Let Me Count The Ways

How many ways does a service dog help their person. I am only one. I can only speak for me and now for Frax. So...how does Frax help?

He keeps me safe. I know that Frax will alert me to an oncoming seizure in enough time to take a pill that keeps me from seizing. That is HUGE. It keeps me from increasing the insidious damage MS and the seizure disorder caused by the MS can cause.

If I do seizure Frax makes sure I'm in a safe place, goes for help and returns to lay beside me, licking me to get me to awaken. He goes after my husband Bill to alert, or retrieves a phone that is pre-programmed to 911.

He helps me walk. I have foot drop in my left foot. It makes walking more difficult and predisposes me to falls. I have a brace I wear which helps. Frax heels on the opposite side than usual~ he's learned to help me from the right side instead of the left. This gives me extra strength to walk, since both of my legs are weak and clumsy. He helps me up and down curbs, and is awesome with assisting going up or down stairs...something I would never attempt on my own anymore. If I sit on the floor, he helps me to get back up, since my legs won't cooperate with that either.

If I drop things, and I drop things all the time...Frax picks them up and gives them to me~ pens, pencils, paper, books...you name it. He loves to retrieve! He once picked up a huge stapler (they're heavy!) which I had dropped but never expected him to pick up due to its heaviness! He picked it up anyway, before I could stop him!

He opens doors. Literally and figuratively. When people see me and Frax together, they don't see my disability. They just see a cool working team. When they see Frax and I working when I am in a wheelchair, the same: they see a person with a neat dog, and don't shy away like they would normally. Besides being able to open those physical doors, the psychological doors are just as if no more important.

He comforts me in the dark of the night when I hurt and shares my joys as well as my despairs. A constant uncomplaining friend who will never leave me ever. That's one of the many jobs he does as my service dog.

Frax has over 100 commands that I could natter on and tell you all about. The most important thing Frax had given to me, and my helper Jet, before him is freedom. Freedom from fear. Freedom from being isolated. Forgotten. Freedom to pursue new challenges, like becoming a writer.

There's no words to say how much Jet and now Frax have meant in my life, and in my husband's life, and the positive changes they've wrought not only in our lives, our family's life or in our community's. Please support those that are blessed to have one of these precious dogs in their lives. There seems be so little magic left in the world today. I'm here to tell you that I've been touched by magic since the moment I stepped across the threshold of Canine Assistants and commenced on this journey. Let's continue the magic...

Later...

LV, FX & JT

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