Nov
30
Pet turns Service Dog for Detroit Lakes man with multiple sclerosis
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John Maurer of Detroit Lakes is a people person.
Involved in the retail business until his retirement, he enjoyed getting out and meeting people. His diagnosis of multiple sclerosis in 1980 didn’t slow him down much in the beginning, but as the disease progressed, he found that his balance steadily worsened and his left side became paralyzed. It was more difficult to get around and his love of gardening proved to be harder to pursue without help.
When John and his wife, Susan, bought a Goldendoodle puppy in 2005, they took Ruby through obedience training classes at Lucy Dog Training Center. Susan was the primary handler as John was too weak to control the young and enthusiastic puppy.
Their obedience instructor, Linda Wiedewitsch, noticed Ruby’s potential to learn things quickly and encouraged them to continue with different types of training at the center.
Meanwhile, John and Susan thought there might be even more potential in Ruby. They started searching for information on training a pet dog for service work. They discovered Hearing and Service Dogs of Minnesota and started the application process.
What a surprise to learn their obedience instructor, Linda, was also a field trainer for the organization.
read the rest: Pet turns Service Dog for Detroit Lakes man with multiple sclerosis | DL-Online | Detroit Lakes, Minnesota.
Nov
30
December used to be the hardest time of year for Robert “Bobby” Vandevender.
It is the month he had his first multiple sclerosis episode and it is the time of the year when he tends to suffer increased flare-ups from the autoimmune disease as the stressful holiday season approaches.
Three years ago, however, Vandevender’s perspective on the month and how he viewed his disease changed when he discovered a talent he never knew he had — and one that he believes he wouldn’t have realized if it wasn’t for his condition.
Although multiple sclerosis cost him the use of his hands and legs, Vandevender, 57, who lives at Shenandoah Nursing Home, set out to teach himself to paint using only his mouth in 2005 after receiving a card from an artist who used that method.
“I knew I could do whatever I wanted to do,” he said, “because my motto has always been, ‘if there is a will, there is a way.’”
Once his canvas and painting supplies are set up in the brightly lit community room in the nursing home, Vandevender can sit for hours adding detail and color to his paintings. The main difficulty for him, he said, as he clutches the brush with his mouth while making light strokes against the canvas, is the neck pain from constantly moving his head around.
“Also, I don’t know if it’s really good for my teeth,” he said, “but it works.”
read the rest: Man finds hidden talent after MS diagnosis | newsleader.com | The News Leader.
Nov
27
Foot Drop Fix
Filed Under News, Personal Stories, Research | 2 Comments
A new device is giving people with nervous system injuries their ability to walk back.
Like Barry Morris, 53 of Billings. He has battled Multiple Sclerosis for 30 years.
“I get really emotional, I could cry,” said Morris talking about the toll the disease has taken on his body.
The progressive central nervous system disease eventually took the function from his left leg, “It’s been really hard.”
He suffers from a condition called foot drop. “And it got to where I was just dragging my foot around for the last 10 years,” said Morris.
Exhausting and depressing said Morris, but things started looking up six weeks ago when he put on the Bioness L300.
The device attaches to his ankle and knee, and uses electrical impulses to help him move his foot. It has also helped keep his posture upright. Morris controls the power of the pulse.
“I’m not jumping up and down or nothing yet, but it’s working,” said Morris.
read the rest: Foot Drop Fix | KULR-8 TELEVISION - Billings, Montana | Medical Minute