Life has been hectic in the Current household, so I haven't made it on here for updates as often as I would like. My unemployment has run out, so I am now desperately trying to find a job; something that will help me reach my ultimate career goals of being a pediatric nurse and that is flexible enough to allow me to continue to get Drake to therapy sessions, doctor appointments, etc. (we are a one car family, so if I'm at work, even if DC were home, he wouldn't have a way to get Drake where he needs to be). It's a lofty goal and I found myself getting nowhere, so next week I start a two week Nursing Assistant course. Hopefully once I am state tested, I'll have better luck finding employment!
Today was the first day in over a year that we were successful taking Drake out on errands. We had to make several short trips at retail locations and since he did so well (he usually melts down within 5 minutes of being inside a store of any sort), we decided to push our luck and eat dinner at Wendy's (eating out has not been possible with him in the last year either). He didn't really eat, but he sat content at the table - no loud yelling, no tantrums, no throwing food. An absolute miracle!
Of course, I should have known it was all too good to be true. We've been struggling more and more each day this week to get him to take his meds. Tonight the effort ended with Drake and I both covered in chocolate pudding and Depakote and Topamax sprinkles. I have no idea if he actually consumed any of the meds or not. But nothing we tried worked to get any additional meds in him. So he's in bed now, and I'm a nervous nelly watching him on the video monitor like a hawk. I'll be on the phone to the neurologist first thing in the morning because I'm at a complete loss.
We've welcomed a foster rescue dog into our home. We use to foster dogs frequently, but after Drake's hospital stay last year, we decided it was just too much to handle. But in preparation for a second dog coming into the home, we decided it would be good to try it out again. It will get everyone (including our family pets) accustomed to having an additional (and much larger) dog in the home in preparation for Drake's service dog. So we now have a 60lb+ Golden Retriever in our home. He's a super sweet/mellow guy with severe skin issues. I was really worried about how our little Italian Greyhound would take to him (he tends to be aggressive towards larger dogs), but they've been getting along beautifully. Yeah! If anyone is looking for a family pet, Buddy would fit in well in just about any environment; send me a message and I'll put you in contact with the rescue agency! :)
Speaking of Drake's service dog, we are getting so close to raising the necessary funds! 4 Paws is in receipt of $2,655 in honor of Drake. There was a gift from Parker's Purpose of $1,000 that I plan to forward to 4 Paws in the coming days. Three Best Buy events have been completed and one more will take place Friday; we're hoping they can squeeze in three or four more before the end of the quarter (mid August). Each of these events raises $1,000 for Drake's dog. We also had a successful fundraising event hosted at a local church on July 11th - we're expecting right around $2,000 from that. Not including the "hopeful" Best Buy events, we've unofficially raised approximately $8,655; an additional $4,345 needed. We're hoping to make it into the December 4 Paws training class, so the push is really on now. We could really use your help! Visit the donation link for information on how you can send a donation to 4 Paws in Drake's honor. Purchase a 4 Paws for Drake t-shirt or wristband to not only contribute financially, but also help share our mission. For those that are local, we'll be back at the Perrysburg First Friday's event on August 6th selling the shirts and wristbands. If you work for Geek Squad/Best Buy contact your Viewpoint organizer to find out how you can help! I'm also setting up another Max & Erma's fundraising event for early September - watch the events page or our Facebook page for more info.
Thank you to all who support our family!
Today was the first day in over a year that we were successful taking Drake out on errands. We had to make several short trips at retail locations and since he did so well (he usually melts down within 5 minutes of being inside a store of any sort), we decided to push our luck and eat dinner at Wendy's (eating out has not been possible with him in the last year either). He didn't really eat, but he sat content at the table - no loud yelling, no tantrums, no throwing food. An absolute miracle!
Of course, I should have known it was all too good to be true. We've been struggling more and more each day this week to get him to take his meds. Tonight the effort ended with Drake and I both covered in chocolate pudding and Depakote and Topamax sprinkles. I have no idea if he actually consumed any of the meds or not. But nothing we tried worked to get any additional meds in him. So he's in bed now, and I'm a nervous nelly watching him on the video monitor like a hawk. I'll be on the phone to the neurologist first thing in the morning because I'm at a complete loss.
We've welcomed a foster rescue dog into our home. We use to foster dogs frequently, but after Drake's hospital stay last year, we decided it was just too much to handle. But in preparation for a second dog coming into the home, we decided it would be good to try it out again. It will get everyone (including our family pets) accustomed to having an additional (and much larger) dog in the home in preparation for Drake's service dog. So we now have a 60lb+ Golden Retriever in our home. He's a super sweet/mellow guy with severe skin issues. I was really worried about how our little Italian Greyhound would take to him (he tends to be aggressive towards larger dogs), but they've been getting along beautifully. Yeah! If anyone is looking for a family pet, Buddy would fit in well in just about any environment; send me a message and I'll put you in contact with the rescue agency! :)
Speaking of Drake's service dog, we are getting so close to raising the necessary funds! 4 Paws is in receipt of $2,655 in honor of Drake. There was a gift from Parker's Purpose of $1,000 that I plan to forward to 4 Paws in the coming days. Three Best Buy events have been completed and one more will take place Friday; we're hoping they can squeeze in three or four more before the end of the quarter (mid August). Each of these events raises $1,000 for Drake's dog. We also had a successful fundraising event hosted at a local church on July 11th - we're expecting right around $2,000 from that. Not including the "hopeful" Best Buy events, we've unofficially raised approximately $8,655; an additional $4,345 needed. We're hoping to make it into the December 4 Paws training class, so the push is really on now. We could really use your help! Visit the donation link for information on how you can send a donation to 4 Paws in Drake's honor. Purchase a 4 Paws for Drake t-shirt or wristband to not only contribute financially, but also help share our mission. For those that are local, we'll be back at the Perrysburg First Friday's event on August 6th selling the shirts and wristbands. If you work for Geek Squad/Best Buy contact your Viewpoint organizer to find out how you can help! I'm also setting up another Max & Erma's fundraising event for early September - watch the events page or our Facebook page for more info.
Thank you to all who support our family!