Posts Tagged ‘dog’
Some Christmas Miracles Come with Paws, and Ours Is Named Bingo
The holidays are always tricky for our family, just like they are for so many families with special-needs children. Our daughter is seven, but a simple Amazon search for “gifts for 7-year-old girls” doesn’t capture what she’ll actually love. If a toy isn’t tied to her current interest, it’s set aside within seconds. And when all her favorite shows seem to be from before 2015, gift hunting feels more like a treasure quest than a holiday tradition. This year, though, we’re preparing for something different. The greatest gift we could…
Read MoreWhen Christmas Isn’t Magical Yet: Hope for Parents Raising Disabled Children
To the parents raising disabled children who feel the weight of the holidays creeping in because Christmas isn’t magical yet… hold on. The holidays bring big feelings when your disabled child isn’t ready for the wonder. Some children find the magic late, but it’s no less perfect when it comes. Sometimes, it’s even more. There was a time when Christmas passed us by almost unnoticed. She didn’t care for the tree or the music, didn’t light up at the sight of wrapping paper or twinkling lights. And that silence… it…
Read MoreAm I enough?
I wake her every morning to begin a brand new day. I sit beside her, asking questions, slowing her steps, listening to her read, guiding her through mistakes, celebrating every victory. I nudge her past her comfort zone, toward chores, and cooking, and cleaning. I set alarms, build routines, help her move from one moment to the next. I give her her meds, teach her how to care for herself, walk the thin line between her independence and the dangers she cannot see. I place her sensory tools close, soft…
Read MoreThe 3 Types of Dog Helpers
Did you know there are different types of helper dogs? Three to be exact and they all serve a different purpose. Emotional Support Animal (ESA), Therapy Dog and Service Animal. Let me help you understand them, because it’s important to know how to use the right terms. Did you know that an Emotional Support Animal or ESA for short does not have public access rights? Yep, it’s true. Although some people will argue about this, the fact is simple, they don’t have the right to be in public and actually…
Read MoreAlways Read The Chart
I brought my dog Chloe to the vet tonight. She has an ear infection. I was dreading bringing her. See, a month or so ago I brought my other dog here because he was sick. And he never came home. I’m not over it. Not even close. Now I know to some people dogs are just dogs. But to me, he was my first baby, my constant, and my happiest hello. Putting him to sleep was traumatic for me. And not just the process. For starters I had never done…
Read MoreMore Than Just a Dog
Last night our family said goodbye to our chocolate lab, Bauer. It was sudden. It was unexpected. And it was traumatic. He woke up fine. Around mid-day he started having trouble walking. By 4 we were at the vet. At 4:30 the vet told me that he had a splenic rupture caused by a tumor and his tummy was filling with fluid. She told us our options. And then we asked her what she would do if it was her dog. By 6 he was gone. He died in my…
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