Page 4 - NKF-KL-issue-14-Autumn-2016-for-web

Pal & me

B eing woken at 3.00am by Pal is able to alert me with a lick, nudge and a paw

a wet black nose, a big pink
just by a sniff of my breath when my blood sugar
tongue and a rather large paw in
is dangerously falling or rising. So by stopping me
collapse he saves my life on a daily basis. He is
your ribs may not be everyone’s idea of
an early morning alarm call, but for me it’s a
or insulin – whichever is needed - and the phone, if
life-saving warning. trained to fetch my blood glucose monitor, glucose
needed
I’ve had type 1 brittle diabetes for 41 years and end
stage renal for about 10 years. So these ‘wake up “ My life saver Pal alerted me
calls’ are a regular and vital part of my life.
I grew up with my diabetes with fairly good control, to my blood sugars dropping on
got married and had 2 healthy boys. But suddenly
I was taken very ill and spent weeks in hospital with that very first evening we were
hyperglycaemia and ketoacidosis. This was when I
was hit with the shocking news that I might one day together and he’s never let me
need a kidney/pancreas transplant and most almost
certainly, dialysis. down since.”

Once home I began to sink into a severe bout of
In the autumn of 2013 I began peritoneal dialysis.
depression, later to be diagnosed as PTSD
Pal soon learnt that because of hygiene he
(post-traumatic stress disorder) and as
couldn’t lick at me so learnt to fetch
a result of this my hypo awareness
a ball instead. So this became
became non-existent. My
my signal from him to tell me
children were still at primary
to check my blood sugars.
school and were coming home
Unfortunately, having started
on an almost daily basis
peritoneal dialysis I had
to find me in a crumpled
issues with the dialysis
heap, having had a hypo at
fluid leaking through my
some point in the day but
diaphragm and onto my
being totally unaware of it
lungs, so I had to make the
myself. The effect on them,
difficult decision to change
my husband and my mum
to haemodialysis.
was devastating. They were
I knew the only way I could
worried about leaving me for
cope with this change was if my
any length of time so schoolwork,
super woofer Pal could come with
jobs and stress all became an issue.
me. My consultant agreed 100% as
Then 5 years ago after just he could see the huge positive
Pal with Claire and (left to right) Steve Patient,
struggling on for so long, I saw
Quin Wu, Sui Boby, Lilibeth Prosser and Alina impact Pal was having on my
an advert for a charity called
Ileana of Maidstone Satellite Unit, Kent life.
Medical Detection Dogs. These
Pal and I now travel to the unit
amazing animals were helping people like me by
by hospital transport, car or ambulance 3 times a
warning them of an oncoming medical emergency.
week. Pal has all the drivers hoping they get the job
I applied for an assistance dog and in 2012 Pal, to take us; he has quite a fan club and greets them
my handsome, clever, smart and charming black all with a waggy tail.
Labrador, came to live with us. My life saver Pal
From our very first session Pal captured the hearts
alerted me to my blood sugars dropping on that very
of all the staff. He curls up on his blanket next to my
first evening we were together and he’s never let me
chair and snoozes, sometimes even snores - much to
down since. Our bond gets stronger and stronger
everyone’s amusement. But always with one eye on
each day and he amazes me with his skills and
me, lying so that he catches every scent of my breath
judgement of my condition.
4 Autumn 2016 www.kidney.org.uk HELPLINE 0845 601 02 09