Yesterday I had an appointment with a doctor that is a chiropractor and also does acupuncture. I've considered acupuncture for a long time but since there was no guarantee it would help me and my insurance doesn't cover it and it's expensive and I am fairly poor, I never tried it until now.
But I decided recently that I had to do something different. Not only for the fibro pain, but everything else, too. This UTI. This weird gum infection that finally seems to be gone, but that I dealt with for so many months. My PTSD. I've been having more trouble sleeping lately, feeling more anxious and depressed, and at first I attributed that to tutoring more hours, but I'm not sure that's all of it. And I felt like I needed to do something and I thought of calling my psychiatrist for an appointment (I'm not scheduled to see him again until March, I think), but then I thought, what is he going to do? Prescribe more medication? And I don't really want more psych meds.
A couple friends have tried to talk me into seeing a therapist. But I don't want to. I think it might help me, if I could feel safe enough doing so. But it doesn't feel safe. It's not just that I don't want to, I actually ended up having a pretty bad anxiety attack last night just talking about the possibility with a friend.
It feels to me like the fibro is very connected to the traumatic experience at the hospital a couple years ago. Maybe some other stuff is related, as well. It's hard to know. How do you diagnose that?
So I talked to another friend, a friend that happens to be a therapist but that I knew would also get it when I said I felt like there were trauma stuck in my body and that I thought past trauma was causing my fibro. We talked, and I did some thinking, and then I decided that I have to do something. I can't keep doing nothing and hope that things will somehow change. That makes no sense.
So I made an appointment with a massage therapist. I made an appointment with an acupuncturist. And some other stuff.
But. Acupuncture. I love the acupuncturist. She is fantastic. And I felt great after my first session. It was weird. The first thing I noticed was that my vision seemed clearer. It was like things were sharper, brighter, more in focus. But my pain seemed better, too. I came home from the appointment and took a nap and it was a great nap. I woke feeling really refreshed.
Then later I had a conversation with a friend about seeing a therapist and had a big anxiety attack. But still. The acupuncture seemed to help.
The acupuncturist loves Isaac. She said she'd like to have a therapy dog in her office some day.
Isaac was great during the appointment. He lay down beside the bed I was on and took a nap.
I trained explosive detection, drug, search and rescue, and police (defense ) dogs for 20 years in the U.S, Air Force. Now I have been prescribed a Service Dog myself due to PTSD, TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury), Cancer (Reseulted in permanent physical disability requiring medical supplies with me 24/7/365) etc. Anyways, what I wanted to mention to you is the embarassment and paranoia I feel out in public with my service dog is unbelieveable. When people ask me what is wrong with me I want to come out of my chair and rip their heads off. The meds keep me from doing that I think but boy, the handling of a service dog in public needs some serious trainings to the handler. I speak with my neurospychologist, psychiatrist, oncologists, neurologists, etc often regarding these topics and it isnt easy. When the K-9 training is done, starts the hard part. The training of the Handler to understand how they will be viewed and hated out in the public. My psychiatrist says my paranoia and PTSD is causing the issues out in public as I know, not think, but know, everybody out there is against me.
ReplyDeleteI have been asked for my expertise in training Service Dogs from my K-9 training backround, and animal psychology expertise etc, and I do not have a problem offering my services to the right situation BUT...it should be noted that training of the handler is jut as important as the Service Dog Training and animal psychology. You see, its the lifestyle channge that is very hard for people to overcome. I now make it mandatory that I work with the patient(human) for a long time to ascertain their feelings of being judged a loser by others. Are they paranoid, defensive, etc, etc as that will determine when and if they can have a Service Dog and use the dog to his/her benefit fully.
Anyway, I dont know how you overcame your feelings of being considered a victim or how you came to accept the Service Dog change in your life, but I wanted to mention that the handling of a service dog in ones life can be a very hard obstacle for some patients to overcome. Tht is why if I agree to train a service dog I must be able to spend countless time with the handler and work with them without the dog. Anyway, any thoughts response from you is appreciated. Maybe I will start my own blog someday. Take care Bobby
I agree with you, Bobby. The handler does need training in order to deal with the attention being in public with a service dog brings. The program I got Isaac from did provide some of that training. I also practiced saying the answers I would give when someone asked me a question, so I can now answer most things pretty automatically.
DeleteI know some people that have chosen not to have a service dog because of the stares and questions and everything. For me, the benefits of having my service dog outweigh the disadvantages, but there are days I get really fed up with it.
How do you cope when you cant have your service dog with you. Lets say you do swimming for hours or are a triatholon person. How do you cope when you cant have your dog with you in that specific instance?
ReplyDeleteDo some people who have a service dog rely on family members or friends to assist them when their dogis not available. Like when they are in the vet office for multiple days/surgery?
ReplyDeleteWhen my dog can't be with me for whatever reason, I rely on friends for assistance or I just do the best I can. It's important to have as many coping skills as possible because dogs do get sick, injured, etc. That's why schools that train guide dogs for the blind insist that recipients have received orientation and mobility training with a long cane before receiving a guide dog, so that they do not only rely on their dog but can still get around without their dog when necessary.
DeleteYes. I asked the question in hopes that others see your post on this info, as I had a handler who couldnt understand that point. Have a nice day
ReplyDelete