[nagdu] Guide Dog Schools for People with Additional Disabilities

[Tamara Smith-Kinney]

Jewel,

No answers here, but I do want to wish you well in finding a diagnosis --
and we can hope even treatment to slow or mitigate the effects!  I like your
positive attitude of just going on with your life in your new circumstances.
/smile/

I had fibromyalgia for a long, long time, since 1972, from childhood
injuries, and I ended up spending about 10 years as a virtual invalid in my
30's waiting for the medical establishment to decide if it was real or not
and if they should do anything about it and what the heck was it, anyway?
It wasn't until 2005 that I was able to get the last piece in place -- meds
for the sleep disturbance that goes with it -- to really get on top of it,
although I had been working on bits and pieces and gotten close to a normal
life.  It took a lot of money and a lot of work, but I did reach full
remission there.  Then I went to the living skills program and am now
working really hard and spending more money than I have to get the injuries
healed and the last remnants of the new onset of fibro out of my life.
Sigh.  But at least I can do that now and return to normal function.

So if your diagnosis does turn out to be fibromyalgia, there is some hope
you can control the symptoms and even gain improvement.  I would suggest
that if you are diagnosed with fibro, you look into the sleep issues, since
doctors don't always make the connection between sleep deprivation and other
symptoms, even though that connection has been there since the last century.
If you want to know more, you can e-mail me off list and I will tell you
what I've learned over the years.

Keep us posted on how your search for a dog goes, too.  /smile/

Tami Smith-Kinney

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of Jewel S.
Sent: Thursday, April 15, 2010 3:13 PM
To: nagdu at nfbnet.org
Subject: [nagdu] Guide Dog Schools for People with Additional Disabilities

Hi all,

I am looking at applying to some other schools (I applied to the
Seeing Eye). I am looking at schools who specifically work with people
who have other disabilities, mobility in my case. My condition is not
getting better, and is, in fact, deteriorating, to the point that I
doubt that I will be accepted to the Seeing Eye, and I don't think I
want to go there anyway any more, because I think I would need a guide
dog who also assists with balance and will work with a handler who is
a wheelchair-user at times.

My condition is primarily nerve pain, memory fogs, and instability of
balance, along with quick fatigue and lfare-ups. I have had several
people tell me that I should consider using a wheelchair part-time
(for the days that I have flare-ups, and for times when I need to go
long distances, like around school campuses and at Disney World next
year (for convention/vacation). I am looking into this more as an
option, though I don't like it one bit (but who does?).

Does anyone have suggestions for a school that is really good for
someone with a mobility impairment in addition to blindness? I have
more questions about working with a guide dog as a miblity impaired
person, but I'll put that in another e-mail. My question in this
e-mail is specifically about the right school for training.

I know there are some people who have spoken about their service dogs
who help with tasks. I would love to hear about your experience with
your school, and what other schools you looked at, and why you choose
the school you did.

The doctors think it is either a) a Chiari malformation, b)
fibromyalgia, or c) some type of arthritis...they really are not sure
yet, and in the meantime, I am deteriorating fast.

Would love to hear from you guys,
Jewel

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