Getting A Dog Has Been My Best Medicine

After being diagnosed with EDS, my doctor stressed the importance of exercise to me. Staying active is important for everybody, but especially for those with EDS. We can face mobility issues caused by joint pain, dislocation, arthritis, fatigue, muscle inflammation, dizziness, and heart problems. When we face these issues, our first instinct may be to rest. However, staying still can make these problems worse. Being inactive may cause us to become deconditioned which can aggravate musculoskeletal and cardiac problems.

When I first developed major symptoms, I was working as a phlebotomist. Which often required standing with little walking around on a concrete floor. It was murder on my legs and lower back. After I could no longer do that type of work, I began working at a call center. I thought my physical symptoms would be alleviated, but they got worse. My nerve pain increased, I developed muscle spasms in my legs, and I developed more issues with my gait. I was confused. I thought taking a desk job would make me feel better and I was flabbergasted when it did the exact opposite.

When I received my official diagnosis a few years later, it began to make sense. "Movement is medicine," is a favorite slogan of the zebra community. Physical therapy helped me strengthen my legs and stabilize my joints. But, I was still struggling with staying active enough. I worked part-time from home, and I wasn't giving myself enough opportunity to move consistently. At the same time, I was also beginning therapy to help me move on from my abusive childhood. I was incredibly depressed going through therapy and discovering what my "new normal" was after my diagnosis. So, I decided to get a dog.

I picked out a little red colored, male golden retriever. And, I named him after a favorite character of mine from Doctor Who, Rory. Rory immediately brought so much joy to my life. He became my best friend (and my constant shadow). I felt that I could confide in him. It was hard to feel sad when I woke up every morning to a smiley, wiggly puppy.

I often felt scared to drive. But, he gave me the confidence to drive around town again. And, I knew I was always protected. Rory had a natural guarding instinct and would bark and refuse to move forward if he felt any danger.

And, as he got older we were able to exercise more and more together. We began going to the dog park. I would take laps around the track while he ran around the grass and played with the other puppies. I've suffered from social anxiety as long as I can remember. But, socializing with the other dog parents was easy because we only talked about our dogs. This helped ease the loneliness I felt after I became primarily housebound.

As we became more active together I began to feel stronger and I felt my stamina increase. It didn't completely rid me of my symptoms, I'm still sick. But, I now have more good days than bad days. Currently, I'm on 6 different prescriptions. They all serve their purpose and have improved my quality of life. But, nothing has improved my life quite as much as Rory. He's my friend, exercise buddy, physical therapist, bodyguard, confidant, nap buddy, & anti-depressant all rolled into one. Now, we are beginning service dog training. Which gives us both purpose. I have something to work forward to and Rory gets a mental workout and knows he's helping his human.

Like many others with chronic illness, I have found that a dog can vastly improve the quality of my life. We certainly don't deserve dogs, but I'll be eternally grateful that I found mine.