Sample Letter for a Service Dog in No Pets Housing

Here is a sample letter for a landlord from a doctor or other health care provider stating you are disabled and need a service dog.  A similar letter could be used to state you need an emotional support animal.  The letter should be written on letterhead and dated, of course.  And of course, you'd put in your own name and list some of the things you have difficulty doing. Note that the letter does not need to say what your disability is, just that you are disabled.

Dear Landlord:

Kelly is my patient, and has been under my care for about six years. She meets the definition of disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act as well as the Fair Housing Act. Due to her disability, Kelly has a number of functional limitations. For instance, she has difficulty bending forward to pick up items from the floor or to remove laundry from the clothes dryer. She may have difficulty retrieving medication or a telephone if she needs to call for help. In order to  alleviate these difficulties and to enhance her ability to live independently and to fully use and enjoy her dwelling, Kelly needs a trained service dog to assist her. A specially trained service dog will help to mitigate her disability and improve her quality of life .

Sincerely,

Doctor

Merry Christmas

Returning the Rental Car

Friday I got to pick my van up at the garage and that also meant I got to return the rental car.

When I rented the car, I was informed that the rental company had a no pets policy, which seems to be typical of rental car companies these days.  Isaac was there with me at the rental car office and the employee that was assisting me said something like, "Of course, I see you have a service dog and that's OK."  He said, "I'm just going to write on this paperwork, customer has a service dog," and I saw him write it.

I had a sheet with me and I covered the entire back seat with it, not just the flat part you sit on, but the back of the seat, too.  Fitted sheets work great for that, by the way.  So Isaac never sat directly on the seat the whole time I had the car.

When I returned the car, I did notice a small amount of dog hair, mostly on the front driver's seat.  Where Isaac never sat, of course, because while he is very smart, he cannot drive.  That hair had been transferred to the seat from my coat.  Which would have happened even if Isaac had never been in the car, because my coat would have still been in the car.

The employee saw the hair and said, in a not-so-friendly tone of voice, "Did they tell you no pets in the car?  Did you sign that paper saying you understood?"

I said, "Yes, and no pets were in the car.  However, my service dog was in the car.  He is allowed in the car, because the Americans with Disabilities Act says he is allowed."  I added, "I think that small amount of dog hair will be easily removed with normal vacuuming."

She was looking unhappy and flipped through the paperwork to show me the form I signed agreeing to their no smoking and no pets in the car rules.

I said, "I think Gerry wrote something about my service dog on the paperwork somewhere when he rented me the car."

She flipped through the paperwork again and seemed a little happier then.

I was annoyed.  I hope they do not end up trying to charge me for the dog hair because it really was not a lot of hair and should be easily removed if they vacuum, which I assume they do between customers anyway.

Three Wise Women

Here's a Christmas story for you. I remembered this as I was putting up my tree today.

Many years ago, I lived with a woman that was Christian. Well, sort of Christian. Her religion told her she was going to hell since she was a lesbian, but she was still mostly Christian. So as we were decorating our tree one year, she had these ornaments that depicted the three wise men.

And I said, off hand, "I want three wise women on my tree."

She said, "You can't have three wise women!"

Well, I was like, "Why not?"

She said, "There weren't three wise women there."

So I thought about that. Surely there were women there when Jesus was born. I mean, Joseph didn't deliver that baby. Men didn't have anything to do with birthing babies back then. He would have been in the inn, probably getting drunk, while his son was born. Women would have attended Mary.

They would have summoned a midwife if possible, and midwives were wise. You had to be wise to deliver a baby in a barn with no modern medical stuff available and have both mom and baby come through the birth healthy. You'd have to be wise to do that today, and women are better nourished today and have better prenatal care. Plus Mary was a teenager, so her birth would have been riskier than that of an adult woman.

If there was no midwife around, other women would have attended Mary. Most women knew about birth back then. Maybe the innkeeper had a wife or daughters. They could have been wise.

And there were probably some prostitutes working at or around the inn. Who is to say they weren't wise?

There were women there. And if they helped a teenager give birth in a barn and the mom and baby both survived and were healthy, they were wise.

My friend was pretty shocked and upset that I suggested Jesus might have been delivered by hookers.

But the real story of Jesus's birth would have been that women helped deliver him, and it would have been bloody and smelly and, well, real. I know you don't see that in the nativity scene on the church lawn. But I've been at births. I know. And I know the women there were wise.

Happy Cat

Whiskers is thankful for the bathroom rug and her toys.

Whiskers List

I am thankful for:

• My house
• My person
• That dog
• Things to scratch
• Windows
• Water bottle lids!
• Catnip
• My bed
• My litter box
• Cheese
• Treats
• Not falling in the bathtub too often
• My water dish (the dog thinks it is his but it is not)
• Naps
• Cuddles

Isaac's List

I'm thankful for:

• My mom.
• My Whisker cat.
• All my friends.  Including Mike and that lady that lives downstairs that lets me kiss her and Mom's doctor with the needles that always pets me first and that vet guy that gives good belly rubs and that man that brings hard boiled eggs and the UPS guy that wants to play with me but Mom says no.
• That Hershey dog that lives across the hall.
• Treats.
• Hot dogs.
• My Kongs.  All of them.  And my Blue Toy.  And Mr. Pickle.
• Little people that pet my ears gently.
• Cheese.
• Hard boiled eggs.
• Bones.
• Walks in the woods.
• Running.
• Swimming.
• Things to sniff.
• Poop to roll in.
• My bed.  Mom thinks it's hers but who sleeps in it more?
• Car rides.
• Dinner.  
• Breakfast.
• Peanut butter.
• Snow.  But not rain. 
• Squirrels.  And deer.  And ground hogs.  And wild turkeys.  Basically anything I can chase.
• Lakes.  And creeks.  And rivers.  And ponds.
• Belly rubs. 
• Ear rubs.

Giving Thanks

Today I am thankful for many things.  My life is far from perfect and there are things I lack, things I want, things I wish were different.  But there is still much for which I am thankful.  And today I chose to focus on those things.

I am thankful for:

• Isaac, of course.  For all the ways he helps me.  For his joyful energy.  For his constant, unconditional love.  And I am thankful he is recovering well from his leg injury.
• Whiskers.  I did not want a cat.  But she wanted me and she is playful and cuddly and so much fun.  And I am grateful I was able to give her the care she needed and the home she deserved.
•  For all the friends, as well as some strangers, that donated money to allow me to go to Nebraska to get Whiskers and bring her home.
• All my friends.  I am going to name some specifically, but I know I'll miss some, and I am truly thankful for them all.
• The friend that sent me, Isaac and Whiskers a care package recently.  Which arrived in five installments.  Full of treats for all of us, including catnip mice for Whiskers, a bone Isaac thinks is just terrific, sugar free candy for me, warm socks for me, lavender Epsom salts for me, and many other goodies.  Isaac also truly enjoyed the visits from the UPS guy.  
• The friend that sent me what she called a "winter hike in a box," a package full of warm winter hiking gear.
• The friend that canceled plans to come pick me up when I had a minor car accident and my car had to be towed.  And then bought me dinner and gave me some money for groceries.
• The friend that, upon hearing I had gone to the drugstore to test my blood pressure when I was feeling ill, bought a blood pressure monitor for me.
• My neighbors.
• My health care providers.  I think I have an awesome team of health care providers.
• My dentist, who managed to create an environment where I feel very little anxiety when receiving dental care.
• My acupuncturist, for providing the most pain relief I've gotten from anything in years.
• My car insurance company.  I'll share - it is State Farm.  When I was recently involved in a minor accident, the insurance agent took my report, arranged for a tow truck and a rental car (and the rental was covered in full by my insurance) and, as much as possible, made a stressful situation easier to cope with.
• The local food pantries that have made sure I have food to eat these past few months, when my medical bills have been high and I've been short on cash for groceries.
• A kitchen full of food.
• My home.
• My van.
• My new gym shoes. A birthday gift from a good friend.
• My laptop computer.
• Work that supplements my disability income and gives me something interesting to do.
• Hiking with Isaac.
• My daily spiritual practice.
• The traveling Isaac and I got to do over the past summer.  Visiting a good friend in Michigan.  Visiting a friend and her service dog Jake in Nebraska.
• The opportunity to go camping twice over the past summer.  And my camping gear, which we will be using next summer.
• Books.  And books on CD.
• Music.
• Medication that helps me.  Better living through chemistry.

Juice? I'll Get You Juice!

Today I was practicing Get the Juice with Isaac, where he gets me a juice box from the fridge. He is now obsessed with getting me juice. Every time I start to tell him to do something, without listening to see what I am actually going to say, he guesses it will be "Get the juice!" and he runs for the fridge. Then he looks confused about why he doesn't get a treat when he delivers my juice (I only treat when he does it on command).

Service Dogs in Rental Cars

I have a rental car at the moment because Friday I had a minor car accident and my van is in the shop.  I have stuff related to the accident to blog about, but not right now.  Later.

But rental cars.  This is the second time I've had a rental car since I've had Isaac.  Under Title III of the ADA, service dogs are allowed in rental cars.  It seems many rental car companies specifically do not allow pets in the cars, but a service dog is not a pet.  They are allowed.

The first rental car I had, the employee that assisted me seemed unsure when I told him my service dog would be in the car.  I told him the Americans with Disabilities Act says he is allowed.  The employee looked unsure but said he guessed it would be OK.

The current rental car is from a different company.  The employee that assisted me informed me that they don't allow pets but that of course my service dog would be OK.  Then he informed me that if there was excessive dog hair in the car, I would be charged for cleaning.  Well, yeah, but it would have to be so much hair that  normal vacuuming would not remove it.  And that is unlikely. 

I put a sheet over the entire back seat to help keep the seat clean.  I am not worried about hair.

Show Down

I was working on a very fascinating article about mold when I heard Isaac whimpering. So I looked over to see what he was whining about and there was Isaac's Blue Toy (a toy he likes a lot that you can stuff treats in, we call the Blue Toy because, well, it is blue) with Isaac on one side and Whiskers on the other, having a show down.

Whiskers does not even want to play with that toy, but she has been a bit rude to Isaac here lately. Isaac wanted his toy and she was daring him to try to pick it up. So he was afraid to try to get it. Poor doggie.

I had to tell him it was OK, he could get his toy, and he crept forward, snatched it up quickly, and ran away with it.

So, Like I Said, I Saw the ENT Today

And when he finished telling me about his affinity for labs, he did examine me.  It was a pretty quick appointment.  He wanted to schedule some testing, which is what I expected to happen.  He asked some questions, seemed to be making sure my dizziness and other symptoms were not likely to be caused by something like a stroke or a brain tumor (I already know they were not), and then said he thought the best thing to do was to do some tests to see if there is something wrong with my inner ear(s).  Which made sense to me. 

So still no answers and no treatment, but they were able to schedule the testing for next week, which seemed really quick to me.  And I will see the doctor that same day, right after the tests, so I will get the results and hopefully we will have some answers then.

Saw the ENT Today

The first thing the new ENT doctor says upon entering the exam room: Oh! A lab! I love labs. I had one but I lost her in May of 2014. She was a chocolate lab. I just love labs.

Me: Yes, they are nice dogs. Um, would you like to hear about my symptoms?

ENT: So this is a service dog? Does that mean he gets to go everywhere with you? How nice.

Me: Yes, it is nice. So, should I tell you about my dizziness?

ENT: I just have a real affinity for labs.

Isaac: I have a real affinity for you, too. May I sniff your crotch? And then I'd be happy to help you out by catching that fly buzzing around your window.

Update on the Doggie

Isaac seems to be feeling better today. When I took him out to pee, he lifted his right leg to pee on some bushes, which meant a lot of weight was on his injured left leg. Until now, he's been lifting his left leg to pee so his weight was on his good leg. At the moment he is busy gnawing on a knuckle bone, but he is pretty unhappy that I won't take him for a walk since it a gorgeous day here today.

Give a Dog a Bone

A friend sent Isaac some treats and toys, including this bone from Nylabone. Isaac loves it.  He's been carrying around for two days.

Whiskers got some toy mice, which she has been enjoying.

She also really liked the box the mice arrived in.

Service Dog Off Duty

Isaac injured his leg today at the park. He was running and apparently ran into something, maybe a fallen log he tried to jump over, I'm not sure because while he was within my eyesight, I was not close enough to see what happened.

I heard him yelp and then he came back to me limping. At first he wouldn't put any weight at all on his left back leg. Then he started walking on it sometimes, but not all the time, but still limping.

We must have been at least half a mile from our car and I was scared I wouldn't be able to get him back to the car. I thought about trying to carry him but he weighs nearly 80 pounds. There is no way I could carry him. I was considering calling a friend and begging him to leave work to come  help me, but Isaac seemed able to walk as long as we went slow, so that's what we did.

I could tell he was in pain. He was panting heavily and his eyes were really wide. He looked very stressed.

We went to the vet and he as a lot of swelling and a nasty scrape on that leg. Fortunately nothing is broken and the vet does not even think anything is sprained. He has anti-inflammatory medication and unfortunately for him, he will not be able to go for long walks or run or do anything active for two weeks (at least). He will mostly be off work for two weeks, as well, although I may take him to a few appointments I have that will not involve much walking IF he is no longer limping and does not appear to be in pain.

What Disabilities Qualify for a Service Dog?

I get questions a lot like can you get a service dog for depression?  For generalized anxiety disorder?  For Tourette Syndrome?  For asthma?  Insert your disability here.

When determining whether or not you qualify for a service dog, it doesn't matter what your disability is.  What matters is how your disability affects you.  It's a matter of how severe your condition is, not what your diagnosis is.

A real simple example is that of visual impairments.  Many people wear eyeglasses.  But most are not disabled by a visual impairment.  With their glasses, they can see all right.  Some people, though, have such poor eyesight that glass don't help or that, even with glasses, they cannot see very well at all.  They have trouble doing all sorts of things due to their poor eyesight.  They are blind or visually impaired and are considered disabled.

The same can be said for many, many conditions.  Lots of people with PTSD are not disabled by the condition.  Many people have anxiety disorders, and maybe they see a therapist or take medication for it, but they aren't disabled.  They are able to do daily tasks with little or no assistance.  Some people, though, are unable to manage basic tasks due to their severe anxiety and they are disabled by the condition. 

Lots of people have diabetes but are not disabled by it.  They have to watch what they eat and maybe they need to check their blood sugar a few times a day and maybe they take medication or even insulin injections, but they are able to see and hear and think and communicate and concentrate and breathe and all those basic life activities just fine.  Some people, though, have severe highs and lows with their blood sugar and for some reason aren't able to feel it when their glucose drops dangerously low (I sure feel it, but some people, often children, don't), and it can be life-threatening.  They might be disabled by their condition, even though many people with diabetes are not.

I could make a list of disabilities for which someone might have a service dog, but it would be a super long list, and I'd be sure to forget to include some conditions.  The bottom line is that it depends on how the condition affects you.  If you're not sure if you are disabled by your condition, whatever, that condition is, that is a conversation to have with your doctor.

And if you're not sure how to go about talking to your health care provider about a service dog, check out this post.

Isaac Made a New Friend

Today at the Medicaid office, Isaac made friends with the cutest little girl. She was probably three or four and as soon as she spotted Isaac in the waiting area (he was conked out on his side sleeping), she announced to everyone, "That dog is sleeping! We should not be too loud. That dog is sleepy. We won't yell so we won't wake him up."

She was fascinated with him, though, and kept moving closer and closer. I asked her if she wanted to pet him and of course she did.

She ended up sitting on the floor beside him, petting his head gently and talking up a storm to him. She told him about her new shoes, about how she had lost a tooth, and some other stuff I didn't quite understand. At one point I heard her tell him, "You're my friend. I like you and you like me. You are my friend now." It was absolutely adorable.

Update on the Issue with the Eye Care Place

About a week ago, I wrote about how I went for my biannual eye exam and was asked by two different employees why I have a service dog.

A couple days ago, I was able to go in and speak with the office manager (who happened to be one of the employees that asked me inappropriate questions about my service dog) a
bout my experience.  It turned out he knew why I wanted to speak to him and was already aware there had been a problem.  I think maybe the eye doctor told him how I'd pointed out to her that she was violating the Americans with Disabilities Act by asking why I need a service dog. 

The office manager told me that he'd done some research after my visit and that he was aware that he asked the wrong question or phrased it the wrong way.  He was able to tell me what the two questions are that the staff is allowed to ask under the ADA.

He did try to tell me that they were only asking because they wanted to make sure they provided the best possible care for me.  I addressed that, pointing out that if there is concern one of the eye tests could trigger seizures, they should be asking all patients if they have a history of seizures, not just those with service dogs since many people with seizure disorders will not have service dogs.  He agreed.  He also mentioned diabetes and was aware that there are service dogs that help people with diabetes (usually type 1 diabetes) and he himself pointed out that most people with diabetes won't have a service dog so it is important that they ask all patients if they are diabetic.

He told me that they all thought Isaac had done really well, he'd been very well-behaved and was clearly well-trained, and he was welcome there any time.  He asked me some general questions about service dogs, like how long it takes to train them and things like that.  He told me I was their first patient to come in with a service dog and I said I understood that and that I know people usually do not mean to be intrusive or to offend and that I just wanted to be sure they understood both the law and how to deal with patients with service dogs in a sensitive and respectful manner.

Internalized Ableism

I remember reading about a study once in which researchers offered both black and white dolls to both black and white children.  Both the black children and the white children preferred the white doll.  That is telling, right?

Well, people with disabilities internalize ableism, too.  They internalize prejudice and sometimes discriminate against others with disabilities.  Also, they sometimes cooperate with people that want to discriminate against them.

Examples?

In the last few weeks, I have had discussions with:

• Two different EMT's, both of whom are disabled and have service dogs, that believe service dogs should not be allowed in ambulances.  One went so far as to say she would refuse to transport a service dog in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
• Another service dog  handler, not an EMT, who also thinks service dogs should not be allowed in ambulances.  She informed me I would be risking my life if I insisted on taking my service dog with me in an ambulance and said she thought the paramedics should refuse to transport my dog.  Besides risking my life, I would be inconveniencing the paramedics, who would have to disinfect the ambulance after transporting my dog.
• Someone with 12 years of experience working in an emergency room, who is himself disabled with a service dog, who said people should not bring their service dogs to the ER.  He said it was just "common sense."
• Another service dog handler who said a group of five friends, all of whom have service dogs, should not have gone to eat in a restaurant together with their service dogs.  A group of disabled people with service dogs is too noticeable and might intimidate some people.  Plus, that much dog hair would be a health hazard.  Later, she said a regular restaurant would be OK but not a buffet, because of the dog hair.

The U.S. Department of Justice has clearly said that people can take their service dogs in ambulances, to emergency rooms and to restaurants, including buffets.   Now, if someone feels it is risky to take her service dog in an ambulance, or doesn't want to inconvenience the paramedics by making them disinfect an ambulance that has been exposed to dog hair (they must clean the ambulances anyway, right?  I sure hope so!), or doesn't want to take his service dog to the ER, or is uncomfortable being noticed in a restaurant or prefers not to dine out with other disabled friends - well, they are not required to do so.

But does it surprise you that these people, who have disabilities and service dogs, hold these beliefs and argue vehemently against the rights of fellow service dog handlers?  It surprised me.  This is internalized ableism.

A New Experience at the Grocery Store

I had a new, and somewhat disturbing, experience yesterday.  And I don't have new experiences at the grocery store too often anymore.

I was at the grocery store, doing the self checkout thing, when a little girl about five or so came over close to Isaac. She was looking at him and maybe going to ask to pet him (or maybe pet without asking, I don't know), when her father, who was at another self checkout thing, started yelling at her. "Get over here! Leave that dog alone! That dog is working, you can't pet him. You can't bother a working dog. Get over here right now! Don't make me come over there and get you!"

While I usually appreciate parents that tell their kids not to bother working dogs, I've never had a parent yell at their kid about it like this. I hate when parents yell at their kids. It's a trigger with my PTSD. And it seems so rude. Would they talk to anyone else that way? And if not, what makes them think it is OK to talk to their kids like that?

While I finished ringing out my stuff, I thought about it, and I wondered how the dad would respond if I yelled at his kid that way when she was looking at my dog. I would never do that, of course, but I bet he wouldn't like it if I did. So why does he think it's OK for him to talk to her that way?

They were just getting ready to leave when I was done paying, and I decided I needed to do something. I approached them, said "excuse me" and asked the dad if it would be OK if Isaac said hi to his little girl (as long as it was OK with the little girl, too, of course).

He said yes, so I asked her if she would like to say hi to Isaac. She did. She petted him really nicely and I told her his name.

I told her I'd noticed her looking at him earlier and told her it is OK to ask if she can pet a dog in a store, but that she always needs to ask before petting a dog she doesn't know. I also said sometimes the dog's person might say no, and then she should said "OK, thank you" and not bother the dog.

I asked her if she would like to give Isaac a treat and she said yes, so I gave her a treat from my pocket and told her to tell him to sit first, which she did, and Isaac sat right away, and she liked that.

I thanked the dad for telling her not to bother a working dog and told him that it's OK to ask someone to pet a SD as long as you realize the handler might say no and that's OK.

I felt pretty good about how I dealt with the whole situation, but I still hate when parents scream at their kids like that.

It's Night Time

Isaac is so cute. He heard me talking to Whiskers (telling her to leave it, which was about as effective as you would imagine it would be), so he got out of bed and suggested I talk to him, too. I did, and petted him, and then he got his Kong and brought to me to ask if I would put a treat in it for him. I informed him that we were not going to play Kong because it is night time, so he shrugged, dropped the Kong, and trotted back to bed. He totally knows what "it's night time" means.

A Few Fall Pics

And a selfie with Isaac, taken when I still had hair.

Bald, Beautiful and Brave

Today I shaved my head in support of a friend who has lost most of her hair due to an autoimmune disorder. Yesterday, she decided to shave her head, what hair was left there, and it was an emotional thing for her. A few people decided to shave their heads, too, in support of her.

There are actually many illnesses that cause hair loss, including cancer, autoimmune disorders, trichotillomania and eating disorders. I am hoping I can raise a little awareness and also help challenge traditional ideas of what beauty is. 

It's been interesting so far and I'm sure it will become even more interesting.

Many people have told me I am brave.  I have said, repeatedly, I don't think I am that brave.  My friend, the one going through a serious illness, is brave.  It takes a lot more courage to face that than to shave my head, especially when I know my hair will grow back.  My hair has always grown quickly.  

I was thinking about it and I wonder if, were I to tell people I was shaving my head because I had a serious illness that was making me lose my hair, would they still tell me I am brave?  Or would they feel sorry for me?  I bet it would be the latter.  And they might also be a bit afraid that they might catch whatever serious illness was making me lose my hair.

It is brave to do something so unconventional.  It's brave to stand out.  But I don't want everyone telling me I'm brave and wonderful for doing this.  That's not why I did it.  That's not the point.

This was Isaac's first experience at a hair salon, by the way.  He treated it like any other public access situation.  I allowed him to say hi to the woman that shaved my hair, because she really wanted to pet him.  Turns out she had to euthanize her cat last week.  In addition to petting Isaac, she kissed him and nuzzled his face and let him kiss her and nuzzle her neck.  It seemed very important to her to pet him and I was happy to let her.
 

All Tucked In

Look who tucked herself into bed.

Why Do You Have a Service Dog?

A couple weeks ago, I went to have my biannual eye exam (yes, I know it is recommended annually but Medicaid will only pay for it every other year and since my prescription barely changes these days and I have no problems with my eyes, I only do it every other year).

While I was sitting in the waiting area, you know, waiting, the office manager came over to me and asked, "May I ask why you have a service dog?'

I gave him my standard answer.  "I don't share that information with people I don't know."

Yes, the ADA allows businesses to ask two questions for the purposes of "gate-keeping," making sure a dog is really a service dog, but that's not what he was doing.  And he wasn't asking one of those two questions, either.

He said he understood and left.

As soon as I got back into the exam room, the doctor asked me, "And why do you have a service dog?"

I sighed and said, "You know you aren't really supposed to ask that, right?  Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, you are only allowed to ask two questions.  You can ask if it is a service dog and -"

She cut me off.  "You don't have to answer if you don't want to."

Well, I knew that.  Which is why I didn't answer.  But apparently she was in need of some education, so I wanted to offer that to her.  She was not interested in being educated, though.

"It's just that, in a medical setting, you know," she went on, making excuses that I wasn't buying.  "I wondered if there was some medical condition we should know about."

If that was true, then why not just ask that?  And why not ask it of all clients?  Why assume only clients with service dogs might have medical conditions?

"For instance," she went on, "if you have seizures, some of the tests we do, they could maybe trigger a seizure.  So it would be important to know about that."

If that was true, shouldn't they ask all clients if they have a history of seizures?  Not all people with seizure disorders have service dogs.  In fact, probably most don't.  Two years ago, though, when I was there without Isaac, no one asked me about seizures.

And if what you really want or need to know about is seizures, why not just ask about seizures?

I don't think she was really asking in order to get medical information.  If she was, well, there is a better, more appropriate, more respectful way to collect medical information.  And a way that doesn't violate the ADA.

Note that when I went to the ER recently, the day after my eye exam, in fact, no one there felt the need to ask why I have a service dog in order to gather the necessary medical information.  They just took a medical history, the same as they do for all patients.  My primary care physician has never asked why I have a service dog.  My rheumatologist has never asked.  They just took careful medical histories, like doctors should do with all patients.  If none of those medical professionals need to violate the ADA, and therefore violate my civil rights, by asking why I have a service dog, why should an eye doctor need to do so?

Edited to add: And yes, I am going to address this with them.  I called the next day to find out who was in charge, who I should speak to.  Turns out to be the office manager, the one that first asked me the inappropriate question.  Great.  But he was not in when I called.  I've tried calling two other times, plus I stopped by once, and have yet to catch him in the office.  He must not work very much.  But I will catch up to him.  I have printed out some educational material to give him and I plan to offer to speak to the entire staff at a staff meeting or training session.

Update on the Dental and Health Stuff

The dental work went well.  The most painful part of the procedure was injecting the novacaine.  A couple places where the needle had to go, it hurt.  But then I didn't feel anything during the procedure.  And it didn't take that long.

There were a couple moments where my PTSD was triggered a bit.  My jaw was starting to ache from having my mouth open so wide and the feel of the dentist's hand on my face was triggering.  I was able to push it away, to force myself back to the present.

I slept much of the afternoon.  Nothing about the procedure should have made me tired, yet I felt wrung out.  Whiskers curled up beside me and we slept off and on most of the rest of the day.

That was Wednesday.  Thursday I felt a little tired still but got a lot of stuff done.  Then Thursday night, I had nightmares.  I woke up for a while, managed to go back to sleep, had more nightmares.  Finally dragged myself out of bed, still tired, but not wanting to even try to sleep anymore.  And then Friday night was the same.  I'm guessing the nightmares were triggered by the dental procedure.  Hopefully I will be able to sleep better tonight.

The dizziness continues.  It seems to get worse in the evenings for some reason.  That's really the only pattern I've noticed.

I have an appointment later this month with an ENT.  Hopefully he has some ideas about it.

Dental Work Tomorrow

Tomorrow morning I have some dental work scheduled.  I'm expecting it to be painful but hopefully not horrible.  Hopefully I will recover relatively quickly.  But it's not just the recovery from the procedure itself, it's the way it may trigger my fibro pain and the way I expect it will trigger my PTSD.  Because dental stuff like this always does.

In the past, I've tried to get someone to go with me for procedures like this.  This time, I didn't bother to try.  I've had so much dental work done over the past year and a half, and I was able to get a friend to go with me one time, and a friend to come be with me at home afterward one other time, and that was it.  There was one other time a friend had agreed to come with me but then backed out at the last minute.

Isaac will go with me.  We have to go to the periodentology clinic at the dental college and he was wonderful on our first visit there.  I was horribly stressed out because it was ridiculously hard just to find the place and the appointment took forever, but Isaac was cool.

Today I went grocery shopping and I have protein shakes and herbal tea and ice cream, in case my mouth is sore, and because I figure a treat will be good.  I never buy ice cream.  Can't remember the last time I bought any.  But tomorrow I will have vanilla ice cream topped with warm apple butter and chopped pecans.

I also did some cleaning, straightened up the house, downloaded a new audio book to listen to, did everything I could think of to have things arranged to make myself comfortable while I recover.

Feels like it shouldn't be that big a deal for some fairly minor dental work.  But it is what it is.

Yes, I Have a Service Dog Just So You can Pet Him

Today was the second time I've had someone tell me I shouldn't take my service dog in public if I'm not going to allow people to pet him. Does that mean someone should not take their wheelchair in public if they aren't going to allow strangers to take a ride in it?

Managing My Meds.

I am currently on a ton of meds.  I've been on a lot for a long time, if you count all my vitamins, which I am counting.  I take a lot of vitamins because I had gastric bypass surgery about six years ago and that affects your ability to absorb vitamins and minerals.  So if you count those, I am on a ton of meds.

Here are all my meds for one day, Mondays to be exact.  There are a few vitamins I only take a few times a week, like vitamin A is only on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.  But vitamin D3 is only on Saturdays and Sundays and zinc is only on Tuesdays and Thursdays, so it works out to about the same number of pills.

This is not counting any PRN meds, like meds for anxiety or migraines.

I used to take my meds in three separate doses, the first at breakfast, the second either at lunch or dinner, and the third at bedtime.  Between the new med for vertigo, which has to be taken every eight hours, and the antibiotic for my UTI (which fortunately I only have to take for one week), I had to change my medication routine.  I now take meds five times a day, on a pretty tight schedule.  I have the alarm on my cell phone set to make sure I don't forget when to take them.

Just one of the things many people with chronic illnesses deal with on a daily basis.