Why A Service Dog?

Hello,howyoudoing?Nicetoseeyouagain,how’syourlifebeen?

Now, I know that it’s been a while since my last post. But July is Camp Na[tional]No[vel]Wri[ting]Mo[nth], and I tried rewriting this book for the… 4th? 5th? time, and for once, the end is in sight, and I don’t absolutely hate the story. So that time was well-spent, and now we’re back to this!

This is part three of the answer to the “Why a Service Dog? You? You look perfectly healthy!” question.  First of all, thank you.  I appreciate that.

Second, well, to be honest, there really isn’t a second to that…

Now, before I start, quick little recap. Ah-he-he-hem… go read A Service Dog Is A Service Dog Is A… Therapy Dog? and My, What A Lot of Types [of Service Dogs] There Are! There! Quick, effective, and relatively painless.

Now. This post has a bit less structure than the other two and is basically just me tying up loose ends, so grab a yellow tablet (of paper), a good head-scratching pencil, and a quiet room should you need to read this aloud, and let’s get started!

Now, “what will your Service Dog do?”. For the most part, it will be a Seizure Response Dog.

Before I go on, it might be good if I explain to you what happens when I have a seizure.

Show of hands, who has read or–at this point–watched A Wrinkle In Time? Anyone? I’m sure some of you have. For those who haven’t, go ahead and skip to the next paragraph. For those of you who have, do you remember how they explain how they travel through time? The whole fabric-of-the-skirt illustration? (…they have that in the movie, right? I haven’t watched it yet, so I don’t know for sure.) It’s basically like that. You may now skip the next paragraph if you wish, but who am I to tell you how to read my blog post?

Hello People Who Haven’t Read/Watched A Wrinkle In Time! Have you seen/heard a skip in a CD or DVD? If you haven’t… I’m not sure I have another illustration for you. If you haven’t been living under a rock for the past decade or so, it’s like that.

Now, you all get the idea, right? One moment, I’m going along just fine, no big deal, beautiful life, la-di-da-di-da. Suddenly it’s two to ten seconds later, people have moved, and I have no idea how we got from favorite ice cream toppings to most embarrassing childhood moments, and did anyone have Prof. Plum, Revolver, or Ball room? I missed something…

As this happens, my walking usually slows and my breathing changes. I’ve also heard my nostrils flare and face darkens. In short, it’s scarier on the other end. I once freaked out my fifth-grade literature teacher by having one as I was answering a question. And she had previously taught me Kindergarten. I apologize to her, and anyone else who has seen them/it and didn’t know what was going on.

After ~11 years of this, I’ve come to grips with it. It’s usually nothing huge, but it can be. Example: I’m walking across a parking lot, and suddenly I have an ‘episode’ and either stop, or wander into traffic. While this is happening, a car comes around the corner and the driver is figuring I know she’s coming and will get out of the way. However, they’re completely unaware that I’m unaware of anything at the moment.

Yeah… not good, hey?

Normally, this is where I’d be pulled out of the way by my parents, sisters, or friends. However, if I’m walking alone, well, I feel bad for that poor driver’s nerves, and I promise, I didn’t mean to cause you more panic! I swear, the first thing I knew, I was staring down your headlights and dashing out of the way!

Back to what type of dog I’m getting. It’ll be a Seizure Response Dog with a dash of Mobility Support Dog, a pinch of Severe Allergy Alert Dog, and a sprinkling of “guide dog”. Please don’t read too far into that–I am NOT blind… usually. I kind of am during the seizures as I don’t just ‘time-travel’ a few seconds into the future, so I figure it counts. Not enough to have it wear white, but enough to throw the label in here to explain.

…I can give you a better explanation. Back to the innocent driver.

This time, as I’m walking along and have an episode, the dog senses it. Seeing the area we’re in, the dog knows this isn’t a safe area to wait it out. Drawing on her Bracing and Mobility Support Training, she moves behind me and nudges me along the walkway, preventing me from playing an unconscious game of “chicken” with the car. My family has done this for me and I go along with gentle promptings like that while I’m out of it.

This time, when the car careens around the corner, she and I are already getting out of the walkway.

If I’m still out of it when we get somewhere safe, she will lean against my leg or lick my hand or do something else to revive my consciousness. If I come out of it while she guides me, I will let her know I’m okay now, and continue on, giving the driving mother less to worry about, and keeping everyone safe. Er. Safer.

Once I get in the store, say my wrist “gives out” as sometimes happens. (Basically, I have loose joints, like, really loose. Sometimes it feels like my wrist falls out of socket. It fixes itself after a while, but while it’s out, I can’t really use my wrist.) At this point, I rely upon my dog’s retrieval training. This again falls into the Bracing and Mobility Support Dogs category.

There was one of the labels I didn’t cover. Catch it? AAD. Severe Allergy Alert Dog. This is fairly simple to understand. Two words: Black Mold. Two more words: IgE Allergies. If a  building has mold in it this will spark more episodes. I can usually detect it within a few minutes, but sometimes it takes longer. In every case, if a building of any kind has mold (or strong scents like Air Fresheners,) it’s simply better for me to know sooner than later. Same with IgE Allergies that, at this point, simply amount to Tree Nuts.

In the words of Barry Eisenberg: “Now, to fix all the melty pieces.” In other words, now come the answers to all the loose ends I’ve produced in the previous two posts as well as miscellaneous fun facts and shtuff. Here we go!

Question: You’ve lived this long without a Service Dog, isn’t getting one now because you “need” it lazy?

Answer: You’re right, I’ve lived this long without a Service Dog. You know why? I had two Service Sisters, a Service Mother, Service Father, and innumerable Service Friends/Classmates. And they weren’t even trained! Who’s a good boy?

As for the lazy question… NO.

Saying your dog ate your homework is a lazy excuse as well as… well, let’s just say, if you didn’t do your homework, you might as well tell your teacher–they already saw the truth from the fear in your eyes and are just giving you the chance to fess up. Kind of like in Genesis where God asks Adam “where are you?” He very well knows, thank you very much. Dude knows everything and holds the universe in one hand while holding everyone individually in the other. He isn’t fooled by some plants.

Not helping pick up a spilled drink for the reason of “not my fault, not my problem” is lazy.

Allowing dog hair to cover every surface in the house because it’s too hot outside to brush the poor thing is lazy. (Reminding myself for the future.)

Not doing a project because it’s due five months from now and I’ve got time is lazy. …and you’ll pay for it later.

“I forgot” is a lazy excuse.

A Service Dog? Not so much, and I dare anyone who says differently to try training one. This amounts to:

+Three fifteen-minute training sessions a day with the puppy.

+One NEW socialization item a week with the puppy. You can’t just go to church every week and call it ‘good’.

+Monthly group outings with the puppy.

Here’s the thing: puppies are cute. We can all agree on this. Inherently well-behaved and continuously mentally prepared for such things? Not so much. And in Texas? Good luck finding a time when the temperature isn’t enough to melt the fur off the dog if you’re out for too long. *Yoda voice* an exercise in patience this is, yes.

FUN FACT: Even after the exhaustive training Service Dogs go through, some of them don’t make it for one reason or another. These dogs are invariably well-trained and make great pets!

Question: If we’re not allowed to ask if the Service Dog is legitimate, how do we know it’s registered and legal?

Answer: It’s most likely not registered, as they don’t have to be.

A Service Dog is legal when it has passed two tests at the end of its training and is able to show it can complete at least three “Special Skills”. These tests are the CGC (Canine Good Citizen Test) and the PAT (Public Access Test). The “Special Skills” must be things that don’t come naturally or in basic training. In my case it’ll be things like noticing when I’m having a seizure, providing a balance and safe stop in such cases, and sniffing out mold. Hey, look, Mom! I’ve got a bomb-sniffing dog! Haha, just kidding.

FUN FACT: If you have a Service Dog, a sense of humor is a must. SDs are DOGS, not robots. They will have off days where they don’t feel like working, just like you and me. They may grab things off shelves, making it seem like you’re stealing something. They may have diarrhea or throw up. Times like these you need to be able to laugh it off, explain calmly what happened, and clean it up.

Question: Your dog is just laying there. What’s the point of having a Service Dog if it’s not doing anything?

Answer: Just because it doesn’t look like she’s doing anything doesn’t mean she isn’t. If she’s in the vest, she’s working. If she’s in public, she’s working. If she isn’t actively doing something, she’s on alert for cues from me. I understand it’s tempting to wonder if I’m exaggerating my need for her, but I’m not. Trust me, I will no longer be invisible to anyone. Probably one of the things I’ll miss the most.

FUN FACT: While she’s in the vest she’s working and focused. When the vest comes off, though, she’s just a dog. A stick-fetching, ball-chasing, squirrel-barking dog. In the same vein, not everything about having a Service Dog is fun. She’s still a dog. She still needs to be fed and watered and groomed and let out. On days when I’m so sick it hurts to move, she still needs to go for a walk. On days when I’ve got a deadline creeping up and I just want to crank it out, we still need to work on the training sessions. It’s an iceberg. The dog going everywhere with me is only the part you can see. There’s so much more to it than that. Not all of it is sunshine and roses.

New topic thang! I like doing this: researching and sharing my findings about Service Dog nuances. I have fun exploring and experimenting with the different sounds and emotions certain symbols in writing elicit in people’s minds. However–and I know I’ve fooled you all about this–I’m not an omniscient. That said, if you guys have questions or topics you’d like me to cover, email me, text me, comment on the post, whatever you want. I’ll cover them.

How’s The Purse for the Paws-itively Perfectly Paired Partnership Progressing?

Well, money-wise, still pretty slowly. But, hey, it’s going, so we’re winning!

I do have a short story about this, though. July 18-20 I was at a Church Camp. During this time, I came face-to-face with the fact that God truly does have the money and dog both within his vast storehouses of infinite resources; that it’s upon Him to deliver this. Now, don’t misunderstand me: I still get to work at it. However, if He were to wish it so, He could drop the money in my lap with a single check. Or cash, as it may be.

I had known with head-knowledge for basically forever that His storehouses and abilities are limitless. I had lifted it up to Him time and again. I claimed I knew this, expecting the feelings to follow.

Please understand that, in many circumstances, my feelings (I can’t speak to others) are action-activated. Getting out of bed, for example. I often have to remind myself that getting up early will make me grateful later in the day. Does that feeling come as I’m laying in my warm blankets upon the cloud my bed became during the night? HECK NO! Am I grateful at noon when I’ve already accomplished a good amount of stuff I need to do and still have nine to ten hours left in my day to read/listen to an audiobook and crochet? AH, CHA!

I expected this to be action-activated as well. I would tell Him ‘I trust you. This amount of money is nothing for You. It probably equates to the money you drop in the couch.’ I would tell Him ‘You’ve got this. I know this. I drop this burden at your feet.’ I would tell Him ‘I will get the resources needed in due time. When you see fit. Your timing is always perfect’. I would tell Him and tell Him and tell Him. And you know what? It worked. Temporarily. Then the burden would be right back on my shoulders. And you know something? This frustrated me to. no. end. because I’ve already given this to you, right, Lord? So why is it back on my shoulders like a soldier’s rucksack?

I tried as hard as I could to make it happen. Through what I could do. Through what I fooled myself into thinking was working. Because, for a time, it did.

It changed that Wednesday night, though. I sat listening to the very energetic, very animated man share with us about motion-activated faith as only a speaker at a conference with four thousand teens can. Out of nowhere, really, (he had moved on in the message) I understood with the kind of clarity that comes from putting clean glasses on that was not what He wanted of me in this circumstance. No, He told me, here, the faith comes first.

You know something? Coming out of that I felt such a peace and lack-of-burden as I never had before. As the weekend continued, it became clearer and clearer from more angles than I would’ve considered possible, that I could do only what I could do, and from there… what point was there in worrying?

Faith without works is dead, but it is by faith we are saved.

Huh. Who would’ve thought? XP

Why do I share this with you? Glad I asked. Here’s the thing. This whole section, where I keep you updated on the Purse for the Paws-itively Perfectly Paired Partnership? Yeah, I’m taking that out. I’ll keep you updated with big milestones and whatnot, but I feel like it’s a bit… shall we say… over-kill to beat this dead horse. You all know I’m saving up, you all know it’s a lot. We all know that you have to dig the foundation before you build the house; go down before you go up. Besides. He’s got this. Nothing we can say or do will change when or how He sees fit to deliver.

Then, turning to his disciples, Jesus said, “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food to eat or enough clothes to wear. For life is more than food, and your body more than clothing. Look at the ravens. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for God feeds them. And you are far more valuable to him than any birds! Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? And if worry can’t accomplish a little thing like that, what’s the use of worrying over bigger things?

Luke 12:22-26 NLT

Love Always,

Lauryn