Thane has struggled a lot lately, but we are back in the saddle so to speak again. I have never been more grateful for having my dog working well as I am today. The motto, never give in to a vet. After Met and now his history, I feel like Vets are there to ruin our partnerships, not to keep them healthy and together.
Anyway-- enough of that grin
We are busy doing shopping like most everyone is this time of year-- from food to miscellaneous shopping errands for him and me.
Today I was unsure if I wanted to go to Winco or Whole Foods. I need to do both, but in the end decided it was best to do Winco today. We got a train really quickly which was fantastic.
Thane and I headed off for Winco walking our normal back neighborhood route. He was working fantastic and I was so proud of him. We were on the final stretch when Thane alerted me to a slow car. The way he alerted told me it was nothing to concern myself with and we were not in a driveway so I just thanked him and carried on.
We continued on not worrying about it.
All of a sudden a car blocked our way entirely. The person got out and from what I could piece together informed me that if I did not respond to her she was calling the police about me because I was not safe.
PARDON ME!
There was absolutely nothing that she could have witnessed to give her that idea other than the fact that I ignored her being obnoxious down the roadway with me.
I will admit, I probably could have been more polite when she did this to me, but oh my goodness! This is not the dark ages! Disabled people actually do function independently. Contrary to her feelings, we also ignore those being obnoxious or who might possibly be able to pose a threat to us. It's not that we are not aware of their presence. I was very aware, thanks to my wonderful sidekick.
I'm still a bit flabbergasted by her audacity. I mean, those with service dogs are used to pedestrian interference, but this one really takes the cake!
She said some other stuff that I did not follow, but one thing I did get was that I initially did not respond when she told me I had a pretty dog.
My goodness! If I even heard the words from a moving vehicle (NOT), responding to every single person while we are actively working, I'd never have the focus of BOTH of us necessary nor would I ever get anything done.
Thankyou that you like my dog, but enjoy him from afar-- don't block our path and threaten to call the police if I do not acknowledge you and then act like I was a person in danger when all we are doing is smoothly walking on a wonderful sidewalk as a team keeping focus on what we are doing, not your silliness.
Shaking my head
21 December 2013
13 November 2013
Six Years of Love, Challenge, and Devotion
The year was 2007, I had just lost my first combo trained service dog two months prior. Here I was in eager anticipation readying my home for a beautiful red and white smooth coat Border Collie boy to grace me with his presence.
I love to focus on the memory of our first connection. My mom opened the crate door from behind and he places his muzzle into my outstretched hands. He was so beautiful, so innocent, so confused by the changes that took place this day
and yet
This is the day when I was able to allow my heart to begin to heal as I rejoined that circle of training again which led to my wonderful, albeit challenging, partnership with Thane.
Here I am 6 years later. We learn lessons from every partnership we have, but I think that the lesson of most impact for me today is that you can never predict the future accurately. You can learn from the past in order to prevent future similarities, but you can't know what tomorrow will bring for sure.
I thought I would list some of the lessons I have learned through my training and partnership with Thane. I won't be listing them all, as I would be here typing a very long time to do that. The lessons shaped our future are important though.
It can be overwhelming when you get a dog who is basically a clean slate after you have been partnered with a dog for many years (from adoption to passing I was with Met for over a decade). You have to relearn how to communicate with clear commands again grin
I can not nor should I mold this dog into a carbon replica of Met. Thane is his own self; a very different dog and I need to let him work in his style.
Emotions run down the leash-- learn to manage your own stress for a better partnership (especially with a soft dog)
Backchaining a task can lead to much greater reliability than if a dog just learns the task by example watching another dog or with fine tuning a behavior offered.
A less *natural* dog can test one's training abilities. The successes also are that much more exciting when the breakthroughs happen.
A vet's competence can go a long way to either supporting or challenging the longevity of a partnership
When a dog begins having symptoms that encompass many systems of the body, treating symptoms is not going to be life affirming. One needs to get to the bottom of things quickly with a knowledgeable Veterinarian.
Ticks can be diseased wherever you are in the world. You do not have to live in Massachusetts to develop Lyme disease from a single tick.
Treat the individual, not the lab reports, otherwise a partnership may be sidelined (even lost completely).
Similarities in health issues at the onset, do not have to mean the same result over the long haul.
Healing myself can result in a much healthier, more focused connection between dog and handler.
How I deal with situations in life has a direct impact on the pull into harness that my dog presents with-- relax and enjoy yourself!
Today I have found great joy in taking really long hikes through various areas we can access directly or via the public transit system. I love having a dog that enjoys these adventures as much as I do.
I don't know what the future holds for Thane and I-- where we go from here is anyone's guess. What I do know is that by being partnered with my challenging redhead, has made me have to become a better trainer and handler than I had to be with my first dog. I love that about this partnership, but most of all, I just love Thane's ability when we get lost, to make us found again so easily. It's like anywhere we go, he just has this extra sense about the surroundings that I will never have.
So today, we celebrate the six years of life, both the good and the not so good, because when you put all these events together, they present with a partnership that has had to grow and learn hard lessons to be who we have become.
C'mon my redhead, time to throw that ball
I love to focus on the memory of our first connection. My mom opened the crate door from behind and he places his muzzle into my outstretched hands. He was so beautiful, so innocent, so confused by the changes that took place this day
and yet
This is the day when I was able to allow my heart to begin to heal as I rejoined that circle of training again which led to my wonderful, albeit challenging, partnership with Thane.
Here I am 6 years later. We learn lessons from every partnership we have, but I think that the lesson of most impact for me today is that you can never predict the future accurately. You can learn from the past in order to prevent future similarities, but you can't know what tomorrow will bring for sure.
I thought I would list some of the lessons I have learned through my training and partnership with Thane. I won't be listing them all, as I would be here typing a very long time to do that. The lessons shaped our future are important though.
It can be overwhelming when you get a dog who is basically a clean slate after you have been partnered with a dog for many years (from adoption to passing I was with Met for over a decade). You have to relearn how to communicate with clear commands again grin
I can not nor should I mold this dog into a carbon replica of Met. Thane is his own self; a very different dog and I need to let him work in his style.
Emotions run down the leash-- learn to manage your own stress for a better partnership (especially with a soft dog)
Backchaining a task can lead to much greater reliability than if a dog just learns the task by example watching another dog or with fine tuning a behavior offered.
A less *natural* dog can test one's training abilities. The successes also are that much more exciting when the breakthroughs happen.
A vet's competence can go a long way to either supporting or challenging the longevity of a partnership
When a dog begins having symptoms that encompass many systems of the body, treating symptoms is not going to be life affirming. One needs to get to the bottom of things quickly with a knowledgeable Veterinarian.
Ticks can be diseased wherever you are in the world. You do not have to live in Massachusetts to develop Lyme disease from a single tick.
Treat the individual, not the lab reports, otherwise a partnership may be sidelined (even lost completely).
Similarities in health issues at the onset, do not have to mean the same result over the long haul.
Healing myself can result in a much healthier, more focused connection between dog and handler.
How I deal with situations in life has a direct impact on the pull into harness that my dog presents with-- relax and enjoy yourself!
Today I have found great joy in taking really long hikes through various areas we can access directly or via the public transit system. I love having a dog that enjoys these adventures as much as I do.
I don't know what the future holds for Thane and I-- where we go from here is anyone's guess. What I do know is that by being partnered with my challenging redhead, has made me have to become a better trainer and handler than I had to be with my first dog. I love that about this partnership, but most of all, I just love Thane's ability when we get lost, to make us found again so easily. It's like anywhere we go, he just has this extra sense about the surroundings that I will never have.
So today, we celebrate the six years of life, both the good and the not so good, because when you put all these events together, they present with a partnership that has had to grow and learn hard lessons to be who we have become.
C'mon my redhead, time to throw that ball
23 October 2013
Lessons Through Healing
This post is for the Assistance Dog Blog Carnival being hosted by Brooke at Ruled By Paws
I
wasn't going to do this round of the Assistance Dog Blog Carnival
(ADBC) because recently my life has been a full time job, and then
some-- but I think the lessons I am learning in my partnership are also
just as important. When I saw the topic for the carnival is Lessons, I could not pass this up.
For the past month, I have been working with a program to recover my health (and it is happening). In the process of this, I have been taught some interesting, unexpected lessons about how I work/ed with Thane and the inadvertent teachings that my avoidance behaviors have conveyed to him.
I always knew that Thane was one who really was connected to my emotions. More times than not, if I was having difficulty in working him, all I had to do was check in with myself and know where the problem lay. He taught me to really relax and stay in the moment, which I felt to be a very good thing for the entire partnership. He would not have made a very good candidate for an individual recovering from the traumas of war or other PTSD impacts, but for me, with less impacts in that area, he has been a great teacher.
So, I thought we had this all figured out!
I mean, I was relaxed thanks to him and thus we worked great-- right?
WRONG!
One of the first benefits of the program was the development of a calm and relaxed person who was able to live in the moment more. Once this began setting in, I could not even wrap my head around how tightly I had been wound for so many years. As I relaxed (and I mean, truly relaxed), the partner at my side transformed into someone I did not even recognize.
We were just getting started at that point. I pondered what other lessons were in store for me/ for us as the program progressed.
The next realization wasn't such a good one. I discovered that there were unintentional teachings going on due to my need for avoidance of heavy exposure. The result of this teaching was that I had inadvertently taught Thane that in all high fragrant environments, we must high-tail it out of there at the fastest possible speed. While I was living it and experiencing the impacts of the exposures, I could not see that the quick exits I make in living this very isolated life, albeit necessary ones, were inadvertently training Thane that any place there was high fragrance, we were to behave as though we were jumping out of the starting gates at the Kentucky Derby!
Needless to say, part of our work now entails some serious retraining to slow down and move along at a more normal speed. This isn't just retraining for Thane, but for me as well. I have had a strong aversion to crowds and have avoided them for much of our partnership by shopping only in the morning hours. As I have regular *homework* with the program I am doing that must be performed a few times a day, it means to get out early would require getting up at an unspeakable hour. Needless to say, Thane and I are getting our exposure to situations where we must work at a more natural pace (to others). It's definitely giving us more training opportunities where we can succeed together as a team in earning the jackpot.
There is still a time and a place for our enjoyment of higher speed working, but right now it is a matter of using my common sense to teach him which places we should work more slowly and which ones we can cut loose and enjoy the wind blowing through our hair.
There is so much more than the unintentional training that is being addressed right now. Part of Thane's training/ work has been in the area of medical alert to very specific triggers I have/ had. In the process of the program I am doing, some of these triggers have either improved or gone away. As a result, the alerts for them are either not as critical or not necessary at all.
For those who have never been around a Border Collie on a regular basis, it can be quite challenging to undo training. I've learned through experience that accidentally clicking in training when the dog lets out a woof (Met) as it closes the door can be much harder to extinguish than it may seem. In Thane's case, I have had progression of my blindness and have had to work very hard to extinguish simpler approaches to awkward curbcuts or turns with awkward placements of sidewalks in retraining him to do what may seem inconvenient, but conveys more to me about my position/ location. Now it seems, just as changes to his guide training were necessary, so are changes to his alert training, by using the alerts he provides in different ways-- essentially backchaining the unnecessary ones out of his repertoire as I progress for the better.
I will say that the one part of all of this that I/we am/are really enjoying is exposing him (and me) to new situations. Sometimes it is easy to transfer training from other situations to the new environment or experience and other times, it is completely new training. This is a really fun part of the program-- getting to experience new things/ environments with my sidekick.
For the past month, I have been working with a program to recover my health (and it is happening). In the process of this, I have been taught some interesting, unexpected lessons about how I work/ed with Thane and the inadvertent teachings that my avoidance behaviors have conveyed to him.
I always knew that Thane was one who really was connected to my emotions. More times than not, if I was having difficulty in working him, all I had to do was check in with myself and know where the problem lay. He taught me to really relax and stay in the moment, which I felt to be a very good thing for the entire partnership. He would not have made a very good candidate for an individual recovering from the traumas of war or other PTSD impacts, but for me, with less impacts in that area, he has been a great teacher.
So, I thought we had this all figured out!
I mean, I was relaxed thanks to him and thus we worked great-- right?
WRONG!
One of the first benefits of the program was the development of a calm and relaxed person who was able to live in the moment more. Once this began setting in, I could not even wrap my head around how tightly I had been wound for so many years. As I relaxed (and I mean, truly relaxed), the partner at my side transformed into someone I did not even recognize.
We were just getting started at that point. I pondered what other lessons were in store for me/ for us as the program progressed.
The next realization wasn't such a good one. I discovered that there were unintentional teachings going on due to my need for avoidance of heavy exposure. The result of this teaching was that I had inadvertently taught Thane that in all high fragrant environments, we must high-tail it out of there at the fastest possible speed. While I was living it and experiencing the impacts of the exposures, I could not see that the quick exits I make in living this very isolated life, albeit necessary ones, were inadvertently training Thane that any place there was high fragrance, we were to behave as though we were jumping out of the starting gates at the Kentucky Derby!
Needless to say, part of our work now entails some serious retraining to slow down and move along at a more normal speed. This isn't just retraining for Thane, but for me as well. I have had a strong aversion to crowds and have avoided them for much of our partnership by shopping only in the morning hours. As I have regular *homework* with the program I am doing that must be performed a few times a day, it means to get out early would require getting up at an unspeakable hour. Needless to say, Thane and I are getting our exposure to situations where we must work at a more natural pace (to others). It's definitely giving us more training opportunities where we can succeed together as a team in earning the jackpot.
There is still a time and a place for our enjoyment of higher speed working, but right now it is a matter of using my common sense to teach him which places we should work more slowly and which ones we can cut loose and enjoy the wind blowing through our hair.
There is so much more than the unintentional training that is being addressed right now. Part of Thane's training/ work has been in the area of medical alert to very specific triggers I have/ had. In the process of the program I am doing, some of these triggers have either improved or gone away. As a result, the alerts for them are either not as critical or not necessary at all.
For those who have never been around a Border Collie on a regular basis, it can be quite challenging to undo training. I've learned through experience that accidentally clicking in training when the dog lets out a woof (Met) as it closes the door can be much harder to extinguish than it may seem. In Thane's case, I have had progression of my blindness and have had to work very hard to extinguish simpler approaches to awkward curbcuts or turns with awkward placements of sidewalks in retraining him to do what may seem inconvenient, but conveys more to me about my position/ location. Now it seems, just as changes to his guide training were necessary, so are changes to his alert training, by using the alerts he provides in different ways-- essentially backchaining the unnecessary ones out of his repertoire as I progress for the better.
I will say that the one part of all of this that I/we am/are really enjoying is exposing him (and me) to new situations. Sometimes it is easy to transfer training from other situations to the new environment or experience and other times, it is completely new training. This is a really fun part of the program-- getting to experience new things/ environments with my sidekick.
10 September 2013
Anniversaries
Six years ago today, I took Met over to my folks place to give him his final yard time before saying farewell and sending him off to the bridge with the help of the vet who had worked with us since we left California.
That was a lifetime ago
I still have my close connection, my memories, my feelings, and most espeically my accomplishments in training my very first combo trained service dog (when so many were still saying it could not even be done to train a dog for one disability)
Today, I wanted to Celebrate Met. I had been horribly ill on his gotcha day this year, so today was going to be spectacular in my mind anyway
Thane and I headed to our former haunts, but before we could really enjoy the day I had to deal with all the USPS online hiccups. This was not happening! I kept telling myself first yahoogroups, now USPS- what is next!
We did not get out of here until close to 11AM on a day with temps to hit high 80's to low 90's. By the time we did the errands we needed, it was just too hot for Thane to enjoy himself. Note to self- do not combine Met's anniversary with final section 8 re-cert needs again.
It was a beautiful day, but it was just not what I had anticipated
When we got back in our old haunts, I realized there is no longer that heavy magnetic force as it were pulling me in that direction. There are some nice things- the little park near where we lived, excellent curb cuts, sidewalks that are mostly wider than here where we now live so we can navigate with ease, rather than the narrow confines we often find ourselves in now-a-days
There were however HUGE reminders of problem home owners/ renters when it came to sidewalk access. It made it difficult to think about why we were there today.
After we were home for a while and I had enough time to feel rested from the trip, it dawned on me why it seemed so typical of any other day.
It is because I have truly moved on.
Don't get me wrong- I still have moments from time to time, but they are fleeting. I still have times when I wish Thane worked more like Met or would let me relax for just 10 minutes LOL but what it all boils down to at the end of the day is this:
I am succeeding at living in the NOW when it comes to my previous partnership with Met
Instead of trying to re-live what I had with Met today
I should have been focusing on living the day with Thane
Tomorrow I will do just that because he is AWESOME
(no matter how much I grumble about his quirks)
Next year I will remember that I may try and make these days special, but when I succeed it is because I spend the day focusing on Thane and THIS partnership, not the past one
Off to play with Mr. Awesome!
That was a lifetime ago
I still have my close connection, my memories, my feelings, and most espeically my accomplishments in training my very first combo trained service dog (when so many were still saying it could not even be done to train a dog for one disability)
Today, I wanted to Celebrate Met. I had been horribly ill on his gotcha day this year, so today was going to be spectacular in my mind anyway
Thane and I headed to our former haunts, but before we could really enjoy the day I had to deal with all the USPS online hiccups. This was not happening! I kept telling myself first yahoogroups, now USPS- what is next!
We did not get out of here until close to 11AM on a day with temps to hit high 80's to low 90's. By the time we did the errands we needed, it was just too hot for Thane to enjoy himself. Note to self- do not combine Met's anniversary with final section 8 re-cert needs again.
It was a beautiful day, but it was just not what I had anticipated
When we got back in our old haunts, I realized there is no longer that heavy magnetic force as it were pulling me in that direction. There are some nice things- the little park near where we lived, excellent curb cuts, sidewalks that are mostly wider than here where we now live so we can navigate with ease, rather than the narrow confines we often find ourselves in now-a-days
There were however HUGE reminders of problem home owners/ renters when it came to sidewalk access. It made it difficult to think about why we were there today.
After we were home for a while and I had enough time to feel rested from the trip, it dawned on me why it seemed so typical of any other day.
It is because I have truly moved on.
Don't get me wrong- I still have moments from time to time, but they are fleeting. I still have times when I wish Thane worked more like Met or would let me relax for just 10 minutes LOL but what it all boils down to at the end of the day is this:
I am succeeding at living in the NOW when it comes to my previous partnership with Met
Instead of trying to re-live what I had with Met today
I should have been focusing on living the day with Thane
Tomorrow I will do just that because he is AWESOME
(no matter how much I grumble about his quirks)
Next year I will remember that I may try and make these days special, but when I succeed it is because I spend the day focusing on Thane and THIS partnership, not the past one
Off to play with Mr. Awesome!
26 August 2013
YahooGroups Changes
It seems that yahoogroups is deciding to take a go-around at making things worse for people with disabilities- following googles run of the same not too long ago.
Yahoogroups has changed things so that there are no settings controls that you can change. They have removed the simple non-graphic banners with this horrible mixture of neon colors that makes me so sick, I have to run for the bathroom. It messes with me in a vertigo way as well as sending me into seizures. There is NO WAY to block their banners as they are not done like ads, but are a part of the script that can not be blocked.
The pages also constantly reload more and more posts making the screen reader jump all over in its focus. Its possible that could be rectified if I could get the latest version of the free screenreader NVDA, but unfortunately anytime I try and download, they want me to donate and won't let me download anything until I have done so- please explain to me how a compulsory donation makes an item FREE
The bottomline is that my list will be closed. It's a sad thing for me despite the inactivity since my move. I guess this bothers me so much because yahoogroups is the cause of this. The only other option would be to move the list to another server, but there are not very many servers out there and most are not worth considering.
Though for lists I am a member of, I could use digest format, the list I own requires I access the website for management reasons. As a result of this issue, the only salvation for the list will be if one of the list members comes forward agreeing to take over the list.
I am so frustrated by this change in yahoogroups that if I did not need yahoo IM to communicate with my Dad who won't do AIM for some stupid reason, I would be deleting my yahoo ID
Yahoogroups has changed things so that there are no settings controls that you can change. They have removed the simple non-graphic banners with this horrible mixture of neon colors that makes me so sick, I have to run for the bathroom. It messes with me in a vertigo way as well as sending me into seizures. There is NO WAY to block their banners as they are not done like ads, but are a part of the script that can not be blocked.
The pages also constantly reload more and more posts making the screen reader jump all over in its focus. Its possible that could be rectified if I could get the latest version of the free screenreader NVDA, but unfortunately anytime I try and download, they want me to donate and won't let me download anything until I have done so- please explain to me how a compulsory donation makes an item FREE
The bottomline is that my list will be closed. It's a sad thing for me despite the inactivity since my move. I guess this bothers me so much because yahoogroups is the cause of this. The only other option would be to move the list to another server, but there are not very many servers out there and most are not worth considering.
Though for lists I am a member of, I could use digest format, the list I own requires I access the website for management reasons. As a result of this issue, the only salvation for the list will be if one of the list members comes forward agreeing to take over the list.
I am so frustrated by this change in yahoogroups that if I did not need yahoo IM to communicate with my Dad who won't do AIM for some stupid reason, I would be deleting my yahoo ID
18 August 2013
Communication with Thane through Progressive Deafblindness
Communication can be turbulent at best as a deafblind individual without the language skill of tactile ASL or access to technology that most able-bodied people consider paramount these days, but the area impacting my life the most is that of communication with my service dog.
Though Thane has been working much better as his thyroid is getting the support it needs and Lyme is behind us, we were still struggling in some ways which at time felt overwhelming. I could not put my finger on the cause despite backtracking to a training mode again to attempt to alleviate things.
Someone told me recently that my speech was sounding hollow and lacking some pronunciation. I didn't think much of it since my deafness has progressed quite a bit in the last year.
It wasn't until today when I was working with Thane that I realized this change may be playing a role in the communication struggle I am having with Thane.
Since Thane is a guide dog and as a result out front further of my wheelchair, there really isn't an alternate way I can communicate with him even if I had a free hand to do so with.
I don't know how long it will take for him to be able to adjust to this change, or if he can with his remnant hearing impairment from Lyme.
At home, he does not seem to have as much of an issue, but then at home I use my hands a lot in my communication with him in conjunction with voice.
I am hoping that the more I voice with him that he will begin to be able to understand me better. I'm not sure what I can do to make this easier other than to be patient when my commands are not followed right the first time.
Though Thane has been working much better as his thyroid is getting the support it needs and Lyme is behind us, we were still struggling in some ways which at time felt overwhelming. I could not put my finger on the cause despite backtracking to a training mode again to attempt to alleviate things.
Someone told me recently that my speech was sounding hollow and lacking some pronunciation. I didn't think much of it since my deafness has progressed quite a bit in the last year.
It wasn't until today when I was working with Thane that I realized this change may be playing a role in the communication struggle I am having with Thane.
Since Thane is a guide dog and as a result out front further of my wheelchair, there really isn't an alternate way I can communicate with him even if I had a free hand to do so with.
I don't know how long it will take for him to be able to adjust to this change, or if he can with his remnant hearing impairment from Lyme.
At home, he does not seem to have as much of an issue, but then at home I use my hands a lot in my communication with him in conjunction with voice.
I am hoping that the more I voice with him that he will begin to be able to understand me better. I'm not sure what I can do to make this easier other than to be patient when my commands are not followed right the first time.
14 August 2013
Gunshy
I'm not sure about you, but when it comes to veterinary care for Thane I have become gunshy- unable to trust my gut about a veterinarian due to previous poor care provided to us over the last few years.
The relationship with my previous veterinarian had become strained at best, but after I opted to go with NDT over synthetic Levothyroxine for Thane, what communication there had been, became like talking to a person who unbenounst to me had left the vicinity.
After years of Thane's health dwindling from not one, but three conditions (one of which never would have happened if hypothyroidism had been treated years before), I knew it was time to move on. I'd known it for a while, but with my health and the distance I had to travel to get to anyone else that might provide better care, it seemed impossible.
Then I had to make a move
That move turned my life upside down, led to my reliance on my parents more, led to a horrendous collapse in my MCS this spring and summer-- but it also led to some positive things which are sometimes overlooked when I talk about the situation I am in
Some of the positives were not just for me, but for Thane as well. We got free of the mold that had long infested our living situation- inside and out due to a complex that was literally falling apart. At the end, all you had to do was touch the siding and it would crumble off in your hands. Though funding was secured to renovate the complex, I doubt they will ever get rid of the mold that made both Thane and I (and perhaps Met) so ill. It was only in getting out of there that I saw just how much that mold impacted our health.
Another positive is that I live smack in the middle of the max system where I can pretty much get anywhere I want to in a fairly reasonable amount of time. As an example, I can get to the New Seasons I travelled from before by taking max just three stops and then off for our walk to the store. I can use the one in my city as well.
Thane needed a vet in May for an injury so I used a recommendation I received from a local team and checked out Rock Creek Veterinary Hospital which is actually a distance Thane and I can walk in dry weather. I was able to get a free exam for Thane then as a new client. At the time I was pretty sick from all the exposure with this complex's renovation projects (something they knew about and chose to withhold from me when I was loking at the apartment) Obviously with my health and Thane's injury I was not clearly thinking then about evaluation of a vet for longterm use.It just was not in the cards that day. The important thing then was to get Thane's foot cared for and both of us home before I collapsed.
Fast forward to present day, I've had a lot of time to think about where I wanted to go with Thane to get his letter for my re-certification with Section 8 taken care of. I considered trying a place further into the city that is a larger facility and provides some alternative therapies, but I kept going back to how well they responded when I told them on the phone that my guide dog had a paw ulceration. It went all uphill from there. As soon as they learned about my MCS, they offered to gown, glove, and mask up for me. I gladly accepted that they use gowns and gloves, but not masks as it could impede our communication.
I placed a call yesterday to the clinic and they were able to get us in today! I forgot my list of questions at home when we headed off for the appointment, but only forgot one of them. The answers to all the other questions were exactly what I had hoped to hear. What's even better is that through one of IAADP's benefits, I was able to get a discount here.
I made it clear to her that I am a bit gunshy where it comes to veterinarians after years of knowing what was wrong with Thane and not being taken seriously enough to protect his health. He has come back to me, doing so much better and I won't let another vet jeopardize that. We may have to agree to disagree on some things- was she OK with that. The answer put a smile on my face.
The only medical concern I had today for Thane was to get an opinion on Thane's teeth. After all the previous symptoms over the years being treated with antibiotics (some inappropriately) and the 9 months of antibiotics for Lyme, Thane's teeth had become a concern of mine. Thankfully I learned that daily brushing is all that is necessary for us now. This was such a relief to me between budget needs and Thane's sensitivities that could mean a lengthy down time following anesthesia.
For now, it looks like we do have a veterinarian for Thane. I am cautiously optimistic about him getting the care he really needs when he needs it, but not over-vetted either.
Hopefully through this relationship I will cease to be so gunshy and find trust again.
The relationship with my previous veterinarian had become strained at best, but after I opted to go with NDT over synthetic Levothyroxine for Thane, what communication there had been, became like talking to a person who unbenounst to me had left the vicinity.
After years of Thane's health dwindling from not one, but three conditions (one of which never would have happened if hypothyroidism had been treated years before), I knew it was time to move on. I'd known it for a while, but with my health and the distance I had to travel to get to anyone else that might provide better care, it seemed impossible.
Then I had to make a move
That move turned my life upside down, led to my reliance on my parents more, led to a horrendous collapse in my MCS this spring and summer-- but it also led to some positive things which are sometimes overlooked when I talk about the situation I am in
Some of the positives were not just for me, but for Thane as well. We got free of the mold that had long infested our living situation- inside and out due to a complex that was literally falling apart. At the end, all you had to do was touch the siding and it would crumble off in your hands. Though funding was secured to renovate the complex, I doubt they will ever get rid of the mold that made both Thane and I (and perhaps Met) so ill. It was only in getting out of there that I saw just how much that mold impacted our health.
Another positive is that I live smack in the middle of the max system where I can pretty much get anywhere I want to in a fairly reasonable amount of time. As an example, I can get to the New Seasons I travelled from before by taking max just three stops and then off for our walk to the store. I can use the one in my city as well.
Thane needed a vet in May for an injury so I used a recommendation I received from a local team and checked out Rock Creek Veterinary Hospital which is actually a distance Thane and I can walk in dry weather. I was able to get a free exam for Thane then as a new client. At the time I was pretty sick from all the exposure with this complex's renovation projects (something they knew about and chose to withhold from me when I was loking at the apartment) Obviously with my health and Thane's injury I was not clearly thinking then about evaluation of a vet for longterm use.It just was not in the cards that day. The important thing then was to get Thane's foot cared for and both of us home before I collapsed.
Fast forward to present day, I've had a lot of time to think about where I wanted to go with Thane to get his letter for my re-certification with Section 8 taken care of. I considered trying a place further into the city that is a larger facility and provides some alternative therapies, but I kept going back to how well they responded when I told them on the phone that my guide dog had a paw ulceration. It went all uphill from there. As soon as they learned about my MCS, they offered to gown, glove, and mask up for me. I gladly accepted that they use gowns and gloves, but not masks as it could impede our communication.
I placed a call yesterday to the clinic and they were able to get us in today! I forgot my list of questions at home when we headed off for the appointment, but only forgot one of them. The answers to all the other questions were exactly what I had hoped to hear. What's even better is that through one of IAADP's benefits, I was able to get a discount here.
I made it clear to her that I am a bit gunshy where it comes to veterinarians after years of knowing what was wrong with Thane and not being taken seriously enough to protect his health. He has come back to me, doing so much better and I won't let another vet jeopardize that. We may have to agree to disagree on some things- was she OK with that. The answer put a smile on my face.
The only medical concern I had today for Thane was to get an opinion on Thane's teeth. After all the previous symptoms over the years being treated with antibiotics (some inappropriately) and the 9 months of antibiotics for Lyme, Thane's teeth had become a concern of mine. Thankfully I learned that daily brushing is all that is necessary for us now. This was such a relief to me between budget needs and Thane's sensitivities that could mean a lengthy down time following anesthesia.
For now, it looks like we do have a veterinarian for Thane. I am cautiously optimistic about him getting the care he really needs when he needs it, but not over-vetted either.
Hopefully through this relationship I will cease to be so gunshy and find trust again.
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