Service Dog Training

Hi, my name is Jenni, and I’m raising money for service dog training. I’ve been sick since I was 13 years old with Polymyositis (an autoimmune disease that affects my muscles). After graduate school, I was diagnosed with Myasthenia Gravis (another autoimmune disease). It was my dream to teach students with special needs, but I was no longer able to work. After having a thymectomy, my health improved. My husband and I eventually decided to live out our dream of helping vulnerable children through foster care and adoption. In total, we adopted 7 children (3 sibling groups) and fostered several others.

In 2005, I encountered my first episode of Pancreatitis. It was triggered by one of the medications my doctor prescribed. In the following years I experienced repeated episodes of pancreatitis that required hospitalization after hospitalization. All the while, my husband took on the role of mother and father to our large family. Slowly, my health began to stabilize and it seemed that I could be the mother I desired for my family. What I didn’t know at the time was that the worst was yet to come.

The year 2012 began a health crisis that continues until this day. I began to have gastrointestinal issues that were different than the symptoms of pancreatitis I had been experiencing for years. A year long battle finally resulted in a diagnosis of gastroparesis, a condition that slows down the motility of the stomach resulting in frequent vomiting and pain.

I was living in fear every day of being hospitalized. One unusual symptom and my mind would begin racing with panicked thoughts of me hunched over in a waiting room chair for hours upon hours. Or of me lying in a hospital bed grappling with pain and suffering from the loneliness of being away from my family. Additionally, every time I felt like my life was normalizing, I would encounter another crisis. I experienced more symptoms than I have room to express. I was also diagnosed with POTS (a type of Dysautonomia). I traveled to Mayo Clinic and Cleveland Clinic in search of help, yet came home in worse condition than ever. I received home health care every week which I still need to this day.

In 2016, I woke up one morning feeling extremely sick. I didn’t understand what was happening, but I felt a rapid onset of sickness like nothing I’ve ever experienced before. I went to the ER where I was triaged and immediately sent back to a room. I had become septic and spiked a fever of 105 degrees. I ended up in the ICU. The team of doctors determined that my gallbladder had to be removed but due to my complicated health condition, I had a 5% chance of surviving surgery. I eventually left the hospital on IV antibiotics and with a drain for my gallbladder infection. Three months later I was able to have the drain and my gallbladder removed. However, I experienced two additional episodes of sepsis within that year that left me in a state of weakness like never before.

My health continued to decline due to my inability to eat. This resulted in a feeding tube being placed to aid in nutrition and to avoid any possible problems with my pancreas. I had two different feeding tubes over a two year period.

Since 2016, I’ve averaged 3-4 hospitalizations a year, each one adding to the trauma of the ones before. To say this has been traumatic for me, my husband and our children does not give justice to what we’ve been through.

Unfortunately, the struggles continue with more hospitalizations and more suffering from multiple chronic, progressive conditions. As a matter of fact, I was recently hospitalized for a port infection, and I’m currently getting IV antibiotics through a PICC line placed while inpatient.

I’m now faced with a new challenge that is pushing my limits like never before. I’m experiencing muscle weakness that has caused me to fall more than once. I’m afraid my illnesses are causing me to lose my abilities.

That brings me to this fundraiser I’ve started. I have acquired a golden doodle puppy named Ruben with the intention of training him as a service dog. He will be able to assist me with things such as mobility and balance issues. Having a trained service dog will give me the assurance I need to live a somewhat normal life and not miss out on the family activities I love. I even have an amazing trainer I’ve chosen for Ruben. The issue holding me back from training Ruben is the cost. Any funds that I raise will go directly towards training Ruben as my service dog.

Keep in mind that this is a super condensed version of my health struggles. I have experienced far more in over 3 decades of health problems than what I’m able to express here. 

I’m grateful for any support you can offer whether it’s sharing my story, praying for me and my family, or making a donation. Everything counts!  God bless!