Starr: My New Service Dog!

Traumatic Brain Injuries are traumatic.

The new normal is not the old normal. Not that anyone would have ever called me normal!

Learning to read all over again to find comfort in the pages.

Retraining my body to navigate stairs and to move through space, a body I often don’t recognize.

Knowing what I want write but not having the connections between my thoughts and my pen. Needing to learn to write to note what I can’t remember.

Hours and hours and hours of practice to complete what were once simple automatic tasks.

Topped with pain, confusion, anxiety, fear and loneliness.

Losing my identity in my career and volunteer work and social life and family.

If you knew my old normal, we have probably lost touch. How could anyone stay in touch when I couldn’t leave the house or send a text or understand a phone call or use Facebook or FaceTime or email or arrange visitors. And what would you say to me? My life looking nothing like the life you knew me from.

If you’re part of my new normal you’ve never seen me after the sun goes down. On my better days you catch those flashes of brilliance-my price is exhaustion. I’m always politely declining the invitations. Missing the community dinners, prayer circles and art shows.

Every decision every day has to measured against its cost. How many hours will it take to recover if I volunteer at the food bank? If I make a call in the morning will I have enough functional capacity to make myself lunch? How much ground will I lose if I go to the hot springs or retreat or take a vacation? At the end of the day will I be unable to speak coherently? If I take a walk will I have enough stamina to complete my bed time routine? If I spend a few minutes connecting with people will the benefit be more then my body shutting down?

Losing touch has been the most challenging part of my disability.

The great news is my new treatment plan is working well. I am gaining ground overall and feel like I’m coming back to life.

So here’s the ask: I need help funding the adoption of a fully trained service dog.

If I’ve brought something to your life and you’re able to help, please make any size contribution. And let me know what my life’s journey has done to enrich yours. When we were kids in Manteno or at St. Bede or college. Maybe we were young queers coming of age together or navigating our Trans journeys. Did we march in the streets for change or was I just the best damn tax guy you ever had. Maybe I held space for you or your family in a support group or at the dinner table. You may have benefited from a policy I helped vision or a treatment at Community Care Collective. Maybe you’ve been to the new Crestone Community Food Bank, my current heart project. Or you’re a friend of a friend of a friend who has heard about me.

Starr will be my new service dog. She is a Mastador. (Mastiff x Lab) She is a little over a year old and has been trained in obedience and PTSD tasks. As we work together with her team, she’ll be trained in tasks specific to my needs.

Starr will allow me to function better so I can continue to expand my capacity, increase my quality of life and be more independent.

Her tasks will help shift my dependence from human care givers. The shortage of home health care workers in rural areas is an obstacle to consistent, competent care.

Dog Training Elite is a professional organization with a comprehensive training plan. Their trainers have been working with Starr since she was as pup and will continue to support us throughout her life. We will even have opportunities to practice navigating airport security!

The fundraising goal is for the adoption of Starr and her complete training. This includes my travel to and from Colorado Springs for training classes and all the supplies and equipment Starr will need in her new home.

My mailing address is:

Jules Carag

PO Box 926

Crestone CO 81131

Please make checks payable to Courtney Carag

To make a tax deductible donation:

Make check out to "Every Percent Matters"

"Starr Carag R2S" on the memo line

75% of my disability income goes to my rent. I live in one of the most affordable rentals in town.

In order to learn and work with adaptive technology we opened an eBay Store. The sales have funded the initial down payment for Starr’s adoption

We are writing grants and looking for other opportunities to get this funded.

Thank you for your love, support and reconnection,

Jules

Aka/fka MJ, Jt, Julia, Julie Tybor, Juice, JuJu NamaRupa etc.