The Art of Racing in the Rain

I read this book in about a day. I started at ten o'clock in the morning, and I finished about ten o'clock at night. "The Art of Racing In The Rain" by Garth Stein was the selection for my book club this month.

To be honest, I went a little too fast.  But I do want to say...

This book has the best hook I've ever read.

It's about an old dog - and if you have a dog, you're probably going to experience the same. Within the first eight pages, I had tears in my eyes. Matt looked at me, looked at the book, and then shook his head. I actually had to put the book aside, take a few breaths, and calm down.


The next chapter was better. And because of that intense emotional connection, I was sunk. I had to know what was going to happen. I cared about the characters and I hated those that wronged them with palpable fury. It didn't hurt that the narrator (Enzo the dog) peppered the narrative with soul-piercing tru-isms that ring especially true with my experience from the last few years.


Here are a few that made me stop and mark the corner (because I do that. Only in books I own, I promise.)

"Such a simple concept, yet so true: that which we manifest is before us; we are the creators of our own destiny. Be it through intention or ignorance, our successes and our failures have been brought on by none other than ourselves." 

"These are the things that only dogs and women understand because we tap into pain directly, we connect to pain directly from its source, and so it is at once brilliant and brutal and clear, like white-hot metal spraying out of a fire hose, we can appreciate the aesthetic while taking the worst of it straight in the face. Men, on the other hand, are all filters and deflectors and time release. For men, it's like athlete's foot: spray a special spray on it, they say, and it goes away. They have no idea that the manifestation of their affliction - the fungus between their hairy toes - is merely a symptom, an indication of a systemic problem."

""Inside each of us resides the truth," I began, "the absolute truth. But sometimes the truth is hidden in a hall of mirrors. Sometimes we are viewing a facsimile, a distortion. I am reminded of the climactic scene of a James Bond film, The Man with the Golden Gun. James bond escaped his hall of mirrors by breaking the glass, shattering the illusions, until only the true villain stood before him. We, too, must shatter the mirrors. We must look into ourselves and root out the distortions until that thing which we know in our hearts is perfect and true, stands before us. Only then will justice be served.""

"I know this much about racing in the rain. I know it is about balance. It is about anticipation and patience. I know all of the driving skills that are necessary for one to be successful in the rain. But racing in the rain is also about the mind! It is about owning one's own body. About believing that one's car is merely an extension of one's body. About believing the track is an extension of the car, and the rain is an extension of the track, and the sky is an extension of the rain. It is about believing that you are not you; you are everything. And everything is you."

The Art of Racing In The Rain follows the drama of a family following loss as seen through the eyes of the family dog. I'm not sure if it was the narrator, the fact that I was immediately invested, emotionally, in the story, or just that it was a compelling tale. What I enjoyed most about this book is how Stein made me intensely love the characters I was supposed to love, and how I hated the villains. I was enthralled.


Also, it was fun to see a non-conventional narrator at work. Stein addresses this. Enzo (the dog) is upfront about his humanness - it's central to the book, and brought up in the first few pages. But at the same time, he manages to color Enzo's narrative - the details noticed, the perceptions, etc - with an interesting perspective that was very believable, in our dogs at least.


I highly, highly recommend this book.




What are you reading this week? Have you read The Art of Racing In The Rain? Tell me in the comments below!

Eye Candy Blogfest...

I can't eat any more candy.... but I can look at it!  Thanks to Ramblings and Randomness for extending this blogfest by a day.


Rule: Post a picture that makes you smile every time you see it.

Grimace a few years ago, staring out onto the patio.
And licking his face.

Post a picture that makes you smile, and check out some of the other blogfest entries here!

Canine Epilepsy...

...really sucks.


Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying epilepsy is all fun and games for people.  However, canine epilepsy presents some serious challenges.  It is impossible to explain to a dog what is going on; similarly, the dog can't tell you how it's feeling, so it can be hard to recognize the signs pre-seizure.


A number of years ago, MeatHead, the bulldog, was diagnosed with hypothyroid, and then seizures.  

Most beautiful bully ever...

When Meathead was diagnosed, I learned that epilepsy is somewhat common.  The estimate is 4-5%, but anecdotally, many dog owners I know either had or knew someone who had a dog with grand-mal seizures.  There may be breeds predisposed to the disease, but that doesn't yet seem clear.


Epilepsy may be inherited (primary or idiopathic) or acquired (secondary or symptomatic). Seizures resulting from tumor, stroke, metabolic imbalance (think blood sugar, electrolytes) and hypothyroidism would all be considered secondary, because the seizures are the symptom of an underlying disease.  Inherited epilepsy has its own origin, probably genetic, and research is ongoing to try and tease apart the mechanisms of the disease.


What is a seizure, besides scary?  Basically, a seizure is a neurological event.  Think of a normal brain (human or dog) as a net - it's composed of many nerves (segments of rope) that respond to a stimulus (like... a tennis ball hitting the net).  The stimulus is transmitted through the neural network, and is translated into information.  


"Ow, that was hot." or.. "Hey look, a wall."


In a seizure, many different portions of the brain respond improperly to a stimulus.  So instead of a single tennis ball hitting the net, imagine a dozen rapid-fire volleying machines firing at will.  The result is a seizure, either of the grand-mal variety (stiffness, loss of body function, drooling, disorientation, etc) or the focal variety (this may or may not be noticeable, as it involves a smaller portion of the brain).  One seizure event pre-disposes the organism to subsequent seizures.  


Seizures of both types can be preceded by a 'prodrome' stage, and by a 'post-ictal' stage in which the dog lies still or may have trouble getting his bearings.


For a more thorough description of types and stages, go here.  


At the moment, treatment of epilepsy is all about controlling the seizures.  


Because Meatie also has hypothyroid, and hypothyroidism can cause seizures, both conditions must be carefully managed.  The thyroid medication has not resolved the symptoms alone, so he's also been on Potassium Bromide (KBr) for some time.  In the last day, we began supplementing his medication with phenobarbitol (PB).  Both of these drugs decrease the excitability of neurons in the brain.  


Interestingly, PB is not commonly prescribed for humans in developed countries.  Instead, benzodiazepime derivatives like Valium are preferred.  As a barbiturate, dependence, depression, and behavioral changes can result from PB use; however, in developing countries it is still given to humans.  


For dogs, KBr and PB are often given in combination with Diazepam (aka, Valium), one such benzodiazepime derivative.  Diazepam binds to a unique site in a receptor called a GABA receptor, which controls a Chloride 'ion pump' and normally inhibits nerve activity.  This binding makes the GABA receptor more likely to activate (increases the frequency), decreasing excitability.  


Barbiturates like PB bind the GABA receptor as well, but it acts in a different way: binding of PB increases the amount of time the receptor is active (increases efficacy).  PB also binds a receptor called AMPA which typically excites nerves, as well as other receptors in a non-specific manner.  


Side effects of both these drugs include confusion and sedation, which we've seen in our mutt.  PB can cause liver damage over time and requires regular blood testing.


Potassium bromide is a salt, like table salt, but with different elements.  KBr is the only one of these three drugs not approved for use in humans in the USA, because it's difficult to establish an effective dose without causing toxicity (called Bromism).  Bromism can cause changes in appetite, sensory perception, and behavior, aggressiveness, psychoses, and even more seizures.  


Determining a balance of each of these drugs is often necessary to manage canine epilepsy.


What else is a concerned owner to do?  First, we log each of MeatHead's seizures, and talk to the vet when we have concerns.  Like recommendations for people, we keep the area clear.  If he's on the couch or the bed, we move him to the floor.  When he's finished the seizure, we block off the area so he won't tumble down the steps and hurt himself.


There are several alternative therapies out there, but alternative drugs are very expensive because they're typically used in humans (who have insurance).  Administering supplements could make things worse if they cause side effects that haven't been documented by studies.  One thing we do is apply an ice pack to his back when he does have the seizures.  I'm not sure this helps, but at least keeping him cool won't hurt.


Our dog has been on KBr for years, with Diazepam as needed.  Recently, we decided to had PB, since the frequency of seizures has not really decreased to an acceptable level.  Since he's started the PB, Meathead has been disoriented.  The vet said it would take a few days for things to normalize, and I hope it does soon.  It's very hard to watch a loved one (and yes, dogs count) suffer, and it's even harder to be unable to explain it to them.

Mo and MeatHead

For more information, check out the links above.  If you have a story about dogs, canine epilepsy, or anything else, please share in the comments.