Nurse Detour saves the day...again.

Thor has been sick with the flu the past week and it got so bad I had to take him into the emergency room. 

He wasn't able to keep even a sip of water down for days. Detour was worried and stuck by his side...even in the bathroom while Thor was getting sick; he wasn't letting his boy out of his sight. 

I found myself having to reassure Detour that Thor would be ok. 

We are finally getting over the days of nausea and uncontrollable sickness.

Thank you Detour -again - for being my boy's guardian angel and best friend. 

My Boys - 8 months later.

Eight months ago we were blessed with the World's best dog...

A best friend, protector, and guardian angel. Detour has been the best thing to happen to Thor - he is calmer, happier, more talkative, and safer with Detour around. Their bond has grown stronger every day.

Today they had their photos done. My heart is overflowing with love for these two. You can truly see the light in Thor now...

Two years ago...

Today is Thor's 2 Year Autism-Diagnosis Anniversary.

Two years ago I wasn't sure how to help Thor. He spent many days wearing a hockey helmet to prevent brain injury; banging his head off of cupboards, walls, and even the floor.

He was frustrated. He couldn't communicate. He was non-verbal.

He had lost all ability to speak, hold a spoon, make eye connect, or even smile.

I had lost my son.

Two years ago I drove the 7 hours to a special clinic to have him assessed. Four days of testing and a lot of tears later, Thor was diagnosed with Autism, Sensory Processing Disorder, and an extreme case of Generalized Anxiety Disorder.

I left feeling relieved...there was hope. Finally, someone could give me answers and tell me what had happened to my son. We had a starting place and could now move forward with therapies.

Two years later...40+ hours of therapy each week: therapy groups, preschool with support workers, speech therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, private therapists in our home, and many hours of mom and Thor working on goals too.

Two years later...Thor can talk. He can smile. He does his best to make eye contact. He feeds himself and is learning how to dress himself.

Thor is now 4 1/2 years old and I see a bright future for him. Yes, he still struggles daily with meltdowns, anxiety, speech & communication, and his daily "stims" but we are working on it. Detour has helped him so much in these areas...bringing him a sense of comfort and familiarity in situations where he would typically meltdown (like the grocery store).

Thor with his Autism Service Dog (Detour) at the grocery store.

Happy Anniversary Thor...you've come so far and I'm so proud of you. I can't wait to see how far you come in the years to follow.

A Documentary on 4 Paws for Ability

For those who still may not understand why I chose 4 Paws for Ability, or why I chose to get Thor a service dog to begin with...here is a short documentary about them and the families they have helped. 

Detour has been life changing - like the one family near the end says... when we're out with the dog, Thor exhibits less Autistic-like behaviours, has less anxiety, and can function at a much higher level. The bond between them is amazing.

Detour is certified as a Service dog both in the United States (where got him) and in Canada (where we live) - he carries dual certification...now that's a special dog!!

Happy Holidays (Yes, we're still here!)

Merry belated Christmas & Happy New Year!

We are still here and we still love Detour! Life has just gotten in the way of blogging. Having Detour is like having a second child...in that, he goes everywhere with us. He has his own appointments (regular vet & grooming) and he needs my attention just as much as Thor does.

Thor has been battling repeated episodes of tonsillitis...3 bouts in less than 2 months. The latest of which reared up on Christmas Day of all days. In between tonsillitis, he has had the flu and a cold. It's been a bad winter health-wise for him. Hoping Spring & Summer have healthier times in store for him.

Detour has been a God-send. He sticks by Thor even when Thor is miserable from being sick constantly and talks mean to everyone around him...Detour is his unconditional buddy. His nurse. His guardian. His best friend.

Detour & Thor at their latest Doctor's Appointment.

Even when Thor is so sick he can't get off the couch, Detour can make him giggle. It's a welcome sound in our house.

Detour has settled into our family well and I can't imagine our lives without him. He is the best thing to happen to Thor.

I've said it before and I'll say it again now...

Thank you to each and every one of you who helped make this possible. You are all ANGELS in my eyes.

Detour keeps watch over his boy...

Thor is still sick and Detour is still working hard to make him feel better...

We're off to the doctor yet again to see about these ongoing health issues. It's frustrating for him and for me...despite a healthy diet, multi vitamins, and lots of sleep, Thor continues to not be able to fight off whatever it is he has right now.

He misses his routine: preschool, therapy, playing outside.

Hoping that the doctor can give us some insight into what is going on and the power of medicine and Dr. Detour will heal my boy up for Halloween. This is the first year he's aware of and excited about dressing up. He's not too sure about the whole trick-or-treat thing but we'll see how that goes. The biggest thing for him is that he gets to dress up for preschool... IF he's well enough to go.

So - please send healing thoughts to Thor. In the meantime, Detour will keep watch over his boy.

PS. If you look really close you can see the corner of that stool is chewed. I'd like to say that Detour is a dog, not a robot. He makes poor decisions sometimes and that was one of them. Thankfully, his poor decisions are only at home when he's off-duty. Silly pup.

Always be my friend...

Detour's knee seems to be all better and we are slowly integrating him back to working his job full time. Thank you to everyone for your messages and well wishes, it looks like he won't need surgery!

Detour took Thor to the doctor last week when Thor was sick with fever & bad cough...just a cold but we like to be sure since Thor struggles to express how he is feeling and he could have more serious issues without us knowing.

Thor's doctor (who prescribed a service dog - a medical prescription is necessary) was blown away by the changes in Thor since getting his service dog. Thor was talkative and even asked the doctor for a hug. Something he wouldn't have done Pre-Detour.

This week, everyone seems to have gotten healthy (minus the usual fall/winter sniffles) and life is getting back to our version of normal.

Detour has been helping Thor with better balance while walking (by holding the handle on his harness) which has made his walking more stable and his falling much less - without Detour's assistance, Thor seems to trip on air. He still does, but he has extra stability to catch himself when he stumbles.

These two really love each other and the other day Thor said to me, "Detour will always be my friend." - it was such an innocent and sincere statement that it brought tears to my eyes. Yes, Detour will always be his friend - always there and never judging him for things other may deem different.

I am so proud of Thor and how much he has blossomed since getting his guardian angel...

Doctor's Orders

A couple of days ago Detour developed a light limp which slowly has grown into a very big limp in his hind leg. My instant fear was hip dysplasia which would retire him as a service dog forever.

Today we saw Dr. M - the "dog doctor" as Thor calls her - and she gave me goods news and bad news.

The good news? Not hip dysplasia.

Detour laying in my office beside me - in lots of pain and just trying to rest.

The bad news? He has a torn ACL in his right rear knee. Dr. M is hopeful that because he is putting light pressure on it, the tear is minor and will heal with strict rest and pain meds for 2 weeks. So we're home now following her orders hoping it will heal. In 2 weeks we will go back for a check up - if it's not healed he will need surgery which will cost thousands and include several months of recovery time.

As it stands now, Detour is not allowed to play ball, run, be off leash outside (not even for potty breaks), or jump on or off anything.

He is not allowed to do his job. 

Both Detour and Thor are going to be miserable with this arrangement, but there are things in life we need to do and they just plain suck. This would be one of those times.

Detour's new tag that came in the mail yesterday.
The puzzle piece for Autism, and the heart for his love
for Thor and our love for him.

I feel like one of my children is hurt and I am nursing him back to health. You know how when a child is hurt or sick, they want their mommy? Well Detour is stuck to me like glue - he spends his time curled up next to me or under my desk with his head in my lap. I feel bad that I can't ease his pain, but I'm hoping the first dose of pain meds I just gave him will help a little and he can get some pain-free rest today.

Please, send your prayers & love Detour's way -- this is a devastating blow to our family...Detour is like another child to us and a brother & best friend for Thor. He has made Thor's life happier and safer and now he is in terrible pain.

We need for him to get better.

Happily Ever After

We've been home for 12 days now and everything is going great...Detour & Thor are continuing to strengthen their bond. Detour is alert and ready to track any time his boy gets up to go anywhere...especially if we are out in the yard and Thor is pretending near the gate.

The three of us go on daily walks, which both of the boys really love.

We play in the yard whenever we can...

And of course, Detour gives Thor comfort after a hard day (or in the middle of one)...never one to judge, Detour is there to give his boy unconditional love. Thor has truly found his best friend and guardian angel.

Detour in full "work" gear.

I can't begin to tell you how grateful I am to everyone who supported us through the last 1 1/2 years while we worked towards getting Thor's service dog. It has been even more amazing than I could have ever imagined.

He is happier, calmer, and more playful when his dog is around. Detour also brings a sense of calm to me because when we go out I know Thor won't be disappearing anymore.

Thank you all so very much.

A Small Note: You might see us walking downtown or in the local shops...Detour is friendly and loves to be loved. But when we're in public it's very important I have his focus on his work. For this reason, please do not stop to pet him. Yes, there will be times I am in no rush and can stop to chat and at that point (if you ask first) I don't mind you giving him a little bit of love. But like anyone else, I too have to get in and out of the store in a hurry sometimes and just can't stop to chat. Thank you so much for your understanding.

Welcome Home, Detour!

I have to confess, blogging everyday during training was in my plans...but I didn't realize how tired I would be by the end of every day. Class from 9:30-4:30 every day (including 2 practice sessions of tracking Thor) then going back to the hotel to practice more obedience or work out in public with Detour. It doesn't sound too bad when you think about it, but trust me...it's exhausting.

Don't get me wrong though...it was the most rewarding thing I have ever done. Detour really is a super-dog. He can track Thor anywhere and find him... each day we practiced with one adult (changed each time) walking off with Thor to hide. Then the person handling Detour would give him his "talk up" (get him excited to play the "tracking game") and off we would go - Detour is one strong dog so you really have to be ready for that yank when he gets to the end of the tracking leash!!

Detour in a "down" at the mall - strangers
could step over him and he didn't even flinch.
What a good boy!

He's amazing out in public - we've practiced tethering (Thor wears a belt that has a "leash" attached to Detour's harness) and it was the best thing since sliced bread. Thor tried many times to wander away because something caught his eye...Detour kept him where he needed to be. When I'm shopping and have to stop to look at something, or pay at the checkout, Detour lays down and acts like an anchor point. Thor can't move Detour and is made to stay within that 3 foot distance that his tether strap allows (the strap is adjustable, and I can make it bigger as Thor grows).


The flight home this weekend was pretty brutal - the first flight we boarded and waited about an hour before they asked us to get off the plan due to mechanical issues. Here we were stuck in the airport for a few more hours waiting for repairs. We missed our connecting flight in Minneapolis so they re-routed us. Instead of getting into Vancouver at 11am, it would be 3pm. Finally we get on the plane again and take off...mid flight they tell us we won't make it time for our connecting flight...again. So they re-route us....again. This time we will have a 6 hour layover and not make it to Vancouver until 7:30pm.

6 hour layover in Minneapolis. These two
were champs though!

...we arrive in Vancouver by 7:30 and wait for our bags. And wait...and wait...and no bags. The airline put us up at the Sheraton for our troubles and promised to deliver the bags as soon as they arrived. We got to the hotel at about 10pm and by this time still had no dinner. After a quick bite we all fell asleep for a few hours, waking up to a message that our bags were at the front desk. Only...it wasn't both bags. Just they boys' bag was there....mine was still lost. To make a really long story a little bit shorter...they didn't find my bag that day and we ended up leaving Vancouver at 4pm Sunday.

...we got home at 12:30am Monday. To say the least we were all very exhausted. Thankfully, my bag was found and flown to me at home.

Thor wanted to lay down with Detour,
so he made it more comfortable with blanket & pillow!

We've now been home a couple of days and Detour and Thor are settling in nicely. Detour follows him around everywhere and they love to snuggle up close and watch cartoons. Detour is loving his fenced yard where he can run and play without a leash...finally!! (he was always on a leash at the hotel outside)

Detour enjoying the freedom to run and play!
(don't mind the pile of toys, we have some construction
happening on the house and had to move things out of the way)

A special thanks to Caitie who fostered Detour when he was a puppy - helping him to learn his obedience and become the special guy he is today!

Caitie, Thor, & Detour at Graduation.

Mom, Thor, & Detour @ Graduation Day!
*Certified Service Dog Team*

Thank you all so much for supporting our journey to get Detour - he is a life saving & life-CHANGING miracle for Thor...he is already much calmer and happier around his dog. We could never have done this without all of you.

4 Paws Training: Days 4, 5, & 6

I should start off by saying that Thor is NOT allergic to Detour. A combination of environmental allergies plus having a cold and also the extreme amount of dander at the 4 Paws facility (many dogs) all combined and gave Thor hives. We are now keeping him in the hotel as much as possible, and seem to have the hives under control with a little extra medicine.

We have spent the last few days working on general obedience, working at the mall, behavior disruption, tracking, and tethering.

Today started with a track at a local park, then obedience for a couple hours. The afternoon we spent in the mall and practiced a couple racks in Sears. Detour was a champ even though some people got in his way and wanted to pet him - he was on a mission to find his boy (and he did)!

I love the tethering - Thor is proud to walk his dog and I am not so afraid of him bolting. I always know where he is and Detour auto-lays down when I stop in a store to browse, acting as an anchor point for Thor so he can't wander. He is restricted to the length of the tether strap.

We even had the chance for some real shopping and Thor got an Ohio state jersey and hat.

Detour's favorite spot in the car is on the back seat and laying with his head on Thor's lap - and Thor strokes his ear until he falls asleep...this dog is spoiled already!!

Here are a few photos from Thor's first meeting with Detour...

4 Paws Training: Day Three

Last night was our first night with Detour "home" with us at the hotel he was an angel.

This morning the class spit into to groups and the first group (ours) went for our first track. Thor went off with an adult and hid in the bushes and then we went off to track him. Detour caught his scent very quickly and was off like a shot to find his boy. He found him within minutes  and was rewarded with a tennis ball and tons if praise :)

We worked on more obedience in the afternoon, including the addition of "under","jump","off", and "place."

Thor spent his afternoon at the hotel (supervised of course) recovering from a bad allergic reaction complete with hives...plus a chest cold. He was very happy to have Detour back "home" tonight and the two are cuddling on the floor watching TV while I type this.

We aren't sure what Thor is reacting to right now but his hives have cleared and we are watching close to make sure it's not Detour....please pray that it's anything but the dog causing hives...

4 Paws Training: Day Two

Today was another big day...we woke up knowing that tonight we would bring Detour back to the hotel with us. Our temporary home for two weeks. I was nervous again, but only because Thor still seemed generally uninterested in being touched by Detour.

We worked on more general obedience today; sit, down, shake, high five, give five, and the best...heel!! We also worked with gentle leaders (aka "head harness" - NOT a muzzle. ) Detour was more responsive to my heal command with the leader on and stopped, for the most part, all the pulling he would do when we walked. The down side of this is that Detour has an infection around his eye and the leader just grazes it...we don't want to irritate it more so I am only using it to go to and from the car or hotel...otherwise it's just the training collar (you may know it as a "choke chain").

Detour is on meds twice a day orally with a topical cream I have to put on twice a day as well. We are hoping this clears up soon, but it's making no impact on his work so he is doing great!

By the end of the day Thor showed more interest in Detour and, under the advice of the trainers, I began rewarding Detour with extra special treats whenever Thor came around...to help him form a bond ("this kid being around gets me good stuff...this kid is my best friend!").

And by the time we got in the Jeep to go home to the hotel....

And then back at the hotel...

4 Paws Training: Day One

We had a very long trip from Quesnel to Xenia this weekend but I'm happy to say we all made it here safe and happy. Okay, more like tired and grouchy...but by Monday we had gotten some rest and real food and were happy to play the tourist role for the day.

Today I woke up even before my alarm at 6:15...back home that is 3:15am. Yes, I was excited. First day of training and finally the day we meet Detour. It's like meeting your baby for the first time...you wait and wait and finally the comes and you're bursting with excitement. That was me today.

Thor, however, slept in. We had to wake him up and tell him it was THE DAY...

We arrived at 4 Paws a bit early to grab a seat and mingle with the group. Thor found Detour in his kennel right away without anyone telling him. "That's my dog!" he exclaimed.

I think we were the 3rd family to meet their dog (they are brought out one by one on the first morning) and Thor was given the task of feeding him breakfast. He happily fed him but stayed back a distance because he isn't a fan of dog licks...yet.


Later Thor went to the play area and found some toys while I worked on some basic obedience skills with Detour. I'll admit, I was nervous coming into this and thought I may struggle as some have in the past. I'm happy to report that day one has been a success! Detour listened to me and was a total champ.

Here's hoping this continues tomorrow...

Our little detour...

After months of waiting and wishing and hoping...it's here.

MATCH DAY!

The day that everyone in our service dog class gets their email about their child's new dog. We have just 11 more days until class starts, until we meet our new family member.

And here he is...

 ...My name is Detour because they say sometimes when you take a detour in life you find a pleasant surprise waiting and that is me a wonderful surprise! I am a Black Lab born into the D is for Darling litter. Our Mom is Delilah. We were born 9-1-2011. I am so excited you are coming in just a few days...

Pirate, the one-eyed puppy...

Pirate is special Papillon puppy...and he happens to be disabled. Pirate was born with just one functioning eye. True to it's mantra ("taking the DIS out of disability"), 4 Paws for Ability has opened their arms and hearts to Pirate.

He is destined to become a helping paw to a child in need, by training to be a diabetic alert dog, a seizure dog or a hearing ear dog.

Bur first, Pirate needs surgery to have his congenital ophthalmic defect repaired—the vet will remove his tiny, blind eye and the tissue surrounding it; then sew it closed, preventing infection.

This is where I am asking for your help once again...Pirate's surgery is going to cost the non-profit approximately $2500 - a small price to pay to help a little puppy change someone's life forever. But as a non-profit, 4 Paws doesn't have piles of money just laying around and they are asking for the public's help.

I am asking for your help.

4 Paws for Ability is providing Thor with a life-saving service dog in a matter of weeks and I don't know how I will ever repay their dedication and kindness. All I can do, is help them to help other families. So this is my call to action for animal lovers around the globe...

Please take a moment to read Pirate's story on the 4 Paws for Ability site, and consider donating even $5 to help Pirate get his eye patched up and start his journey to becoming a life-saving superhero to a special kid.

You can donate by going to Pirate's Cause Page and clicking on the "Give" button on the right hand side of the page.

Donations* can also be mailed to:

4 Paws for Ability
"For Pirate"
253 Dayton Ave.
Xenia, Ohio 45385

*please note "for pirate" on your checks.

If you are not able to donate, please please spread the word. This little guy needs our help so he can start saving lives.

Thor vs. Children's Hospital

As promised, I'm finally sitting down to write about Thor's experience at BC Children's Hospital last week.

It was exhausting. For both of us.

After 8 hours in the car, we arrived at our hotel (thank you GPS for getting us there safely). We stayed at the Accent Inns in Richmond which is actually just a few minutes drive from Children's Hospital...incredibly convenient. Thor got comfy on the couch and settled in for some much deserved cartoons before we headed out to the iHop attached to the hotel for some pancake dinner (he sure deserved it considering all he was about to go through...)

That night I had to keep Thor awake until midnight, then wake him at 5am. The hospital wanted him severely sleep deprived for his EEG test in the morning. Considering we were up at 6am and drove 8 hours without him sleeping a wink...it's safe to say that by 9pm he was desperate for me to let him sleep. He begged me. I stayed strong and followed doctors' orders.

...we both woke up utterly exhausted.


Nurse Lisa was amazing at the EEG - so loving and kind. Thor loved her...until she started hooking up wires to his head. Then...the love was gone. He asked for some blue doctor gloves and as you can see he brought his friends Woody & Max along to keep him company...

He was calm for a few minutes after he got his gloves but then he just lost his composure. He screamed and cried, "I'm really scared!" until he finally fell asleep from exhaustion. I cried quietly for him and wished so bad that we already had his service dog to help calm him...

...but he was only allowed to sleep for a little while because they needed readings from when he was awake. He was a trooper, wore his backpack with all the wires (so he wouldn't get tangled in them) and played with me and his toys.

I had to press the button every time he had a
visible seizure so the nurse would come back in.

After 4 hours it was finally time to get those wires off! He's not excited to have to peel that darn tape off though...but he reached down his shirt like a champ and ripped the one off that was monitoring his heart.

This is a few seconds of his EEG...I thought
it was pretty interesting to see his brainwaves!

This wasn't the end of his tests though...we still had another to get through. We went back to the hotel for some much needed rest and the next morning we were off to the hospital for his MRI.

Before we even got to the hospital, Thor was
asleep. He was so tired...

Ready to go - but he says the special clothes
are "silly" and that they are like a clown :)

Several hours later we were ready to be discharged - Thor was violent and angry in recovery...disoriented and waking up in a place he's never been was way too scary. He was hitting and kicking, and screaming at the nurses and myself. It was heartbreaking. When we were finally discharged, he screamed and cried unless I was pushing him around in the stroller...the movement calmed him. (a huge thank you to Stephanie who loaned us her stroller for the trip!)

Even after all of this we still had several hours to go - waiting to see the neurologist and finally the meeting with the team of doctors. We were there from 8:30am-5:15pm that day.

Finally, my little man fell asleep and we headed off back to the hotel...

The next morning we drove the 8 hours home again. So happy to finally have that trip over with. Not as happy with the results of the testing - basically he's having seizures but because it doesn't seem to be affecting his development and he's not having drop attacks (falling to the ground) they are hesitant to prescribe medication. I understand why - he's so young that they just don't know what effects the medications will have on his development. We will continue to monitor the seizures, and we have a 24 hour EEG coming up in the next few months to monitor it more closely. Until then...we watch and wait.

As a side note, we had a pretty terrible experience at the hotel - to such an extreme that I cancelled our reservation for August which we planned on staying the night before we flew to Ohio for service dog training...I won't go into details but it was really bad. I emailed the president of the company and have been impressed with the response. Both the president of the company and the general manager of the hotel have contacted me personally and we will be staying there again in August...I look forward to telling you what a good experience we have next time...I hope.