Rosie, our favourite Pilates pup

If you have been coming to classes at Flow State Movement since the beginning, or if you have been following our Instagram account @rosies.modern.life, you'll know she has been the best mascot, a defiant solicitor of pats + cuddles and just an all-round (almost) perfect Pilates companion. The unofficial slogan of the studio is 'Must Love Dogs' and I know pretty much everyone has loved (or learned to love) her quirky little personality.

Her presence on Instagram was fairly limited until a friend kindly demanded daily pictures of her. Six months later, my Instagram became exclusively hers + she's enjoyed a nice little following ever since.

Up until now, I haven't publicly shared the struggles we've had over the last 12 months but after quite a rough week, I felt it was time to lay it all out for you - those who love her + those who may be affected by what's next to come.

A little backstory

Those who have been with us from the beginning will remember Rosie as a very calm, loving, healthy + happy 5-month-old puppy back in 2021 when the studio first opened. She has always loved having visitors and has hardly ever barked at people coming through door (not counting the whining bays for more pats as she reclines on her bed, like the queen she is).

After noticing some odd movements in her back legs over the course of a few months, she was xrayed and diagnosed with hip dysplasia and early arthritis. Not the ideal situation for a dog so young, but manageable with pain medication + supplements, with the possibility of needing a hip replacement later down the track.

Within 4 months, the vet became concerned about her very pronounced instability + obvious problems with her general movements, including spontaneous falls and swaying of her spine when walking.

After an MRI, spinal tap + various other tests, the neurologist + our vet agreed that she is most likely being affected by cerebellar abiotrophy - a congenital degenerative disease of the cerebellum, the part of the brain in charge of voluntary movement. Unfortunately, this disease is not treatable and, as many of you will have observed over the last 6-12 months, the degeneration has been quite fast. There is no definite prognosis or timeline, so unfortunately, I am going to have to make a pretty tough decision in the near future. And I am a terrible decision-maker at the best of times!

So, what does this have to do with Pilates?

The reason I have decided to put this in a blog post is so I can share it with those who don't come to classes, but who only know Rosie via socials or perhaps see her on our walks around Mirboo North.

It's also to give context to those who may have only just started coming to classes + don't know her story but perhaps wonder why classes have been cancelled so last-minute, especially this week.

While I aim to keep disruption of the schedule to a minimum, I know that life is unpredictable at the best of times so it's only fair to assume our circumstances will cause more ups and downs in the weeks and months to come.

Classes remain unchanged for now, so I implore you to keep booking in to keep this little studio going and, in the event of cancellations, I am asking for understanding, patience, compassion and the space to figure out my next steps, whatever they may be.

In the meantime, we both look forward to seeing you in the studio, down the street or on the 'gram + Facebook.

AN UPDATE:

Since writing this post a few weeks ago, Rosie's condition has deteriorated + I have made the heartwrenching decision to euthanase her in June. I am obviously beyond devastated but I know that it is the best thing I can do for her now.

So, over the next few weeks, please come to classes and give her all of the love, pats, belly rubs and cuddles you can. And if you can't face it (I would totally understand), that's okay too.

I know so many of you love her and will be shocked or simply upset at this news so I want to request that we don't discuss it in the studio prior to classes because we all probably wouldn't be able to carry on with the class if we do!

In saying that, if you want to send me a message or chat about it after class, I am happy to do that.

You will have also seen that I have cancelled classes on Monday June 24th through to Wednesday June 26th to allow me some time to grieve and gather myself before coming back to teaching. If I need more time and more classes need to be cancelled, I will let you all know asap. All current passes + memberships will be extended by the same number of days the studio is closed.

(The Winter Wellbeing Challenge will go ahead from July 1st as planned).

And if you need to get in touch, please feel free to click the button below or send an email directly to flowstatemvmnt@gmail.com :

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