[nagdu] Biological Family Support for Service Animals
Lyn Gwizdak
linda.gwizdak at cox.net
Wed Jun 27 00:04:36 UTC 2012
Hi Jen,
First off, sorry to hear about your ankle. If it is a sprain, it will take
awhile to heal. It is almost worse than a break but it will heal. Good
thing you don't have your dog yet.
Yeah, it is awful when peoplle just chuck folks into a nursing hiome and
then ignore them forever. when I was a teen, my grandfather was in a
nursing home after his wife died. we'd go visit him every Sunday afternoon
after sending my sister off to blind school. While my parents did the
little things for my grandfather like shave him and trim his nails, my
younger sister and I visited with this lady in the room across the hall.
she would show us her doll clothes and tell us she made them. Well, they
were store bought and I never said anything other than to admire the
clothes. She told us about how the home refused to give her her mail or let
her get phone calls. Alarmed, I asked my mom about that and she told me
that, sadly, this lady wasn't even getting any letters or phone calls. She
told me about how people just dumped their old folks into homes and
adbandoned them. How sad and we visited this lady weekly until my
grandfather died and we couldn't keep in touch with her anymore - you know,
privacy and we weren't family to her. We never got to even tell her about
my grandfather dying and that we couldn't come back to visit anymore. Poor
thing, she probably thought we abandoned her as well.
I wished wwe could have brought dogs into that home. Doing my pet therapy,
I see these same kinds of people who get abandoned and we visit them and
bring a smile to their faces.
Today, on my visit to the mental health facility with the Humane Society, I
heard a patient calling my name. Turned ouot he was someone I know a little
from one of my political groups! He had given me a ride home a few months
ago when I was burdoned down with food that wasn't eaten during the meeting.
he was surprised to see me - he didn't know i did pet therapy. He enjoyed
Landon and the other animals. We hugged and I wished him speedy recovery.
Lyn and Landon
----- Original Message -----
From: "Jenny Keller" <jlperdue3 at gmail.com>
To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users"
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Monday, June 25, 2012 4:09 PM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Biological Family Support for Service Animals
> Hi Lin,
>
> My step-mom is such a trooper. she has a smile on her face no matter
> what. I can hear it when I talk to her. She laughs a lot which also
> makes me happy that she keeps a happy feeling though she knows she's
> slipping away.
>
> My Aunt, my Dad's sister, says she has her down times, but don't we all.
> To be honest, I'd have a lot of down times if I were in her position.
>
> I'm glad your family is sticking by your Father. It always saddens me
> when families dump their parents or other members of their families with
> no children in Nursing Homes because it's just too much of a bother to
> them to take care of them.
>
> I always know that Heavenly Father knows about that kind of attitude
> toward those who do that, and those who do that will ultimately pay the
> price.
>
> Have a great night.
>
> Jenny
> On Jun 23, 2012, at 12:10 PM, Lyn Gwizdak wrote:
>
>> Hi Jenny,
>> Yeah - step mom. I said Mom because she sounded like she really was a
>> Mom to you even though she wasn't your biological mother.
>>
>> Hey, happy birthday and that was nice of your father to give you money -
>> it sure is great when things get paid off!
>>
>> Alzheimers in one's 50s, yeah, it's so sad. In the years of working in
>> nursing homes, I came across many of these. My Dad being almost 88 has
>> had a good life even though it was a kind of hard one. he grew up poor
>> to immigrant parents who had only a grade school education. His brothers
>> and most of his sisters treated him like crap. My Dad never went to
>> college but he was smart and talented as a wood worker. He built
>> beautiful cabinets, built the house I grew up in, and could fix just
>> about everything. He no longer can do any of these thiings but he
>> remains cheerful surrounded by a family that loves him. He will never be
>> just dumped into a nursing home and abandoned by his family. No way!
>>
>> Take care,
>>
>> Lyn and Landon
>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jenny Keller" <jlperdue3 at gmail.com>
>> To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users"
>> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>> Sent: Friday, June 22, 2012 2:59 PM
>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Biological Family Support for Service Animals
>>
>>
>>> Hi Lin,
>>>
>>> she's not my biological Mother, she's my Step-Mom.
>>>
>>> My Dad just sent me a lot of money for my birthday and that has to go to
>>> paying off a dishwasher that I'd like to get the payments over with, and
>>> of course, tithing.
>>>
>>> sometimes, I feel comfortable with bringing up the idea of sending me a
>>> plane ticket, but after the money he just sent me, which I have no idea
>>> how much it is, cause his handwriting is terrible. I'm leaving it alone
>>> for the moment.
>>>
>>> She developed it young. Late 50's. No one deserves that, but to be so
>>> young. It's a shame.
>>>
>>> I hope things with your family goes well at the get together you're
>>> family is having.
>>>
>>> Jenny
>>> On Jun 20, 2012, at 2:28 PM, Lyn Gwizdak wrote:
>>>
>>>> Hi Jenny,
>>>> What a great support you had in your Mom.
>>>>
>>>> My Dad has Alzheimers - the fairly early stages. My Mom is taking care
>>>> of him along with the help of my brother and his wife who live five
>>>> minutes away by car. He will be 88 in a couple of weeks. My sister
>>>> and I come to visit as much as we can for family get togethers when
>>>> somebody comes down here to get us. We'll be going to their place when
>>>> our other sister, her two daughters, and their kids come for a visit.
>>>>
>>>> Hopefully, your mother will recognise you when you walk into her home
>>>> with your new guide!
>>>>
>>>> Lyn and Landon
>>>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jenny Keller" <jlperdue3 at gmail.com>
>>>> To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users"
>>>> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>>>> Sent: Saturday, June 16, 2012 11:40 AM
>>>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Biological Family Support for Service Animals
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> Hi all,
>>>>>
>>>>> When I started losing my sight, I kicked around the idea of getting a
>>>>> dog for a long time.
>>>>>
>>>>> My Step Mom, who is a dog freak to begin with was supportive when no
>>>>> one else was.
>>>>>
>>>>> finally, after backing out of the dog idea a few times, and she had
>>>>> taken me to a doctor's appointment one day, she said to me "I know
>>>>> you've talked about getting a guide and backed out, why?" I couldn't
>>>>> really answer her questions well, I just told her that it was because
>>>>> of all the things I would have to handle with getting a guide.
>>>>>
>>>>> she asked me what those things were and I told her, things like the
>>>>> hair in the house, grooming, cost, etc.
>>>>>
>>>>> She then said, "OK, I've heard your excuses, now give me legitimate
>>>>> reasons."
>>>>>
>>>>> I couldn't give her any other than the ones I gave her, so she told me
>>>>> that I knew I would get help with all that and that those were excuses
>>>>> at best.
>>>>>
>>>>> I said I agreed with her, and that she was right. She then asked me,
>>>>> or rather said to me, so when are you going to fill out an online
>>>>> application, when you get in the house right?"
>>>>>
>>>>> that was just the kick in the pants I needed.
>>>>>
>>>>> though I have gone through hell with guide dogs, and never could fully
>>>>> trust Brooks, I don't regret it and I can still hear those words over
>>>>> four years later, as she can barely speak now due to the ravages of
>>>>> alseimer's.
>>>>>
>>>>> those are one of the many conversations I can clearly remember, and
>>>>> will always remember, as she slips away from us because of that
>>>>> horrible disease.
>>>>>
>>>>> Most of us don't have that support, and my father was not supportive
>>>>> at all, but I thank GOD for Diana, one of the few people in my life
>>>>> that supported me through just about anything. without her, I would
>>>>> still never have had the opportunity of working a dog, no matter how
>>>>> bad the trust issue was.
>>>>>
>>>>> At least I know now, that some day, I hope, I will be able to fully
>>>>> trust a dog.
>>>>>
>>>>> Jenny
>>>>> p
>>>>> On Jun 14, 2012, at 5:17 PM, Julie J. wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>> Greg,
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I'm still catching up since being out of town. Sorry if you've
>>>>>> already gotten more info than you know what to do with! *smile*
>>>>>> Here's my contribution.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> It honestly didn't occur to me to discuss my using a guide dog or
>>>>>> doing the training myself with anyone in my family, excepting the
>>>>>> people I live with. When I started using a cane many years ago this
>>>>>> is the same approach I took then. I simply incorporated the cane and
>>>>>> then the dog into life as it seemed relevant, logical or natural. I
>>>>>> never made a big deal out of it. To this day I honestly have no idea
>>>>>> what some of my family members think of my blindness or my dogs. It
>>>>>> doesn't keep me up at night wondering. I feel like it's my decision
>>>>>> and really doesn't concern them. That's just me though and how I
>>>>>> usually do things. I don't ask their advice on purchasing a home,
>>>>>> getting married, or where to go on vacation. It's not that I don't
>>>>>> care what they think, it's more that I'm just comfortable making
>>>>>> those decisions on my own and don't feel that their input would be
>>>>>> helpful. I'm not explaining well, but I hope it's a bit
>>>>>> understandable.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> All the best in getting it all sorted out,
>>>>>> Julie
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
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>>>>>
>>>>>
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>>>>
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