Meet Ruby

 I've been getting a lot of questions about what a diabetic alert dog would do for me, and why I need one.  I'd like to talk about that, but first I'll explain a little about diabetes and how it is affecting me.  This is just my experience, understanding, and opinion.  I have Type 1 diabetes which means that my pancreas does not produce any insulin.  This did not happen progressively, and there is nothing that I could have done to stop it.  One day I was fine, the next, I had diabetes.  So now, every day is a balancing act between glucose and insulin in my blood.  If my glucose gets too high or too low, it can potentially be dangerous.  I use an insulin pump, which administers insulin 24/7.  The pump does not check my glucose for me, I program it to deliver specific amounts of insulin at certain times, such as when I eat a meal.  I check my glucose on a regular basis, and try to keep it in a normal range.  Every day is different when it comes to this balancing act.  EVERYTHING affects my glucose, not just what I eat. From allergies, to stress, to what color the moon is can make my glucose go crazy.  Some days, it seems that I can look at a piece of bread and my glucose will go high; other days I can't eat enough to keep it from dropping.  Some people can get themselves on a regimented diet and schedule to keep themselves better controlled, but with three young boys, and a military husband, this just isn't realistic.  For many years, I was able to feel when my glucose was getting too high or low, but over the years, those feelings have become less and less.  I can get dangerously low before I realize it.  Luckily, I haven't had any incidents of losing consciousness, but the chance of that is always a possibility.  My husband travels a lot for work and the military which leaves me by myself a good majority of the time, so this is where Ruby would come in.
       When she is finished with her training, Ruby will be a certified diabetes alert dog.  She will be able to smell when my glucose is too high or low and will alert me when this happens. She will wake me up at night if she needs to, and won't let me sleep through a dangerous low.  She'll be my constant companion wherever I go, and won't let me ignore my glucose.  And, did I mention? She's super cute!  
Ruby is a standard poodle, one year old, and about the sweetest dog I have ever met!  Two days after signing the bottom line for my service dog, I got to meet her and one of her trainers, Allen.  For me, it was love at first sight!  She's calm and happy, and loves attention.  I could have sat on the floor and cuddled with her all day.
      Allen is her main trainer for the time being.  He will get her through all her public service training before she starts her scent training.  That means that Allen takes Ruby wherever he goes, and teaches her how to be out in public.  She knows how to calmly walk beside him, to sit, lay, and stay even when surrounded by a lot of distractions.  Soon, she'll start her scent training with Ed.  He has different samples of my saliva with my glucose at different levels which he'll use to train Ruby.  I have no idea how he does it, so sorry, I can't answer that question.


      She is great around kids, and was never bothered by Clark crawling around her or pulling on her ears and face.  Clark thought that was pretty entertaining!  I really think Ruby is going to be a great addition to our family.
      That's it in a nutshell.  I'm looking forward to bringing her home, but in the meantime, I need to raise money to help pay for Ruby.  She should be ready sometime in November, so my goal is to raise $13,000 by then.  Right now, I have just over 10% raised. I truly believe that God has put this in place and will provide for me and my family in this.  I hope to have some small events coming up soon, and donations can be made through the Paypal button at the bottom of this post.  Every little bit helps!  Keep an eye out for a quilt or two I plan on putting up for sale too.  Thanks for taking the time to read my story.  I'll be posting more pictures and stories as Ruby goes through her training.  Let me know if you have any questions and you can always go to www.diabeticalertdogsofamerica.com for more information.