Fiercely Independent Pam

Tag: service dog

  • Dreaming of Wet Noses Again… Gaining Strength and Making it Happen…

    Well it was bound to happen… I made a giant leap and ordered my first new pet product. It’s a smart collar that is almost like a fitbit for a dog. I was excited to do so and being then”gadget queen” I just knew it was a good purchase. But now I wait. PAALS is accomplishing amazing things, with this, being their 20th year. I am excited to hopefully attaining/befriending my service dog this year.

    I have learned a lot more about the process that PAALS uses to place service dogs with clients and am very ready to take on training, fundraising, and the hard work that is needed to build a bond between dog and handler.

    I spend a lot of time dreaming about a service dog and all it will be able to do for me. I think of dropped items, holding doors, accessing areas of the grocery store that I can’t access now. And the biggest thing- companionship- I long for sharing my bed with a sloppy, lovable beast of sorts. It’s been a long time since my dear Sofi was able to come into bed with me, but I remember it well, and it felt so perfect.

    Next steps include a site visit that will be combined with a community visit. PAALS is going to bring a service dog to help me negotiate the grocery store and gain some skills with cues. I so appreciate their willingness to help with transportation since the beach and Columbia is not the closest. It looks like this visit is going to take place in either March or April.

    I am also enthusiastic about the training process. I love learning new things and processes. Learning cues, signals, and directions are right up my alley. I am looking forward to daily training exercises and getting outside for walks several times a day.

    October is the big deadline. My 25th College Reunion is in October in Baltimore. I am so looking forward to seeing my friends, and having my service dog and making the big travel plans by flying to Baltimore. I missed my 20th reunion because my dad was dying so being on campus is even more important to me. It sounds like its a long shot to have my dog in time for reunion, but patience is the name of of the game and I will demonstrate that the quality of the process is more important than than the timing.

  • Under a Warm Quilt: Dreams of Things to Come!

    I have a small obsession with a quilt. You see my dad loved all sorts of patterns and designs on his shirts. He mismatched patterns with solids and such. My dear sister-in- law took a leap of faith and created a wonderful quilt using some fabrics from my dad’s closet. The end result is a wonderful throw quilt that I use at least once daily. It sits on my bed and I use it, even when I am not cold as it’s such a comfort tool for me.

    I swear that I feel my dad close by when I am resting or sleeping under this amazing quilt. Erin really outdid herself and created a cross pattern for the reverse of the quilt. It was a huge undertaking for her and I love the end result so much. I often wish I took the quilt with me to the hospital, but hate the idea of getting “hospital germs” on it. Everything needs to be balanced to keep my immune system safe.

    Currently, I believe my dad is sending me good thoughts and warm dreams of my service dog. I know he would be so Impressed with all that a dog is going to be able to do for me. He would’ve getting a kick over all the things that the dog will require including special shoes and sunglasses. He barely thought a dog needed even a leash.

  • Faith and a Four Legged Friend…

    Faith is believing that what is meant to happen, will happen. I believe in some things so much, that they are true. This is with people, events, and more. Faith can be as big as a warm embrace or as tiny as a single mustard seed and still work out. It’s knowing that certain things have happened, or even will happen. I am full of faith.

    I live my faith as a Catholic. I pray for Mary to intercede for me and clear the clutter in my mind and world. I utilize powerful tools like the Rosary and receiving Jesus in the Eucharist. These streghtn my faith and beliefs, as well as hopefully guiding others to a deeper faith.

    Faith is a funny thing, because on dark days or moment your faith in something or someone can falter causing you to lose faith. Losing faith is a scary thing. I have been through many dark times, where I questioned my faith and felt like I truly “lost it.” A rememdy I have found is my deep devotion to Mary, under the title of “Undoer of Knots.” The simple image of Mother Mary holding a ribbon (symbolic of our life) with both hands, with one side of the ribbon being riddled with knots and the other (after she took care of the ribbon) being smooth and beautiful strikes me every time. I ask Mary to undo the knots of my life and know that through her intercession to the Most Holy Trinity, my life will be smoother and more beautiful.

    I wanted to write about faith because of the events of yesterday. It was a big day! I traveled 2 1/2 hours each way inland to a special place. It was my interview for PAALS, the organization that I am hopefully going to receive my service dog from. It was my first time visiting their facility and I couldn’t be more impressed with what they accomplish.

    After a long and detailed interview, I was treated to interacting with a service dog in training, aptly named, Faith. She was warm, friendly, and full of good dog slobber and simply amazing! I forgot how much I loved kisses from a big slobbering dog! She quickly attended to the task at hand and helped me look good when fumbled through the cues. Then, she quickly and excitedly picked up a pill bottle I “dropped” as well as a tv remote. Both objects were placed directly in my hand. I could tell she loved working for working sake, but the praise of “YES!” and the treat didn’t hurt either! We then walked a short distance and she did great with my walker (despite having not worked with a walker before). She definitely earned a gold star from this teacher.

    It was not until I landed back in the car that the full impact of Faith’s name hit me… I immediately thought of a small decoration that sits in my bathroom featuring Woodstock planting a garden. It simply says, “Faith is for the things that take a while!” I believe this is exactly what this process is teaching me. When I applied to PAALS, I knew the process was going to be long but oh so worth it! I just need to have faith in the process and the end result.

    I won’t bore you with the nitty gritty details that I learned about the process, but there are several more steps to complete before I get to share my bed with a wet -nosed fabulous creature! There will be A LOT of fundraising opportunities and I will be asking for your help in this regard, but I’m not putting the cart before the horse!

    Oh and faith sometimes means rewarding yourself with something special. The trip inland included a stop at the famous Buc-ee’s. I saw these amazing pajamas and treated myself to them to commemorate the amazing day! If you have never stopped at Buc-ee’s before, be prepared to be overwhelmed!

    Christmas/ Dog PJ’s found and bought at Buc-ee’s
    Mary Undoer of Knots