[NAGDU] questions on when to get a dog and how it affects international travel

[Nancy VanderBrink]

Ryan, if you wouldn’t mind, I’d love to connect you with my husband.  He’s in IT Management too and is also a dog user.  
With your permission I’d forward your email you sent so he can read it.
Nancy

Please forgive the typos as this message was most likely generated using voice dictation
Nancy Irwin


> On Mar 15, 2018, at 5:20 AM, Ryan Boudwin via NAGDU <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> Hey everyone,
> 
> I was recently diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa. I'm pretty early in the
> progression; my mid-periphery is gone but I still have reliable central
> vision and some far periphery, but it will get worse over time.
> 
> I am now using a cane and have stopped driving. At what point would it make
> sense for me to consider getting a guide dog? I'm 33 and pretty active. I'm
> employed in IT management and I like to go hiking a lot. I walk very fast.
> I am assuming I have too much usable vision to get a dog right now but I'm
> wondering at what vision loss threshold should I look into it?
> 
> My other question is that I travel for work from the USA to Ireland 1-2
> times a year for 1-2 weeks each time. I may end up needing to travel to
> Singapore occasionally as well as we are opening an office there.
> Maintaining my ability to travel for work is important to my job and I
> enjoy travelling internationally. How do you take a service animal on a
> long haul flight like that? Should I just revert to a cane for trips like
> that? If I did that how would my dog handle my absence? I have a wife and
> three kids, so the dog wouldn't be alone but I've heard guide dogs struggle
> with absences sometimes.
> 
> Ryan Boudwin
> ryanboudwin at gmail.com
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