[nagdu] steppers first step again.

[Linda Gwizdak]

Way to go, Stepper!!! Good luck to you and new pup!

Lyn and Landon
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Stepper" <stepper12 at cableone.net>
To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Cc: "Lynda" <lyndamorgan16 at cableone.net>
Sent: Sunday, March 28, 2010 12:50 PM
Subject: [nagdu] steppers first step again.


>    Greeting to listers.
>
> I have news I never really new I would be able to give again.
> Five years, five months, and seventeen days ago I was at GDB's Oregon 
> campus getting ready to receive my second guide from GDB.
> I had had two guides in my life time.
> My first was from Pilot Dogs clear back in 81. He was a yellow lab named 
> Hart and only fifteen months old.
> This is the dog I walked across America with in 83, in behalf of the NFB, 
> and Christian Record Braille Foundation.
> setting a world record of being the only blind person to walk across 
> America. Plus meeting President Regen in the Oval Office on Oct. 25, 83.
>
> 318 days, 3615 miles, accompanied by my wife Lynda, and my three children 
> living out of a small motor home.
>
> Because of a medical problem in late 83 I had to have Hart put down, while 
> I held him in my arms on Thanksgiving day.
>
> In 86 I went to GDB for my second dog, a yellow lab and her name was 
> Kay-Bear.
> I had bear for 13 years, and she was a pure joy the entire time she was 
> with me.
> She worked for 11 years.
>
> At the age of 54 I was found with no warning to have and started 
> struggling with rectal Colon, Groin, both lungs cancers with life altering 
> surgeries, Chemo, and radiation I have now been cancer free for seven 
> years.
> However, I have been home bound during this last nine years for the most 
> part.
>
> As I said at the beginning I thought I had become well enough to try for 
> my third Guide dog at the Oregon campus.
> But to my surprise after only being with one of there practice dogs for 
> less than an hour I new I wasn't well enough to manage this bundle of 
> energy.
> With tears rolling down my face, shaking like a leaf, feeling awful I had 
> to tell the GDB staff I couldn't do this.
> To my surprise the GDB staff, meaning everyone of them was so kind and 
> understanding when I told them I just didn't think I could do this. I 
> thought I could, but was wrong.
> While sitting there with that dog in front of me, I made myself a promise. 
> That promise was very simple.
> I promised that if GDB would let me come back some day, I would get well 
> enough to try again.
> Plus I also have back problems that include three crushed disks, two 
> bulging disk, ten cracked facet joints, and Sciatica so bad in my left hip 
> they had to burn the nerves out three times before the nerves would stop 
> growing.
> I was on the strongest Narco made at 10.5 milligrams of 12 a day for years 
> after they stopped my cancer drugs.
> This wasn't enough medication for my back pain, so was in pain non stop.
> However, then the doctors said I would qualify for a Medtronic infusion 
> pump, because of my pain levels, and so on.
> I got my pump on June 10th 08. I have a drug they are using that is 30 
> times more powerful then Morphine, plus one other numbing drug as well.
> It has taken them a year and a half to get to the point where I don't have 
> to take other drugs with my pump meds any longer.
> I started with a half a milligram, and am now up to 3 milligrams of 
> medicine a day now.
> This is what has made it possible to exercise now one hour a day, and walk 
> an hour to an hour and a half every other day.
> So for the last five and a half years plus this has been my focus.
> I tell you all this, to announce that tomorrow morning 9 A.M. Boise Idaho 
> time I start my journey to the GDB California campus to try again.
> My class is from March 29 through April 17-10.
> Three weeks.
> I ask that you on this list serve please send your positive thoughts 
> toward me in the time of test and trial for me.
> I promise, I will give it all I have.
> Thank you, Stepper
>
>
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