Hey muffins, it's been a minute! Toronto folks, you'll remember Dougal as Union Yoga's studio dog & we were Dufferin Grove regulars.

Dougal and I could really use your help:

Sadly Dougal — my Medical-Alert Service Dog — became crippled the weekend before my 40th birthday, and our quality of life guttered out.

This setback was especially hard. It ruined my planned path for important changes & learning goals as I step into true middle age. (weird!)

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GOALS

☆ learning to drive: essential as I live rurally

☆ correcting my semi-blindness to drive safely

☆ studying Cowichan Tribes traditional medicine with Elder & Medicine Woman Della Rice Sylvester to complement my Western Medicine treatments

☆ breast-reduction top surgery to reduce pain & body dysmorphia as as NB Pan person.

☆ formally changing my name & documents with the Canadian Gov't, to honour my adoptive Grandparents who were the light of my life throughout my childhood. (My Nana turns 92 this summer! Sadly, her partner & my namesake, Andy, passed away many years ago.)

☆ seeking support for & adult diagnosis of Autism and reduced brain function from lifelong extreme inflammatory distress

☆ exploring running my own business, hosting solo wellness retreats from my home on beautiful Vancouver Island with WorkBC & Disability supports

☆ participating in U Guelph U's FIDO Lab study with Dr Andrea Breen!

Unfortunately, all of these are expensive in terms of 1) energy, 2) time and 3) funds. Living with ME/CFS and a rare Autoinflammatory Disease means I have very limited, scarce amounts of all three.

All funds that aren't directed toward Dougal will go towards realizing the prioritized goals I wrote, above.

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WHERE HAVE WE BEEN? WHY THE RADIO SILENCE?

I apologize if I've been out of touch.

Moving from downtown TO to finally settle in a tiny rural town on Vancouver Island where I knew exactly No One has been epic, busy, frustrating and *amazing*:

It led Dougal & I to three new homes in 12 months: Toronto → Vancouver Island: first Duncan → then Skutz Falls → finally settling in Lake Cowichan

( come visit us! it's beautiful! )

It meant giving up my beloved job at Union Yoga.

Restarting my Disability applications from scratch.

Finding a primary care provider, counsellors & specialists for my frustrating & painful rare Autoinflammatory Disease + ME/CFS during a doctor shortage.

Re-applying for Big Pharma compassionate programs to cover my stupidly expensive medications.

Joining the Board for Cowichan Pride & setting up important health & food security supports through the Cowichan Green Community.

And, of course, meeting Dougal's needs as he aged & his osteoarthritis spread body-wide. Whew — too busy for social media.

If you're curious to hear a bit about our lives, I'd love to stay connected with you! Email or text me if you'd like to receive via short video & audio updates via WhatsApp.

Or find us where Cowichan River meets the Lake, at:

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WHY ASK FOR HELP?

So why am I calling you all in for support and mutual aid? Well, I am committed to giving Dougal the same happy, comfortable quality of life that he's supported me to live.

I am reaching out because I don't believe people with permanent disabilities should live precarious states of austerity.

And I figured: chipping in what you can would make a far more positive impact of my life than 40th birthday gifts and celebratory brouhaha.

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WHY ASK FOR SO MUCH? ISN'T YOUR DOG INSURED?

No, Dougal was never insured — instead money was set aside by my sister Dana & I for his care. The fundraising goal covers Dougal's veterinary appointments, meds, surgery costs, rehab & transportation costs + offers some extra funds that help me reach my 40th bday goals.

Dougal's pre-existing conditions made insurance unaffordable. The first thing I did after rescuing Dougal from the shelter was take him to a vet for a thorough and comprehensive work-up. They found pre-existing conditions including skeletal deformity, chronic tendonitis in both forelimbs, and badly worn down teeth caused by puppyhood starvation that left us with insurance quotes starting at a minimum of $8,000 per year.

As Dougal aged, his 2023 right knee TPLO surgery and 2025 ECR left knee repair along with 6 medications that manage his osteoarthritis pain have depleted the medial funds Dana & I set aside for him substantially.

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HOW IS A KNEE SURGERY LIFE-SAVING?

In short: my choice was either put Dougal through another *big* surgery literally ASAP, or he would have had to be put down.

Dougal couldn't walk at all, and my Autoinflammatory disease doesn't allow me to be the solo caregiver to a crippled dog.

He wasn't about to walk. At all. He fully snapped the ligament that holds his left knee joint together (CCL, or canine version of an ACL), and was unable to put any weight into that leg.

Dougal's Right knee was fully rebuilt 2 years ago. Now that he is 9.5 yrs old with arthritis in all other legs & his spine, lumbosacral disease, and chronic tendonitis in both front legs, amputation wasn't an option.

It's wild what we ask of Service Dogs: they give up so much freedom, draw so deeply on energy stores that most dogs just don't have, and are asked to understand and abide my So Many weird human rules that change every few steps we take, moving through varied public spaces.

We train them to never ever be apart from us. So when they go down, we need to step up and help them in a big way.

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UPDATES + TIMELINE

Fri Feb 14th

First walk further than 5 min from our house! Freeeeedoooommmm

Thank goodness everything is 12 min walk away, in our little town.

Thurs Feb 13th

Stitches are removed, surgical incision site looks good, but large secondary groin wound is found. Dougal is happily trundled over in his wagon.

Feb 6 – 11

Dana visits and helps keep Dougal's spirits up during the most painful days of recovery.

Mon Feb 3rd

Emergency vet appt w Dr Bell due to uncontrolled pain & skin lacerations from cast and severe bruising with hematomas. Extra pain control + antibiotics + topical "kills everything bad" cream dispensed.

Fri Jan 31st

Andy turns 40 yrs old (yikes!)

Dougal struggles with severe pain & dysphoria.

Thurs Jan 30th

Hired 2 local drivers to be Dougal's private ambulance on Vancouver Island & the mainland, respectively. 20 hr day of travel from the island to surgeon Dr Sran on the mainland. Vet office forgets to pack 2nd pain control patch. Dougal's dysphoric & panicked post-up, and needs dangerous sedation to travel. He becomes hypothermic during the storm while we wait to board the ferry, but pulls through with heating pads, & eventually makes it home safely.

→ → ⛴️ → ⛈️ → ‍⚕️ → → ❄️⛴️⛈️ → ❄️ ⛈️ →

Mon Jan 27

Emergency vet appt with Dr Bell for referral to Orthopaedic Surgeon

Sun Jan 26

Dougal's CCL snaps & he becomes crippled

November 2024

Emergency move to Lake Cowichan, due to another dog at former home seeking out and attacking Dougal, regularly, unprovoked.

August 2024

Move deep into the woods, by Mayo Lake & Skutz Falls, with the bears and several herds of elk.

Feb – May, 2024

Daily rehab + limited mobility. Pain meds increase, x-rays show spondylosis & lumbosacral disease with progressive body-wide osteoarthritis are diagnosed by vet Dr Charlene.

Late Jan, 2024

Left CCL minor tear + back injury during 39th birthday hike up Mt Tzouhalem.

Dec 2023 – May 2024

Despite some roadbumps, Andy's health improves!

Mid-Nov 2023

Dougal & Andy move across the country, by train & ferry, to walkable rural areas of Vancouver Island to support everyone's health as we age, inflammed & with arthritis.

Feb – Sept 2023

Months of daily rehab, exercise restrictions, & building back atrophied muscle.

Feb 2, 2023

Dr John Brajkevic at Caledon Mountain Animal Hospital completes Dougal's right knee surgery. Due to the knee "hanging on by a thread" Doougal undergoes extremely invasive & intense TPLO for a 85%+ CCL tear).

Dec 8, 2023

Rehab Vet + chronic pain specialist Dr Sarah at the TO Veterinary Rehab Centre confirms partial CCL tear (finally!)

March — Dec, 2023

Mobility is severely restricted, with lameness. Dougal's pain management meds are increased by vets, through four different vets deny knee issue due to inconclusive x-ray imaging & drawer tests. Yes, the CCL was badly torn, but robust musculature supporting the joint + Dougal's catatonic "locking" response to painful manipulation by vets masked the severity of joint damage.

Early March, 2022

Andy notices instability in Dougal's R knee

DOUGAL & I THANK YOU from the bottom of our hearts.