Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Tourette’s?......No Thanks……one Rett is enough!!

We are going to take a break tonite from our coverage of the Pugistan team in Vancouver to talk about a very special person: #1. Our human sister, Elaina, who struggles with Rett Syndrome. She will be 13 in a few weeks.  On February 24, msnbc.com and a host of others have collaborated to raise funds to help find treatments and a cure for this rare disorder. We hope that you will visit the International Rett Syndrome Foundation website at www.rettsyndrome.org to learn more about Rett, and if you can, make a donation.
#1 is very special to us. She may not say much, in fact nothing at all, but we’ve got a thing going. Since we don’t have opposable thumbs, it’s pretty hard for us to use our paws too – we kind know how she feels! She lets everyone think that she can’t get a good grip on her foodables, but we know better! She is actually inconspicuously dropping treats for us. Oh yes, you can tell by the sly look on her face……

So, Mom………take it away!

When I explain that my daughter has Rett Syndrome, that  (Tourette's??) is one of the most common things I hear. I’ve had to explain so many times, it’s hard not to make a joke of it. And really. What’s funnier than differentiating between two life changing neurological syndromes? Obviously you don’t know how to have fun!

Until I scoured the internet to try to find information about my daughter’s developmental delays, I’d never heard of Rett Syndrome. But mother’s ALWAYS know, and once I read the description I knew. (it just took our doctors over a year to agree.) My daughter’s failure to learn to walk, her loss of hand and language skills could not be denied. Our doctors tried. Oh, they tried very hard. “Whatever she has, it’s not serious.”


But eventually, her development lagged so far behind it could no longer be ignored. Adding to our pain was the year of trying to figure out what was wrong with our baby. Many, many terrible disorders were ruled out through painful and complicated tests. A decade later, the remembered pain feels fresh. And still, there was no answer. Which meant, it COULD be Rett.

Most days, we try to celebrate all the small gains my daughter makes. The first day she walked into the school building under her own power, backpack and all! [At age 11.] Recognizing friends, classmates and family by flashing a mega-watt smile. Snatching a cookie from someone by using her uncooperative hands. (Watch out! Chocolate significantly improves her fine motor skills.) Grabbing a baby bottle out of the kitchen sink because she’s thirsty. Feeding herself, or drinking from a straw with minimal assist.

We ignore all that she should be: staying up late, dancing with her friends, talking on the phone too much, playing too many video games. Instead of soccer practice, she has physical and speech therapy.

My dream is that no one will hear about Rett Syndrome in the future, not because of ignorance, but because it no longer exists.
While we cherish her, watching her struggle to communicate and manage even the most basic functions is heartbreaking. So today, I am asking that you take a minute to learn more about Rett Syndrome, and if you can make a small (or big) donation so that we can continue the fight make this devastating disorder a thing of the past.

Just ten years ago, we did not know the cause of Rett Syndrome. Although it was strongly suspected to be genetic, the defect was elusive to researchers. In 1999, some thirty years after the syndrome was described by a neurologist in Austria, a lab funded in part by grants made from a parent support group (IRSA) discovered the gene responsible for Rett Syndrome. Most recently, symptoms of Rett Syndrome in a mouse model were reversed by researchers. Yeah...reversed!!

We’ve come a long way in those ten years. Girls can now be diagnosed correctly in months, rather than years. Therapy can begin much sooner to prevent the loss of skills and improve communication strategies. Pediatricians are now at the forefront of suggesting developmental evaluation, rather than discouraging it when parents raise concerns. More doctors, teachers and therapist are aware of the disorder, eliminating the need for parents to explain it again and again. But there is so much more to do!


So I speak for girls who cannot speak for themselves. Please learn more about this disorder. And, if you can, be a part of the cure in what ever way you can.









Monday, February 22, 2010

Pugistan Curling Team drills

Just a quick note to let everyone know that the Pugistan Curling Team is hard at work.   Under the eagle eye of their coach, the Pugistan pug-letes go thru the paces.






Curling enthusiasts will note the double twirl configuration of the tail, often likened to a "Cinnabon"



Go Pugustan!

Saturday, February 20, 2010

Rooting for Pugistan


The Momma's camera battery needs charging.  
We offer you t his chilly pug, courtesty of the New Yorker Magazine.

GO PUGISTAN!!

Sunday, February 14, 2010

Our First ValenPug Party!

We are going to take a short break from our coverage of the Vancouver Games to tell you all about the fun day we had at ValenPugs!

Since Mom was too lazy tired to ski today, we begged her to take us to the NIPRA ValenPugs Party. Fortunately, she did not have enough time to give us a bath, so we got to attend with our stink on. We were soooooo excited, especially because there were some  very special pugs we would get to meet!


When we ran into a posse of pugs on the way into K-9Playtime,  we knew it would be a really fun party. 
It was so exciting to see soooo many otherPugs, but also a little overwhelming.   We spent alot of time hanging out near Mom and Honey's feet.  There were lots of little crazy pug puppies running around  inciting chases and causing other mischief.     Some of the senior pugs thought it was funny to hang out around the edges and watch these sillies tire themselves out.

All the pugs were dressed up for the party.   Some had colorful collars, others had dresses or t-shirts, and one even had a special silky Chinese outfit in honor of the Chinese New Year!

And finally, we got to meet some of our bloggies friends!      We kept hearing her name, but it took a while to find Rainey. She was sooo adorable and petite.   She was wearing a Princess shirt, and we could not have thought of a better was to describe her.
But it did not take long at all to find this guy. Something about his snappy hand-crocheted vest!
It was Stubby !! wearing his very own PugNotes creation. Everyone was jealous of his adorable sweater vest, made by Emmitt's Mom.   Clearly, he was quite pround of his stylin' outfit.  But Stubby is no spring-pug, so he was pretty happy to hang out with his Dad and watch the excitement.
A couple of the pugs at the party were wearing t-shirt or tags letting people know that they were available for adoption.  For a while, it made me sad to think about a pug with no furever family to go home with. But we know that NIPRA places so many pugs (like my sister Fuji) in good homes, I felt better right away.
After a while, I felt comfortable enough to roam around and check out some of the other people and pugs.   We even got our picture take by the photographer. I have to say, I was getting a lot of puglove from the hoomans, see: 

Foo doesn't get around quite as nimbly as I do, but she sure worked the crowd.     Everyone was charmed by her sweet face (except me, of course.)

In fact, she was kind a scratch-whore if you ask me.....
We had such a fun time, we could barely stay awake in the car on the way home!

Thanks NIPRA for hosting such a fun event!



And I am so tired from this exciting day, that I'm crawling into my nice, cozy crate for the night.

Love, Gen & the Foo

Friday, February 12, 2010

Representing Pugistan..........


As we watch the opening ceremonies in Vancouver,  we'd like to bring your attention to a little know and often overlooked country that will be participating in the games this year. Because of their short stature, it will be easy to miss the team of two as they take the stage in the arena tonite.

Representing the sovereign nation of Pugistan, nestled in the heart of the Maldives in the Indian Ocean, are two determined pug-letes.    Bode PugMiller and Shaun PugWhite  have been in intense training for years as the 2010 games approached.




As you can see, these two athletes are in superior shape, and you can expect great things from them in their respective events.    Bode competes in Downhill, while Shaun dominates in Free Style Snowboarding.

As you watch the games, make sure to watch for these two superstars!




Friday, February 5, 2010

In case you were wondering........

where we were.................


We are holding down the fort at home,  warm and cozy, while Mom and Honey are here:

Yup, on the long sticks again. Silly humans.


We think that looks might COLD.


We really want no part of this.
Seriously.