Ellen Kennedy, TN Patient

Her Personal Story with Service Dogs

Several years ago I suffered a head injury that left a neurological footprint.  Diagnosed with TN; one of the most painful non-lethal conditions known to humankind, my whole life changed.  This condition includes an array of bewildering symptoms:  blinding stabbing pain to one side of the face, ringing in the ears, burning sensations, sensitivity to the slightest touch, blurry vision, and dizziness.  Medications to control the pain cause drowsiness, cognitive dysfunction, and vertigo.  It cannot be certain at times what is worse, the pain or the medication. 

A science teacher, I began the year attempting to bring fun and enthusiasm into the classroom.  With the hundred plus names memorized in two days we were off to a great start.  Gradually the students started to notice that something was amiss.  They could not always understand my speech, I had forgotten most of their names, and the sudden bursts of pain would bring me to my knees.  By October my students were saying kind things that no teacher should ever hear, “Ms. Coss, are you alright?”  “You look terrible, you need to go home and get some sleep.”

The day that I needed help getting up and down the stairs at school, the day I was too blind to navigate the hallways, the day an eighth grader knocked into me and laid me out on the floor, I knew we all needed a helping hand.  Or in this special case, four paws.

Enter Medic, a ten-year-old dog with the graceful black and white tuxedo markings of a proper gentleman. 

Words cannot adequately describe the effect he has had over both my condition and my school.  I no longer fear the hallways; Medic is a buffer preventing accidental contact with my left side.  On the days the medication leaves me sick and droopy, his warm presence brings me back to life.  He has a similar effect on my students, who feel comfortable going to him for advice and comfort.

This year at the Conference I was delighted and heartened to meet another TN sufferer armed with a service dog.  We agreed that more patients should consider this  option.  A dog has no negative side effects, and provides unconditional support.  Even the most supportive doctors, friends and family have their doubts as they look at our apparently healthy bodies.  An appropriately trained dog not only notices each flash of pain, it can come to your side, prop you up, break your fall, or just offer silent witness and caring.  

Medic stepped on a rainbow two years ago, and many of you met my new dog Ch. Minot’s Ledge Jane Ears TT.   Please read the steps outlined below, and think about whether a service dog is right for you.   Do not try to turn your pet in to a service dog.  Without the proper training you and your dog may get into terrible trouble.  You cannot begin to imagine the circumstances that you will encounter.

• Contact your state government to find out what regulations govern service dog certification.  There is no standard federal rule regarding this important issue.

• Contact your state office that watches over Access/Discrimination for/against the Disabled.  This is vital, you want a name and number, preferably on a business card so that if anyone gives you a problem about access you can whip this out.

• Investigate the local Service dog agencies.  Don’t pick the first one, and don’t assume you have to use one in your own state.  For example, Delta does certification in multiple states.  Pick an agency that has people you like and a philosophy that works with yours.  Some will even help you find a trainer to train both you and your dog!

• Speak to your doctor and get a prescription for a service dog.  This is important for insurance, going on airplanes, and staying in hotels.

• If you will be buying your own equipment check out Bridgeport Equipment, www.bridgeportequipment.com,  they use the best  materials, understand dogs well, and keep their prices reasonable. 

• Finally, train, train, train!   Do obedience, agility, or pet tricks at home.  Even the most active TN sufferer has moments of agoraphobia.  Why not, when the wind can knock you down?   My dogs insist that I get up and out, and while I am running around an agility course I am usually pain free. 

• The bottom line for many of us is cost.  It is not well known that a service dog is  considered a ‘medical expense.’  Some insurance plans will pay for the purchase/training.  If not, or if you are uninsured, it is a deductible medical expense, on schedule ‘A’ under  ‘equipment’ such as crutches, home based hospital beds, etc.  Service dog agencies have  resources as well, so don’t let money issues slow you down.

Updated 3-7-05