Celiac - Ehlers Danlos - Service / Assistance Dog - CreativeLIVE

Well, I've been wondering about what to write about.  I've several things on my mind. 

First of all I'd like to say that it is National Ehlers Danlos Awareness Month (EDS).   I have EDS.  On it's own with out my accident I would probably be able to hold down a job combined with the accident and another issue which I will get to in a moment...well lets just say I am doing the best I can.  Some of the other folks with EDS are not so lucky.  Take a moment to learn more about EDS. 



Secondly I would like to say that it is National Celiac Awareness Month.  Did you know that they say one out of every 10 people has a Gluten Reaction and that one out of every 133 is Celiac?  Here are SOME of the symptoms folks with Celiac's experience.  

Did you know that right now there is PENDING legislation.. Pending since 2008 that would require clear labeling of Gluten Free Foods so that those with Celiac's and those who have an allergy are not made ill?  Learn more here. 

This is a place that you can go to sign the petition asking for proper labeling.  They already do it for peanuts and other food issues. 


Here are the links I am currently checking out. 

Huffington Post about the need for proper food labels

I've been wondering about Genetically Modified foods... I read this link from the Institute for Responsible Technology


Tips for avoiding Genetically Modified foods.. Link  Non GMO Food Guide

Celiac Disease Symptoms  From the Celiac Disease Foundation

National Digestive Diseases Clearinghouse NDDIC More information.. 


Disabled Officer fights for equal access... Fort Worth WFAA.com



Costly Mistake Portland Press Herald


And my Favorite Learning Place!  Where I can learn no matter how much I earn.  Because it is free when you watch it LIVE!  Up next week... I will be learning how to photograph food!  CreativeLIVE is a CreativeSPOONIE's Opportunity!




Lots on my mind... 

Pink Doberman

My SeRviCe DoG ~ LeaRn A LiTtLe AbOuT uS...

Jason and I are a great team.  When Jason can't be around then it has been the biggest blessing to have Luka.  Luka and I are a team as well.  In fact it is often that Jason and Luka and I make up the best team.  Both of my guys on either side of me. 


This gives Jason some freedom and me some security.  Jason should be free to wander with out worrying about my every move.  And I like being to do as I please with out dragging him along. 


The other day Luka was not with us, I needed some ideas on what to wear for a wedding.  So Jason went with me through all of the clothes racks in this nice store.  He felt awkward.  Like he was less than because I was dragging him and looking at every rack of clothing and he had to be right by my side.  I think he must have got some sympathy looks from people. 


I am always so grateful when he does things like this with me, but I think he was wishing that Luka could have come with us for that trip.  =)


I get asked lots of questions from people.  I am happy to answer them of course.  But I thought I should provide some enhanced information as well.  So enjoy these links below! 





Service Dogs Are Important to Many People!   Click this link to learn a little about why Luka is so important to me!

What you can do to support people with disabilities invisible or visible...  One thing is to support legislation in the State of Nebraska!  Please take a moment to email or call Nebraska State Senator Kate Sullivan and give her your thoughts!  She is revamping the legislation to present to the State Legislature in the next Legislative Session!    It is important to people like me.  It may also be important to you or someone you know and love.

SENATOR KATE SULLIVAN
District 41
Room #1019
P.O. Box 94604
Lincoln, NE 68509
Phone: (402) 471-2631 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              (402) 471-2631      end_of_the_skype_highlighting
Email: ksullivan@leg.ne.gov



Click to read my speech that I presented to the Nebraska State Legislature Committee in charge of passing on this legislation to the full body of the legislature.  (  Note.  The legislation from last session did not pass, however, Senator Kate Sullivan is revamping the legislation and will be presenting it again in a stronger more comprehensive form )  She is open to ideas and thoughts.  She is one of my Interstate People!  


Read about Melissa and Shiloh and all of her great information! 

If you have an assistance dog check out this site!  There is even an upcoming conference!  How cool is that?  You can learn from experts, network with others, and find ways to make your life easier!  I found out about it on Melissa's site.  


Luka and I are a pretty good team.  He has professional training I don't.  Well, we were not trained together.  We are just learning to work together over time.  Our vocabulary was different, but our goals were the same.  We are adapting.  I have learned more words, researched training methods, and been quite observant.  Luka, well he is a doberman, and dobermans are super smart of course.  He is just adapting to what I need.  He is just awesome.  

He really does not like it when I get in water.  Although being trained as a seizure alert dog who can really blame him.  I love water so he is getting used to me being in the bath, we have not practiced much around pools this year, but last year we were getting better.  We will keep working at it as long as he is willing and able to head out with me.

I still need to see if he actually swims.  I want to take him to a lake to find out.  That should prove to be interesting!  =)

We are hanging out in the rain today!  Gotta love the freshness that rain brings! 

Here is something else to think about!  Melissa Mitchell has a great blog, and since Take Your Dog To Work Day Is Pretty Popular.. Read her post to learn how to do it and have the best results!!  Really her tips are great to use with your dog be it a service dog or just a regular household buddy! 

Thanks for learning with me today!

Endless Possibilities!,
Pink Doberman

PeAcE??

So I have been grumpy again...  don't take a pain pill for grumpy..  But.. many times when I am grumpy that is a very good sign I am also in pain.. EXCEPT  I CAN'T TELL...  I am so frustrated.  By the time I figure it out I am hurting.. well.. I wish I would have already taken some medication..  I am so frustrated.  Wish Luka could figure this out too. 

I was told a long time ago now, that taking the pain pills for real pain, is a way to escape addiction.  Great.. So what do you do..

Half the time coming off of the medication I would think I may be grumpy or something.. Who knows, I am certainly not the expert at this stuff.  My new medication helps.  It sure does.  My stomach is not even getting upset.  Which is a huge deal. 

The other benefit is it is also not rotting out my teeth like the Fentanyl Lolly Pops!  I have had to have Crowns and Root Canals... GRRRRrrrr from those dumb things..  But when that is all your options give you you do what you have to.. I still have more to go dental work is expensive, even if you have insurance. 

So frustrating, damned if you do and damned if you don't. 

Not feeling happy at this moment..  Well, I am going to have to work harder at that.  I am really trying to type my way into a feeling of peace with all of this.   I have a feeling I am going to have to keep typing for a long time.  

EgGs... & SeRviCe DoG NeWs...

This post shares something important at the end!

Things while difficult in some areas are better in others.  Luka and I attended an event last night.  Jason dropped us off and our very prego friend L dropped us off at home.  She was there also making beautiful things with me.

We made Eggs!  Yep!  Eggs.  We did not cook them they in fact are still RAW!  Loving that part!  We dyed them.  Pysknky Style!   We had our event at this great place!  Check it out!   It was fun.  I was completely worn out afterward, and today I am definitely medicated!  But I got to do something creative with friends, which was totally worth it.










They are a wax relief... you paint the wax on with this little device called a Kistky they have three sizes of them and make fancy electric ones.....

See how busy everyone is.. Thanks to Gina for taking some great pictures for me!

So this is the design I did.. what is black on my egg is soon to be white and what is white is soon to be black.. The little tan square is bees wax.. You dip your Kistky in the bees wax after holding in in the flame.  Scoop up the wax and it melts on in a line to your egg..  You can also see my practice lines on the plate.

Yep, I copied it.. Well, not quite.  I did my own version...  But it is similar..

You melt the wax off after you have dipped the egg in the dye.  I didn't get a shot of us doing that, but there were so many tempting colors to choose from.  I couldn't think.. So I just chose black.

My friend L's egg... isn't it cute?  Luka kept wanting an egg too, but he finally was resigned to just watch and wait for us to finish!  He was quite the good sport and received rave reviews on upon our exit! Gosh, as I type this I am watching PBS again of course..  I am now watching a show that is featuring EGGS.. How cool is that? 
Here is a link to a PDF version of Burt Wolfe's Show..  It features these eggs! 

My friend W's Egg..  I think this one is inspired!

G's egg!  She is so gifted!

My egg finished.  

This is the other egg I made.... I didn't want to stare at another picture and "copy"  but I couldn't think of what to make either.. so it is a scribble egg!  Not a scrambled on.. Ha Ha!!  Ok, I know my humor is terrible..

 The eggs are all still RAW.. we are supposed to just turn them occasionally and they will dry out!  How crazy is that!  I am so excited!  ( Oh, and you pray they don't crack, because then your whole house will stink REAL BAD!)

But they are fun!

If you'd like to make this style of eggs go to..   The Ukrainian Gift Shop  

These eggs are amazing!



 So this is what I really want you to take a minute and check out..  



One of my friends called me today!  He shared with me a video that he saw featured on CNN.  Since he knows I am interested in things to do with people that have Service Dogs, he shared this with me.

This is another Service Dog video  this was just featured on CNN.. about fighting for rights..  Thanks to Kevin Stone and his Service Dog Mambo as well as Luis Carlos Mantovan and his Service Dog Tuesday  for fighting for the rights of Veterans to have them covered by insurance!  

I can surely say I am better off for having Luka in my life.  I take less medications, I am more active than I previously was with out him.  I am also happier and I also look forward to more things in general.  Even if I am still not out and about like I was before my accident, after having him I am having a significantly better quality of life.  I of course think they should be covered by all insurance companies.. but I am not asking for a miracle.. These veterans DESERVE to have the best quality of life they can have.  They have fought for our freedom!  Treat them well! 

By the way, this friend is preparing to go to Afghanistan to support the effort there.  He gets orders to leave soon. 

Blessings and Thanks For All That You Do!

Pink Doberman

ScEnTs aBiLiTy..

YES, I read other blogs.. I would imagine that everyone has figured this out by now.  I find very boring things very interesting and I like living vicariously through others.  So I "lurk" on unknown people's blogs if the topic suits me.

I guess that is how it is supposed to work anyway.  And I really like it that way!  I am learning quite allot.  I've been following a neurology blog, a few photography blogs, crafting and I've started knitting.  I think that should be a surprise because two needles would have to be harder than one, .. You'd think... RIGHT???

Well, since I never mastered the crochet thing.. one needle with a HOOK!  Yeah, I am not giving up.  I've decided.  I think I just need someone to show me.  I have that perfect someone in mind too!

But for now I will be focusing in knitting.  I am happy about that.  You see I have a friend, and she just learned from a friend...  and this friend new to knitting too, just taught me!  It was like magic!  I am sure everyone is going to be much better at it than me, as I have done so many things wrong already!

Taken out rows, missed stitches.... forgot which side I was working on and totally ended a few rows mid stick...  ( I don't even know all of the words.  I just remember I am not a picker) But I did read about that and I'd like to be... noticed that that is the FASTER way to do it!  Hmmmmmm........ the gears are turning...

In the meantime I was reading a completely different blog tonight.  It reminded me of many friends whom I have that have a certain sensitivity.  My mother is the first person to bring this to my attention years and years ago.  She was a great Career Counselor.  She would talk about how you really should not wear perfume in work environments.  Ideally not in places with groups of people in confined spaces either.

So she would never wear any scented products to her job.  I can't recall if one of her co-workers had a scent sensitivity or if she just did that in case someone would happen to come into the office who did.



I personally have always preferred shower gels and lotions.  They aren't heavy, the amount of oil in these products is quite minimal and the scent does not stick around in most cases that long. 

While reading this blog about Work Scentsitivities..  I recalled my mothers actions.  I also have several friends with sensitivities to scents.  Some of the people I know have some very strong reactions.

I was also reminded last summer, that some people have SEVERE allergies to animals.  Including dogs, so I also need to be aware of that also.  However a mild allergy or one that can be controlled with medications is not reason enough for me to leave Luka out I just try to be sensitive and not stick around very long.  As you and I am sure realize many people who have pet allergies, have the very pets they are allergic to living in their homes..    But the few amount of people that have very disabling allergies, are a reason for us both to work together to accommodate each other.  Take turns, or what ever..  It is important that people with Service Dogs be aware that they may be around a person with a life threatening disability.  In this case every effort must be made by the business as well as the individuals to be rational and mutually respectful.

A non life threatening allergy would not necessarily be something to warrant much difference.. but to be polite everyone should do what they can of course.  At least that is the way I have come to understand the laws regarding those who have Service Dogs.


  Feel free to add your comments.

So at any rate.  Please also be careful of the amount of perfume you choose to wear!  I try too.  I have a friend who is fine with lotion on me... but her daughter wanted some..  it made her daughter very fragrant... and since her daughter is pretty little yet.. mom still snuggles up and holds her up to her face..





Not to fun for mom who isn't good with many scents.. 

Think about your actions... just be considerate and tolerant.  We are all different! 

  Don't forget to check out this workplace post and learn a bit more about wearing fragrances in the work place.

Blessings,
Pink Doberman