I hate it when Joanne has to go to the psychiatrist. It's the ONLY place she doesn't take me. I can go into any doctor's office, and her therapist, internist, neurologist, physical therapist, and gynecologist must (and gladly do) allow me in their offices. We've repeatedly gone into our local hospital together to pick up our friends after outpatient surgery. I've even accompanied her when she was sent directly from her doctor's office to a radiologist's for an x-ray. Her psychdoc, however, has a severe allergy problem that rises to the level of a disability under the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act). Even though poodles are hypoallergenic, we can trigger an allergy in a small number of cases, so Joanne and her psychdoc have to compromise to accommodate each other's disability.
If the weather is going to be hot and Joanne doesn't have anyone to keep me company while she's in the office, she simply has to cancel her appointment. A hot car could be fatal to me. In cool weather, she checks in quickly with the receptionist and gives her the credit card to pay for the visit. She tells the receptionist to call her cell phone when the doctor is ready to see her and then comes out and hangs out with me in the back of the van until the phone rings. She goes into the office and I soon jump in the front seat and focus my sight on the door into which she disappears. A little bit later I start to drool due to anxiety. On her way out, Joanne signs the credit card slip and retrieves her credit card. By the time she comes back (hopefully it's the standard 15-minute appointment, but Joanne's psychiatrist is too conscientious not to extend if there's too much to discuss about her current condition) we're both tense and unhappy.
Today, Joanne came up with a brilliant idea to help both of us recover from our separation. We had about three hours before we went to her therapist and we went to a nearby state park and went for a little hike in the woods. We both got to move and breathe fresh air in the sunshine. There's nothing better for anxiety than that. Plus we got to play in the woods. I got to do all sorts of things that a service dog should never do in public. I got to play fight with her -- growling and mock biting -- and I got to go running free. All Joanne asked is that I stay in sight and come back when she signaled me.
By the time we got to the therapist I was a mellow, relaxed poodle. Joanne was in better shape too.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Isn't a service dog a health risk in healthcare facilities, groceries, restaurants, etc.? No, of the two of us Joanne is a much bigger health risk to you than I am. Her four grandchildren (all of whom are kindergarden, preschool and daycare age) are worse. There are comparatively very few diseases you can catch from a dog, but you can catch every single infectious disease carried by the humans you encounter -- especially if their hand-washing hygiene is less than stellar.
Related links:
Guidance from the CDC (Center for Disease Control) on service dogs in healthcare facilities: http://www.servicepoodle.com/useful-links-1/service-dogs-in-health-care-facilities
In the green of health: Just five minutes of “green exercise” optimal for good mental health: http://portal.acs.org/portal/acs/corg/content?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=PP_ARTICLEMAIN&node_id=2108&content_id=CNBP_025932&use_sec=true&sec_url_var=region1&__uuid=da0bc9d2-a90d-4276-be51-b7df04751d53
No comments:
Post a Comment