To those of you who don't know me, I have a service dog for my cataplexy. And no, she cannot predict an attack. However, for some people who have very distinct triggers, such as laughter, a dog can very well come to recognize that every time you laugh, you end up on the floor in a heap. It may then learn to 'warn' you that you're about to go down. However, unlike an epileptic seizure, there are no electrical charges going off in our brains to warn our dogs.
However, if like me, you live alone, go out and about on your own, and knowing you could have a C attack at any time and it causes you anxiety, having a dog at your side helps to ease that anxiety. In my case my C attacks used to last only a few minutes. However, over the years, they have morphed and now last a good 30 minutes and I've been known to have 3 in a row. This was very disconcerting to me and created much anxiety. The anxiety lengthened the C attacks. My dog is a very calming influence on me.
Also, if you are prone to HH, during your haluciation, if you can think to look at your dog and see if it is reacting to a monster in your room, or someone breaking into your house, and you see it peacefully sleeping at your feet, or on the floor, you know you are having HH and it is NOT real. Granted, this can be done with any dog, not a service dog. Still, it's a perk.
I would venture to say that most of us suffer from depression and possibly anxiety. A service dog is a great tool to reduce both of those. While a pet dog can also do that, a pet dog cannot go everywhere with you like a service dog can. A service dog is allowed just about everywhere except an operating room or a delivery room.
My whole reason for writing this was my experience yesterday and it was not the first. My service dog and I are very bonded. I've had her for 5 1/2 years now. I took her for a walk much earlier than I normally do. It was 11am and I am not fully functional at 11am. But I figured how hard can this be. So we walked. Well, on our way home, I was absolutely struggling to stay awake. I was literally walking with my eyes closed. I periodically peeked out of one eye to make sure I was not going to walk into a hedge or something. I saw that my street was coming up.
I went to turn down my street and Olivia (my service dog) would not let me do it. She insisted we go straight ahead. Well, like I said, this has happened before and I'm no dummy, I looked at the street sign. It was not my street after all. And Olivia knew that. She was trying her darnedest to get her mom to understand that. I thanked her and we proceeded down the street to the next block where she dutifully turned in and brought me home, albeit with my eyes closed 95% of the time.
Living with an illness where oftentimes it seems that nobody understands what you're going through and you feel very isolated, you have anxiety, fear C attacks in public and at home, a service dog is a tremendous help.
There are organizations that will give you a service dog at no charge to you. There is a lengthy application process, but it is very doable. If you feel you would like to try for a service dog, I would be happy to help you. I have helped 5 people through the application process and off the top of my head know of 3 or 4 who are now on waiting lists for their dogs.
These dogs cost about $16,000 but these organizations get sponsors who will pay for your dog. You do have to go for training for yourself as living/working with a service dog is not like having a pet.
I don't know what I would do without Olivia. Many of you know what she means to me. Some of you have met me and Olivia and see how we work together. She is actually trained for multiple kinds of disabilities, but I don't need her to open and close doors, flip light switches off and on, or to retrieve items (well, sometimes I do). I do keep her current on many of her skills, because that makes her happy. I think her favorite thing to do is go get the newspaper in the morning (or afternoon as the case may be). Or if I tell her to go get my shoes. Of course she oftentimes brings me my sandals when I want my tennis shoes, but oh well. She's so darned happy to do it.
She is almost 7 - considered a 'senior' dog. I don't like to think about that. There is going to come a day . . . . Well, we don't want to talk about that. But my organization that I went through, will give me my next dog soon after Olivia passes. It won't be Olivia and I will keep her tucked into a special place in my heart and open a new place for a new dog.
Oh why am I talking about that. It's a long way off.
Anyway, if anyone has questions, just ask. You can ask here or email me privately.