ChaosLife

A big, positive change is coming and we can’t wait to share it all with you!

After struggling over the last 2 years to adapt to life with uncontrolled seizures, K’s doctors had one suggestion for a lifestyle adjustment that sounded pleasant for a change: get a service dog. We spent the next few months reaching out to local organizations, talking to service dog owners, and researching the process to make sure we were prepared. However, the biggest hurdle we faced was the high cost of the process of testing, adopting, and months of training a potential service dog, which adds up to between $10k – 25k, none of which are covered by our healthcare plan.

A few helpful readers suggested we reach out to our internet family, so we started a YouCaring fundraiser to help with the costs, and thanks to so many lovely people supporting us, we have been able to afford the biggest first steps in the process: getting matched with a dog whose temperament (and his parents’) has been tested, is a compatible breed for K’s needs, and has some initial training underway. We’re scheduled to pick him up in the middle of July to bring him home(!!!!) and continue his training for K’s specific needs and environment. It’s going to be like doggy boot camp around here for a while, with a lot more training and expenses along the way, so if you’d like to follow any dog-specific news as the process unfolds, be sure to check in for updates on our YouCaring page where we’ll post occasional progress photos and blogs.

Here he is!

All of this work has a big payoff, however: K will get an enormous amount of freedom back, along with her peace of mind. Uncontrolled seizures are obviously unpredictable, so for her safety, K can’t do a lot of daily tasks unaccompanied — going for a walk, taking a shower, or running errands, for example — without risking a sudden fall, being unconscious while alone, or being unable to retrieve important items like a phone. A service dog will be there for her with the 24/7 focus that even a spouse with the best intentions can’t be to assist her with daily activities, and with any luck, he might even become sensitive to K’s seizures (like Jiji) and be able to warn her of oncoming seizures. We’re both excited by the possibilities and are so grateful to be at this point of the process.

Thank you again to everyone who has been supportive to us and I hope you’ll all enjoy the inevitable comics that will come from this new stage in our lives.

Need to find us on social media? Look up “FindChaos” pretty much wherever.