Final Plans

Today I had an appointment to get my wheelchair assessed to see whether I should try to get this one fixed up, or get a new one.  I've had this one for over 10 years, so it's time to start making some hard decisions!  You kinda grow attached to something you sit in quite often...in fact, I call him Wilson!
(Side Note: Me and my mother watched the movie 'Cast Away' (with Tom Hanks) shortly after I got the chair and even though I found the movie incredibly boring-  him talking to his volleyball which he named Wilson I found entertaining.  I began referring to my chair as Wilson and for awhile had one of those Walmart yellow volleyball's with the smile on it that I set on the top of the chair when it was in the car so it looked like a 'passenger'. You have to understand that I was only 16 -and I've always had a wacky sense of humor!)
The doctor said that I could probably squeeze another year or two out of this chair if I replace all the parts aside from the frame on it.  The way I put my chair into the car rubs the front of the frame against the asphalt and concrete and it will soon wear through. So I figured if the doctor prescribed a new one for me, I'd end up just going that route.  However, he then went into detail about what our insurance would cover.  I was under the impression that they were going to cover 70% of the cost.  BUT (of course there is always a but) it only goes to a max of $2,000-so if I go that route I'll still end up paying $3,000-$4,000 for it.  Bummer!  It's crazy how much wheelchairs cost. 
Anyways, I met up with Barb and Ro after the appointment to go over our final plans for placement training. So when I got out of my appointment I didn't see Barb and thought that maybe she was in the building across the parking lot next to the one I was at.  So I decided to go over and check, and the security guard asked if I was looking for someone.  I was like "Actually yes, have you seen someone with a service dog around?".  When he said he had and they were right around the corner, I was thinking 'Wonderful! How many service dogs could there be?'  Well...even though I rarely see them, evidently they are around because it wasn't them!  I ended up going back to the other building and finding them, then we went to go to the food court and the man that had the Saint Bernard as a service dog began asking how old Ro was, and when I adopted her and such.  I definitely am not very good about explaining what Ro will be doing for me yet.  It's like I draw a blank when put on the spot...which is odd because I talk to kids all day and even with adults I don't get nervous. I feel like I don't do her justice saying 'She helps me pick up things' because that isn't all she does and will do.  I better start working on a script or something!
I was very excited to see her and she had her tail wagging when she saw me to! ;)
It's going to be a lot of fun (and busy) during training.  I think things will go well, but I worry that I will forget things easily.  For instance, getting off the elevator- I totally left Ro and Barb behind!  We are supposed to go through together and I knew this from the manual I read-I guess it just isn't second nature quite yet and will become so as we practice together more.  (At least that's my feeling right now)  I am grateful for how calm and patient Ro is and know this will be a blessing as we start working together.  I might have a lot of the cute 'What do you want me to do?' looks in store from Ro, but I'm sure we'll figure out our groove soon enough!  I did talk to Barb about having Ro help me with my feet when they start falling off my wheelchair.  Sometimes when it slips I have a hard time getting it back on my foot rest (especially when carrying something on my lap), and Barb thought we'd be able to figure out some way of Ro helping me with that!  Well this post has turned out very long, but I will try to post about how our training is going.  At the least I will take lots of notes (and photos if I remember) and then post after wards about what we did.

Getting Ready!

Hi again everyone! I have been super surprised by how many people have already been reading the blog! Thanks for all the great comments! I hadn't really told anyone about it yet, and was planning on letting people at work and such know about it after we had Rowena living with us! :)
Anyways, I had asked Barb a few weeks ago what type of things we should get ready for Ro both at home, and in my classroom so that I could start (because if you know me I need to have everything organized or I panic!). I have been looking online and keeping my eyes pealed for some good deals, and today in the mail arrived her new grooming table! It seems to be perfect for me to be able to get under and check her coat and such! I hope that it works as well as I'm imagining once she is actually here and I am attempting to groom her!
We also found a slightly used kennel for the classroom for only $20 (thanks to a tip from a parent at my school)! It will be great for her to have a spot that is all hers incase she needs a nap during the school day. Also, my good friend (who also happens to be my paraprofessional at work) bought her a beautiful pillow to put in it so that it will be nice and comfy. Her food bowl and food containers are all ready to go...so exciting!
I can't even tell you how thankful we are to all the families at my work. Thanks to all the money that they raised, we were able to not only pay for her adoption, but we had a bit leftover to buy all these amazing things!
The girls are also very excited! At night we always say "Goodnight" to everyone, and Anya has been saying "And 'Wena too?" (We are working on saying Ro or Rowena...haha!) And Alexis says "Yep, but she can't hear you yet" I'm so glad they are as excited as me!

Getting shoes for Ro

Today I met up with Barb and Ro at REI to try on some shoes for Rowena! Because we will be doing our placement training in the middle of July-it will mostly likely be very hot outside, so Ro will need to wear shoes to protect the pads of her paws.
Anyhow, Barb was teaching me how to put the shoes on Rowena and let's just say Rowena wasn't overly pleased with shoes! She still behaved so well, but had this look on her face like "Why are you making me put these on??" And then she would hold the paw in the air and not put it down. It was very cute, but hopefully she'll get used to them in July when she has to wear them!
Once we were done at REI we went to get fish tacos nearby. We thought we would just walk (roll) over there since it was so close. And wouldn't you know it, we found a place that didn't really have ramps! It's crazy how I think everywhere is going to be so accessible, yet I manage to find all the areas that aren't.
It was a lot of fun getting to see her again! I will miss meeting up with them for the next few weeks as Barb is going out of town and Rowena will be at a Puppy Sitters. :( But when she gets back at the end of June I hope to see her again before placement!

Go Rowena Go!

Today I heard from Barb and she said that Rowena and her went to take a temperament test on Saturday. Our amazing girl got a PERFECT score!! =) Way to go!

Puppy Class

Today me and Alexis went to CaPR for puppy class. I have been trying to learn the cues that I will be using when I get Rowena. I was excited and hoping that her puppy raiser would be there...and were pleased when we saw she was! I only knew who she was because I looked up Bridget's blog (Rowena's mom) and it had photos of the litter when they were about 10 weeks old! They were SOOOO adorable! It was really nice being able to tell her what an amazing job she did in raising her and I hope she knows how much our family appreciates it!

First Dinner Out

Today I met Rowena and her Advanced Trainer for dinner! It was really fun getting to see her again! I arrived a little early, so I went inside to wait until they got there. I didn't see them until they were just about in the door, but as soon as Rowena saw me she came right over put her paws on my lap and gave me a big kiss! Talk about making someone feel special! :) I had only seen her twice prior to this visit-but already she is starting to remember me!
Anyhow, we headed in -got our food and sat down to chat for a bit. Rowena is such a sweet dog! She is well behaved and has this calming personality which I love. I was expecting more people to keep coming up asking if they could pet her (from all the things I have read about with Service Dog) but that didn't happen. I think it was because we sat down fairly quickly and Rowena just went right under the table and waited patiently for us to finish.
When we finished dinner we went back to our house so we could practice going for a walk with the girls. Rowena put an extra harness on so that Alexis could hold onto it while we walked. Alexis usually holds onto my wheelchair when we are crossing streets or when we get to crowded areas, but when Rowena joins our family she won't be able to do that-so Alexis will be holding onto a second leash attached to Rowena. Everyone did really well on the walk! I am so grateful that she has been so good with the girls! Riley (our cat) even met her -and only hissed once! I am very excited for our placement training which will be in July!

We have a Match!

We found out that we are getting a match! It has been almost two years since we started the application process-about four years since Zane and I started discussing the possibility of adopting a service dog into our family-and now it is happening! I can't even tell you how excited (and nervous) I am! I am thrilled that I will have a new companion that can go everywhere with me, and nervous because this will be my first dog. Her name is Rowena and she is a Golden Retriever/Labrador mix. She has a beautiful golden color and enchanting brown eyes!
I have a lot to learn about how to take care of her, but I am up for the challenge and willing to learn! The girls are very excited as well. She came to my classroom on April 14, 2011. I didn't know at the time that she was the dog that Canine Partners of the Rockies had thought of placing with me. We had just talked about doing presentations for my classes so the students would have a better idea about what the service dog would be doing while at work with me (when I did get one). I remember saying to my para "I really hope when I get a dog, she is as calm and sweet as Rowena". Little did we know, she would be the one!
She didn't get to meet the family until the following week because we had all been sick with some awful stomach bug, and wanted to get the house all cleaned and sanitized again. I talked with Zane that week...I told him I really wanted to continue the process, we had come so far. He was worried though-our family had changed a lot since we started the application process, and the fact that service dogs aren't family dogs made him really doubt that it was going to be possible. He had many questions (always making me see the reality) which I wrote down and started to see things from his perspective. I cried that night, realizing that he was right...it was going to be too difficult with the kids.
A few days later I got the courage to call the placement trainer back. She was amazing and listened to all our questions. I really worried about integrating a service dog with our family as the girls are only 3 and 4, and Zander is 5 months! It seemed a lot to ask of the kids to not pet the dog or want to play with her. I knew I had to tell Barb everything- I didn't want to go through the whole process only to find out it wasn't going to work out. It was really, really hard for me-parents from my work had started the process of fund raising to help us with the cost-how would I return the money and what would I tell them? I felt like I was too far to turn back.
It was difficult not to cry while talking to Barb, but as our conversation progressed an amazing thing happened. She explained to me that the reason she had brought Rowena with her to my work was that she thought she might be the perfect match for me. She adapts to situations and still understands that she has a 'special person' who she needs to watch out for. She thought that Rowena would be able to handle being more of a family dog then most service dogs can. We talked for a good two hours-and with each question came a supportive answer. I had a lot to learn, but it would be possible!
A few days later Rowena came to meet the family. Alexis who is normally shy around dogs, warmed up to her. And Zane...well lets just say half way through the meeting he was asking "When Rowena comes to live with us..." She had won us all over!
Since that day I knew that our lives would be forever changing-for the better! Things have been falling into place and we are all working towards getting ready for our new family member! So without further adieu, meet Rowena!