as new in no time.

Tsk-Tsk - It Might Be A Disc

Mom has been home for an entire week but for whatever reason, she doesn't want to turn the 'puter on. No 'puter means no blog posts so forgive me for being so absent, but know that it's not my fault.

Even though I haven't been on the 'puter, I've been super busy but not in a good way. I can't really tell you what happened while Mom was gone but suffice it to say I just haven't been myself since she returned. You guys know that I'm getting old and that I don't really get around really good but last week I could hardly walk. I mean I could walk but really slow, like a turtle. Mom knew that she had to do something so she called a vet that does laser therapy (a recommendation from a friend) and I went to see her for a consultation last Friday.

I really liked this vet despite the fact that she was bending and twisting me every which way during the consultation. The results? I have a bad elbow, not a bad shoulder. Mom and Dad have been told for years that my shoulder was bad but I knew all along that it was my elbow. I sure wish I could have told them because I could have been receiving treatment on it all along. The other news? The vet thinks I have a bulging disc - yuk! I covered my ears when she described the disc so I really don't know all the details.

After the consultation, the vet tech did the first session of laser therapy on me. I am scheduled to have 6 sessions to start and then be re-evaluated to determine if/when I need more. Each session consists of 3 points on my bad elbow, shown in the picture above, 2 points on each side of my hip, and 1 point on my back. I felt a lot better after the first session and was even walking better.

My second session was this morning and everything was fine. I got a nice treat after the session, enjoyed the car ride home, and took a nap while Mom went shopping. Then the trouble started. Mom took me outside to enjoy the nice afternoon sunshine and I couldn't walk. I would take a few steps and wipe out - boom! I would pick myself up and then fall again. I was walking sideways, or should I say trying to walk and would fall over on one side, staring up at Mom who would rescue me from the fall. Mom was hysterical, crying and crying. She picked me up and I wiped away her tears, telling her that I would be okay but that I needed to go back to the vet.

Mom calmed down long enought to call the vet who told her to bring me back to the office at 3:45. Mom then called Dad to tell him what was going on. He was on his way home from an appointment and said that he would drive us to the vet.

The vet was super nice to me again as I tried to walk around for her. She reiterated some of what she mentioned last Friday about my disc and how it's gotten worse. She told Mom and Dad that she thinks we need to be aggressive with my treatment so I just had my first dose of Prednisone. I just started taking Deramaxx last week and even had one this morning but the vet said I need to take the Prednisone asap so that my disc will calm down (usually you would wait 2 days after taking Deramaxx to begin Prednisone). She also gave me some Carafale to protect my GI. I don't know what a GI is but the medicine is suppose to coat my tummy so that the Prednisone doesn't upset it. Mom also needs to go to Walgreens to get me some Pepcid AC. Phew! Lots of medicines for me. I should be a patient at Smush Face General Hospital!

In addition to all the medicine I have to take, my exercise is restricted. I don't really exercise all that much anyway but the vet says I can only go out to do my business and that I must be carried out to do it. I'm totally okay with that since I want my disc to get better so that I can move around again. I need to be able to play in my yard and visit my friends, especially my Josie.

I also want to get better so that Mom stops crying. She, of course, blames herself for all my problems. If only she had done this or taken me to see that vet, etc. I don't blame her at all because she takes great care of me but you know moms. They accept full responsibility for the whole kit-and-kaboodle everytime something goes awry, even when it's not their fault.

Please keep your paws crossed that the Prednisone works. The vet told Mom and Dad that if it doesn't then I might need surgery. Surgery that may or may not help. I know I'll be okay, but I need all of you to convince Mom. And please convince her that I need to update my bloggie more often and not about myself. I have so many cool things to post about that you need to know about that I want to tell you about.

I'm Back!

It's been two weeks since my last post because Mom left me to go hang out with the sea turtles and pug people. She even met some pugs and despite the fact that I wasn't with her, they welcomed her with open paws. Awwww!

Mom is not much of a photographer but the one night she did have her camera with her on the beach, this mama showed up. How cool is that? I sure wish I could hang out with the turtles because I'm sure they'd love me. Who doesn't love pugs?

This mama had just finished nesting and was heading back to the ocean. You can tell she's heading back because she is covered in sand. After laying her eggs, she covered her nest so no predators would find them. What a good mama she is! Mom had a great time on the island and told me that she did lots of dancing. I'm not sure if that's code for something but she sure looked happy when she got home.

Before Mom got to the turtles she made a couple of stops. When she told me she was going to visit Salinger I begged to go with. I told her that I would stay at Salinger's house and that she could pick me up on her way home. It sounded like a great plan to me but Mom wasn't buying it. So she went to Sal's house without me to party with the Indy bloggers.

Sal's mom Laura is the ultimate party planner. When she heard Mom was coming, she emailed all the Indy bloggers and invited them over for cake. All the pugs were invited too so Laura made little pupcakes for them. I don't need to tell you that Molly O'Mally had a few too many pupcakes. She told Mom "To haaaail with my waistline. I'm hungry!" What O'Mally wants, O'Mally gets!

Mom couldn't keep her hands off the puggies. Her she is with Lilo. How pretty does Lilo look in her Punchy dress? Mom said Lilo was an absolute angel but I heard she was hitting the bottle with you-know-who. I'm just saying.

Here's Lilo with her pretty mom Jess. Mom loved meeting Jess and can't wait to go back to Indy to hang out with her again. Of course I'm going with next time or else!

Lilo loved the camera and would twirl round and round showing off her dress. I bet Lilo has a closet full of dresses.

I bet you don't even recognize this guy without his drink of choice, do you? This is Hank and even though Mom took some pretty interrogating video of him trying to sing like Emmitt, she felt sorry for him because she's been around enough silly drunks. Hank dude, you need to lay off the PBR before your videos end up on YouTube!

Mom told me that Lola the low rider was even cuter in person. I totally believe that because pictures don't lie. Lola and Reggie Wayne were the only black pugs at the party. Mom didn't take any pictures of Reggie because he got sick and had to leave the party early. He's okay now and Mom promises that I'm going to visit him soon.

Apollo's mom Jami was also at the party along with Brutus and Miley's mom Stacy. Jami and Stacy left their pugs at home but promised to bring them next time. Mom had a great time with all the pugs and their peeps and can't wait to go back to Indy.

Sal was very sad to see Mom leave, but leave she had to because her next stop was Atlanta. I wish I had pictures to show you of Atlanta but Mom didn't really take any. Something about Bonnaroo and traffic. I have no idea what all that means but Mom said that everything worked out in the end and that she had a great time visiting with her friend Kerri Anne who is now somewhere in Africa.

After Mom left the island she had a great dinner with her BFF Carole, got some sleep, and took a hot shower. She then hit the road with one destination left on her trip - Birmingham! She visited the 'ham to visit with the ham and Lulu. So jealous! Heather and Mom took Harry and Lulu to Rojo for dinner and Harry couldn't help but clean crumbs off the ground. That Harry. He's such a helper!

Lulu wasn't interested in crumbs but she was interested in staying close to her mom. She's definitely a momma's girl and Mom could see why. Heather was just as sweet in person as Mom thought she would be. She's so glad she stopped in the 'ham.

Harry may seem like a tough guy who could care less about his sister but this picture proves how much he loves her. Mom couldn't get enough of them and hated to leave the 'ham. Mom invited Heather, Harry, and Lulu to Chicago to visit me and all the Chicago bloggers (you know who you are).

I bet you're wondering what I did while Mom was gone. I can't tell you everything I did because even Mom doesn't know. Let's just say I ate really well, got out a lot, and was a very good boy. Dad even took me in Mom's car to pick up dinner with the top down. I told Dad I could drive but he told me that he would be my chauffeur. Isn't he the best?

Dad was super busy while Mom was gone so I had to spend some time with the poodles. What was Dad busy doing you ask? He spent one day at the Blackhawks Stanley Cup victory parade and another day at the Cubs-White Sox game. Sheesh. You'd think these events would be pug friendly!

The handle and wheel for my buggy arrived while Mom was gone so Dad hooked them up and took me for a ride. I really don't like my buggy whether it's hooked up to Mom's bike or whether I'm being pushed around in it like a baby. I may be smiling in this picture but that's just to appease Dad.

I'm so glad Mom is home and life is back to normal. I missed her so much and don't ever want her to go away without me again. She brought me gifts from my friends but I didn't get to take any pictures of them because I've been so busy snuggling with her. All of you have an open invitation to visit with us any time you are in or near Chicago. Our door is always open and we'll leave the light on for you!

Happy World Oceans Day!

Today is the day we celebrate the oceans and despite the recent oil spill in the Gulf Coast, there's still so much to celebrate. They give life to us land animals and even if you've only seen the oceans in pictures or on tv you still have so much to celebrate. The world is blue and we couldn't exist without the oceans.

I love the ocean so much and so does Mom. She loves it so much that she's leaving tomorrow for the Atlantic ocean. Yep. It's that time of year again - turtle time!

Mom is heading back to Wassaw Island to assist the Caretta Research Project with loggerhead nesting. You can read about my post from last year here for details on Wassaw Island. Mom said it's the most magical place on Earth and since I've never been there I'll have to take her word for it.

Mom will be spending the week with this gorgeous lady, the original turtlebabe, Kris. She's the director of the project and Mom loves her like a sister. Mom once told her that she wanted to be just like her when she grew up. This is funny because Kris is just a little younger than Mom!

This picture is from Mom's first year turtling. She was on Wassaw in August helping with hatchling season. She helped so many little babies to the ocean that year and was instantly hooked.

Mom will also be with these lovely ladies. Okay, so Carole will definitely be there but Trixie the loggerhead turtle might be too. She nested a couple of weeks ago and should be ready to nest again next week. Keep your paws crossed that she makes an appearance because she's Carole turtle.

This picture is from Carole's first year on Wassaw. Mom was an old pro by this time and was showing Carole the ropes with this beautiful momma. In case you're wondering, they are checking the turtle for tags. If a turtle isn't tagged then they tag her, one tag on each of her front flippers. They lovingly refer to the tags as jewelry and imagine all the mommas returning to the ocean to show off their jewelry to all the other turtles.

Mom and Carole hit it off right away and this will be their fifth year together on the island. Mom can't even imagine Wassaw without her and Kris. This is them last year in the main cabin getting ready to head out to the beach.

This picture of Mom and her crew is from 2005. This momma decided she wanted to nest at sunrise and everyone couldn't have been happier. Called a dawn turtle, this is the best time to take pictures of turtles. The guy standing behind Mom is Jason and he will be the assistant on Mom's week.

Mom says one of the reasons Wassaw is so magical is because of its natural beauty. This is one of the roads on the island and you can see that it looks like a movie set. It's organized chaos with all the moss hanging from the live oaks. Mom claims that Wassaw also smells like no other place she's ever been. As soon as she steps off the boat and onto the dock she smells the island and knows that she's arrived - in utopia.

Mom's hoping to see lots of these guys this year too. There are lots of them on the island but some years she sees them and some she doesn't. This picture is from a few years ago and was taken as they were heading to the beach. Joe is holding the alligator after finding it in the dark.

So this is what Mom is going to be doing next week. Patrolling the beach every night looking for mommas just like this one. This momma had just nested and was heading back into the ocean. Notice all the sand on her back. This is from her covering her nest so that nothing will disturb it. Don't worry momma, Mom won't let anything happen to your babies.

Mom said that even after all these years, it never gets old seeing sea turtles nest. It almost always brings a tear to her eyes because these gracious creatures face so many perils in the ocean. It saddens me so much to think of them swimming through all the oil that's spilling into the Gulf Coast. I've asked Mom to tell all the mommas to swim around the oil and to tell all their friends to do the same.

But what about me? I want to thank all of you for the sweet comments you left on yesterday's post. Mom was a little freaked out last night waiting for the doctor to call. The doctor called this morning while Mom was out getting prettied up so Dad talked to the doctor and guess what? My blood work came back totally normal. I'm okay! It's true. Dr. Chung told Dad that not only am I okay but that he should feed me a little bit more because she doesn't want me to lose more weight. Feed me more? YAY!

Since Mom is going to be gone for twelve days you know what that means. I asked her to leave the 'puter on for me but she reminded me that that would be a waste of energy. So no computer means no blogging. In lieu of blogging I will be eating. Eating Popeyes, french fries, hamburgers, watermelon, hot dogs, etc. Dad said I can have whatever I want. We are going to party like rockstars while Mom is gone!

I'm Too Skinny!

I usually don't do two blogs in a row about myself but everypug has been asking how my vet visit went. To borrow a phrase from my good friend Tweedles, what's a Stubby to do but tell everypug what the vet said?

First I have to tell you that Dr. Chung tried to convince me that Dasuquin was a new treat that I would love, but I wasn't buying it. I know what treats smell like and this thing was mediciney. Pooey! One lick and I turned my cute pug nose up in the air and asked where the Popeyes was. I know that eating these mediciney things will help me walk better but why can't they make them Popeyes flavored?

Okay, so back to my visit. The first thing the vet tech did when I arrived was weigh me - on a cat scale. Why I wasn't weighed on a normal dog scale I have no idea. Mom thinks the scale was a little off because it said I weigh 16.3 lbs. OMD! The last time I was on the scale it read 19.1 lbs. That was back in December so I've lost almost 3 lbs. without even trying. That's not good.

Dr. Chung was so excited about my weight loss saying over and over again how great I looked. She was also concerned that I haven't been dieting to lose weight. She asked Mom if she could take my blood just to make sure that I'm okay. Mom said yes of course before I could say no.

Mom also asked about my cooties. The only one that Dr. Chung was a little worried about was my arm cootie. She took a real good look at it, scratched it and then remarked that it was raised. She mentioned something about melanoma and said that dogs get it just like people do. I immediately thought of my good pal Salinger when she mentioned melanoma because that guy is constantly tanning. His belly is as black as tar and I don't think he wears sunscreen. Dr. Chung's advice was to watch the cootie and call if it changes.

I couldn't wait to get home because Mom said she'd give me a real treat. I was very tired after my treat but I had to help Mom with some planting. She is trying to get everything in the ground before she leaves for her trip.

When Dr. Chung asked about the Tramadol Mom told her that I refuse to take it. Dr. Chung said to put it in butter. What? Butter? Are you kidding me? Mom just shook her head and asked if there was something else she could prescribe so now I have a sample of little Tramadols that are supposedly beef flavored. We'll see if I take one tomorrow morning but I wouldn't bet the house on it. Beef flavored or not, it's still medicine and I hate it.

Dad does not want me to mention that I may or may not have poopied in the house when I got back home. Mom asked me ever so nicely to poopy outside but for some reason I decided to go inside - in the living room. I know that Pearl is super proud of me but Mom is concerned. I never poopy in the house - never. Okay maybe I have a few times in my entire 13 years on this planet but never after having been outside all day. Dad found my poopy and told Mom that it was really hard. Hmmmm. I just thought the living room was looking a little empty and that it needed some shartwork. Sheesh people!

I'm so sorry Mom. I didn't mean to maybe leave you some shartwork in the living room. I'm also sorry you got teary eyed after the vet tech weighed me. I know that you take the best care of me and that you do everything in your power to keep me healthy and safe but I'm too skinny. You need to feed me more and more often. We can start right now with a quick trip to the Popeyes drive-thru. I promise not to tell Dr. Chung when she calls tomorrow with the results of my bloodwork. It will be our little secret, okay?

Thank you to all my friends who have left comments about my cooties. I will let you guys know if my bloodwork shows anything strange and if my arm cootie gets any bigger. I asked Dad to take a picture of me and Mom because we don't have a lot of pictures of the two of us. Please excuse Mom's hair, face, and body because she had just come in from gardening.

Please excuse Dad's awful iphone photography skills. I put this picture in here because I look, in the words of my good buddy Puglet, extrasupercute.

Cooties!

I received this disturbing notice in the mail a couple of weeks ago. I have told the mailman a million times that Stubby Block doesn't live here unless he's delivering a card/package/gift from my friends. A notice from the vet is definitely not welcome and will not be accepted! Unfortunately, Mom is the one who accepted the notice from the mailman and upon receiving it rushed in the house to show me. Ugh!

Mom has decided to take me for my exam/semi-annual consultation (read: $$$) on Monday because she is leaving for her turtle trip on Wednesday. Huh? Monday is June 7th and I'm not scheduled until June 16th. What gives? Well, she thinks I have cooties. Do I look like I have cooties? It may look like I have some cooties on my chin but that's just scrambly eggs. I always save a little breakfast eggs for a mid morning snack.

Mom thinks I have cooties on my ears because my hair is falling out right on the edge of them. This has happened in the past and magically stopped happening, thus no ear cooties.

This cootie on my head has been there for about a year. I don't think it's a cootie but simply a kissing spot. Mom always kisses me on my head and - hey wait! Maybe she gave me this cootie! Ewwww!

This arm cootie is new. Mom noticed it earlier this year but thinks it has gotten bigger. Again, I don't think this is a cootie but another turkey-popper-thingy like the one I have on my thigh. My Aunt Laura (Salinger's mom) came up with the turkey-popper-thingy and it just stuck (no pun intended). She said it looks like the thingy that pops out of the turkey when it's done cooking. I love turkey and maybe I got this cootie from eating too much of it.

So while I was trying to take my mid morning nap, Mom called the vet and got me an appointment for Monday afternoon. Great. Right after lunch is when I take my first afternoon nap. Now my whole day is going to be thrown off by a visit with Dr. Chung. Nice. I sure hope she's happy with me when I get on the scale because I'm skinny. Maybe too skinny? Not for Dr. Chung!