By Susan Byers – As the saying goes, there’s safety in numbers. For Heather, a Diabetes Assistance Successor dog has provided a safety net for preventing her blood sugar numbers from falling into the dangerously low range. By the numbers, Heather has had Type 1 Diabetes for over 30 years. That means taking countless blood glucose tests and innumerable insulin injections, while also calculating carbohydrates and activity levels. But from the first moment she was diagnosed at age 19, Heather was doggedly determined to manage the disease. Refusing to let diabetes hold her back, she took charge. “I was a …
Diabetes Assist Dog
It takes a team – and tools – to manage diabetes
By Susan Byers – At work, Gretchen manages a program that helps nurses access the right tools to serve elderly patients. In her personal life, she also relies on important tools to help manage her Type 1 diabetes. Gretchen developed Type 1 diabetes 13 years ago. Even though there was a history of diabetes in her family, the disease came on unexpectedly for her. She dismissed early symptoms as merely stress or a hormone imbalance. But once she was officially diagnosed, Gretchen was a fast learner. With minimal diabetes management education, she quickly learned to use short-term and long-term insulins, …
Abby’s World Opens up with Sonora by her Side
Just out of college at the age of 22, Abby went to the doctor thinking she had a common illness. What she didn’t expect was receiving a Type 1 diabetes diagnosis. Once someone who traveled frequently and lived in Vietnam, Abby felt her world shrink significantly as she moved back in with her parents and began navigating her new reality. To complicate things more, a couple of years into her diagnosis, she developed an allergy to adhesives, which are used on more modern diabetes management devices such as wearable glucose monitors and pumps. Abby had to revert to using test …
Persistence Pays Off with Diabetes Assist Dog Gracie
“Persistent” is one way Deanna describes her canine partner, Gracie. Since that trait is especially desirable for a Diabetes Assist Dog, Gracie was cast in the perfect role. Certified in 2014, this team has become completely in tune with each other. One way they’ve done this is through dog agility training—something they began within the first year together. Deanna says she started agility work with Gracie so the two of them could become more cohesive. “The stronger the bond, the better the alerting,” she asserts. “I had to learn her language and she had to learn my language.” The two …
Lindsy Now Raising Consciousness so Others Won’t Have to Fear Being Unconscious
By Ian Hebeisen Diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at the age of 16, Lindsy has spent most of her life battling blood sugar swings. Now a couple decades later, she’s found a companion that enables her to live to the fullest: Ulric, a yellow Lab and Diabetes Assistance Dog from Can Do Canines. During the last few years, Lindsy has begun experiencing lows in her blood sugar that she didn’t notice. In serious instances, a drop in blood sugar could leave her unconscious. As a mother of three with a husband serving in the military, Lindsy felt afraid to be …
Feeling Lost Leads to Newfound Confidence
Consider what it would be like to feel completely fine, and then only a moment later, “you’re completely lost.” This is how Malcolm describes having Type 1 diabetes. “You have no capability of doing even the basic tasks. And people don’t often see that when they look at someone with diabetes. They see someone who’s perfectly fine, there’s no issues, and then all of a sudden they’re acting like they have no idea.” So for Malcolm, it came time for him to try to find some assistance. “I’ve had this illness my whole life. I went a long time where …
Minimal Wait Reported for Certain Types of Assistance Dogs
Can Do Canines announces that there is currently less waiting time than normal for clients who need one of the following types of assistance dogs: Mobility Assist Dog, Hearing Assist Dog, Diabetes Assist Dog, and Seizure Assist Dog. Each of these types of dogs, along with Autism Assist Dogs, are provided free of charge to accepted applicants. Interested applicants must meet the following criteria to be considered for a Can Do Canine assistance dog: Must be a resident of Minnesota or Wisconsin Must be physically and financially able to take full responsibility for the dog after certification Must be at …
A Better Life with a Familiar Companion
People often say, “Everything happens for a reason.” What happened in Annika’s life the past few years, though, seemed without reason until she met a miracle with four paws. A few years ago, a unique form of diabetes caused Annika to experience life-threateningly low blood glucose levels without her feeling it. Diagnosed with advanced chronic pancreatitis at 19 years old, Annika had her entire pancreas and spleen removed, resulting in Type 3c diabetes. She has been insulin-dependent ever since, navigating additional health considerations as well as anxiety. Type 3c diabetes mimics Type 1 diabetes and includes hypoglycemic (low blood sugar) …
A Dog for When She’s (Not) Feeling Low
It’s a challenge to keep up with Halle when she’s out running in the Milwaukee, WI, area, but what people can’t see is that she’s trying to keep up with herself. Halle has been managing Type 1 diabetes for 23 years, after being diagnosed at just 4 years old. She learned to take care of herself very early on, but with Type 1 diabetes, a person can do everything in their power to control their glucose levels and still experience moments where they rise or fall out of a target range. Halle has dealt with hypoglycemic episodes when her blood …
A Nose Knows Best
Disabilities are often a tremendous burden for the individuals who live with them, even if they are invisible to others. If you ran into Isaac today, you’d never know he was living with a disability, except that he’s connected to an assistance dog. So why does he need a working companion with him all the time? Isaac, a dedicated college student from Kenosha, Wisconsin, was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes when he was just 4 years old, and nearly 20 years later was still seeking new tools to improve his management. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition in which …