I am participating in Diabetes Blog Week. The topic for today is listed below.
Click for the Change the World - Monday 5/12 Link List.
Let’s kick off Diabetes Blog Week by talking about the diabetes causes and issues that really get us fired up. Are you passionate about 504 plans and school safety? Do diabetes misconceptions irk you? Do you fight for CGM coverage for Medicare patients, SDP funding, or test strip accuracy? Do you work hard at creating diabetes connections and bringing support? Whether or not you “formally” advocate for any cause, share the issues that are important to you. (Thanks go out to Kim of Texting my Pancreas for inspiring this topic.)
I know for me a big button issues is concerning Diabetic alert dogs? Do I really need one is a big question. I have seen over the past three years a large amount of people getting incredibly expensive pets who were meant to be Diabetic alert dogs. When you are first diagnosed the chances of needing one within in the first couple of months of diagnosis are slim. Most people can feel lows and I know some bloggers who have dogs who don't have Hypoglycemia Unawareness which is not good. A person has no need for a Diabetic alert dog unless they have Hypoglycemia Unawareness. A big reason I can hold a job is because I have Duchess I don't really feel anything when low and I am constantly battling bad lows or seizures over the years. I know my Hypoglycemia Unawareness I know really started to impact my life when I was a teenager my junior and senior year of high school I had passed out several times. I know my Dr's at the time new it was serious but they never really told me I had hypoglycemia Unawareness. They wanted me to go on the pump which I did but I did not like it back then.
I know a great deal of teenagers with Hypoglycemia Unawareness who need alert dogs but there is a great deal of people perusing a Diabetic alert dog with the philosophy that there is currently enough dogs for everyone. Which is not true and I know the more demand the more the prices goes up as well. I fully support people getting a Diabetic alert dog once you have tried pumps, CGMS and other options first. A Diabetic alert dog should not be your first choice but your last option. I tried every option available to me before I realized that I needed to try some thing else. I knew that if things continued that I would not be able to hold a job without issues. I currently have issues from my workplace because of people not wanting a service dog at work but at least I am able to continue to earn a living and live my life the way I want too as a productive member of society.
I know it seems like so much fun taking your dog everywhere but it has major downsides. I just had two or three incidents of public access issues this weekend. There will always be struggles with access because of lack of knowledge of the laws. There will always be issues with dealing with people at times as well. I feel like I live in an obstacle course in a great deal of ways. There is always issues and I think that you really need to really take all the money, time, gear for service dogs and other expenses into consideration as well. It should never be a spur of the moment decision but should be some thing that is fully researched and considered before you get a Diabetic alert dog. They change your life but realize you will change your life as well. So it is never an easy transition either.
I feel blessed to have her but I think the Diabetic alert dogs are best left for the people who can't feel lows and who live life on the edge like I do. I know my life is safer now because of Duchess and I also know that she is a great help for me. I know that if I can feel lows that I really don't need a Diabetic alert dog and should look at a CGM to help assist me with lows. I know nothing worked for me but having Duchess and I take the rights seriously. So please take the time to review if you really need one before trying to purchase one because you could be saving yourself thousands of dollars and time.
Click for the Change the World - Monday 5/12 Link List.
Let’s kick off Diabetes Blog Week by talking about the diabetes causes and issues that really get us fired up. Are you passionate about 504 plans and school safety? Do diabetes misconceptions irk you? Do you fight for CGM coverage for Medicare patients, SDP funding, or test strip accuracy? Do you work hard at creating diabetes connections and bringing support? Whether or not you “formally” advocate for any cause, share the issues that are important to you. (Thanks go out to Kim of Texting my Pancreas for inspiring this topic.)
I know for me a big button issues is concerning Diabetic alert dogs? Do I really need one is a big question. I have seen over the past three years a large amount of people getting incredibly expensive pets who were meant to be Diabetic alert dogs. When you are first diagnosed the chances of needing one within in the first couple of months of diagnosis are slim. Most people can feel lows and I know some bloggers who have dogs who don't have Hypoglycemia Unawareness which is not good. A person has no need for a Diabetic alert dog unless they have Hypoglycemia Unawareness. A big reason I can hold a job is because I have Duchess I don't really feel anything when low and I am constantly battling bad lows or seizures over the years. I know my Hypoglycemia Unawareness I know really started to impact my life when I was a teenager my junior and senior year of high school I had passed out several times. I know my Dr's at the time new it was serious but they never really told me I had hypoglycemia Unawareness. They wanted me to go on the pump which I did but I did not like it back then.
I know a great deal of teenagers with Hypoglycemia Unawareness who need alert dogs but there is a great deal of people perusing a Diabetic alert dog with the philosophy that there is currently enough dogs for everyone. Which is not true and I know the more demand the more the prices goes up as well. I fully support people getting a Diabetic alert dog once you have tried pumps, CGMS and other options first. A Diabetic alert dog should not be your first choice but your last option. I tried every option available to me before I realized that I needed to try some thing else. I knew that if things continued that I would not be able to hold a job without issues. I currently have issues from my workplace because of people not wanting a service dog at work but at least I am able to continue to earn a living and live my life the way I want too as a productive member of society.
I know it seems like so much fun taking your dog everywhere but it has major downsides. I just had two or three incidents of public access issues this weekend. There will always be struggles with access because of lack of knowledge of the laws. There will always be issues with dealing with people at times as well. I feel like I live in an obstacle course in a great deal of ways. There is always issues and I think that you really need to really take all the money, time, gear for service dogs and other expenses into consideration as well. It should never be a spur of the moment decision but should be some thing that is fully researched and considered before you get a Diabetic alert dog. They change your life but realize you will change your life as well. So it is never an easy transition either.
I feel blessed to have her but I think the Diabetic alert dogs are best left for the people who can't feel lows and who live life on the edge like I do. I know my life is safer now because of Duchess and I also know that she is a great help for me. I know that if I can feel lows that I really don't need a Diabetic alert dog and should look at a CGM to help assist me with lows. I know nothing worked for me but having Duchess and I take the rights seriously. So please take the time to review if you really need one before trying to purchase one because you could be saving yourself thousands of dollars and time.
I'm so glad you were able to get Duchess. She sounds amazing.
ReplyDeleteThank you Erin. She has been amazing and I would not change my decision to get one. She has saved me quite a few times.
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