Mar 29

When Real Life Happens

Posted on March 29, 2013 by Megan

I’ve never been particularly good at disguising my emotions.  When I’m upset, angry, or even happy it tends to be written all over my face (or in the case of a blog all over my writing) which is why there’s been a lack of posting lately.  While I love talking about running (I did complete my half marathon last weekend btw, and all I have to say is it was painful) and gluten-free eating, sometimes there are bigger, more life-altering things happening.

With all that said, a few weeks ago August had a seizure.  To first give a little background, for the entire 2 years that I’ve known August he’s had short (1 second or less) twitches or tics as he referred to them.  He has them anywhere from 20-200 times a day but for the most part they don’t interfere with his life other than being a little embarrassing and causing him to drop things occasionally (there’s a reason he’s not allowed to drink out of glass cups) and he’s had them since he was a teenager.  He also has spells where it seems as though he’s day-dreaming and won’t respond to me when I’m talking to him which he’s had for as long as he can remember.  But besides making me slightly annoyed and feeling like he didn’t care what I had to say I never associated those spells with the twitches.

For as long as we’ve been together I told him I wanted him to see a doctor to make sure the twitches were nothing serious but he wanted to wait until he graduated and had better health insurance.  But then a few weeks ago he had a legitimate seizure.  It probably only lasted 10 seconds but it felt like an eternity, and with that he decided he couldn’t wait to see a doctor any longer.

Earlier this week he was diagnosed with juvenile myoclonic epilepsy.  It is characterized with absence seizures that begin in adolescence, progresses to myoclonic seizures (eg the twitches he has) around the onset of puberty, and in some people progresses to full-on grand mal seizures during adulthood.  The doctor prescribed him with some anti-convulsant medication and we’re taking everything day by day right now.  He’s supposed to avoid stressful situations (which is rather ironic given that he’s one month out from defending his dissertation which is just about the most stressful thing ever), sleep deprivation, flashing lights, and hyperventilating.

Since his diagnosis my emotions have pretty much run the gamut.  I’ve felt everything from anger that no one took him to the doctor sooner even though he’s been having these seizures for 15+ years, relief that at least we know what we’re dealing with and that medication helps the majority of patients, and fear that either we won’t find a proper medication and the seizures will continue to get worse or that any medication he takes will alter his personality (we are talking about medications that affect the brain after all).

So even though this is a blog about running, gluten-free eating, and my cute doggies, sometimes real life gets in the way off those things.  And from me to you,  make sure you give a little extra thanks for your good health; I know it’s an easy thing to take for granted.

Twitt
Posted in Family, Love | Leave a comment
Mar 11

My Sister’s Birthday and Texas Barbecue

Posted on March 11, 2013 by Megan

Yesterday was my little sister’s 17th birthday!  Hard to believe that in just a year she’ll be graduating high school and getting ready to head off to college.

Anna and Megan

And yes, my “little” sister is way taller than me, and has been for about 6 years.

 

So yesterday August and I decided to do something a little out of the ordinary and drove up to Austin to eat at The Salt Lick.  You might have heard of it as the contestants on Top Chef cooked there and it’s been featured on lots of food shows as having the best barbecue in Texas.  It’s a rather unsuspecting place when you first pull up.

Salt Lick

But as soon as we walked around the back we saw a line out the door.  Considering it was 3 pm, that awkward time between lunch and dinner, I took that as a sign that it was be really good.  Thankfully we only ended up waiting about 30 minutes.

The restaurant was about what you’d expect at a barbecue establishment in that the whole place was full of big wooden tables and benches.  Oddly enough, our party of 2 got a whole one to ourselves. :)

The Salt Lick

We opted for the “all-you-can-eat” barbecue plate which included brisket, sausage, and ribs, along with baked beans and potato salad as the sides.

Barbecue Pit

These people do not mess around when it comes to cooking their barbecue.

Lunch

Barbecue

I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve never been the biggest barbecue fan but this stuff was good and the barbecue sauce was amazing (maybe even as good as my beloved Montgomery Inn sauce).  We ate 2 plates worth and they even gave us a 3rd to take home.  It’s not every weekend that we drive an hour and a half simply to hit up a restaurant but we had a great time.  And if you’re ever in Austin don’t miss out on the best barbecue in Texas. :)

Twitt
Posted in Gluten Free | 2 Comments
Mar 08

Friday Five

Posted on March 8, 2013 by Megan

Woo hoo, we’ve made it to Friday!  I always feel like that alone is worthy of a celebration.  Anyone else feel that way, too?  No, just me?

1.  I have 10 miles on the agenda this weekend and of course the weather looks terrible.  Seriously, I’ve been so lucky this training cycle weather-wise so it figures that my longest training run would have to be done in warm, muggy, and possibly rainy conditions.

Weather

2.  Since I’m loving all Gap workout clothes lately, just wanted to pass on that they’re having a sale (what’s new, right?) and you can get 25% off your order by entering the promo code GAPDEAL.  It even applies to sale items so you better believe I hopped right on over and ordered a few things, including this racerback top…

Gap racerback tank

3. Our dogs, just like the rest of the dogs on the planet, LOVE to stick their head out the car window and enjoy the cool breathe on their face.  Funny thing though, even when we put down both back windows, they prefer to share.

Dogs hanging out car window

Pretty sure they get all their weird qualities from August. ;)

4.  Speaking of August, he’ll be at the bachelor party of his best buddy all weekend, and I have no idea what I’m going to do with myself.  Seriously, who’s going to volunteer to come over and make me laugh all weekend?  Good thing I’ve got the dogs to keep me company. :)

5.  I need to make this quinoa with corn and scallions dish as soon as possible.  I mean how fresh and springy does this look?

Quinoa with corn and scallions

Twitt
Posted in Recipe, Running, Weekend | 1 Comment
Mar 07

Service Dogs vs Therapy Dogs

Posted on March 7, 2013 by Megan

Since August and I had quite the bad experience with our therapy dog training I wanted to do a bit of an educational post.  I doubt I’m the only person who didn’t know the difference between a service and therapy dog and what rights (or lack thereof) each one has.  For all questions please check out Service Dog Central as they have a wealth of information and are happy to answer any and all questions.

What is the difference between a service and therapy dog?

“Service animals are legally defined (Americans with Disabilities Act) and are trained to meet the disability-related needs of their handlers who have disabilities.  Federal laws protect the rights of individuals with disabilities to be accompanied by their service animals in public places.  Service animals are not considered ‘pets’.”

Service Dog

“Therapy animals are not legally defined by federal law, but some states have laws defining therapy animals.  They provide people with contact to animals, but are not limited to working with people who have disabilities.  They are usually personal pets of their handlers, and work with their handlers to provide service to others.  Federal laws have no provisions for people to be accompanied by therapy animals in places of public accommodation that have “no pet”  policies.  Therapy animals usually are not service animals.”

Therapy Dog

Source: PetPartners.org

What qualifies as a disability that may require a service dog?

Check out this chart.  It clearly walks through the steps of identifying whether an individual has a disability which would qualify for a service dog.  Note that protection, emotional support, and companionship do not qualify.

How long does it take to train a dog to become a service dog and at what age should that training begin?

It normally takes 18-24 months to fully train a service dog and training usually begins before they are weaned.

service dog in training

What sort of training does a dog need to become a therapy dog?

To be recognized as a true therapy dog, dog and handler must be registered with a therapy dog organization.  There are lots of therapy dog organizations across the country; to find out the most popular organizations in your area call your local hospital or nursing home and ask which organizations they permit.

Dog and handler must pass a test which demonstrates that the dog responds to basic obedience commands and is well adjusted to interacting with adults and children.  A test example can be seen here.  Through the therapy organization the dog will be covered by insurance and permitted to visit certain hospitals, schools, nursing homes, etc with permission.  The top organizations are PetPartners and Therapy Dogs Incorporated.

Is it legal for someone who does not have a disability to have a service dog in public?

The short answer…no.  The Americans with Disabilities Act protects the rights of the individual with the disability.  A service dog is legally considered an extension of that individual and that is why they are permitted into public establishments.  If the person using the service dog does not actually have the disability for which the dog is trained then the dog no longer falls under the definition of “service dog”.

If you see someone with a dog that is behaving inappropriately or is clearly not a service dog what should you do?

Report it to management.

Basic guidelines to follow if you have a therapy dog.

1.  When referencing your therapy dog it’s best to say “My pet who works as a therapy dog…”.

2.  Do not take him/her in public where dogs are not invited unless you have asked permission.

3.  Do not bring him/her in public with their vest on, even in a dog-friendly place.

4.  Only have the dog wear their vest in public if it is an event for the therapy organization.

5.  If a person asks to pet your dog, say yes, he/she is not a service dog, please let me make them sit.

6.  If people ask if he/she is working, say no, he/she is not a service dog.

Basic Things To Know About Service Dogs and Their Handlers

>>A service dog is there to aide the person with a disability.  The “service” the dog is providing could range from mobility assistance, guiding, or assisting with a medical condition.  Just because you can’t see the person’s disability does not mean it’s not there.  And yes, it’s rude to ask what their disability is.

>>Be prepared to hear “no” if you ask to pet the dog.  All service dogs will most likely have a patch on their vest that states “do not pet”.  That patch is not there for no reason.

>>Don’t purposefully try to pull the dog’s attention away from its handler.  This includes doing things like talking to the dog, making kissy noises, or making hand gestures towards the dog.  The dog is there to provide a service and distracting it for even a few seconds could be detrimental to both the dog and handler.

For more information and sources with greater detail check out:

ADA Revisions

Common Questions About Service Animals in a Place of Business

 

The majority of information here was provided by Service Dog Central and its users.

Twitt
Posted in Random | Tagged | 3 Comments