#diegotheservicedog

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We got to stop by Diego’s favorite fire truck at our old neighborhood park

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Pictures from the first day of our trip to Iowa! Diego did an absolutely wonderful job in the airport and on the plane. I got around partially with his and my cane’s help and then also with the help of airport attendants. There was a lovely woman with her whistle who pushed me around in the wheel chair and then drove the cart. She would ask people to get out of her way, and when people inevitably didn’t listen she would blare her whistle and people would move! One other wheel chair attendant got standoffish about the whistle, but she defended it saying she needed it to do her job. I totally agree with her! People don’t always pay attention for those having difficulties.

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Back from Traveling

I just got back from an extended trip to my hometown in Iowa and, since I’ve wanted to start blogging more, I thought I would upload a photo here and talk about my mobility aids for the airport and travel.

Diego is trained to help me get up and down safely so I don’t faint, and in the event I do fall he can keep me safe. But he’s been getting a bit older and sometimes it’s difficult needing to bring dog everywhere I go. Like on an airplane with limited space, or when he is feeling sick like he was around the time we had to return home.

The cane attached to my backpack allows me to be sturdier on my feet while walking. I can lean on it when I feel wobbly and I can use it to stand up slower. Sometimes I even flip it around and move items on the ground with it so I don’t have to bend over and risk falling.

I was also wearing compression leggings to keep the blood in the upper part of my body. Then I wore a fanny pack so I could easily access important things without having to move around my backpack or bag (which saves a lot of precious precious energy). I kept my boarding passes, cell phone, wallet, headphones, and portable charger in there. In my backpack and carry on were all of my medicines, other health/service dog items, comfort blanket, and my technology.

The newest mobility aid, which is only slightly in the picture, is a rolling walker with a seat. I got it specifically for the airport but I think it’s going to become my primary aid for bad days when I need to go out. I can walk a lot faster with the walker than I can with the cane or with only Diego. Since it can lock the wheels and has a seat, I am able to fully sit down whenever I get dizzy and not just lean on something. This is safer for me and better for getting my blood pressure/dizziness back under control. The seat also functioned as a way to transport my bag through the airport since I get fatigued quite easily. The walker saved my butt many many times in the airport and allowed me so much more freedom than just my cane or an airport wheelchair assistant that I’ve used before. Spoiler alert: airlines don’t really care much about accessibility and often don’t have enough handlers for all the people who need help. And if you have a layover to catch, this can be an extremely sticky situation. I know walkers aren’t a possibility for all people, but I personally benefited greatly from it an I’m thankful I had it.

I’m still recovering from my trip, but part of that has been watching/reading content from disabled people online. That was instrumental in my decision to get the walker before coming home, and also in helping my mental transition from using a cane to the walker in public. I still haven’t yet, since I’m pretty bed bound for now, but I want to start connecting more online while I am sick and then taking pictures or even videos and talking about my future experiences. We’ll see where this blog goes, because I want to try and upload all the many pics I have of Diego since I’ve been inactive. But spoons are few and far between so we will see what I can do. Thank you for reading and I hope you are in a good place right now 😚

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A happy springtime mess

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Made it to Washington! Yesterday Diego got to go to an off leash forest dog park with his new dog roommates Ginger (coonhound) and Willow (a pitty Shepherd + something small mix)

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Another day of travel has been on its way! We are driving through Utah and Nevada today, stopping in Sacramento, CA tonight The two black kitties are sharing a big carrier behind my seat because they get lonely and cry without each other. Diego is enjoying having his entire bed next to a window, as well as front seat access for head rubs.

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From a rest stop in Nebraska

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Night two of coast to coast move was spent in the Quad Cities, our hometown. Goal for today is to clear Iowa and Nebraska by driving all the way to Cheyenne, WY. At time of writing this, there are 5 hrs to Cheyenne.