DanBar Ranch
Update Information!
Folks! I MUST apologize for my inability to keep up with your inquiries the past couple months. I feel horrible that any of you might feel that I was ignoring you or that I didn't think you were a good home! If I have issues with anyone applying for one of my puppies I WILL take the time to discuss it with you and see if there is a way to work to resolve the issue. Obviously, there are times when I do have to turn someone down, but please be assured I would let you know exactly why; I absolutely would not just ignore your email.
I pride myself on being a "friendly breeder" willing to help anyone on their dog issues, whether they have obtained a pup from me or not - so it has been really frustrating to not be able to keep up with inquiries.
So here is why I have gotten behind and why I can assure you I WILL be getting in touch with each and everyone of you in the near future.
I have a couple of health issues, primarily lifelong fibromyalgia, severe psoriatic arthritis and a condition called "bone overgrowth" or "spinal stenosis". Last year I had a very successful surgery to open up the spine and remove the bone which was pressing on the spinal cord. (See pictures below!).
As you can tell from the pictures, the bone grows right into my spinal cord and other nerves and leaves me with horrific pain and gradual loss of the use of my arms and legs. Unfortunately the bone is growing back after my surgery, rather aggressively I fear, and over the past couple months I begin to once again loose the use of my legs and arms and to have debilitating pain upon standing. Due to COVID and some issues within my general practitioners office, I have not been able to get surgery scheduled as quickly as I would like. The result is that I am have been attempting to keep the ranch, the dozen or so dogs (including litters born during this time) and home in some type of order while being able to stand for a very few moments at a time, and then, to be honest, in crazy pain. In the past two months I have experienced severe pain and numbness in my hands and feet, so work on the computer has been greatly reduced.
While I have pain pills, with upcoming surgery I need to reduce their use in order to not be overwhelmed with pain during recovery. Between a rock and a hard place! I don't like to talk about my medical issues, I try to ignore them the best I can, but alas, at this point I have to get in and get this spinal surgery done. The good news is, these days the surgery is very effective and very quick... you go home the next day! The first time I had this surgery, in 1983, I was in the hospital for 5 days and then flat on my back in a brace for 8 weeks! It was crazy. Now they get you in and out in 24 hours and then I get to go home and basically do anything I want short of lifting anything heavy.
I am blessed to have a very sweet and understanding friend/neighbor (Amy of Poppy Blossom Boston terriers) who is so helpful and good with my animals. And thank gawd for my WONDERFUL handyman, Robert - who has made it possible for me to live here. I will be hiring local help to lift animal food for me for the next couple months.
The dogs are AMAZING! They seem to know when I am hurting and don't jump on me. All the dogs are set up in a way where they have constant access to food and water, and come and go in the house as they see fit. I'm really lucky that I can have them in such a good situation for them. Even the mamma dogs are able to be free, they keep their pups in their beds in the back bathroom or under the kitchen table and all the other dogs know to keep out of those areas.
I will update here when I know the surgery date. Needless to say I am putting visits on hold for about a month. All spring litters have been bred or will be bred in the next couple weeks. So, I will be working to get this surgery scheduled and done ASAP and get back on track to help all you good folks get your new best friends!
I hope this explains why I have been so ghastly about getting back you folks, and I really do appreciate the amazing patience and understanding you have shown, and NO - you are NOT "bugging" me when you check in! It just shows me you are really interested in getting a pup. I consider that a good thing!
I promise to make phone contact with each and everyone of you while I am recovering. The earliest any cairn puppies will be going home is August, so no need to panic! : ) For those who I have not gotten an application to yet, I WILL get you one, and then we can chat.
I look forward to speaking with everyone of you soon!
Diane Jessup
The above xray of a vertebrae in my neck shows an example of random bone overgrowth. When this grows inward, toward the spinal cord, Houston, we got a problem!
This is a sideways MRI image of my lower spinal column area. That white thing in the middle is my spinal cord. Notice how the bone projections are pushing into and pinching off the cord.
Yeah... it hurts!
One jacked-up old spine. I was a VERY strong, 6 foot tall woman in my youth. I am now only 5'7 due to compressed discs and warping of the spine. Yeah, I lived an active life!
