About a year ago I was diagnosed with Polyycythemia Vera which is a blood Cancer that destroys the mechanism that tells your body how many red blood cells to make, so always my body is flooded with red cells. The treatment is pretty simple for the most part: I go in once a month get my blood cell level checked and if it is high, then I get a phlebotomy where they remove a pint of blood to reset my body. Not a huge deal as long as my red blood cells stay where they need to be, HOWEVER in extremely rare cases (my Oncologist had no ever even heard of this happening until he double checked his medical books), it can cause one to lose their hearing. This is me!
. Not only do I have a blood Cancer that is primarily designated to men over 65 ( I am not a male NOR am I close to 65), but I also have the added benefit of losing my hearing. As my hearing began to get worse, I debated about getting a medical support dog. I looked into trainers locally (there is a couple who is phenomenal in Hayden Lake), but I am too independent and did not while I would LOVE a family member dog ( we had a Bernese Mt Dog that I ADORED and had to put down several years ago), I didn’t want to face the idea that I HAD to have help. The Christmas Eve I began to get really dizzy in church and wound up in the Portland ER (nothing like getting sick while on vacation). After many weeks of trying to figure out what was causing the repeated episodes where I would get dizzy, vomit., flatline (yeah the whole works
) it was determined that I have a really strong heart that has been beating super slow and super hard, but not enough oxygen is getting to my brain, so then I get dizzy and pass out. At one point i needed to call 911 and was unable. I determined that I really do need a medical support dog that can be there in those times of crises where I need her. I also work with kids who have been trafficked so added duties would include going with me to the hospital, airport, hotel... to offer comfort.