Next week is the 9th anniversary for this blog and the 4th anniversary for Sunday Mornings with Twitchy Woman. From a little blog that was never supposed to run more than a few months, it has become a recognized leader internationally in Parkinson’s blogs. This is blog post 387 for Twitchy Woman. Thank you for your continued support over the years.

Therapy Dogs

Yesterday, I received an email from a friend at the Parkinson’s Foundation about a walk with therapy animals for People with Parkinson’s. What a terrific idea! Having been a dog-person my entire life, I have always felt a need to have a furry animal in my life. Even when I lived in a dorm in college, I managed to sneak a hamster into my dorm room, just to hold something furry and loveable when I needed it.

We hear a lot about Service Dogs and Companion or Emotional Support Dogs. They can be very helpful for people with Parkisnon’s. What is the difference? According to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Service animals are defined as dogs that are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities. The work or task a dog has been trained to provide must be directly related to the person’s disability. For people with PD, dogs can provide social and emotional support as well as assistance with balance and daily tasks by mitigating freezing (nudging a leg or gently pulling on a leash), support while getting in and out of chairs or getting up after a fall (bracing), opening doors and turning lights on or off, retrieving adaptive equipment, retrieving and carrying objects, like meds or dropped phone, assisting in dressing and undressing by fetching clothes or gently tugging off socks, seeking help, and exercise (walking the dog).

Dogs whose sole function is to provide comfort or emotional support do not qualify as service animals under the ADA. A service dog can go most places with it’s handler. This is not true for companion dogs.

Do you think your dog can be a service dog? Go online to find out the requirements for training and certification. Doing it yourself is a big commitment for both you and your dog.

Our last dog, Lucy, died five years ago, and I have felt that something was missing ever since then. Mr. Twitchy never had a great relationship with her – she was clearly MY dog. She was there with me before my PD diagnosis and for 9 years after diagnosis. She would cuddle up next to me on those nights when I couldn’t sleep. She got me up and moving every day for our morning walk, enjoying many sunrises together.

The plus side of not having a dog – we have been able to travel and do whatever we wanted for the past 5 years without worrying about what to do with the dog while we were gone.

Enter Pepper. Our new little furball joined the family in December. She is a loveable rescue who can’t give enough kisses. She loves people, but is not so sure about dogs. Her favorite activity is chasing the squirrel that rules our backyard.

The Oscars

Unfortunately our favorite documentary, Still: A Michael J Fox Movie, did not win at the Oscars last night. If you have not yet seen it, do NOT miss it. You will laugh and cry with this inside look into the life of Michael J Fox, who only wants to be Still. Share it with your family and friends. On Apple TV+.

Have a great week!