Wow! Liggy has rendered me silent!

I've only just realised, it's over two months since I last posted. I really thought that I'd be on here more frequently, posting updates of Liggy's antics, but in reality, I've forgotten about this because I've been so taken up with my new friend. So, now seems a good time to share what life is like with my new Canine Partner.

At home

I'm an early-bird. I usually wake naturally between half past five and six o' clock in the morning and I'm full of the joys of spring. Okay, my body takes a little while to kick in but in my head, I'm ready for action. Until recently, I've been alone in this. Neil and the boys like their sleep, so I have to get up quickly and quietly so as not to disturb them. Now... now I get a morning greeting that is simply wonderful! The second I wake up, Liggy is off her bed and at my side, tail wagging ten to the dozen.

In spite of her enthusiastic 'good morning', as soon as we come downstairs, she goes back to sleep for an hour or so while I eat and consume vast quantities of coffee. She comes into her own, when I go up to get showered and dressed. She knows the routine now... I sit on my bed and she sits in front of me. I offer her a sleeve, a trouser leg, a sock... and she tugs gently until it comes off. If it's something small like a sock, she brings it back to me and puts it in my hand. I have to say, I hadn't thought about a dog helping me undress but it has been really helpful and takes the pressure of my lower back.

In the evening, after work, Liggy absolutely loves coming home, especially if Neil is home before us. She leaps around and dances round in circles like a mad dog. She has a thing about carrying a soft toy when she is happy or excited, so she runs in, grabs the nearest teddy or soft ball and parades it around with utter pride. Recently, she has taken to emptying her toy box and having a very quick play with each toy before leaving them all scattered around the house. Later, we have a game where she picks them up, one by one, and puts them back in her toy box. Hopefully, this game of putting things in a receptacle will eventually extend to the washing machine and tumble dryer.

When I go upstairs, I usually use my stair lift. It took some practice to get Liggy to wait at the top or bottom while I travel and then come and join me, but now she does it automatically. Even better, I've taught her to lift the footplate up, out of the way, when I've finished with it.

Work

I remember when Cat, Liggy's trainer, first rang me, she said that Liggy would be a good match because she is clever and active and loves doing tasks, but she will also settle really quickly and sleep while I'm in meetings. Well, she was spot-on! Mostly, Liggy is off-lead at work. She is free to potter around the offices and do what she wants. In reality, she chooses to lie on her bed in my office until I drop something and then she is up in a second and picks up whatever I dropped and gives it back to me.

Some of my colleagues wanted a way of interacting with Liggy, so I bought her a little bag, small enough to carry bits and pieces around. Every now and then, someone will call out, "Send the bag!" I give Liggy the bag and tell her who to take it to. They help out by calling her name. Then she returns it to me with something in it. She clearly thinks this is a great game, as she then stares me out until I restock the bag and send her off with it again, tail wagging away.

Out and about

Okay, so nobody is perfect and as they told us at Canine Partners, she is a dog, not a robot. She has a personality and some quirky behaviour. Generally, she is great to take out with me. In restaurants and shops, she is as good as gold! She walks nicely, lies quietly, helps me take my coat off and picks up anything I drop, even my crutches!

Her Achilles Heel is wind! When it's windy, she finds it difficult to focus on anything except how exciting leaves and sweet wrappers are when they blow. In the grand scheme of things, it's not a big problem for me, as I wouldn't choose to spend long battling windy weather anyway but it's something we are working on with her.

This week, she has also had her first proper experience of snow. At first, she wasn't very keen and just kept sniffing at it with a suspicious look on her face. By Wednesday though, she was playing on the field at work with a colleague and me and she was loving it! I kept throwing her ball and she ran and then skidded and rolled around in the snow to get it. Then we substituted snowballs instead of her rubber ball. This was hilarious! I threw a snowball and she caught it - she's getting good at catching - but then it melted in her mouth before she could give it back to me. She was completely baffled by the mystery of the disappearing balls!

New Year Round-up

About this time last year, I posted my plans for 2017. I thought it would be interesting to see whether I actually did any of them. After all, Facebook is currently filled with posts informing us that nobody ever keeps their new year's resolutions. So here goes:

Places to go:

• Rother Valley Country Park - Neil and I went there in January. It was beautiful and we had a lovely afternoon out. We walked round the lakes there and had afternoon tea in the cafe. 
  
• Cairngorms - In March, I had a lovely week in Aviemore with my two adult sons. We were a bit limited on snow sports because of the weather but it felt amazing to ski again with my boys!
  
• The beach (actually on the sand and in the sea) - This was one of the highlights of my week in Kemi in June. I had a picnic on the beach with my friends and managed, with crutches, to walk over the sand and paddle in the sea. 
  
• A European capital - okay, so I didn't get to that one. Maybe next year.

Things to do:

• Sitski without tethers - In January, I did this at Snozone and it was the most amazing feeling. I had a session with my coach and most of my family that are into snow sports. Sadly, in February, I had an accident and injured my arm. I realised that my arms are now more important to me for getting around and decided that skiing independently was probably not going to be a long-term reality for me. I still enjoyed skiing with the boys on Cairngorm though.
• Find something to do to serve the church - We finally found a church where we feel at home and somewhat predictably, I'm taking care of the website. I wish I had more time to devote to it but at least it's a contribution and I feel like I'm giving something again.
• Finish my Master's - I submitted my final assignment in September and got my results a few weeks ago. I got a distinction for my last module and have completed my MA.
• Improve my photography skills - I'll leave that for others to judge but I don't feel like I've devoted enough time to this. Maybe in 2018.

People to see:

• Family and friends - One of the best things about being back in the UK is seeing family more regularly. However, the flip side is that I miss my friends in Finland sooooo much! It was wonderful in June to spend a week in Kemi, catching up with some of them.
• Disabled people who are into sport - funny, eh? This has become less important to me and I've gone more towards taking part in regular sport but in my chair. In particular, I've got into Parkrun, which I love. As well as great exercise and fresh air, the people are incredibly friendly and supportive!
• Help or inspire someone else - I think this will always be a rollercoaster ride! There have been times when I've helped or inspired others, or at least people tell me I have. More often though, I draw my inspiration from others. This year, I have been particularly inspired by the people I met on the Canine Partners training course. It was so encouraging to spend a fortnight with other people with disabilities and share our stories and ways of managing life

This year, I feel disinclined to make any particular plans. As well as the above achievements, 2017 had its share of ups and downs. At times, I have seriously struggled to stay positive and have been hit by some of the frustrations of living with a disability. On the other hand, being partnered with Liggy, my assistance dog, has been a wonderful end to the year. 

This year, my hopes and dreams are pretty simple... I would like to move into a line of work that is more closely aligned with my recent studies, either with my current employer or elsewhere. I would like to do something that will change another person's life for the better. And obviously, I aim to work with Liggy to have the best trained and most adorable assistance dog there has ever been.

What do you see?

I've just seen a post on Facebook that got me thinking. There was a picture of a lady in a wheelchair on a beach (in the USA, I think) and she looked rather sad. She had written, "I wish people would see me and not the wheelchair." My first thought was to agree with her. I get what she means. She just wants to be like everyone else and for people to treat her like they treat other people. I read a lot of posts like this from across The Pond and I wonder whether it's somewhat more difficult there than it is here.

My second thought was about how she got onto that beach. It was soft sand. I remember trying to get onto the beach in Kemi last summer. I was determined to get onto the beach and paddle in the sea... more so because Neil is reluctant to even try to help me because it's so impossible. With a lot of help from my friends, I made it onto Kemi beach and then walked on crutches and paddled in the sea. It took so long to get over the sand that I was exhausted by the time I reached the sea! So I wonder how the sad-faced lady got onto the beach and why she was there. Wouldn't it have been easier if people had considered her wheelchair... my wheelchair... wheels in general? Wouldn't it be great if there was some way of getting onto the beach in a chair?

Is the problem that people do see the chair and assume that the person wouldn't want to go on the beach OR is it that they don't see the chair and therefore don't make adjustments? Okay, so most beaches aren't designed by anyone. Nobody is responsible for making a beach... but lets transfer this question to other places. My family are going out for dinner at the weekend and the restaurant is not completely accessible. I rang to find out about it but was left with uncertainty, as they talked about manhandling me down an internal step. Are they seeing the person and not the chair? Are they not seeing the obstacles that are in my way? OR are they seeing the chair and not the person? Are they just not getting that normal people don't like strangers manhandling them and in that chair is a person?

Recently, on the news, there was something about accessibility in towns and how businesses are missing out on huge amounts of business by not being accessible. They might think that all disabled people are poor... because obviously we don't work! Well I do work. Sometimes I work very happily and feel immensely grateful that I have a job. Other days, I work through pain, fatigue and feel immensely stressed and wish I didn't have to go to work. The money that I earn, like most working people, is hard-earned. Therefore I am becoming more and more reluctant to spend it in places that are inaccessible. Why would I do that?!?!? There are great places that have gone to a lot of trouble and expense to be accessible. I'd like to spend my money there.

So do I want people to see me or my chair? Well, I think I want them to see both... together. I'm not saying that my disability defines me but it is a part of who I am. I don't want to spend my life feeling sad about that or frustrated because life is built around the majority. If people happen to see my chair first, well, okay... they're going to meet me next. Once they get to know me, the chair will fade into the background. In reality though, people don't see me or my chair... they see Liggy first. We proved that yesterday, walking round Ikea and Meadowhall. A few children pointed at my flashing front casters but lots of people commented on my beautiful dog and how well-trained she is. Then I just feel so proud to be wheeling alongside her!

Advent and some thoughts on waiting

It's almost Christmas! For some, the excitement is probably too much to bear, as the number of sleeps gradually decreases and that special day gets nearer. For others, Christmas isn't that big a deal or might have sad memories or reasons why we don't feel like celebrating. I'll be honest - it's not my favourite festival. I have a multitude of reasons why Christmas is associated with stress rather than joy but let's not go there.

Advent is about waiting... waiting for morning to open another door on the calendar and be allowed to eat chocolate at breakfast time... waiting for the arrival of the baby Jesus... waiting for a saviour... waiting...waiting...waiting. I do feel a little guilty, as a Christian, that I don't find Christmas more exciting. I've never been the greatest fan of waiting either. God does seem to like to keep us waiting.

This year, has seen the end of various seasons of waiting for me. In September, I completed my final paper of my MA and had an impatient wait for the final results, which signalled the end of my studies. Now I'm waiting for my certificate and then I'll be waiting for the graduation ceremony.

Also in September, I got the wonderful news that my wait for an assistance dog was over and now my beautiful Liggy and I are learning how to work together and develop a bond that will ensure a decade or so of a much-longed-for partnership. Ironically, in continuing her training, one word seems to dominate... WAIT!

We are a good match and mirror each other in so many ways. We both love our food, especially treats, but have allergies that mean we have to be careful about what we consume. We both need our sleep or we become grumpy. We both need fresh air and exercise or we become lethargic and lose our sparkle. And, neither of us likes to wait! Of course, we do it... but only because we have to.

I'm still waiting for some things. We've been waiting for ages to get the building work done so that the house is fully accessible for me, though the garden was a welcome measure to tide me over whilst waiting. The day the builders actually show up, I'm sure choirs of angels will sing joyfully. I certainly will!

If, like me, you don't like waiting, well at least the wait for Christmas is nearly done. If you waiting for other things, especially the big stuff of life, I wish you all the peace, patience and joy that is possible... and maybe some that goes beyond the possible. Merry Christmas and happy new year!

CP Liggy is home

Yesterday was a really mixed day. Having spent almost two weeks at the Canine Partners' Midland training centre, with Liggy, her trainer and two other new partnerships, yesterday was going home day - so exciting! However, it also meant saying goodbye to some new friends... friends that have journeyed through the last two weeks together, supporting, chatting, joking and living together. Although I was glad to be returning home, I was so sad to say goodbye to them.

I want to tell you about the training but first of all, I should post a couple of pics of my new Canine Partner to melt your heart and send any doggy lovers all mushy.

Training

It seems a lifetime ago that I arrived, a little nervous, to begin the two week onsite training course. So much has happened since then, and I've been on a rollercoaster journey, very similar to that of bringing home a new born baby. One minute, things are going really well and falling into place, and I think, "That's it! I've cracked this dog-training thing. I'm an expert!" The next minute, something goes wrong and I think, "I'm going to be the only person in the world, who can't learn how to take care of a labrador puppy."

We started with really easy things like basic obedience work. Well, I say 'easy' and 'basic'. It was quite easy, once I'd programmed my brain to remember the right commands. For a dog, a command word means one thing and only one thing. So, for example, 'down' means lie on the floor and look very cute. When she jumps up and you want her not to, 'down' (the first word that comes to mind) means nothing. It's 'off'. And as someone who frequently says, ' I'd better go now...' I really have to remember that 'better go now' is the command to pee or poo, and Liggy pretty much pees and poos on that command within seconds of hearing it. Don't worry, I haven't said it at the wrong time yet but it's only a matter of time.

We did lots of outings to practise walking nicely and to practise where to stand, sit or lie in various situations. She perfected the art of browsing through Christmas jumpers in Boyes, a task neither of us will ever need to repeat. She also did a fab job of lying parallel to my wheelchair, whilst I had a coffee and cinnamon roll in a cafe. This was one of my favourite sessions!

Liggy has learned to do various tasks already that will help me out. The most useful is that she will instantly pick up virtually anything I drop. She has picked up keys, pens, her lead, my phone, the TV remote control. Initially, I was dropping items on purpose for her to practise but now she's doing it for real and that is just the best feeling ever. I can't describe that sinking feeling I used to get, when I dropped my keys or pen. Bending down, whilst just about doable, is so painful and difficult. Now, I almost like dropping things, just to see her response. If she could talk, I imagine her saying, "It's alright mum. I'll get it for you. You just sit tight. Here you go mum. I did it! Treat???"

The other thing that I love is her specially-for-me 'cuddle'. She has been trained to cuddle my left leg (yes, she knows her left and right) by putting her paws over so that her armpits are right next to my knee (which often feels cold, even when the rest of me is warm). Then she stays there for ages, while I feed her treats and tickle behind her ears. We both really enjoy it!

Home

Okay, so I know that this will be Liggy's last relocation experience. She's gone from breeder to puppy parents, to onsite training with weekend foster parents and now she has arrived in her new forever home... but she doesn't know that. Moving house is stressful for us and we can talk and understand what's happening. Liggy hasn't got a clue what is going on. She just has to trust me to take care of her needs and her biggest need this weekend is to get used to her new home and know that all the normal stuff still applies.

I suppose, like all living things, the two most basic needs of a dog are food and water going in at one end, and pee and poo coming out of the other. Toileting and feeding are very routine things that I need to keep as routine as possible. I was a little nervous (in the light of some comments by Neil's aunty) that Liggy might not use her dog toilet as readily as I hoped. However, it was the first thing she did on arriving here. We went straight out in the garden, went to her toilet and she peed on my first command. She has kept to her normal routine of going at her usual times. Later this morning, I'll go out and try out my new long-handled poop-scoop. I'm less sure of it's ability to perform than Liggy's.

Feeding is the thing that most amazes me. Liggy is still very puppy-like. She's an obedient dog but absolutely loves food more than anything in the world (girl after my own heart). As soon as she sees me get her bowl out, she goes and lies on her bed. She waits patiently while I prepare it and then waits for two toots on the whistle. Then (for Harry Potter fans) she apparates from her bed to the bowl and vacuums it up.  When she has finished, she brings me her bowl so I can put it in the sink. Eventually, I hope to cut out the middle man and she'll put in the sink herself. Sadly, I don't think we'll get as far as doing the washing up though.

Morning

One final thing that I love more than anything. I have spent years in an all-male, night-owl, grumpy-morning-people home. Liggy loves morning! We may need to work on an acceptable weekend wake-up time but it's like going back to the days of enthusiastic toddlers. If I show any signs of waking up, she's straight in there, wagging her tail for all she's worth, parading back and forth carrying her favourite teddy and generally doing her morning dance. I'm sure she's trying to say, "Hooray! It's morning! A new day, mum! Quick! Wake up! I'm ready to pick things up, do nice walking and cuddle your leg. Come on mum! Let's do the dance!" (Evan Almighty reference there.) So I do... I get up and do the dance... okay, maybe not.