tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57233947638571805992024-03-05T10:31:49.262-08:00Raise The Woof 4 RachelThe story of our family's journey to fund a seizure response dog for our daughter, and how life with Stewart has changed us all.Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07301629941515922541noreply@blogger.comBlogger87125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723394763857180599.post-2259844773246063272016-04-25T11:04:00.002-07:002016-04-25T11:30:19.561-07:00Thirteen Years
Thirteen years ago today we were hovering over our 8 year old daughter's bed, in the PICU at Oregon Health Sciences University Hospital, wondering if she
would live through the incessant seizures she'd begun experiencing the day before. She was wearing a diaper because she'd wet herself with each tonic
clonic seizure, and in her confusion Rachel kept tearing the diapers off, and Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07301629941515922541noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723394763857180599.post-71357431842924383242016-02-27T13:39:00.002-08:002016-02-27T13:39:36.033-08:00MiyakoCon and Good DaysBig doings in Rachel-world today! A young woman with whom Rach attended middle school decided that she would start up a new anime convention, and today was the day for the first one. We learned about it just this week, and Rachel got very excited, but wasn't sure if she was up to going. She had a couple of seizures this week, and her confidence in her ability to cope had taken a hit.
Yesterday Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07301629941515922541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723394763857180599.post-57663658476876130212016-02-16T11:31:00.001-08:002016-02-16T11:35:36.444-08:00Rumination and MedicationOn Monday the 15th, Rachel had a regularly scheduled psych appointment, so I had some time alone in the waiting area. After about 30 minutes Rachel brought Stewart out, and asked me to take him out for a break, and then I kept him with me for a few minutes, and we waited together.
While we were waiting, my mind was on many things, but having recently updated this blog, my thoughts Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07301629941515922541noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723394763857180599.post-57217884376084588992016-02-12T09:40:00.000-08:002016-02-12T09:53:52.279-08:00Waiting For RachelWell, the post title pretty much sums up my life these days. The last couple of years have been so full, and I so wish that I had been better about updating here, and sharing all of the changes with you.
Sadly, Rachel and Jonah split up, but she enjoyed the time she had with him, painful as the end was. There was a lot of wisdom gained from the experience, and she grew in new ways as a result.
Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07301629941515922541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723394763857180599.post-51476179160937637582013-08-26T09:25:00.001-07:002013-08-26T09:37:36.129-07:00Time Keeps Slipping AwayWhat a year it's been!
Shortly after my last post Rachel graduated from high school. She's our only child, and we've been through so much as a family in the last 18 years, but she is such a light in our lives that it seems like it all went by in a flash.
This whole last year was huge; senior year, Stewart came to live with us, Rachel's boyfriend came back into her life after moving back from Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07301629941515922541noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723394763857180599.post-47345988317879864772013-06-15T07:25:00.000-07:002013-06-15T07:25:34.741-07:00They Did It!On October 19, 2012 a wonderful dog named Stewart came to live with us, and to be a partner for Rachel, as she learns how to be an independent adult.
This is their first Hello
Over the next several months, Rachel and Stewie bonded over grooming, and cuddles...
We helped Stewart celebrate his second birthday with a peanut butter and kibble 'cake'...
Stewie even accompanied Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07301629941515922541noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723394763857180599.post-83939595533478704522013-04-07T14:45:00.000-07:002013-04-07T14:45:12.832-07:00Okay, Mary, Here You Go!I made a post on Facebook about a thing that happened today, and one of my friends said "Copy and past that into the dog blog!", to which I replied something to the effect of "but I'm sooo busy!"
So, here's the post:
Today was a big day for Rachel and Dog. The trainer came to put them through their paces, in hopes of being able to give a 30 day notice for certification testing. They have Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07301629941515922541noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723394763857180599.post-80230190469230114762012-12-28T17:20:00.002-08:002012-12-28T17:20:55.541-08:00We're Still Here and All Is WellHello again, everyone! We're still kicking, and Dog is still with us, and training is going well.
Rachel has been working hard at both school and training, so was very ready for her two week Winter Break, which we are now halfway through. She was hugely surprised when her boyfriend presented her with a promise ring for Christmas, as he will be going into the Army in the Spring, and they are Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07301629941515922541noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723394763857180599.post-2088002348977151972012-10-30T10:30:00.001-07:002012-10-30T10:30:42.464-07:00I Know, I Know...I am a truly horrible blogger. Dog has been with us since Oct. 19th, and you're just now hearing about it. If you are on Facebook, you've seen some of what's going on around here, but we can't openly share his identity for some time yet, so I'm afraid you'll have to patient awhile longer.
I do have a few photos that don't give away too much, but I'm even nervous about sharing those. I simply Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07301629941515922541noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723394763857180599.post-5602708617934022402012-10-12T08:50:00.000-07:002012-10-12T08:50:30.173-07:00I Wonder What The Hamster Will ThinkWe've been running around, cleaning out Rachel's room, shopping, doing research on vets, etc., and totally forgot to update the blog with the news that Rachel's dog should be here sometime next week! We got the call over a week ago, and my head has been spinning ever since.
The dog has finished his training, and once all of the arrangements are in order, we'll get a call from our local field repKellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07301629941515922541noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723394763857180599.post-52150851950588975762012-10-01T13:09:00.002-07:002012-10-01T13:09:34.772-07:00Ants In The PantsHere we are, on October 1st, and with any luck Rachel will have her dog by the end of the month. We haven't yet received a phone call confirming how things are going with training, or when the dog will actually arrive, and I'm going to be an antsy mess until we do.
Rachel had 4 seizures over the weekend, and though they weren't really big ones, we still couldn't help but hope that having Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07301629941515922541noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723394763857180599.post-71613276606314658712012-09-08T16:37:00.000-07:002012-09-08T16:37:27.233-07:00The Light At The End Of The Tunnel Is A...Seizure Response Dog, and it's coming straight at us.:)
I've been agonizing over this post since Rachel got a phone call a few days ago, letting her know that a dog had become available, and would likely be here by the end of October.
O_o
There have been few times in my life that have actually rendered me speechless. This time, I was speechless, and sobbing at the same time. Poor Rachel Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07301629941515922541noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723394763857180599.post-56392633968196962222012-08-29T13:02:00.001-07:002012-08-29T13:02:13.241-07:00The Dork Lord ReturnethShe doesn't update her blog very often, but when she does, it's usually entertaining...Ninjas Are Random
-KellyKellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07301629941515922541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723394763857180599.post-71864598928342987762012-08-27T16:08:00.000-07:002012-08-27T16:08:40.174-07:00A Little Heart To HeartThis is going to be just a short follow-up to the last post. I didn't want too much time to pass before recording the conversation Rachel and I had regarding all of the stuff I mentioned in the last post about school, SSDI, and the medical power of attorney.
I sat down with her today to briefly discuss the basics of those things, and lay out the pros and cons of the SSDI filing, as I know them. Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07301629941515922541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723394763857180599.post-73677690701228367772012-08-22T13:15:00.001-07:002012-08-22T13:15:49.125-07:00In Which She RamblesThis may be a rather stream of consciousness post, I'm not sure yet. Mainly, I just don't know where to start today.
Summer break has been good, but will be over with the first day of school, on Sept. 4th. In a way, I'm ready to get on with it, get it over with, and get this kid graduated. In another way, there is so much about to happen with her that it's sometimes overwhelming, and I just Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07301629941515922541noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723394763857180599.post-19523826804508503572012-08-10T14:21:00.002-07:002012-08-10T14:23:41.652-07:00Big ThingsAfter my last update I got very busy picking berries, making jam, managing our household, and then we had visitors from out of the country. Brett's father and stepmother came down from Canada, and we had a few days where we spent every hour we could with them. It was lovely, and then they moved on to the coast, and the cottage they'd rented there.
The morning they left, we got them packed up, Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07301629941515922541noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723394763857180599.post-66209232488614673062012-07-27T16:38:00.000-07:002012-07-27T16:39:34.168-07:00Mid-Summer UpdateHello again, everyone!
I hope you've been enjoying your summer so far. The first few weeks of break were quite busy here, with lots of visits to family, the county fair, and picking berries for jam, among other things.
We've seen a couple of donations come in this week, and we'd like to thank you all for continuing to check in with us, and share our story, and our blog, with your friends. This Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07301629941515922541noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723394763857180599.post-41465260460535765182012-07-11T18:46:00.002-07:002012-07-11T18:46:22.517-07:00Ahhh, Summer!I hope you've all been enjoying your summer as much as we have. We recognize that a lot of folks have been suffering under massive heat waves, and high temperatures, and hope that they're getting a break soon.
Summer in Western Oregon really begins in July, and we're having a lovely streak of days in the 80s. Brett has been bitten with the fishing bug, so we've been doing a bit of scouting for Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07301629941515922541noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723394763857180599.post-72194131532614654272012-07-04T13:37:00.000-07:002012-07-04T13:37:21.364-07:00Happy 4th Everyone!Happy US Independence Day, everybody! I hope you all have a fantastic day, no matter how you choose to celebrate.
I was thinking today that it's been just over a year now that we learned Rachel was officially a client of Paws With A Cause. What a year it's been. We've had so much support, and met some wonderful people. Even so, we're really hoping to get funding wrapped up by the end of the yearKellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07301629941515922541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723394763857180599.post-15703565122470367452012-06-20T10:00:00.000-07:002012-06-20T10:00:46.872-07:00School's Out For Summer!Happy Summer Solstice, everybody!
I'm always torn about this day; on the one hand I love it because it's the official first day of summer, but on the other I'm a bit sad because it means that the days start getting shorter again. Why can't I just enjoy the first part, and not worry about the rest? ;)
School is finally out, and Rachel did quite well this semester! An 'A' and 4 'Bs'! We are very Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07301629941515922541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723394763857180599.post-35256339709822575292012-05-29T13:32:00.004-07:002012-05-29T13:35:37.257-07:00Almost SummerHello again, Friends! I hope you all had a safe and enjoyable Memorial Day weekend. We kept things pretty quiet around here.
Just two weeks of classes left before Rachel is free for the summer, and we are all ready for that break. Rachel has done a great job of staying caught up in her classes, and her grades reflect her efforts. She'll be a Senior next year, and there will be more Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07301629941515922541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723394763857180599.post-67924663623597139982012-05-09T23:01:00.000-07:002012-05-09T23:01:31.520-07:00Hoof In MouthOy. It's been brought to my attention that in my last post, I made an unfortunate juxtaposition of statements, regarding donations received, immediately followed by us taking a short trip.
To be clear: Monies donated for Rachel's dog, either directly to Paws, or to our Paypal account, are never, ever used by our family, for anything other than Rachel's dog. We can't access money sent to her PawsKellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07301629941515922541noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723394763857180599.post-13994738773197067522012-05-09T19:25:00.000-07:002012-05-09T19:25:49.631-07:00Oregon Short BreakI'd like to thank everyone who chimed in on the topic of how much is appropriate to share regarding Rachel's panic attacks. We've discussed the topic with Rachel, and she assures us that she's very comfortable sharing her experience, as long we don't share 'gory details'. She's a wonderful advocate, and feels it's important to let others know what she lives with, as a way of letting those who Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07301629941515922541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723394763857180599.post-51272969763320838502012-05-02T10:00:00.001-07:002012-05-02T10:00:15.042-07:00How Much Is Too Much To Share?With this post, I'm requesting input from our readers. I generally try and keep things fairly light, and mainly talk about things like the fundraising, and the more serious seizure activity, but Rachel also lives with what was once a very debilitating panic disorder and it still rears its ugly head on occasion.
For example, yesterday she was having some trouble with one of the metal bands she Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07301629941515922541noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723394763857180599.post-84747664699599409582012-04-25T10:07:00.002-07:002012-04-25T10:07:50.834-07:00Gone Too LongI can't believe it's been so long since my last post, and I apologize to all of our loyal followers!
Not much new has been happening at Raise The Woof lately, and donations have definitely slowed to a trickle. We continue to check in on our brochures, and folks are picking them up, so we continue to hope that something will come of them.
We did recently get some very good news, though. Rachel Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07301629941515922541noreply@blogger.com1