Jack of all Trades

I haven't updated on Jack lately, mainly because I've been busy training.  He is now one year old.  This last year has been filled with lots of ups and downs for us, mostly ups.

I can't imagine not having Jack in my life.  He is my constant shadow, my four legged protector, my extra set of eyes, and my friend.  He started alerting to my seizures in September of 2011.

His first alert was 8 hours prior to the actual seizure.  Fortunately he has fine tuned his alerting skill; with my last seizure he alerted 30 minutes prior.  He becomes extra "clingy" and whines and licks me as an alert. 

His training is going well.  In addition to the "basics" he also has advanced obedience training.  He will go "down" with me giving a hand signal from 30 feet away.  He also does a pretty fierce "down" on "recall", meaning as I call him to me I tell him to go "down" and he immediately drops down into position.

I can put him in a "wait" as I unload the car and walk 30 feet away, and he maintains the position until I call him to me.

We've been working him hard and increasing our expectations of him.  Even when we are out doing public access training, we add constant distractions to make sure he is on top of his game.  These distractions can be anything from a ball bouncing directly in front of him to a plate of food set down beside him. 

He's already trained to retrieve my emergency medicine, water, and a phone.  In addition to those tasks he is getting pretty good at recognizing my complex partial seizures and responding without any verbal commands.  He is proficient in recognizing a tonic clonic and responding on his own, without any commands given.

Jack will continue to be in training for at least another 3 months, maybe more.  We want to make sure he is proficient 100% of the time, in all situations, before we test him out and graduate him.

It's been a lot of work training him, but it's been worth every second of it.

Kaitlin

Onward and Upward...

In spite of outside attempts at interference into Kaitlin's Cauze, we just wanted to let our viewers know we are still going strong and we are NOT going anywhere.  In fact, you can check out our new logo to the right of this post:)

Some important dates are coming up this week and we want to make sure you are aware...

Tuesday, September 20th from 4:00 to 9:00, Kaitlin's Cauze will be hosting "Kaitlin's Family Fun Night" at Friendlys on High Pointe Blvd.  Proceeds raised will benefit a local woman who is raising money for her own seizure response dog through Susquehanna Service Dogs. Stop by for dinner or just for ice-cream; make sure you stop by and say hello to Captain "Jack" Sparrow, Kaitlin's service dog in training, from Noelle's Dogs Four Hope.  We will have some pretty cool items in our drawings, so make sure you check out our table that will be located at the entrance.

Sunday, September 25th from 10:00 to 1:00, Kaitlin's Cauze will be holding Pennsylvania's First Annual Chelsea's SUDEP Awareness Walk, at Shank Park in Hummelstown.  Kaitlin has coordinated this walk to take place at the exact same time the Colorado walk will be taking place.  Again, lots of pretty amazing items will be in our drawings and you won't want to miss the opportunity to win a Caribbean vacation! Money raised from this event will go directly to the Chelsea Hutchison Foundation. 

If you would like more information regarding the walk, please email Kaitlin at: kaitlinscauze@comcast.net

We hope to see you at one or both of these events!!!!

Chelsea's Legacy

This week I was privileged to attend the annual Chelsea Hutchison Foundation dinner and silent auction.  Chelsea passed away unexpectedly from SUDEP two years ago.  She was only 16 years old.  Since then her parents have started the Chelsea Hutchison Foundation in memory of Chelsea.  They raise awareness about SUDEP, give grants to people who are getting a seizure alert/response dog, and pay for EMFIT movement monitors for those in need of one.  The benefit this week, from what I hear, reached it's goal of raising 50K.

I was invited to attend this event and tell my story.  I am honored to be part of such a great foundation and I am leaving Colorado today with a promise to myself to work harder at raising epilepsy awareness and money for this foundation.

I have met so many awesome people this week, most of which I know from facebook.  This week has been nothing short of amazing. 

Alice, a seizure alert/response dog who alerted to my seizure at the event.

Me and Julie, Chelsea's mom.

Me with Robert and his seizure alert/response dog, Patches.

I also got to meet my new puppy that will be trained as my seizure response dog.

I am sad that we are leaving Colorado today but I am looking forward to seeing all of these wonderful people in less than 2 months.

Chelsea must be smiling down from her heavenly view, happy at the people she is bringing together...