May 2022 – Me and the Doods.com

Celebrate Love & Kindness

On Wednesday, driving to UCLA, I was still reeling from the unspeakable tragedy in Texas. I was also concerned about the kids in neuropsych whom Gus was going to be visiting. Fortunately, when we arrived, I found out that they had been temporarily sheltered from the news.

It turned out to be a beautiful morning with Gus. He was at the top of his game, literally smiling and showing off his tiny teeth as he rolled over for belly rubs. The kids under twelve were as happy as Gus. It was as if they were feeding off of each others’ energy.

The teens were equally engaged, fun and enthusiastic. They shared stories about their dogs and asked how to teach them tricks. But looking into their eyes as we chatted on the outside deck, I worried. Many of them are emotionally fragile so I couldn’t imagine how they would process the news, even with the help of the therapists.

Two of my grandchildren are teenagers so the next day I asked my daughter how they were handling it. She said that, of course, they were sad and upset but they weren’t shocked. Their school has “active shooter” drills. When I was growing up in Syracuse, all we had was the occasional fire drill.

Fortuitously, after leaving our units we headed outside to help celebrate Unity and Kindness Day. It was a UCLA Health event being held in conjunction with Nurses’ Month and Mental Health Awareness Month. A few of the People Animal Connection dogs and a miniature horse were perfect additions to the festivities.

Health care workers were selecting random acts of kindness or writing customized messages on pieces of paper to hang on a golden ring. It was to showcase their good intentions in the coming days. A chaplain quieted the crowd to speak movingly about what is going on in the world. Then he asked for a moment of silence.

As I sat down at my computer today, I wanted to write something positive and respectful, almost like another moment of silence. I hoped that a feel good post would bring some comfort without trivializing the senseless loss of life. We need to reach out to each other with love and kindness, in the hope that we will find unity.

Happy Birthday Stanley & Henry

This was a big week for the Doods. Henry turned one on the 16th and Stanley will be turning four tomorrow, on the 23rd. I have friends who celebrate their dogs’ birthdays by buying them In-N-Out Burger, serving them doggie cakes or arranging parties at the park.

I didn’t go quite that far, but I did hang a banner and put them in festive accessories.

ELBEE She forgot to mention that she took Henry to be neutered and to have a cyst removed from his tail! Happy birthday!

I confess. You may have noticed that he’s wearing an e-collar with his tiara and sunglasses.

I was a nervous wreck when I took Henry in for his surgery but he handled it like a trooper. He was raring to go when I picked him up the next morning and yes, he was wearing the e-collar or, as some call it, “the cone of shame.”

ELBEE It’s actually an Elizabethan collar named after ruffs worn by wealthy English landholders during that era. Hey, I dabble in history.

Surprisingly, Henry didn’t have a problem with it. It was almost as if he forgot he had it on. He just wanted a little extra attention. Unfortunately, he was bumping into doorways and chairs and into me and my husband. We have the bruises to prove it.

As a backup, in case there were problems, I had bought a ZenCollar, an alternative to the “satellite dish.” It’s made out of fabric and is inflatable.

The label said it would protect your pet as well as “shins, furniture and walls.” It would also restore “doggy dignity.”

Even though Henry was doing fine in the e-collar, after a few days of recovery, I thought he’d be more comfortable in the Zen version. It took him a few tries to figure out how to lay down with it on but then he looked positively relaxed.

Since the collar seemed to be working so well for Henry, I wondered why not give it a try. Couldn’t hurt and might work for me too. I mean who doesn’t want to find their Zen.

ELBEE I’m embarrassed for her.

More Special Moments

This week was all dog all the time. They had more activities than my daughters did when they were little. Looking back it seems like a blur of fur and wagging tails, but then, as always, there were moments that stood out.

Stanley visited the neuropsych units at UCLA. On our way in to see the teens, I heard one of the therapists say, almost to herself, “They’re all so depressed. I hope the dog can do something.” Glancing into the day room, I saw what she meant.

Miraculously, as we walked in, I could feel the mood shift. Most of the kids dropped down on the floor with us. Even the few who stayed at the tables were watching. At first they just quietly petted Stanley but as he lightly put his paws on them and went in for belly rubs, they started warming up.

When he did a few tricks, they really got involved. And no one could resist the accessories. They laughed at the purple sunglasses and the tiaras. It relaxed them enough that they began chatting, telling me about their dogs, sharing stories.

I confess, I also used a photo that I knew would get their attention, the one of me lifting Stanley. Two of the boys immediately said, “You’re bench pressing him!”

ELBEE She can’t help herself. It was cheesy but it worked.

The next day I brought Gus to UCLA for a nurse appreciation meeting but his moment was in the lobby. A patient’s family was sitting on a bench outside of Maddie’s Room. As soon as they saw Gus, two of the men grinned and waved us over.

GUS I was looking particularly fluffy and fabulous.

Knowing how difficult it can be for family and friends who are waiting for word about loved ones, I had Gus do a few tricks to distract them.

When he did his special dance, one of the men stood up, began singing and dancing with him. It was one of the cutest things I’ve ever seen. They lit up the lobby.

This photo was another moment. I took it at the “spa” right after they’d been bathed. Jen, the wonderful groomer who pampers the Doods, wrapped them up in a heart. What could be more perfect!

Gratitude Remembered

At UCLA, Gus and Stanley spend the majority of time working with groups of all ages in the neuropsych units. Since returning to Tarzana Hospital a few months ago, our visits have been focused on the staff, many of whom are still dealing with the emotional toll of COVID.

Last week, Gus went back to doing individual room visits at Tarzana. I had almost forgotten what it was like to knock on a door and watch a patient’s face light up at seeing him standing there.

ELBEE One time when she knocked and asked if the patient would like a visit, the patient looked at her and said, “Not really.” The she saw me, smiled and said, “Please, come in.”

As soon as I put Gus on a patient’s bed, there was an instant personal connection. We had easy conversation while they cuddled with him.

A woman who worked from home told me that friends and family were always dropping off their dogs for her to watch so she usually had several at once. Gus was just what she needed. A woman who did animal rescue was eager to share stories. An elderly patient confided that she liked dogs more than people.

ELBEE That is a wise woman.

We went in to see a little boy around three years old. For a moment he was a bit shy but as soon as Gus waved and did his little dance he started giggling. He was delighted when his parents said it was okay to put Gus on the bed. They seemed so relieved at the distraction while they happily showed me videos of their Labradoodles.

Because it had been awhile, I was overwhelmed with gratitude at watching Gus do his up close magic. He helped patients forget their pain and their anxiety. He made the hospital rooms disappear. A woman in the cardiac unit summed it up when she said “He makes my heart feel better.”

Coincidentally, it was Patient Experience Week, a time to celebrate how the health care staff impacts patient experience. Gus, Stanley and all of their fellow therapy dogs may not technically be staff, but they are definitely health care workers at their finest.

Adventures With Henry

This morning, I headed up a steep trail with Henry, enjoying the challenge and the beauty of the mountains, especially with the wildflowers still in their full glory. Near the top, I met two women sitting on the trail. I asked if everything was okay and one answered that she was just waiting. I assumed she meant resting. Turns out I was wrong.

A few minutes later a red helicopter started circling. I assumed it was doing routine fire patrol. I was wrong again.

It began flying lower and lower in tight circles. Eventually the door opened and someone rappelled out the side. Other rescue workers suddenly materialized out of nowhere.

I found out from one of the women whom I’d met coming up that the other woman had broken her leg and called for help. She added that the injured woman was 58 so her bones were pretty brittle. I didn’t share my age!

Henry and I were standing on an overlook with a few other people while all of the chaos was going on. We were afraid to move and get in the way. After quite some time, it seemed that everything was under control. I believe they brought an ambulance up dirt Mulholland, a drivable area, to transport the woman down.

But let me tell you, the wind from a hovering helicopter is like a tornado. We were getting pelted by pebbles and my sunglasses blew off my face and into the canyon below.

ELBEE Good thing she buys cheap ones because she always loses them.

On the bright side it was great training for Henry. I couldn’t have thought of a better way to desensitize him to loud noises.

Our other adventure this week was much lower key. We were walking on dirt Mulholland when a woman called out, “Aren’t you part of the PAC program?” Surprised, I told her that I was.

ELBEE She never would have recognized her if she’d been alone.

It turned out she was an ICU nurse at UCLA who loved the People Animal Connection. She knew Stanley and Gus plus thought she had met Charley years ago. She asked me about Henry who was being so sweet with her.

As soon as I told her that he was an eleven month old puppy in training, she couldn’t wait to call her friend, a PICU nurse at the hospital. While they were talking she decided to FaceTime so that her friend could see him too.

After she finished the call and was getting ready to leave, she took a moment to tell me how much it meant to the staff to have the dogs back in the hospital. She said they were truly helping everyone cope with the ongoing stress of COVID.

It was such a random but heartwarming encounter. The dogs continue to bring so much unexpected light into my life.