Sometimes waiting can be effortless but other times it can be kind of hard! Most often I wait with my mom while she stays in her chair. I like it this way best of all! But every once in a while I have to wait next to her chair by myself. Have you ever had to sit quietly and wait for someone while they are busy? It can feel a little lonely when you are waiting all alone. What do you like to do while you wait? I try to rest but I mostly just think about my mom and wonder how she is doing without me.
There are times when my mom has to have procedures or tests done where she can stay in her chair. Remember all those great features on her chair that I told you about not too long ago? They make it so she can get her chair in just the right position for the doctors or nurses to easily treat her. But sometimes she has to be on a table or in a bed for the procedure or test.
When she stays in her chair I just lay quietly beside her on my blanket that she brings with us. This specific blanket lets me know that we are going for a longer appointment than usual. I relax and sometimes I even go to sleep. I am right there with my mom. If she needs me I will surely know and be able to help her right away.
When they have to take my mom out of her chair she sometimes is still in the room with me. I lay on my blanket and keep a close eye on her just in case she needs me. I relax and rest but not quite as easily as when she is in her chair.
There are other times when they take my mom out of her chair and then take her into another room. While waiting for them to be ready to take my mom away I usually get up on the bed with her to keep her company. We talk and snuggle while we wait! Every once in a while I get to stay right on the bed and go with her while she has her procedure done! Staying with my mom makes me the happiest but I’m sure you knew that already!
When they take my mom for her procedure and I can’t go with her I wait with her chair by myself. While I’m lying on my blanket next to mom’s chair I try to sleep. But what I mostly do is just think about her and hope she is doing okay. I am pretty sure she misses me and I know I miss her!
Recently my mom had to have an MRI. This is a special kind of imaging that uses magnetic fields and radio waves. It creates images of the targeted areas of the body that the doctor needs to see. The MRI machine makes loud thumping noises while it is doing the imaging. I could hear those noises and I wasn’t even very close to the room! For me, they were muffled but still loud. It must have been so much louder for my mom since she was right inside the MRI machine! I kept hoping she was okay in there without me. But I’m getting ahead of myself.
To have the MRI done they took her out of her chair and put her on a flat table in another room. My mom uses a ventilator to breathe. Her vent can’t go in the MRI room so they have to use a special one that can work okay within the magnetic field.
To get my mom from her chair to the MRI machine they have to put her in a manual wheelchair. Recently she has been having more difficulty with transfers so I was a little worried about how they were going to do it. My mom wasn’t worried at all. As you are learning more about my mom you probably are seeing that she doesn’t let much bother her. And she hardly ever gets upset!
I got concerned when they were changing her over to the hospital vent and while they transferred her to that other wheelchair. Usually, I just lay on my blanket and watch. But this time I had to get up and make sure they were doing it the right way! I was sure I should be going with my mom!
My mom reassured me she would be okay and said she would be back soon. I thought ‘soon’ meant not very long but it felt like she was gone forever! She said it was only about an hour but it sure did seem longer. I was so happy and relieved when I saw the door open and they brought my mom back to me!
I have heard that some service dog teams do things differently than we do with these types of situations. Some people leave their service dog home or arrange for the dog to stay with a friend. Others bring a friend or family member to stay with their service dog. Having me go with my mom is what works best for us but this may not be the same for everyone. Each team has to decide which way is most appropriate for them.
I have been going with my mom to her tests and procedures ever since we’ve been together. Whenever I do stay by myself next to mom’s chair it is always in enclosed areas. There is someone nearby so I am safe . . . and not really all alone. But they are not there to take care of me so it is kind of like I’m by myself. Everyone comments on how well I behave but that shouldn’t be surprising to you!
Everyone is very accommodating to our needs no matter where we go. My mom is fortunate and so very grateful for the compassionate care she always receives. I think I’m fortunate, too, because everyone cares about me and wants me to be there! They even have my name right on my mom’s chart at the place where she goes to get her MRI done. How cool is that? I think you would agree that I’m a lucky dog!
