Editor's Note: Author Heather Field Ruggiero, RN, BSN, worked as a nurse, facilitating patient care for a comprehensive medical clinic. She currently coordinates and facilitates Facebook groups for Rare New England.
Though investigations are ongoing, the current line of thinking is that along with a slew of other diagnosis' I have PNKD (Paroxysmal non kinesigenic dyskinesia). I was paired with my service dog, Savanah 6 years ago (the beginning of the month). She is a hearing dog who started picking up on episodes I was having and did not know what they were only a few months after being paired.
I am a single mother of a special needs daughter, as well. I got her to alert me to sounds my daughter makes that I can't always hear. She has been a life changer for our family. Because she was picking up these episodes and sometimes it stressed her out, we made the decision to mold those alerts into a task and response for ours and her sanity. And that has been a massive help to our family. It was not till this past year I had a doctor I trusted with the abnormal movements I was experiencing because of horrible treatments I had received in Emergency departments several times, throughout my life. I was afraid to disclose what was happening even to him, but he was witnessing my declining health and an episode. He was one on only a handful of incredible doctors I have had in my life and I will be forever grateful for him. I have a few rare disease diagnosis' and the funding for future research and treatments is not just necessary it is often a matter of life and death for patients. So I want to do what little I can. This is my Savanah, my heart dog.
Make a donation in Heather & Savannah's honor in the
Virtual Walk.
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