I have compiled a listing of all the posts dedicated to Payton’s fight against PDE.
This post was created from her blog page, My PDE Story. I thought it would be best to make it a blog post that would show up as the most current to make it easy on everyone searching to find out more about PDE and discovering Pugnacious P for the first time. Please take the time to browse the great PDE resources on the left sidebar of the blog and some new ones in the article we were honored to provide for the Milwaukee Pugfest organization (http://www.milwaukeepugfest.com/living.pdf).
To those of you that are new to this blog and Payton’s story, I would encourage you to read through not only the links above but the entire blog to really get a feel for the wonderful life that Payton led despite having PDE. She truly was a miracle, living with PDE for 5 ½ years to the age of 9. My husband and I are so blessed to have had the privilege of caring for the most special pug.
Appropriately, for the first stop on my “Remembering
Payton Tour”, I traveled to Texas to meet Dr. Kim Greer.
It was so wonderful. She talked with me for an hour
and a half. It's hard to express how much I still miss Payton, but my visit
with Dr. Greer helped to give me some needed peace and closure. We shared our
pug stories, and it became so clear how dedicated she is to this breed. I am so happy that Payton is a part of her
studies. Dr. Greer told me that they
will have to update the age range because of Payton, increasing it from 7 to 9,
even though she was diagnosed at age 3 ½.
Personally, I think it's unlikely that pugs as old as 9 would come down
with it, but with this disease, who knows.
We talked a little bit about the test Dr. Greer
helped develop with UC Davis
(http://www.vgl.ucdavis.edu/services/PDE.php).
She warned me that there have been a few cases where a pug did get PDE
even though the results showed the lowest risk (no copies of the identified
markers). That’s why it’s important to realize the test is not a diagnostic
tool. The researchers have yet to
identify all of the markers so the test can’t be 100% accurate yet. And actually it's these "exception to
the rule" pugs that would benefit the research the most so Dr. Greer can
figure out the missing markers.
The test is based on 3 markers that Dr. Greer found,
and they have been independently confirmed. Another group thinks they found 2
more so she will be verifying them in the fall.
After doing so, Payton’s samples will be analyzed against [hopefully]
more complete findings. All of the
markers seem to be related to the immune system. Dr. Greer thinks that PDE is
triggered based on certain immune system responses. She was very interested to
hear that 3 or 4 weeks prior to Payton being diagnosed with PDE she had her
routine shots and had a bad reaction (which hadn't happen to her before that
time).
So please, please make arrangements to donate your
pug and/or encourage others to do so if PDE is suspected. After passing, have their body refrigerated,
NOT frozen, and contact Dr. Greer or another researcher for further
instructions. Dr. Greer’s contact info
is linked from the left sidebar of the blog.
If you are interested in supporting pugs in ways other than rescue, monetary donations are always
welcomed for PDE research too. We have to do everything we can to help
get to the bottom of this horrible disease!
As always, feel free to send us an email (boostrom1@charter.net) with any questions.
Love,
Christy (and angel Payton in spirit)Update November 15, 2012:
Dr. Greer is no longer working at Indiana University East so I have removed her hyperlink from the PDE Resources section on the left sidebar of the blog. However, she is hoping to resume the PDE research at the beginning of the new year. I am still in communication with her and will update her contact information as soon as she makes it available. In the meantime, if you need to reach her regarding your pug or to make a donation, please email me at boostrom1@charter.net, and I will get you in touch with her. Thank you.
Love,
Christy
15 comments:
Thank you, Payton (and Christy) for sharing this very important information. We will let pug people know about this blog site if any has their pugs with PDE. To be honest with you,,,, we come visit this blog more often than not. We also miss Payton a lot.
Sammy and Neko (and da humans)
I think this was great to post this so that people can go directly to finding out information about that disease. Huge to you!
We will be sharing this Christy, and thank you for taking the time to make us all aware of PDE.
We miss Miss P but are glad you are keeping her beautiful spirit alive!
♥♥♥
Meredith & Scarlet
Christy, you are doing such important work via Payton's blog! We still think of Payton daily. Her pink daisies are still blooming.
Hugs and kisses,
Kathy, Minnie, Mack and foster Mario
Like Sammy & Neko, we visit this site quite often and was so glad to see a new post from you. We (and Mom) think about you and Payton alot and enjoyed reading on Suki's blog about your visit with her.
Thank you again for providing this valuable resource in honor of your special angel.
pughugs from
Bailey, Hazel & Greta
Thank you for making another post. I'm thrilles to hear that they think they've found 2 more markers. I hope it's successful, and for it to be confirmed SOON! Take care. Mindy =)
I had to smile on seeing they upped the age range because of Payton. Ms. P. certainly left her mark! :)
This is a great source of information. I will absolutely forward to anyone I encounter who needs it.
PS The pink Diachia in our front yard looks great.
Christy, I am glad that you are starting to find some peace. You are both still doing good.
Your help through Paytons legacy will help so many pugs with all this information!
"Payton- never forgotten"
love
tweedles
Thanks for sharing this story. I so admire Dr. Greer and have always been terrified of PDE. When I got Weasley I made sure to go with a breeder who screened both parents. Aparently Weasley is N/N but as Dr. Greer said the breeder told me that there is a still a chance, albeit a small one, that Weasley could get the disease. I think its wonderful that Doctors and breeders are working to eliminate this dreaded disease from our beloved breed
urban hounds
i am always just so inspired by your story. i love that you continue to fight on in sweet payton's name. with out you and your blog so many of us might not have been aware of this horrible disease and the signs for it. thank you christy!
hi im sonia from india.i have 3 years old female pug and i love her so much.
i felt very bad for payton.u r
brave mother.
after reading the end section,i waz crying very badly for payton.
i am very much concious and worried about my baby pug nonnie.i cannot live without her.her immune system is also very weak and she is also suffering from mange/mites and skin rashes.
Thank you for sharing this information with us.
Payton was such a special, sexy gal.
We will always remember Payton.
-Dana, Daisy & Bruce
We still come here occationally to see Payton's pictures... love all of them.
Thank you so much for sharing Payton's story. My world stopped yesterday when my Oscar bear was diagnosed with possible PDE. He came to live with me last June after being rescued from a bad situation. His heart is as big as his body and your blog gives me hope that Oscar will share more time with his brother, sisters and me.
My prayers are with you and Payton, she is such a wonderful Angel Pug.
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