It was a quiet Friday afternoon, July 25, 2025—nothing out of the ordinary. Just a familiar walk around the neighborhood, the kind of routine that brings comfort. But halfway through, something shifted. Homer, our beloved companion, slowed to a stop and stood perfectly still. His body froze. His expression went blank. He didn’t respond to his name or the gentle coaxing we offered. He just stood there—silent, unmoving. I glanced at Jim.
“I think he’s having a stroke,” I whispered.
Homer was too heavy for either of us to carry. Karen, our daughter and Homer’s lifeline, was across the country, due back the next day. There was no way to get him home. So we waited, and eventually—slowly, haltingly—we coaxed Homer to take a few steps toward home.
He made it through the front door and stopped again, staring into space like he’d vanished inside himself.
I called our kids. John could not come but I wanted him to know what was happening with Homer. Ann and Brett were nearby and came right over. Ann gently suggested waiting until morning to call Karen—there was nothing she could do from where she was, and we didn’t want her to spend the night worrying with no answers. We also agreed there was little point in rushing him to an emergency vet: he was stable, not in pain, and unlike human medicine, there are no acute stroke management protocols in veterinary medicine. They would likely keep him, and we wanted him at home when Karen arrived, because we knew she would have a protocol to begin immediately.
That night was surreal. Homer would not lay down. He stood in the same spot, not responding to food, voice, or touch. I checked on him at midnight, still standing, then again at 1 a.m.— standing, as if frozen in time.
By this time in my time zone, I could reach Karen in her time zone. Calm and focused, she instructed me to head to her house and get a vial of Belladonna—a homeopathic remedy. I did exactly as she said: dissolved the pellets, tucked it into a favorite meatball, and offered it to Homer.
He ate it.
Two hours later, I checked again. For the first time in over 8 hours, Homer was laying down. Karen explained that homeopathic Belladonna would help relax his nervous system, and it appeared to work. She then advised a dose of Aconite, which assists a body in shock. All Saturday, Homer remained mostly still—barely moving, not eating or drinking. His eyes still vacant, his body language unfamiliar. When he tried to rise, his back legs splayed out helplessly. I had to gently press them together so he could stand. A few steps, then down again.
That day felt endless. I wondered if we were nearing the end. I thought about euthanasia—about mercy. This wasn’t the life Homer knew. He hadn’t eaten, hadn’t relieved himself, hadn’t wagged his tail. Just the same lost stare.
Karen arrived home very late that night. Exhausted from travel, she came straight to Homer. She gave him a second dose of Aconite. She instructed us to keep him resting on the carpet for comfort and traction, so we built a “fort” of furniture and cushions around him in the carpeted living room. He stayed put, sleeping there through the night.
By Sunday morning, things began to shift. Karen introduced a new protocol—injectable polypeptides and oral supplements designed to support his brain and circulation. Physical therapy to help his muscles remember how to work. We helped him in and out the back door to pee. He couldn’t yet manage the higher front steps or walk to his favorite grass patch, but he was trying. We hand-fed him and kept him on the carpet to avoid slipping. We even considered lining our home with runners but decided that wasn’t safe for Jim and me. Instead, we ordered a rug to cover the large section of bare flooring in our main living area and a harness that assisted the lifting of the back half of his body. Homer was better with every injection and round of oral support, and within a few days he figured out how to escape his “fort,” so we dismantled it.
And day by day, hope returned.
Every day brought a small improvement. He stood up with less help. He conquered the front steps. He began eating again. Drinking on his own. Walking a little farther. And then, five days in, the most heartwarming moment: after a short walk, we removed his halter—and he trotted into our bedroom, hopped onto his bench, then onto the bed, and rolled around like he used to.
He remembered. His body remembered. His spirit remembered.
In that moment, I stopped bracing for the worst and started believing in recovery.
About 18 months earlier, I’d had a transient ischemic attack—a TIA, or mini stroke. I spent a day in the ER, returned home, and realized that something in my brain had changed. Short-term memory lapses. The same empty stare. The same sensation of searching for something that wouldn’t come.
My daughter had adjusted my supplements to support brain function, and she did the same for Homer. And, like him, I came back. Not perfectly. But functionally. Adequately. Gracefully.
Today, I’d say Homer is 95% back. And me? I’m more than adequately adjusted for an almost 84-year-old woman. We’re both living life on new terms—and they’re not bad ones. Karen later told us that strokes in dogs are rare. So rare that they’re hardly mentioned in vet school. That’s why so many beloved pets like Homer may suffer in silence, undiagnosed and unsupported. There’s no official veterinary protocol to turn to—but that didn’t stop Karen from creating one years ago for her patients that suffered from this rare condition. Peptide therapy is not FDA approved and must be ordered from compounding pharmacies, so partnering with a functional medicine veterinarian is the best way to access these healing, all natural substances.
She knew what to do. And it worked.
She wants to share it with the world—because somewhere, another dog will stop mid-step and stare into space. And their people will need to know what just happened…and what to do next.
Karen’s Supplemental Protocol for Homer:
Oral Supplements
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Omega-3 Fatty Acids (EPA/DHA)
Benefits: Reduces neuroinflammation, supports neuroplasticity, and improves cerebral blood flow. -
N-Acetylcysteine (NAC)
Benefits: Boosts glutathione (master antioxidant), reduces oxidative stress and neuronal damage. -
Citicoline (CDP-Choline)
Benefits: Enhances brain repair, supports acetylcholine production, and promotes neuroregeneration. -
Curcumin (with Bioavailability Enhancer)
Benefits: Anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and may reduce post-stroke brain edema. -
Ubiquinol
Benefits: Supports mitochondrial function and cellular energy in brain -
Magnesium (L-Threonate or Glycinate)
Benefits: Reduces excitotoxicity, supports blood pressure regulation, and protects neurons. -
B-Complex Vitamins (especially B6, B12, Folate)
Benefits: Supports methylation and reduces homocysteine levels, which are linked to stroke risk. -
Bacopa Monnieri
Benefits: Enhances memory, reduces oxidative damage, and supports neuroplasticity.
Peptide Therapy
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SS-31 (Elamipretide)
Primary Action: Mitochondrial-targeted antioxidant
Stroke Benefit: Prevents neuronal death by maintaining energy production and reducing mitochondrial damage -
Humanin
Primary Action: Cytoprotective mitochondrial-derived peptide
Stroke Benefit: Reduces neuroinflammation and cell death, especially under oxidative stress; may slow neurodegeneration post-stroke -
TB-500 (Thymosin Beta-4)
Primary Action: Regenerative and anti-inflammatory
Stroke Benefit: May enhance repair of vasculature and glial support cells, encourage new blood vessel growth, and limit glial scarring -
Thymalin
Primary Action: Thymus-derived immunomodulator
Stroke Benefit: May dampen harmful post-stroke immune responses and support systemic recovery -
GHK-Cu (Copper Tripeptide)
Primary Action: Wound healing, neuroprotection, and tissue remodeling
Stroke Benefit: Supports neuronal regrowth and recovery of vascular
Sale:
This week, we’re celebrating the incredible resilience of dogs everywhere! In honor of the pups who keep fighting the good fight and working their way back from unexpected health challenges, we’re offering 15% off Forever Dog treats. These special treats were designed by Karen and inspired by her favorite longevity-boosting supplements featured in her New York Times bestselling book.
Click here to order yours.
Offer Ends Wednesday, September 10th at midnight