People have been asking if Whitney stayed with me while I was in the hospital last week.
She did not.
That’s Greg with his and Lois’ dogs Gamma and Griffin.
Legally, I could have had her in the room with me — Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act allows those of us who rely on service dogs to have them along in hospital rooms. All bets are off, however, if the dog constitutes either a “fundamental alteration of goods and services available for all” or a “direct threat to safety.” So while Whitney could have legally sat at my bedside once I was recovering in a regular hospital room, she would not have been allowed while I was in ICU. She wouldn’t have been with me in any sterile rooms (such as the operating room). Certain areas of the emergency room/departments would have been forbidden, and she wouldn’t have been able to ride in the ambulance with me to the hospital in the first place — even Mike had to follow behind in a cab.
Hospital staff cannot be made responsible for caring for a service dog while a patient with a disability is in the hospital, and I’m afraid my case left doctors and nurses with bigger problems to solve than figuring out when and where to take Whitney out to pee. The truth is, we never even thought of asking my Seeing Eye dog to sit still and behave at my hospital bedside while I recovered. It wouldn’t have been fair to an energetic ball of fur like her. I didn’t need her to guide me anywhere, and she would have been bored out of her mind.
Our dear friend Greg Schafer rushed to the waiting room after cardiologists recommended Mike call a friend to be there with him while I was being operated on. After surgery was over, Greg offered to stop by our apartment and fetch Whitney, take her home with with him for a few days. Greg and his wife Lois have a huge yard with two dogs and all sorts of other critters. Whitney spent the weekend there tracking deer and enjoying long walks while Mike spent time helping me recover at Northwestern Hospital.
Greg and Lois returned Whitney to Chicago on Sunday. After getting her settled in our apartment, they stopped by the hospital to regale Mike and me with details of ways Whitney spent time with their own beautiful dogs, Griffin and Gamma. Their stories really cheered me up. Whitney was there to greet Mike at home that night, and she was at the door waiting for me when I finally returned home Tuesday. A joyful reunion for sure.
That’s Whit wearing her Gentle Leader.
Surgeons had to cut my sternum to perform open-heart surgery, and until that bone heals I can’t let Whitney wear a harness and pull me. Trainers at the Seeing eye have dealt with graduates who have had open-heart surgery before. Until my sternum heals, they recommend I have Whitney wear a Gentle Leader, a collar designed to gently discourage dogs from pulling while walking on a leash. Mike comes along on my walks with Whitney, and each day the length of our cardio walks expands a minute or two. Neighbors are getting used to seeing me sauntering down the block with Whitney on my left, Mike on my right: a heart-healthy sandwich.
Friends have been volunteering to take Whitney on faster walks every day too, to keep her in shape. Others fill in for Mike when he isn’t available to take me on the slower-paced walks. Between these volunteer walkers, the friend who brought her violin over to perform for me, the ones who have sent or delivered food, friends who have sent cards and music CDs and concert tickets and audio books and get-well bracelets and a lounging gown and body lotion and flowers and gift cards and whew, you’ve all been so kind I need to stop here to take a breath before I go on: my lungs aren’t back to normal quite yet!
Pause.
Okay, I’m back. Thanks to all of those friends and all of you blog readers who have left such encouraging comments here on the blog, I feel loved, and I feel grateful. I’m alive, and I’m healing. And I’m looking forward to getting on the road again with Whitney.
I’ve seen you several times! I have a DVD of my solo show ActYourAge! I am going to let it run with my eyes diverted (I can clean out my sock drawer and put away the winter sweaters.) Then maybe you’d like to experience your neighbor Beth Urech strutting her stuff!
Beth, it is wonderful to hear about your progress. I have to say though, I think your spectacular attitude is at the core of your many successes. You are full of energy and joy. An example to us all! Lois
You are are an ever unfolding miracle, Beth. Much love and prayers and light to you.
Thanks Beth, Lois and Patty, and here’s hoping the miracle continues to unfold. This recovery thing requires one quality I am usually short on: patience!
Oh Dear Beth,
I’m only just now getting all this news about your most recent health scare. I feel horrible that I’ve not responded sooner (we were having major computer issues and internet problems, which thankfully has been resolved).
What a shock, I’m sure, but I am so happy to hear that you are on the mend and back at home.
Please, please, please do not hesitate to call on me if you need a dog-walker for Whitney – I can come during the day if need be. The kids would love to play with her again on a weekend.
Most importantly, please know that you and Mike are in my thoughts and prayers as you continue your recovery. If you need meals, I’m happy to cook too!
All our best,
Karen, Franklin and Margot (my Michael too)
Thanks, Karen. The surgery, and the narcotics prescribed for lingering pain, leave my head so cloudy sometimes that I have started a file called “people who have offered to help.” Will add you and your family to the list. You know Whitney would love to be with you all again!
PS: Our mutual friend Carolyn made a pot of minestrone the other day, Charlotte and Gabe delivered it right to our door. Loved the soup, and glad C. introduced us so long ago, too.
It has been amazing to read about the ordeal that you have been through, but it’s wonderful to hear about the progress you’re making. You, Mike, and Whitney have been in my meditations. I give thanks for all your friends who have been so supportive.
Remember, slow and steady wins the race.
Hugs,
Marcia
Oh, Marcia, were your ears burning yesterday? Your “Auntie Flo” calls me every day to make sure I am “Not doing too much.” She is in your “Slow and Steady Wins the Race” club. When I asked Flo yesterday what she was going to do that day, she said she owed Marcia a letter, she was going to work on that. No doubt you will be receiving a note full of medical news, consider yourself warned. THANK YOU for including us in your meditations, that is a lofty place to be and I am honored.
So glad to hear you are recovering so well. And have still kept your wonderful spirit. Looking forward to Memoir group next month and seeing you again. Happy healing. Baila
Thanks so much, Baila. I sure do miss that class.
Yeah! you’re back home! Boy, I am really running behind those good news. Wonderful…. and all the best. Life is good!!
Love, Annelore
Agree. Life *is* good.
I’m so glad you’re up and around. You sound wonderful, like yourself! I look forward to meeting again. Keep up the good work.
Judy Roth
Oh, Judy, I look forward to meeting in class again, too. I hear you’re all sojourning on pretty well without me, though? Save those essays you write, Judy –I’ll want to hear them!
Hi Beth, I was stunned to hear of your surgery but glad the recovery seems to be going well. We miss you at Easter Seals. We had an ice cream social yesterday afternoon to celebrate the web launch. All good wishes for your recovery and return. Pat
Thanks, Pat. My supervisor, Mike Grossenbacher, has been sooooooo good to me at Easter Seals, he has taken over all my responsibilities while in the midst of that web launch, which, as you well know, is an extremely busy time for him.Over and over again Mike G. reminds me to leave my Easter Seals laptop closed and focus on rest and recovery at home. All good, as I want to be 100% when I return to work there, thanks for your good wishes, I send them back to you and everyone else there at HQ.
You are very loved, Beth! Bask in the glow as you rest and recover. Talk soon, xoxo
Thanks for the encouragement, Lynn. Took a while to get used to it, but now I am finally learning to sit back and bask. It feels good!
Glad to hear Whitney is staying in shape while you’re getting better, too. Today we read whatever we wrote and I made the case for everybody happily coloring, (or not!), their hairnobody disagreedmissing you, XOJudy Spock
From: Safe & Sound blog Reply-To: Safe & Sound blog Date: Wed, 8 May 2013 14:11:40 +0000 To: Judith Spock Subject: [New post] Where Whitney was
WordPress.com bethfinke posted: “People have been asking if Whitney stayed with me while I was in the hospital last week. She did not. Legally, I could have had her in the room with me — Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act allows those of us who rely on service do”
Yikes! Does this mean everyone in the Thursday memoir class wil be dying their hair now? I’d better get back there, and fast!
So looking forward to catching up with you and glad you are healing!
Hope you’ve been warming up for our cardio walk, Linda. I’m up to thre 21-minute walks a day now…
Glad to hear you are on mend! Sounds like you and Whitney are surrounded by some wonderful friends and neighbors. . .thinking of you and looking forward to a long reading list from your recuperation:) Take care and best to Mike. Chris Geimer
Chris, you are brilliant. I have been feeling a “book blog” coming on, have read so many very, very good books the past month, and they honestly help with my recuperation — blissful to fall asleep listening to a good audio book. Thanks for the good wishes, best to your and your family –eager to hear how Paul is enjoying college, and is Greg ready to leave the nest soon, too? Cliche to say, but man, they grow up fast.
I bet Whitney loved chasing those deer…she’s got so much energy! And you, Beth, are a fast walker for someone who is still recovering. You dragged me around the block!
I am glad to read of your recovery. I am in awe of the energy that comes through your blog.
With the information you provided about the ADA and someone with a partner like Whitney I have yet another tidbit for when people ask questions about Service Dogs. I am frequently asked all kinds of questions when I am out and about with ‘my’ SD’s in training.
So glad to know you, Mike and Whitney have such a wonderful support network!
Deborah,
Thanks for your compliments to our blog, and you are so right: we are fortunate to have sucha generous circle of family and friends around us. About this particular post: to be honest, I didn’t know the exact rules about bringing service dogs along to hospital rooms until I did the research when writing this post. Seems to me that the Department of Justice is relying on us to use our better judgment — If you are sick enough to require hospitalization, you are probably too sick to take your dog for walks and to take care of your dog in other ways. I suppose you could arrange for a friend or family member to come in several times a day to take your dog for walks, or you could hire a dog walker to do that. Still, your dog is probably going to get bored and unhappy doing nothing but sitting beside your hospital bed for several days.
From what I gather, most people who rely on service dogs choose to leave their dog with a friend or family member when they need to be hospitalized.
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