Fiercely Independent Pam

Category: About Me

  • Help Wanted: Wet Noses Only- Dreaming of My Service Dog!

    Earlier this year, I began the process of applying for a mobility service dog. I tried several national organizations, but either I was in the wrong season, or they weren’t taking any new applications. Disappointed, I continue my searches and found PAALS (Palmetto Animal Assisted Life Services), right here in South Carolina. I was intrigued by their mission to provide service dogs for various needs.

    I instantly knew this organization was for me. I believed in their mission, loved their fundraising ideas, and the size seemed perfect. Attaining a trained service dog, wasn’t going to be easy, but not only worth the wait, but I found a new non-profit to support.

    I began filling out the lengthy application online, I believe it took me close to 12 hours to complete. Then I gathered letters and forms of support from friends and medical providers. All was complete and I confirmed receipt with PAALS. I began following aka staking their facebook page and spreading the word about PAALS as well as my (hopeful) future as a service dog handler (DOG MOM).

    When I decide to do something, all of me is invested. I decided that I was going to manifest a service dog into my life. It became the major topic of conversation at meals and with friends. My saved Facebook ads required their own folder, “Service Dog Stuff.” This folder ranged from crocs for dogs to fun toys and tracking collars. I love dog stuff.

    Around the same time, I met new friends here at my community, who have a service dog. She is wonderfully sweet and semi-retired. I learned more about legal issues around service animals and the commitment to having a service dog. I knew this was a sign that in the not so far future I would be a Dog Mom again. My family thinks I’m crazy and worries about taking care of the dog when I am sick, but I have provisions for that.

    Now, fast forward to recent times. My dreams are filled with images of a fluffy dogs with wet noses living in my spaces. I look forward to sharing my bed with a giant lab who will leave “glitter” all over the place. I am ready to share my life with a wet nose, funny antics, and lots of toys!

    My goal is to publish the process of team training and bringing my Service Dog home. I know he/she will steal the show. For now, I will continue to show restraint and not call/email PAALS to bug them for an update. My heart and mind are ready to welcome a dog that will 100% change my life. Stay tuned…

  • A Floppy Bladder and a Super Early Start-

    My arrival time for being at MUSC was 6:30am. I live over 2 hours away from MUSC and hired a new driver service for this trip. Meaning we got our day started around 4, earlier to get dressed and stuff. I was scheduled for a Cystoscopy, biopsies, and urethral dilation to help determine what is going on with my bladder and why it has stopped functioning correctly.

    The good news is that all of this was accomplished under anesthesia; if you have ever been told you need to be dilated, don’t allow them to do it without sedation- Trust me! The timing was impeccable, like a well oiled machine. Quick change and wipe down, followed by consults with the urology resident, and anesthesiologist. I met my doctor in the operating room and he was exactly as I remembered him to be, caring, detail oriented , and ready to figure out my lovely, stupid bladder. For more details about my “stupid bladder,” click on the link.

    I was quickly asleep (the way I like it!) and my wonderful doctor examined my bladder and urethra. Biopsies were taken and I was dilated to a 30 French, and a foley catheter was placed (surprise)!

    The doctor shared his results with my wonderful friend, Yvonne, who made the trip with me. I also appreciated that the doctor’s notes were already in MyChart when I checked on the way home. He is addressing my bladder as “floppy.” It is one form of neurogenic bladder dysfunction. I am intrigued to find out more information from the doctor when I have my follow up. It could be from diabetes or neurological issues (and we all know i have plenty of those).

    It looks like my floppy bladder and I are going to continue to bond over self-catherization. I am glad that I have gotten past the learning curve for this process. Now, I just need a little good luck when ordering the catheters, as they seem to get lost in the mail and everyone points a finger at someone else. More supplies to keep track of and ensure I don’t run out.

    Not sure exactly what the future holds for this uncooperative, floppy bladder. I am eager to figure it out so that I can accept what needs to be done and move on. It’s the waiting that bothers me. Well that, and the fear of running over my foley again!

  • What’s Happening? Some Great Updates of Events in My Life…

    It’s been a hot second since I provided some updates, so I figured I’d try to wrap them up in one post. First and foremost, I have been here at home for more than three weeks, which is a record for me in 2025. I’ve been using this time at home to organize and put away some stuff in my apartment as well as tackling a big to-do list.

    I’ll attempt to organize my updates somewhat chronologically, but I’m definitely not perfect at that. I’m finally back to offering technology help in forms of a weekly class as well as 1-1 tech desk help twice a week. In total it’s about 4-5 hours of my time and it has a big impact on the community.

    Additionally, I am spearheading a new endeavor of a Community Newsletter. I am beginning slowly, offering it quarterly, with hopes to bring it to a monthly thing. The hardest part has been asking staff members for their input in their areas. I was told that the teacher in me is good at giving homework! We are also getting a new wi-fi setup soon, so that will be a big project for me.

    Continuing to look forward, I will be at MUSC on Monday (VERY bright and early) for 2 procedures on my bladder to hopefully determine what is causing my issues there. I will provide updates afterwards on Monday. This weekend I will also be collecting data for this procedure to help give even more information about treatment plans.

    For other health updates, I am happy to report that I am almost off all medications for high blood pressure, as I have been “bottoming out” and trending more towards a low blood pressure, which is my norm. So in addition to the compression socks, I have added a back brace/abdominal compression/binder type device to prevent blood from pooling in my lower abdomen or legs. More on this great product to come.

    I am continuing my cardio-rehab plan by adding 3 minutes to riding the bike each week, so I am currently at 13 minutes. I am excited to report as well that the new executive director has agreed to put a television in the room where the bikes are, this is exciting and will help for sure as I work towards my goal of 45 minutes continuously.

    I hope you were able to catch my videos of me using the Zeen, a new mobility device that I am hoping to get to help me rely less on my wheelchair while also giving me opportunities to strengthen my leg muscles. Check out these video updates on my fiercelyindepedentpam facebook page. My sales representative as well as my nurse advocate is working hard at figuring out the needed insurance information to get this covered. The dysautonomia specialist at MUSC (aka the “Wizard”) has actually seen and tried out the Zeen and believes that this would be a big help for me. He has offered to write a letter to the insurance company in addition to the necessary prescriptions.

    In other updates, I am working on getting some brand ambassador/affiliate work with some companies where I really believe in their mission. You will see some posts about these products that have positively impacted my life. Please share these with anyone who might benefit. I appreciate the support. If you aren’t into shopping, just feel free to ignore these types of posts, but maybe you will see something that will solve a problem for you or someone you care about.

    Please know that I appreciate your support of this blog and my social media presence in general. Please help me spread these updates and my journey with others that might be interested. I want to spread my work to as many people as possible.