[nagdu] an update, but long one

[Michael Hingson]

Are you requesting assistance from the NFB of Colorado?

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Criminal Justice
Major
Sent: Saturday, January 26, 2013 02:50 PM
To: Undisclosed-Recipient:;
Subject: [nagdu] an update, but long one

Hi, all,
Sub says it all, so, if you'd rather not read this, feel free to move on.
Odie and I are still around along with my husband Dale.
Wheelchair O&M continues to get better and improve.
Next task is for me to cross Colfax and Colorado boulevard which I'll be
practicing this Monday since I need to go do a visit with my respiratory
doctor anyway.
Dale will be with me the first time.
Next Wednesday, Brook, my O&M instructor will be with me again.
Brook feels that I would definitely benefit from have a wheelchair trained
guide dog, especially since I'm now in my chair over seventy percent since
the misfortune at the beginning of November.
Here's the rough part...
Once again, CORHUD (Colorado Regional Housing Urban development) continues
to harass us once again, claiming there's still a weird odor in our
apartment.
My father and step sister came in and didn't smell anything odd as CORHUD
claims and they still continue to have a temper tantrum over my power chair.
Originally, they weren't going to inspect us anymore and terminate the lease
which ended up not happening as my father came to help Dale and I shampoo
the rugs and wash laundry.
Odie also had another bath and he gets brushed, raked, combed and deodorized
daily outside: twice or three times, depending on how the weather's
behaving.
Something my father brought up to my attention which I never thought of is
that if an apartment or room gets too hot for the dog, they will suddenly
shed their hair as well.
He only pointed it out because of what he'd seen happening with his dogs.
Back to CORHUD, Dale was able to fight for another unnecessary inspection
anyway which was supposed to happen yesterday.
Apartment manager nor other staff shoed up to conduct one as they were
supposed to.
I can confess my step dad, along with my father aren't happy with CORHUD at
all, giving that they won't fix major things that should be maintained
properly.
For Example, one of the front elevators started malfunctioning again, so the
security guard had to turn it off.
Odie and I wound up taking the back ones which got us home faster.
A few weeks ago, one of the heating/air conditioning units in the fourth
floor hallway near the elevators began to have mechanical failure.
I happened to be asleep on my bed and around 10:20 PM, I felt the bed shake
and then the fire alarm in the hallway.
I suspected that because Odie was obviously in a deep sleep, the alarm
scared him awake, causing him to let loose a loud woooooof!
Fifteen minutes after the alarm was going, I began to experience an
on-coming seizure and it was a big one.
I managed to make it down to the floor by throwing a couple of pillows down
first, rolled up into a ball and then on to the floor, still in the feetal
position to keep myself safe and protected from possibly getting hurt.
I called out to Odie who came down off the bed, walked over to stop and
smell me.
I then said, "Odie, go get daddy!" and he did just that.
Odie stood in the doorway of the living room and sighed loudly as to say,
"Daddy! Mommy's in trouble. Aren't you coming to help her!"
Dale had had his back turned as he was busy doing something else, but once
he heard the loud sigh from our four-legged furry son, he said, "Okay, boy!
I'm coming!"
I was on the floor seizurring for what it seemed like an hour and as long as
the fire alarm was going for almost an hour, there was no letting up for my
seizure either.
When the fire department finally arrived and turned off the alarm, I began
to smell smoke.
I wasn't sure what kind, but thought it was cigarette smoke at first upon
hoping no one fell asleep smoking.
I called downstairs and reported it to the security guard upon letting him
know that I was having a major grandmal seizure, also letting him know I
wasn't alone that Dale was with me.
The fire department radioed for back up to get another truck out here
quickly and they did find the source.
The fire in the heating/air conditioning unit was put out and disconnected.
After an hour passed, the seizure finally managed to go away, but I was worn
out and tired after all of that.
I learned later from the guard that the fire department was going to radio
for an ambulance to come upstairs to pick me up and rush me to denver Health
Medical if the convulsive grandmal seizure would not have stopped.
Odie is my definite hero once again as he saved my life.
Given that the time fram was more of a challenge, he only had five to ten
minutes to warn me of an appending seizure when it's usually twenty to
forty-five minutes.
Although he hasn't been a guide dog for two years, he still travels with me
attached to a tie-down which I've teathered around my chair.
Odie mainly travels with me as a four-legged furry partner whose purpose is
to make me aware of on-coming seizures or let me know if an emergency
vehicle coming toward us with the red and blue lights spinning rapidly as
that can also cause me to become affixiated and have a convulsive grandmal
seizure.
He is learning to also keep his feet away from the wheels and although I
don't expect much of him, he still does a little bit of guide dog work,
except he'll pull me to the right or the left and get in front of me if I do
get too close to a car while crossing the street.
I see my wheelchair doctor next month to give him an update and I hope that
I'll be able to get the paperwork rolling for GDB's program or GDF.
Well, there's the long,story, so now, I'll sign off for here.
Bibi, husband Dale and son Odie
the happy spirited bounty labrawolf
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