To heel and heal

The word "heel" is the command you give to a dog when you want it to walk by your side, and the word "heal" means to restore to health or bring back to wholeness. But apparently, my speech-to-text program doesn't know the difference. In my last post, while I was dictating to my speech-to-text program, I spoke the word "heel" (meaning this spelling), but the program typed "heal." Although the words sound the same, their different spellings have different meanings. While proofreading, I missed the error. Later, when I discovered the mistake and thought about it, I realized how appropriate it was that my speech-to-text program had typed "heal." Let me explain.

As I work with Bella, I am becoming more physically robust and gaining more confidence. This morning, I was surprised to find myself walking across my backyard and into the pasture to retrieve a lost ball that Bella and I play with. Over the past four years since my stroke, I have been unable to walk in that pasture. This was the field where I rode horses and chased my grandchildren. Bella just wanted to play ball. I struggled to walk through the tall grass. Using my cane for balance and with all the strength I could muster, I forced my partially paralyzed, weak left leg to step forward until we saw the ball.

Working with Bella has initiated something difficult to explain. As I train her with the many commands she must learn, I give the order to "heel," and Bella walks patiently by my side. We move slowly because of my handicap, and poor Bella can only take one step at a time, which is difficult for a very energetic puppy. I am using my body in ways I haven't since my stroke. Lately, I wake up in the morning with soreness and stiffness in my muscles. This soreness actually feels good. It reminds me that I didn't spend the previous day sitting in a chair. I got up, and I moved. As a result, my body has been healing.

Most importantly, my spirit has been strengthened since Bella came into my life. I now experience the peacefulness that comes with the companionship and love of a dog. I don't think it's an accident that the word "dog" spelled backward is "God." One encounters something very godlike in the unconditional love of a dog. I don't mean that dogs are gods. I'm simply saying that the way a dog loves you is much like the way God loves you. A dog accepts people, and dogs forgive and love without question, just as God loves us.

learning about transportation

Bella is making great progress.  In the last few weeks Bella has learned how to “heal" by my side as I walk with my cane.  She is learning that she must not crowd me when we walk together.  At the same time, she is beginning to understand that she must stay close enough to me that I will be able to lean on her if needed so that she can help me regain my balance.  Yes, there's even a command for that.  Bella has learned that when I say the word “help" that she is to brace herself and to be ready to assist me.  Today, Bella and I will be going over to the Alamance County Transportation authority's home base where they keep their many different vans when they are not in use.  It is there that we will practice entering and exiting the different types of vans that I might be using for my transportation.  I am thankful for the helpfulness of the folks at the Transportation Authority.  They have shown that a genuine Willingness to work with me and the trainer as we work with Bella.  Today as we go in and out of the vans I will practice giving Bella the proper commands and she will learn how to enter and exit the vans.  Bella will enter the vans walking up the stairs one step, at a time slowly, when she gets to the top, she will stop, sit and wait for me to enter the van.  When leaving the van, she will go down the steps, again one at a time.  Then she will sit at the bottom and wait for me until I exit the van and give her the command to heal.  Later on in the day, Bella will come with me to my office where she will be asked to "down stay".  By which I mean that she is to lay down and stay where she is, until I give her another command.  We will be doing this at my office while I am working with a client.  Bella will be expected to remain in the position I tell her without getting up for 45 min.  I have great confidence in her ability to do this while we are at the office I will show her around and let her see some of the other people who work in the building.  It is important that they understand that they should not call her or attempt to pet her.  I found out the other day that there are times when she is working with me that I should not pet her.  That is going to be very hard.  I am so excited because I am getting closer to the day that Bella and I will go places together as a team.  Right now, we both make mistakes.  There is room for that right now because we are both learning.  Bella is learning very quickly, much faster than I, if I could keep the commands straight Bella would do better.

who or what is Bella

Bella is a really sweet dog that is part German shepherd and part Labrador retriever.  Bella is my pathway to independence.  She will become my caretaker, my partner, a loyal friend.  She will assist me as I try to navigate the world as it is for me. Bella will support me as I stand and walk.  She will warn me of obstacles and dangers. Bella will get things for me, pick things up for me.  And make it feel like I am more functional in this badly broken body.  Bella is just 10 months old, and as I heard from the trainer yesterday is very much still a puppy.  Although she's quite large, and at this time weighs over 50 pounds he still has a lot of growing up to do.but that is okay because at times I feel like I still have a lot of growing up to do.  Also.  So Bella and I are going to learn and grow together.  I will learn how to embrace my new normal.  Which includes learning how to enjoy life with only half of a functional body and only half of normal vision.  But having Bella comes with a price.  There are several things that Bella and I will need. there is equipment.  We will need such as a harness and an invisible fence.  We will need service dog identification for Bella, so that if I encounter resistance as I go through my day with Bella.  People will understand who and what she is.  Bella is my service dog.

Bella looked just as uncertain as I am.

Bella and I have a trainer who will train Bella and then trained me how to work with Bella.this will be a new experience for both of us.  we both have a lot to learn.  When I went to look at her at the adoption center.  I wasn't really sure that she was the dog for me.  Yet when I was there, the man behind me in line mentioned wanting to look at Bella and I found myself suddenly saying," I am here adopt Bella" and this is where the story begins.  Bella came home with me that day and I began to fall in love with this not so pretty.  over excited but yet loving and giving puppy.  It turns out that Bella needed me as much as I needed her.  It was as if Bella had been at the pound waiting for me.  This wonderful dog had been at the adoption center for over four months and she needed a family.  Was this the dog that God wanted to have have, I began to wonder?  Weeks later when I was meeting with the trainer.  He said something that surprised me.  is Luther, the trainer, said to me," it seems like you and Bella were meant to be together.  It makes me think that God wanted you to have this dog."  so  the adventure begins .