Chewy: A Doctor's Tail

Despite having two years of graduate-level study in microbiology, a medical degree and practice in family medicine, it took me ten years to write this book. It started as a prescription from my neurologist to aid my traumatic brain injury. My car flew off an elevated highway with devastating consequence. I sustained four surgeries, chronic pain, but worse: A diagnosis of dementia (92% disabled both physically and mentally) and going into Alzheimer's disease. That news makes a doctor want to suicide; especially since I diagnosed the disease in my father. I knew the horror lying ahead. Despite the massive, depressive topics of brain injury, homelessness, suicide and the loss of memory this book is a medical thriller. It's also humorous. My canine companion is a four-legged stand-up comedian And since I am writing these very sentences now, its full of hope. The reader will learn a sufficient amount of medicine to be informed while being titillated by my "crazy" adventures into hospitals, surgeries, the streets and public parks of homelessness. You will adventure into delusions, hallucinations and other psychological misadventures. All dangerous locations the reader can visit without leaving the safety of a comfortable armchair. What does a dog do on a daily basis to aid the completely broken? He showed me when to eat, as I could not remember even my last meal. We learned to dress (matching tartan vests -- fashionable among the service dog crowd.) He ventured me out of my isolation and bridged my connection to my Michele who had brain cancer. Teaching me to socialize he brought me to places I did not dare to walk by myself. And so much more. A more critical question is how does a mere dog stop a man from suicide with all the reasons to leave the suffering behind? Chapter nine! My hope for the reader is to understand the outstanding support a service dog can give. Then please tell someone to obtain these under prescribed knee high portable doctors. Good health.

Despite having two years of graduate-level study in microbiology, a medical degree and practice in family medicine, it took me ten years to write this book. It started as a prescription from my neurologist to aid my traumatic brain injury. My car flew off an elevated highway with devastating consequence. I sustained four surgeries, chronic pain, but worse: A diagnosis of dementia (92% disabled both physically and mentally) and going into Alzheimer's disease. In brief, this book recounts the hero's journey of a man and his dog (both heroes) falling as far as possible then struggling back to be neurotypical. Numerous books on training dogs, diet, and medical care are available. Here I provide only my unique perspective on service dogs as both the patient and a doctor. After my car accident, I survived with severe brain damage, many surgeries, and a service dog. Slowly, I fell into dementia, chronic physical pain, and homelessness. Consequently, a plan for suicide developed. As my body and mind were hijacked for years, I subsequently lost my house, job, wife, and identity. My memory was so affected I could not remember my address without looking at my driver's license. Further, even if just finishing a meal, I would eat another one having forgotten the first. Losing my cerebral cortex (the part of the brain making us human) my behavior was unstable and animal-like much of the time. What I have regained is my unique voice as a scientist and a doctor. Further, I have seen many advancements in my condition after eight years with my dog. Canines have brightened and enhanced the lives of many other severely injured patients in unimaginable ways. I hope to convince you to obtain a service animal for yourself or a loved one. These superheroes need to be on the staff of hospitals, clinics, and nursing homes. They are authentic physician extenders. This book has three sections. In the first, I recount my strange and marvelous rehabilitation with my dog. People have a vague understanding that dogs can help with diabetes, seizures, and guide the blind. They do much more than that. A short list of aid my service dog provides are as follows: Chewy has decreased my depression and suicidal ideation while increasing my socialization and language skills. He certainly relieved my desperate isolation, increased my mobility, lessened my chronic pain. Overall, these "treatments" have lowered the medical cost of my traumatic brain injury. The second section concerns the families, caretakers, neighborhoods, and cities of the disabled. These are all strongly affected by dogs with service vests seen in streets, stores, churches, and airports. They are ambassadors for the impaired and the sick. They can significantly reduce the burden of care on a family by giving the patient more independence. The third section concerns the bigger picture. Delivering a lecture at the Fort Worth medical school, the societal benefits of service animals are enumerated. Understanding is spreading. Alzheimer's Centers are using dogs to keep patients calm and happy. Brain research has advanced since the 1990s and is now spilling over to include the animal kingdom. The complex consciousness of dogs is a surprise to scientists. Studies are now occurring to raise the value of all animals. Post-surgical heart attack patients paired with service dogs do 40% better. This prevents costly readmissions to hospitals. In today's world, medical procedures can be cookie-cutter. Doctors' prescriptions are based on generic diseases, not the individual patient. Singular treatments are what I hope to encourage. Trained dogs do this by molding themselves to their owners, providing help in ways that are quite wonderful. My hope for the reader is to understand the outstanding support a service dog can give. Then please tell someone to obtain these under prescribed knee high portable doctors. With the help of a four-legged doctor. You can take control of your health Dr. Chewy's order's

I am a family practice medical doctor with two years of study in microbiology graduate school, yet it took me ten years to write this book. Starting as a prescription from my neurologist to aid my traumatic brain injury I began the work reading, writing and speaking as a 5-year-old child. My behavior without a frontal cortex (the part makes you human and reasonable) was uninhibited and unruly as an animal at times. My memory dimmed so much, I needed to read my drivers listens to know my address. Early on I was delusional enough to believe my conversations with Chewy were real. Could you drive a car off an elevated highway? If you do, you will suffer the devastating consequence. Four surgeries, chronic pain, and worse: A diagnosis of dementia (92 % disabled) and prognosis of going into Alzheimer's disease. That news makes a doctor want to suicide; especially since I diagnosed the erasing disease in my father. I knew the horror was lying ahead. Despite the depressive topics of brain injury, homelessness, suicide and the loss of memory this book is an authentic medical thriller. Moreover, since I am penning these sentences now, its full of hope. It is also humorous. My dog Chewy is a canine comedian. The reader will learn a sufficient amount of medicine to be informed while being titillated by my "crazy" adventures into hospitals, surgeries, the streets of homelessness. You will be taken into delusions, hallucinations and other psychological misadventures. Happily, all these dangerous locations the reader can visit without leaving the safety of a comfortable armchair. What does a dog do daily to aid the completely broken? He showed me when to eat, as I could not remember even my last meal. We learned to dress presentably. Teaching me to socialize he brought me to places I did not dare walk by myself. Even the smallest things helped. Waking me in the morning to walk, reduced my pain and journeyed me into the neurotypical world My terroir is a healer of the first degree. He aided my many homeless friends in their loneliness. He demonstrated to street vets how to overcome PTSD, and later provided a role model for their service animals. ' Chewy was the only one to reach my Michele in her the far and challenging place of terminal brain cancer. There are four chapters of his graceful interactions with her. How do the best doctors stop a man with all the reasons to leave the suffering behind? The medical miracle here is how a mere dog convinced me not to suicide. My hope for the reader is to understand the significant support a service dog can give. Then please tell someone to obtain these under prescribed, knee-high, portable doctors. You can take control of your health with the help of a Four Leg. Doctor. Chewy's orders. Lastly, although I still have my disabilities, I now advocate for the disabled and part of the purchase price goes to training service dogs. I am working with Dagmund (Belgium Malinois ) personally, who will go to an Alzheimer's patient. We found the patient stays in the car while we gas up. How much better is that than the circus-like panic and frantic activity while the family searches for their mother who has gotten a half block away. See like the book — funny. Brain Blown, A doctor reveals his traumatic brain injury, is a more extended memoir of my downfall from a family practice doctor into dementia from a traumatic brain injury then back again, while passing through homelessness, PTSD and suicide. The release is planned for September. About Chewy. The coauthor is a proud, literate alpha dog, a cairn terrier. I, in my saner moments, find it is impossible to believe my best friend weighs 21 pounds, has two more legs than me, is very hairy and does not speak English. And yet . . ..