What is EDS?
Learn more about my condition, and how a service dog will help me live a more full life.
Meet Mona! My newest companion☺︎
Mona is a 1.5-year-old Newfypoo who has been working with Dawn and Jenny at Open Range Academy. She will learn basic obedience, etiquette for public spaces, and a handful of special skills specific to my needs with EDS.
These special skills include retrieving my medicine bag for me, brace work for support walking down stairs or if I get lightheaded, and even act as a medical alert for the migraines and lightheadedness I deal with.
She's been in training for awhile now, and will come home sometime in June! Check out the timeline to see the milestones we'll hit!
My Story
Growing up, I didn't really have any signs of sickness; that all changed when partway through my senior year of high school I got sick and never got "better" again.
As the years have gone on, I've become increasingly more disabled to the point that I can't work a normal job, have active hobbies, or go to school.
Many doctors didn't believe me about my pain, and it's only recently that I've been able to get diagnoses that explain what's happening to me: Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, and a multitude of comorbidities.*
I struggle daily with ear, neck, and back pain; chronic fatigue, sleep problems, and orthostatic intolerance determine the quality of my day. I can only leave my apartment for short periods at a time before a number of dangerous symptoms start to show, ranging from light sensitivity leaving me temporarily blind & disoriented in intersections to having my ankles and knees give out on me from exhaustion.
Getting Mona is a giant step towards independence for me, as with her support I can go out confidently without relying on someone else. I desperately want to get back to living my life-- earning my degree, exploring new places and hobbies, and enjoying the world outside of my apartment!
*:MCAS, CCI, POTS, & occipital neuralgia
Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and more
As per the Ehlers-Danlos Society, "The Ehlers-Danlos syndromes are a group of connective tissue disorders that can be inherited and are varied, both in how they affect the body and in their genetic causes. They are generally characterized by joint hypermobility (joints that stretch further than normal), skin hyperextensibility (skin that can be stretched further than normal), and tissue fragility." I have the hypermobile subtype, which is the most common.
Some of my most debilitating symptoms are chronic pain and fatigue, occipital neuralgia, lightheadedness, and joint weakness. Mona will be able to support me in managing these symptoms on a day-to-day basis through mobility support and medical alerts. More info on specific skills is above.
