In honor and memory of all those hurt during the bombing at the Boston Marathon earlier this week, here is the poem about one man, who rode through there night to warn others of danger. This week, the Boston public, just like the minutemen over two hundred years ago, has taken the call in helping to find the culprits.

Paul Revere's Ride by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Listen my children and you shall hear
Of the midnight ride of Paul Revere,
On the eighteenth of April, in Seventy-five;
Hardly a man is now alive
Who remembers that famous day and year.

He said to his friend, “If the British march
By land or sea from the town to-night,
Hang a lantern aloft in the belfry arch
Of the North Church tower as a signal light,–
One if by land, and two if by sea;
And I on the opposite shore will be,
Ready to ride and spread the alarm
Through every Middlesex village and farm,
For the country folk to be up and to arm.”

Then he said “Good-night!” and with muffled oar
Silently rowed to the Charlestown shore,
Just as the moon rose over the bay,
Where swinging wide at her moorings lay
The Somerset, British man-of-war;
A phantom ship, with each mast and spar
Across the moon like a prison bar,
And a huge black hulk, that was magnified
By its own reflection in the tide.

Meanwhile, his friend through alley and street
Wanders and watches, with eager ears,
Till in the silence around him he hears
The muster of men at the barrack door,
The sound of arms, and the tramp of feet,
And the measured tread of the grenadiers,
Marching down to their boats on the shore.

Then he climbed the tower of the Old North Church,
By the wooden stairs, with stealthy tread,
To the belfry chamber overhead,
And startled the pigeons from their perch
On the sombre rafters, that round him made
Masses and moving shapes of shade,–
By the trembling ladder, steep and tall,
To the highest window in the wall,
Where he paused to listen and look down
A moment on the roofs of the town
And the moonlight flowing over all.

Beneath, in the churchyard, lay the dead,
In their night encampment on the hill,
Wrapped in silence so deep and still
That he could hear, like a sentinel’s tread,
The watchful night-wind, as it went
Creeping along from tent to tent,
And seeming to whisper, “All is well!”
A moment only he feels the spell
Of the place and the hour, and the secret dread
Of the lonely belfry and the dead;
For suddenly all his thoughts are bent
On a shadowy something far away,
Where the river widens to meet the bay,–
A line of black that bends and floats
On the rising tide like a bridge of boats.

Meanwhile, impatient to mount and ride,
Booted and spurred, with a heavy stride
On the opposite shore walked Paul Revere.
Now he patted his horse’s side,
Now he gazed at the landscape far and near,
Then, impetuous, stamped the earth,
And turned and tightened his saddle girth;
But mostly he watched with eager search
The belfry tower of the Old North Church,
As it rose above the graves on the hill,
Lonely and spectral and sombre and still.
And lo! as he looks, on the belfry’s height
A glimmer, and then a gleam of light!
He springs to the saddle, the bridle he turns,
But lingers and gazes, till full on his sight
A second lamp in the belfry burns.

A hurry of hoofs in a village street,
A shape in the moonlight, a bulk in the dark,
And beneath, from the pebbles, in passing, a spark
Struck out by a steed flying fearless and fleet;
That was all! And yet, through the gloom and the light,
The fate of a nation was riding that night;
And the spark struck out by that steed, in his flight,
Kindled the land into flame with its heat.
He has left the village and mounted the steep,
And beneath him, tranquil and broad and deep,
Is the Mystic, meeting the ocean tides;
And under the alders that skirt its edge,
Now soft on the sand, now loud on the ledge,
Is heard the tramp of his steed as he rides.

It was twelve by the village clock
When he crossed the bridge into Medford town.
He heard the crowing of the cock,
And the barking of the farmer’s dog,
And felt the damp of the river fog,
That rises after the sun goes down.

It was one by the village clock,
When he galloped into Lexington.
He saw the gilded weathercock
Swim in the moonlight as he passed,
And the meeting-house windows, black and bare,
Gaze at him with a spectral glare,
As if they already stood aghast
At the bloody work they would look upon.

It was two by the village clock,
When he came to the bridge in Concord town.
He heard the bleating of the flock,
And the twitter of birds among the trees,
And felt the breath of the morning breeze
Blowing over the meadow brown.
And one was safe and asleep in his bed
Who at the bridge would be first to fall,
Who that day would be lying dead,
Pierced by a British musket ball.

You know the rest. In the books you have read
How the British Regulars fired and fled,—
How the farmers gave them ball for ball,
From behind each fence and farmyard wall,
Chasing the redcoats down the lane,
Then crossing the fields to emerge again
Under the trees at the turn of the road,
And only pausing to fire and load.

So through the night rode Paul Revere;
And so through the night went his cry of alarm
To every Middlesex village and farm,—
A cry of defiance, and not of fear,
A voice in the darkness, a knock at the door,
And a word that shall echo for evermore!
For, borne on the night-wind of the Past,
Through all our history, to the last,
In the hour of darkness and peril and need,
The people will waken and listen to hear
The hurrying hoof-beats of that steed,
And the midnight message of Paul Revere.

5 ways people respond to fainting

Five ways people respond to my fainting

Over the past four years, I have noticed that others respond to fainting in different ways. Here are the five most common responses.

Chicken with its head cut off- This person sees you fall and has no clue what to do. They refuse to believe you when you say you are fine. They call someone. When I recover, they say things like “You might hit your head on that corner. You should wear a helmet- Wait, let’s just wrap you in bubble wrap.”

Liability eagles- These people are concerned about one thing- a lawsuit. They are usually managers and want to make sure things are ok, but still go nuts. This person will tell you not to walk upright in the store, or even worse, “if you faint, you shouldn’t be doing anything.”

Good Samaritan- Notices you on the floor. Immediately offers to help you up and asks if you need anything. They will usually bring water or Gatorade, should you need it. They will also go in search of whoever is supposed to be with you. They calm down.

Mr./Mrs Reason- these people realize that I am on the floor, but quickly move on as soon as they know you are ok. Will ask about the disorder.

Used to the fainting- these are the people I know best. They are used to seeing me fall. In fact, eventually, most will say-“Step over her, she’s fine. It is just SS.”

I think this sums it up quite well.

 

 

HAPPY NEW  YEAR & EPIPHANY!

Ok, so I haven't been posting a great deal. I know I should post more, keep thinking of them in my head and well, sometimes, they just don't make it to the blog.

For your enjoyment here are a few good Dora stories!

Setting: Kindergarten Classroom

I faint while reading to the class.

Child A: "Look, She passed away!"

Child B; "No, she didn't"

Me: "The term is 'passed out,' not passed away!"

Kids: "Ok, now can we hear the rest of the story"




Friend's three year old to Dora who is standing over me after I have fainted: "Dora, tell her to get up!"


Ok, I know I probably tell way too many Dora stories here, but she is great.

So to all- I hope the year is starting out well. May it be a good one.

Service Dogs and fainting

I have posted a number of times about Dora, my amazing service dog. I have posted several times about how Dora has helped me and how I got her. Today, I thought I’d answer the two questions that top the list about Dora and service dogs for fainting and other invisible disabilities.

Why do you have a Service Dog?

Short answer: “I have a fainting disorder.”

Dora’s response to fainting:

I look perfectly normal- in fact you wouldn’t know that anything at all was wrong with me unless you saw me faint. Dora can tell when I am about to faint- she either sits down in front of me if I am walking or blocks my path. If I am in my house, she will get clingy or start acting up to get my attention. When I fall in public, I usually have time to sit down before falling down. Once I am down, she rolls me over so that I am face up, licks me, and stands guard until I am ok. Many people still freak out about the fact that Dora is standing over me until I explain that the dog is doing her job.

Over the past four years, I have seen countless cardiologist and neurologist for the fainting, tried tons of medications, done everything I could think of to little or no avail. In fact, Dora has been the best treatment- she can warn me and exercise has been known to help this condition- and dogs must be walked.

Where did you get her?

A few years ago, my father saw an article in the New York Times about a service dog who was able to alert to a fainting disorder. Once I got the idea, I began contacting organizations. Many places don’t train for fainting disorders-but I found several that were willing to help. The only problem- the wait for a fully trained service dog, even after acceptance into the program is usually between 18 months and 3 years. This is a long time. It feels even longer when you know that a dog can help you with independence. The waiting is the hardest part. The cost can be prohibitive as well. But it is worth it. I learned many things about Service Dogs and programs while waiting. If you think a service dog can help you- do your homework. Call the organizations, visit if you can. You can train your own dog as well.

Dora came from the Auburn University Vet School. I know I have posted several times about how Dora picked me. I then had her trained by a professional trainer who was willing to work with me. I couldn’t have gotten a better dog.

In fact, she has given me a new lease on life. I am no longer afraid to walk down the street alone. I’m not afraid of being kicked out of stores. I feel confident enough to have taken on a freelance tutoring job.  

In short, that service dog you see might be for the blind, it might be a seizure, diabetes or fainting alert dog. All I can say is that she is a great dog and we are a pretty good team.

 

The Sock Monster

Dora: the Sock Thief

I have always thought that the dryer was the only thing in my house that ate socks. This may sound strange, but I swear it has happened with every dryer I have ever used.

As I was scrambling to pack to go the beach for Thanksgiving, I noticed that I didn't have a single pair of socks that matched. My supply of socks was very low. I began to wonder just where my socks had gone. Then I walked into the living room, looked at Dora's bed and found most of my socks piled on her bed. So, the culprit is no longer the dryer, but my service dog.

The good news- it is pretty much her only vice. Bad news, I need new socks. Even superdogs need at least one vice.

Go with God!

Fifteen Years

Fifteen Years

 On October 28, 1997, my life changed forever. I was standing on the field hockey field at boarding school, and the other team turned into purple spots. At the time, I thought it was just a regular migraine and went to the nurse’s office to get my medicine. A week passed and the headache didn’t let up. My mother came up and, on my 17^th birthday, Nov. 4, I had my first appointment with a neurologist. He prescribed Imitrex, and when that did not work, Ativan, and prednisone which did. I learned from this experience. Treatment for migraine was definitely a trial and error field.

I went home, was hospitalized for two days- and this didn’t break the headache. My brother married his first wife the day after that. I was told, “Put on the dress and smile!” A maxim I have lived by a lot.

Fifteen years, numerous medications, neurologists, CT scans, two radiofrequency procedures, and the implantation of an occipital nerve stimulator later, as well as a fainting disorder, I am still here, still fighting this monster known as Chronic Intractable Migraine/New Daily persistent Headache and I will continue to fight until there is a cure. But I will not give up.

On this fifteen year anniversary, here is a list of what I have learned from this disease:

-There is no cure- only ways to make it bearable.

-Friendship is a precious commodity and should be valued

-College students will drive you to the hospital for food.

-The art and science of bribery is a skill to be cultivated  and used when needed.

-True friends will drag you to the hospital kicking and screaming, come up with a military plan to do so, write professors when you lose the English language, fight with doctors on your behalf, and distract the heck out of you in pain. They are treasures.

-You have to have faith in something.

-Sometimes, those who seem the most faithful, aren’t, but I believe God will bring us through-somehow, someway

-Most importantly, I have learned not to give up, and to keep searching for answers.

Go in Peace,

Sconesail

 

Dora: The Amazing Service Dog

Dora completed training to be my service dog this week. My father and I went to pick her up and then drove on to Birmingham for a nice lunch. I go up for some extra training on Monday.

Over the past two years, many have asked me the following question; "Just what do you think a service dog will be able to do for you?"  I would always answer," The dog would be able to predict some attacks, which would give me some warning before I faint. Dora knew this immediately. The dog would be able to go with me everywhere and thus provide greater independence. The dog would also be a good ambassador and source of emotional support"  I have had more than one doctor tell me, "It sounds like you just want a dog." I actually have a dog- a standard poodle named Max. He is good, but he isn't a service dog.

The truth is that Dora has exceeded all of my expectations- from the the day I met her, she knew when  I was about to faint. In fact, she picked me. I am usually able to get down to the floor before fainting, or if she doesn't catch the attack, she immediately comes to me and stays with me until it is over. She will not let me get up if she thinks I will fall again. I am no longer afraid of walking down the street and fainting because I know Dora will alert. Earlier this summer, I was walking home from the gym and fainted on my way home. Some very nice maintaince guys from the college across the street gave me a ride home in their golf cart. Fifteen minutes later, a professor was at my door to make sure I was ok and wouldn't sue. 20 minutes later, I got a phone call from my parents telling me that I had scared the college. Now that Dora is with me, I can walk with confidence. As exercise seems to help my condition, this is good for both of us. Service dogs or not, all dogs need walks. Needless to say, I learned a great deal from the Dog Whisperer. Dora also goes to volunteer with me at an elementary school. She will be helping some of the kindergartners there to read. She is a good ambassador for service dogs and for me. People also do not freak out as much when I have Dora with me and under federal law, I can no longer be called a liability.

I still faint a great deal anywhere from 5-20 times on an average day. But Dora has helped be alerting and by allowing greater independence. The headaches are still horrendous, but she knows when they are bad as well. Everything that people say about animals calming you down is true.

As we embark on this adventure, I hope to spread the word and gain even more independence. Dora stories will also be added to the blog from time to time.