Profiles

Hi! My name is Gail and I would like to introduce you to my future wonder dog, Shania, who is a hairless Chinese crested. I got my little cresty girl thanks to Lorraine and all the hardworking volunteers at PFD. She arrived from Mohawks Kennels Victoria and I owe a special thank you to her breeder, Vicki Brindle, for letting me have this precious bundle at such a very early age to maximize and enhance the bonding process which is so important.

I have had type 1 diabetes for 40 years. In this time I have seen many changes and, thank heavens, many advancements in the treatment of this complaint. The complications of diabetes can be horrendous. Although my diabetes control has always been extremely brittle (to the dismay of numerous specialists) I had always been able to work full time in a very demanding job and led a very active outdoor lifestyle which included showing my quarter horse and my French bulldogs.

Unfortunately since 2002 I’ve been hospitalized for months at a time with both legs in total contact casts, my left foot with ulcers and my right leg remaining in a cast for 2 ½ years due to Charcots joint (this is a condition where bones break and disintegrate). I lost my talus bone and surrounding ankle joint. Scans revealed more than 50 fractures in my foot. The cast offered my bones a chance to heal and regenerate. In 2005 further disintegration occurred taking more than a centimetre off my tibia bone, also in the same year I lost 4 toes and a large portion of my instep on my left foot due to infection. Then in 2006 I was hospitalized once again with an infection in the bone of my right leg. This infection resulted in a below the knee amputation.

Although I managed to work up until losing my leg, these years were filled with pain and discomfort. I also suffer from peripheral neuropathy and postural blood pressure but my biggest concern in my hypo unawareness which affects my life most days. This condition places a burden on my family and friends and not having control over my own body and life makes me feel less of a person. I’ve lost confidence in being alone and a lot of independence. I’m hoping that having Shania as an alert dog will give my confidence and independence back to me.

Update
Shania started alerting within the first few weeks of being placed with Gail and gave her star performance in a doctors waiting room in front of two independent witnesses.

Update 25th July, 2007
Shania passed her public access test today and is now fully accredited!