My old lab has problems from time to time. I think it's that equilibrium problem the previous posters discussed, during her worst episode the only thing I remember the vet saying was that it was "vertigo like" and her brain goes "scrambled eggs." We thought she had had a massive stroke so took her to the vet thinking that we were going to lose her. She couldn't walk for 4 hours and then acted drunk for a few hours, then was about 15 degrees off (would walk sideways into chairs and plants) for a couple of days. More recently she has funny little episodes of losing her balance or twitching like she's having a small seizure or something, but it is all part of that equilibrium thing and that there isn't much to do about it but let the episodes pass. It can be upsetting to see though. One thing that always bothered me was that shortly before the bad episode (almost 2 years ago), our dog had two instances when she ran into a glass door hard. I've always wondered if that caused some problems with her inner ear bones that later led to this. I have a relative who works with humans with inner ear/vertigo problems and they do exercises to realign the bones or something. I wish the dog could try something like that. Good luck to you and Taco, I hope the episodes stop or are at least few and far between. (((HUGS)))

mom24 -- I'm sorry if my trying to be funny upset you. I've merely commented because I don't believe any 25 things I could list would be especially brilliant. If I had made a list, I'd like some feedback. Does it help you to know that I've lived 46 years with a Bears and Cubs fan? (A little sympathy here? For both of us? For ALL of us?) No harm/no foul? A shorter list? 1. I'm an only child, married to an only child, with an only child, who (until February) has an only child. 2. Our only GS was born (two weeks early) the night DH and I were flying back to Chicago from Maui. Looks like #2 has the same agenda -- pregnancy and due date announced after we'd booked our tix. 3. We lived for 30 years in one northern suburb of Chicago until 2001, when we moved into a house we built in a suburb farther north. Defending against the building review board here caused me to lose 30 lbs. 4. We're happy that we persevered and built here. (And I'm happy at 117 lbs. -- better than the 138 I started at or the 108!) 5. I was *delighted* to be a petite 5' 2" as a HS freshman. Then I grew four more inches. LOL 6. DH and I grew up in two different Chicago suburbs. We had met as toddlers, but neither of us knew that until after our first date, after meeting in a Northwestern night school course on public relations. 7. Our DS is adopted. DH didn't know that *he* was adopted until he was 40. I co-led an adoption search and support group in Chicago for 15 years. Both DS and DH know who and where their birth families are, but do not have ongoing contact. 8. We are currently owned by our fourth Westie, Eliot, a puppy mill rescue dog. I don't DIS-like big dogs or cats, just never wanted one. 9. We've traveled abroad a bit; now only to visit friends or to our Maui condo in winter. I often spent summers in my mother's home state of RI after my parents divorced. I like the TripAdvisor Hawaii forums and the real-estate related forums on THS here. DH and I read a lot. Seldom buy a book, using our library for books and DVD's. We have 'teatime matinee' most afternoons watching movies, cozy mysteries or British TV series. (Currently watching "New Tricks" and "Doc Martin".) I'm also a 'cusp' baby, between Aries and Pisces. I cleverly managed that by being three weeks late. It's convenient to blame my faults on 'signs'. LOL I'm also probably a DES baby. Gah! See, I told you so. I can't think of anything more! Can't imagine who would want to know THIS, let alone MORE. Oh, my legal name isn't Sue, but it's what I've always been called. Sue ;-)

I am so sorry to hear about Gracie. Sue, my rottie (also named Grace) had an adrenal tumor but it presented as cushings-- it am sure you have read about it but cushings causes a crazy food drive which combined with the anxiety can make for aggression. Luckily my rottie never had aggression-- at 115lb, if she was aggressive, I would have had to stop all treatment. Her food drive was something else though. I remember one day my father brought me a frozen container of homemade vegetable soup. I set it on the counter and walked outside with him as he left. In the short amount of time to walk him to his car-- maybe 10 min MAX? Grace had gotten the frozen quart container off the counter, broke through the plastic and ate all the *frozen* soup! Another time, I walked into the kitchen to find her on her hind two legs with her snout in a pot of simmering roasted veggie and lentil soup-- hot! This girl loved soup! LOL Because the tumor (like cushings) was producing large amounts of corticosteroids-- the hormone responsible for the fight or flight reaction. Like I said, Grace wasn't aggressive but she had a high level of anxiety. She couldn't just relax. She paced constantly.. and when she could relax enough to lay down, any sound had her back up. She wasn't sleeping. I wasn't sleeping. It was exhausting for her.. and for all of us. Because surgery wasn't an option for the second tumor, we put her on an anti-anxiety pill. It was a huge help and might be something to discuss with your vet. Grace actually lived MUCH longer than the vets expected and I believe the anti anxiety pill made that possible. It did nothing to cure the tumor-- but it helped keep the symptoms under control.

I met my sister yesterday to get our toes done. I can't twist my body anymore to get a good aim at 'em. And when they're painted I can't tell as easily how fast the nails have grown. the girl there just couldn't believe how long they were. Mine grow fast - so do my fingernails - and my hair.! Guess I'll have to go there every 2 months or so whether I think it's time or not... We had a good time. her dh drove her and then ran errands while we were in there. Then we went across the road to have dinner. Nice new place (to me; they've eaten there a number of times). I got an Italian sandwich w/ side of pasta salad. It was getting late so I had to watch so it didn't get too dark for me. by the time I ate my pasta salad I decided I'd better leave, so got the sandwich to go. I should have left there 20-30 minutes sooner. was getter darker than I like out there to be driving. but I've got food for about 2 days from it. had a small corner of it after I got home and it was very good. i'm going to go down to W shortly to get the dog some cookies. ran out earlier. i'm out of the small ones that she gets after going outside to do her business... I could probably use some cookies too - will get mine from the subway counter - they usually have raspberry cookies there. went to my 3rd eye doctor on Friday. He showed me my eyeballs on the computer screen... the right looked like a blood moon. The left - total white 'full moon'. He said that the cataract causes the light to scatter and all it shows is white. he also told me that my iris is stuck to my pupil. Oh dear. that sounds messy... He told me that with the new technology in glasses, some people can adjust for a cataract with those glasses instead of surgery. But I wasn't one of those people... darn! I see the surgeon this Wednesday, so will ask him about the iris/pupil mess. Neither the retinal doc nor the surgeon mentioned that to me. glad you are doing ok Shades. you're lucky you aren't sore everywhere!