Navigating Life's Detours
Finding the right path for a teen with special needs
Category: Family
Karina visits J.P. before discharge
J.P. tolerated his feeds well and was able to be discharged Wednesday afternoon. It was a really interesting day because Karina was able to spend the day with J.P. in his hospital room. I was very happy with the way she behaved in the… Continue Reading “Karina visits J.P. before discharge”
J.P. wakes up with smile
J.P. was awake and smiling Tuesday afternoon after surgery to repair his shunt earlier in the day. He had reason to smile after his fellow students at Canine Companions for Independence got together and purchased him a big stuffed dog and card to let… Continue Reading “J.P. wakes up with smile”
Getting back on track
J.P. went to surgery Tuesday morning to repair his shunt, and everyone is hoping that will settle his stomach and allow him to get back to dog training in time for graduation Saturday. Dr. Eric Trumble performed the surgery and said it was the same issue… Continue Reading “Getting back on track”
I’m a lucky dog
Hello. My name is Karina, and I’ve been matched with J.P. as his soon-to-be skilled companion dog. I’m 2 years old, and I’m part golden retriever and part Labrador retriever. I’m the smallest of all the dogs in my class, and one of the… Continue Reading “I’m a lucky dog”
Preparing for surgery
It’s always nice to have two superheroes pulling for you on the day before surgery. J.P. got to meet Batman and Catwoman on Monday afternoon at Florida Hospital for Children. It is looking more like J.P. won’ be returning to his Canine Companions training… Continue Reading “Preparing for surgery”
Dealing with unforseen problems, part 2
The old saying, “One step forward, two steps back,” is so true in the lives of J.P., Paige and I. We have become so excited about the prospect of bringing home our skilled companion dog over the past week, but what happened Saturday night… Continue Reading “Dealing with unforseen problems, part 2”
Aiming for success
It’s Saturday, but it was a business as usual — at least for the first half of the day. We got started with a lesson in loading and unloading J.P. and the dog from our vehicle, then it was off to Lowe’s with all… Continue Reading “Aiming for success”
Doggone nice people
J.P. had a good night and seemed to feel better today. Our dog also seemed to have more spring in its step this morning and did well as we learned more commands — and we even visited the dogs’ play area at the facility.… Continue Reading “Doggone nice people”
Dealing with unforseen problems
I’m posting this blog entry with a furry friend nearby. We were able to bring our canine companion back to our room which completed the final piece of the training puzzle. It’s been really exciting learning more about the dog that will in all… Continue Reading “Dealing with unforseen problems”
A preliminary match
J.P. was preliminarily matched with a canine companion first thing Wednesday morning. If all goes well, the dog will return to our dormitory room on Thursday night and eventually graduate with us on May 17. There was a short ceremony Wednesday morning when the… Continue Reading “A preliminary match”
Blogs I Follow
Blogs I Follow
Navigating Life's Detours 