Mark, I just read your book and wanted to share my story with you. On May 20, 2003 our little black girl (toy poodle) Gracie gave birth to 2 boys. One of those was white and we named him Gadget. When he was 3 months old he began having seizures and we noticed that he couldn’t see. We took him to our vet and was told that he had hydrocephalus, more comanly know as water head. We were devistated. We took him to a specialist and elected to have a shunt put in his head to relieve pressure and stop the seizures. After much time in the hospital, be brought him home.

With another puppy (Cody) in the house we had to devote a room to Gadget. He quickly learned where his food, water and bed was. He could navigate the room like he could see. He loved to go outside and we walked with him to keep him from running into things, etc. It was very difficult to give him a bath. He snapped because he was scared. He bit me on a regular basis but sometimes he would let me hold him. We had almost a year with him before the seizures began again and he died. We couldn’t get him to the vet fast enough. We think something happened to the shunt. Looking back we probably didn’t to the right thing prolonging his life but we loved him and tried to do what we thought was best.

The vet nevrr encouraged us to put the shunt in. I guess they realized that he would not have a long life although the never told us that. I still can’t think about him without tears. My husband cried for weeks after his death. Now we still have Gracie, her husband Marley and Gadget’s brother Cody. Life is never dull. They are our children. I understand what you went through with Sprite. I wish I could have known him. We listen to you on the radio every night at 6 p.m. and love the show. Thank you for sharing your time with Sprite. Much love to you and your family.

Liz from NC