[nagdu] another road to independence

[Jewel S.]

tHIS IS A GREAT EXAMPLE OF DOGS WORKING WITH PEOPLE TO BETTER THEIR
LIVES. i AGREE WITH YOU; THIS DOESN'T MAKE YOU DEPENDENT, IT MAKES YOU
INDEPENDENT. iT REALLY STRUCK ME AS A GOOD STORY, BECAUSE AS SOMEONE
WITH A NERVE DISORDER (PRE-DIAGNOSIS, BUT THE mri SHOWED A cHIARI
MALFORMATION), i MAY SOMEDAY BE USING A WHEELCHAIR AND/OR NEED EXTRA
ASSISTANCE WITH TASKS AROUND THE HOUSE, SUCH AS MOVING LOADS OF
LAUNDRY OR OTHER ITEMS AMONG ROOMS AND LIFTING LOADS. sO, IT IS GOOD
TO SEE THAT THIS IS A TRIED AND TRUE POSSIBILITY FOR THE FUTURE FOR
ME, THOUGH i HOPE i DON'T HAVE TO BECOME A WHEELCHAIR USER (i DON'T
THINK ANYONE WOULD WISH TO BE).

tHANK YOU FOR SHARING YOUR SIDE OF THE STORY AND TELING US ABOUT YOUR
LOVELY ASSISTANCE DOGS. i KNOW i ENJOYED READING ABOUT THEIR
ASSISTANCE WORK, AND i DEFINITELY AGREE THAT FOR SOME PEOPLE, THE
ASSISTANCE OF DOGS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT CAN BE VOLUNTARILY GIVEN UP
IN EXCHANGE FOR A CANE.

~jEWEL

On 4/2/10, The Pawpower Pack <pawpower4me at gmail.com> wrote:
> Cheryl and all,
>
> I just wanted to write and kind of show the other side of things.
>
> I'm not negating the use of the long white cane as a perfectly
> respectable and 100% functional travel tool.  I think that everyone
> who can should learn to use it safely and effectively.  I think those
> who can, should go out from time to time without the dog to keep up on
> their cane skills and so the dog can spend some time by herself
> because eventually, when the dog is retired, she or he will need to be
> comfortable staying alone and those skills need to be worked on.
>
> For most people the choices are, and should be equal.  Dog or cane,
> the person should be able to travel independently with either.
>
> However there are some people who need their dog in a different way
> than your usual dog handler.
>
> If I went out without my dog it would be pretty much a disaster
> waiting to happen.  I don't think this makes me less independent.
>
> I am Deafblind with limited use of one side of my body and with
> constant dizziness and vertigo.  I literally cannot walk a straight
> line without a dog.  My ear disease not only effects my hearing-- I am
> profoundly deaf, but it makes it very hard for me to know which
> direction I'm going.  I may want to turn right, I may think that I'm
> going right, I will feel like I've turned to the right when in reality
> I've turned left or am headed straight.  I tend to lean and fall to
> one side or the other and my dog needs to stop and pull me upright
> because I don't even know I'm falling.  Crossing roads without a dog
> isn't safe because I can't hear traffic at all and I do rely quite a
> bit on my usable vision (which isn't much) to assist me.  I also use a
> tactile mini-guide to help me make the determination.  However
> sometimes I'm wrong and sometimes my mini-guide gives an incorrect
> reading and I would say that I rely much more on my dog to assist me
> in road crossings.  There is also the issue of sound alerting.  I
> can't hear things like smoke alarms, the beeping sound of large trucks
> backing up, or the streetcar racing toward me on the tracks.
>
> If I went out without my dog I'd have to go out with a person.  There
> are other Deafblind folks who do use a cane but many seem to not have
> the physical/balance issues I have.
>
> I don't think my degree of need for my dog makes me less independent.
> I think my dog gives me more independence than I'd have without one.
> I have to do things a bit differently than most folks because I do
> rely so much on my dog.
>
> I don't want just one dog to have to work for me all the time, because
> unlike most blind people my dog doesn't just get to be off duty while
> in the home.  There are alarms to alert to, dropped objects to
> retrieve, the dryer to unload, baskets of clothes to pull from one
> room to the other, and the phone to bring.
>
> Because I rely so much on a dog I usually have two working dogs at
> once.  Right now I have Mill'E who is a 7.5 year old golden.  She does
> most of the in-house work.  Once or twice a week she goes out with me
> but because she has arthritis in her knee she can't walk for miles and
> miles.  So she goes when I take paratransit or when I need to walk
> eight blocks or less to get some where.  This gives Laveau, my 2.5
> year old Doberman a chance to practice staying at home.  It also gives
> her a break.
>
> Laveau is young and healthy and can walk for miles and miles so when I
> need that kind of thing she goes with me.
>
> I already have a pet dog-- Bristol my 12 year old retired golden and
> my husband has a guide as well so finding a pet-friendly landlord is a
> must because of Bristol.
>
> Many people with multiple disabilities find that a situation similar
> to mine works best.
>
> I'm not trying to be offensive or to argue that good cane skills are a
> must.  I'm just trying to give others a glimpse into how others may
> need to do things!
>
> Hope you have a great Friday!
>
> Rox and the Kitchen Bitches
> Bristol (retired), Mill'E SD. and Laveau Guide Dog, CGC.
> "It's wildly irritating to have invented something as revolutionary as
> sarcasm, only to have it abused by amateurs." -- Christopher Moore
> pawpower4me at gmail.com
>
> Windows Live Only: Brisomania at hotmail.com
> AIM: Brissysgirl Yahoo: lillebriss
>
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