[nagdu] Disabilities and alert dogs

[Mardi Hadfield]

Hi every one, Disability is not always cut and dried. After I was a
passenger in a car hit by a drunk driver,I began experiencing seizures and
double vision.When I complained to my doctor,I was given an EEG to check for
seizures. Nothing showed up. I had a CAT scan when I was in the hospital
recovering from a blood clot in my brain after the accident, and that showed
up. Every time I would have a seizure,I was told that I was doing this for
attention.I was faking.I was told that my double vision would clear up with
new glasses. It did not. I was labeled a "NUT CASE"and no doctor did any
thing to find the real cause of my problems.They actually made me feel like
a nut case because of their attitudes.Because I was not given anti-seizure
medicine to control the seizures,they just got worse.I ended up having a
seizure while riding a motor cycle and further damaged my brain and
fractured my spine in 2 places and also had other severe injuries. It took
the doctors 5 years to catch the seizure on the EEG.Finally I got the proper
diagnosis and the proper meds which controlled the seizures. I was not
considered disabled before this or after the proper diagnosis as the meds
controlled the seizures.Still no one did any thing about the double
vision.When My seizures again started up and the meds no longer controlled
them,that's when I was considered to have a disability.By this time I
finally was able to get SSDI which made living a lot easier. My back became
worse and I had to use a wheelchair to get around,and my vision got worse.I
did not go and get my vision checked as I knew no one would do any thing
about it, so I just lived with it.Disability is not always easy to prove and
some doctors are real jerks!  I had trained a dog as a service dog for my
self and when my vision got even worse,I finally went to get it checked. I
was sent to a Retina specialist and was given the diagnosis of Cortical
Vision Impairment and Macular degeneration with macular leisons
(spelling?).I was legally blind!That is when I got my service dog also
trained as a guide dog.I have had 2 dogs that washed out as guide dogs since
then, that I discovered could predict and warn me of my seizures. They both
barked and jumped on me as their method of warning me. I trained them to
touch me with their nose or paws instead of the original method. I do not
take these dogs out in public with me as one dog is not good in public due
to him being abused before I got him,and the other because I can only handle
1 dog at a time. I need the guide dog more.I do consider these dogs as
service dogs but they only work in the home.My seizures have been better
controlled now and I have better doctors now who listen to me.Disability is
even harder  to prove to the government these days.I consider myself very
lucky now as I am old enough to get social security by age and they can not
take it away by saying that I am no longer disabled.I am not the only person
to go through all this crap as I have met quite a few others.I no longer
feel like a nut case and life is much better these days.Sorry for the long
post but we were talking disability and I wanted to share that getting
diagnosed with a disability can some times be a long drawn out process. I
can not change my past experiences. I can only go on from here. This List
sure does help me when I get to deep in my own self pity as I remember that
there are many others who are out there with problems,some worse than mine,
and we are all trying to help each other.I am so glad I found this List.
Have a great day Mardi and Shaman and Nala,retired.

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