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Friday, August 19, 2011

Someone reached out to me for help!! In need of a service dog

OFF THE WIRE
This lady Julie found me on the web and actually called my cell about a week ago and requested my assistance.

Now maybe I'm still naive at my old age, or just wanting to believe most people aren't scumbags and con artists.... but something about our conversation had me believing her and wanting to at least point her in the right direction or provide her with a contact.

Seeing as I'm in Boston and she lives in Wisconsin, and I'm not familiar with the state's groups and charitable organizations, and what not.... all I can do is put her info out there and hope somebody will pick up the charge and point her in the right direction.

I suggested she contact local organizations in WI., and speak with them about her service dog needs... there's got to be some organization out there that might be able to assist her... I have to believe in my heart of hearts that her story is legit, I can't see how somebody would go through such lengths to fabricate what you read below.

If you have any suggestions or can put this woman in touch with a group or individual that might be able to assist her with getting her own service dog, please let me know!  It'd be greatly appreciated.
Thank you all~
Gypsy

Dear Betsy,

My name is Julie Gaulke and we talked on Friday August 5th about 6:45 PM your time and I caught you going to a meeting. We talked about a service dog and you were riding for a veteran who needs a service dog for $20,000.00. From all the research I have done $20,000.00 is the going cost on a quality service dog. That does not mean though you can get the dog right away.

You gave me your email address and told me to tell my story and that you may be able to help me. I found you on the web under Bikers of a America Know your rights with Phil and Bill. This is where I found you http://womenridersnow.com/pages/Diamond_Posse_Names_New_Charity.aspx

Here is my story Betsy, it's long! This is a bit of my life. I started working for a pet store 3 blocks from my house when I was 9 years old walking dogs every day after school and on weekends. I even was given a key to open the shop on weekends. I started at 6 AM and worked until 6 PM on the weekends.  Not only was this a pet store but it was also a grooming school. So I learned how to groom dogs by the time I was 15. At 18 my boss retired and the doors closed forever. I was able to take my clients with me. To make a long story short, I worked for 28 years grooming dogs, cats and show dogs at various grooming businesses. I was one of the first in this area of Milwaukee to come up with my own grooming designs for dogs using clients dogs and my own dogs when I worked. I also did some vet assistant work for about 4 years. My last grooming job was at a veterinarian's where I established a grooming business for him and brought all of my clients along. I also employed my younger sister who is a groomer as well. There was just the two of us. I also have an older sister who is a groomer as well.

When I got sick (details on my disabilities follow) I left my all my grooming equipment at work as I was told by my surgeon that he was going to fix my back and I would be able to return to grooming. At the time I was employed at the vet that took care of all my animals. He said it would be fine to leave my equipment there while I was recovering from my back surgery. So after the first spinal fusion, a bilateral laminectomy on L5-S1, didn't work I was going to get all my grooming equipment back. This was a year after the first surgery. However, stupid me with trusting other people with my grooming equipment, my two sisters stole all my equipment and all my clients. My sisters are using my grooming equipment! I have repeatedly asked them for my equipment back and they refuse. Then one day they dropped off a box of grooming equipment - guess what - none of it was mine - it was all their old dull blades, dull scissors, nonfunctional clippers and other miscellaneous tools. None of these grooming tools were mine. Believe me, I know my tools! I made markings on my tools - none of what they gave me had any of my markings. I also had the serial numbers and model numbers of the clippers, blow dryers, blades and scissors - that is how I know they ripped me off. I called them and they refuse to give me my grooming equipment which is worth $3000.00-$4000.00 stating that I abandoned my grooming tools. How about that? They never asked me if they could use my tools and if they wanted them they should have offered me money. You see after my surgery my family basically saw that I wasn't going to get any better and they all turned their backs on me. Sure they were there in the very beginning right after my surgeries but after time they disappeared from my life.

My sisters have always been weird with people being sick. My little sister didn't speak to my mom the whole time she had cancer until I told her to talk to her because she is dying. So the last week of my moms life she finally made up with her. My father was an alcoholic for 28 years. My sisters wouldn't talk to him after he came out of rehab in 1982. That was really cruel of them - I couldn't even dream of being so mean to our dad. After he came out of rehab he never drank again and was just the sweetest father anyone could ask for. I can't understand why they would treat him that way through to the day he passed away in 1996. My sisters are very mean.

When my grooming customers would be out of work or short on money I would groom their pet for free. I would tell them when you get back on your feet you can pay me and not to worry about me. They always appreciated that a ton. To me that is the way to run a business and that is the kind of person I am.

In 1998 I had shoulder surgery because I had osteoarthritis in the fourth stage. I had to get the tip of my collar bone cut off because it was rubbing on my joint. It took about 8 weeks to heal and then about 8 months when my shoulder was back to normal.

In August of 1999 I started having severe headaches, my legs would go numb, I had the pins and needles feelings and burning sensations in my back in addition to great pain in my neck and lower back. My husband, my girlfriend and I went for walks every night, at this time I couldn't keep up anymore with them and I was hurting big time in my back and legs. Then one day at work my leg went numb enough to almost to fall and I had severe pain and burning in my back I had a very hard time walking from all the pain.

One night my head and back hurt so bad my husband took me to the ER. They said you have neck problems and lower back problems and sent me to see a neurosurgeon. He said I have a herniated disc at L5-S1 and bone spurs in my neck. Then I went trough what I call "the circle of hell". The whole pain management "circle of hell". I had to do all sorts of physical therapy and tests. One of which you are placed on your back and they shoot electricity through the areas of pain - I am sorry I do not remember what the device was called, maybe a TEN's unit. It put me in a screaming frantic pain that I will never forget nor would I do that again. Then they put a needle all around my back with cortisone that had me screaming once again. The pain was so bad it truly was unbearable. They tried traction on my neck, they hooked my head into a brace with weights on the other end - then left the room!!! I screamed like you wouldn't believe as the pain was so bad. I was made to walk in a pool and every time I told them it hurts like like hell. I would get out out of the pool and would fall down from all the numbness in my legs. I said that was enough for me for "the circle of hell" with all the PT. I feel that made my neck and back worse. I often wonder how I would be today if they had just performed surgery right away instead of sending me to PT and it was the neurosurgeon who sent me there - go figure!

I then went to an orthopedic surgeon. He had all the x-rays, CAT scans and MRI's performed on me. He asked me which hurts worse your neck or back and I said my back so we started there. In December of 1999 I had my 1st spinal fusion - it did not go well - it was supposed to be a two hour surgery and ended up taking 6 1/2 hours because in the doctors own words "it was worse that what the MRI's and other scans showed". The recovery was horrible. I went through more PT after the surgery and this did not go well. The physical therapists said to go back to the surgeon because you are getting worse - and these physical therapists worked for my surgeon - they were part of his own practice. I continued seeing my surgeon for the next year and also pain management people again. My back surgery failed. More scans were done and in 2001 I had another surgery performed to redo the 1st surgery. The second surgery failed as well.

So I ended up with two failed spinal fusions and I am in much more pain than when I started. They were supposed to be 2 hour surgeries and they both ended up being 6 and 1/2 hour surgeries. Then it was supposed to be a year and a half to recover. The MRI's did not show all my problems either - so much for MRI's. My first surgery was really bad. I had very little to no ligaments connecting the vertebrae in the L5-S1 area - per my surgeon they had disintegrated. The second fusion never fused. Now here is the really sickening part - after the second surgery the surgeon sexually assaulted me during my appointments and I didn't know what to do. I honestly did not know what to do or who to tell or if I should tell anyone - I was so hurt, in pain and very, very scared - this was the doctor who said he would fix my back and said he would take care of the problems. I trusted him and he abused me!!!

So I told my regular doctor and she said I should call the police and that I should tell my husband. I was afraid to do both. I knew my husband would want to go "gonzo" on the doctor but I had no choice. So I did. My husband was very upset but restrained himself from doing what he wanted to do. Then I called the police. When they came to my house I was told that my husband should leave the room -  even though he knew about it because I told him. He is my "rock" my best friend and my soul-mate as we have been married for over 31 years. The police had my phone tapped. I did every thing they told me to do. They were going to arrest him and bring him in for questioning. Then my case was moved to another captain within the police department. That captain said the doctor is "a professional" and we just can't go and arrest him "what will that do to his career". I told him that am I a professional as well but he refused to arrest him. They gave him two weeks to go to the police station and he was well versed by his attorney on what to say to the detectives. He was let go. I was devastated and could not believe he was let to be free. I did all the AMA license complaints and other complaints against him so if he does it again he will have an existing record. Now I see exactly why women who are sexually abused just say forget it - it's not worth all the emotion and pain. I think at least the complaints I made against him might help because you never know someone else may go through the same thing with him and maybe they will report him and see that he already has my complaint and records and hopefully he would be arrested then.

So to recap, this is what all is wrong with me: I am disabled due to degenerative disk disease. I am in my 12th year of this disease and I have had two failed bilateral spinal fusions at L5-S1. In addition I also have herniated disks in my cervical C1-C2 the atlas part of your neck where your head sits on. Your head weighs 12 pounds so all the pressure on my disks don't help my situation in fact they create an awful lot of pain. I have disk problems at C2-C3, C5-C6-C7, T2-T3 and L4-L 5. I also have bone spurs in the cervical spine and bone spurs at L5-S1 where my two failed spinal fusions are in addition to a lot of scar tissue that has built up there over the years. I have permanent numbness in my left leg. I require a walking cane, the kind that has four feet, for stability and at times I need to use my walker.

I recently had MRI and CT scans in addition to regular x-rays. I visited my doctor on Friday May 21st, 2009 after the tests to discuss the results and to try and figure out plans for my future.

My doctor informed me that no surgeon will perform any additional surgeries on my back to fix the disks, or bone spurs, because of how extensive the damage is. The neurosurgeon we were working with said they would have to replace my entire spine, which they cannot do, or fuse my entire spine together and nobody will do that. My regular doctor told me my condition will worsen and the plan is to control my pain in order to give me the best quality of life I can get with medications for the rest of my life. So that is the plan for my future. I am in shock that no doctor will attempt any additional surgeries because of the risks involved, however, I finally have the truth.

I have seen several specialists here in Milwaukee over the course of the last ten years. None will perform any additional surgeries. I even went to see one of the Green Bay Packers orthopedic surgeons and he confirmed that no one would perform any additional surgeries on me because of the risks involved.

During the last several years I have put on about 8-12 pounds that are putting great pressure on my back adding to the pain I experience. I was 115 to 118  pounds for the majority of my adult life. I was a workout fanatic who exercised daily. I had "abs of steal" but because of my pain I have not been able to drop the pounds even with the modified exercise program I have from the physical therapy. I continue to try and exercise daily but there are some days, and many times, where the pain is just too great for me to do anything.

I receive a very small fixed income on Social Security Disability.

Because of my very bad balance and mobility problems my regular doctor has given me prescription to get a mobility service dog to help me.

I have called the places I thought thy just give you a dog because I have a prescription but that is not how it works. The client has to raise the money. I never knew that nor do I know how to raise money for a dog. When I used to work I bought all my German Shepherds. So I am in a big pickle with a bad economy and no money.

Since 1998 my disabled husband and I have been through the ringer. First my husband had to have bilateral hernia surgery then he had a detached retina which was just hell on my husband. He had to have a bubble of oil put in his eye - then keep his head down for a whole week. Oh is that a terrible way to live plus it hurt his neck a lot - then eight months later they take it out. After the eye surgery he lost over 60% of his vision in his right eye - so he lost the vision he used to have and now has no peripheral vision in that eye anymore  - so they took more away instead of fixing the problem. Then my shoulder surgery. Then my back surgeries. My husband, John, has the same disk problem I have - a badly herniated disk at L5-S1 in his lower back from an auto accident that wasn't our fault back in 1992. Plus now he has some other "male" problems with his prostate as well. John is disabled and on SSD due to severe anxiety problems.

Then in the past 3 years we have had such bad luck. We had to have a new roof because of ice dams and the roofer we hired - who came with excellent references - said we would never have those again after they replaced the roof. Well we have had them every year since they put the new roof on back in November of 2008. Then we had 3 floods in our basement from rainstorms all due to our roof the water runs between the chimney and the roof - where the flashing is - right into the basement. We called the roofer for 2 years and he came back only once - he promised to come every time it rains and we get water. He has not come but once and now he says he is disabled and no longer does any roofing.

Our 12 year old cat died in February of 2008. Then my German Shepherd that learned how to be a service dog all on his own from a year old on (with help from me) passed away just under a year later - in January of 2009.

Then our water heater exploded in the basement. We haven't got any raises on our SSD in the last two years (like everyone else who is on SSD and Medicare) and the roofer took our last $3000.00 dollars. Then one of my husbands doctors for his anxiety retired and we had to find a new one - that was very hard on him. He also had the SSD people check up on him to see if he can work - he cannot per his doctor. I was sent the same paperwork now from SSD and I have heard nothing back - about 3 months now - I am so worried about loosing my income. I don't think they could take it away if they see me or read my medical records. My husband has been cleared by SSD which is good so we have his SSD income - that was good news. I still have mine but I haven't heard back from them - so I wait.

After the roof was done we had to get two new tires for our car because of nails from the roofer - they obviously did not do a good job cleaning the nails around our house and driveway after doing our roof. We could not recover that money from the roofer either. Plus my computer has a problem and that will be another financial bummer and our two cats need their shots. Plus my husband and I now need glasses. I had my license taken from me because my eyes are no good on my medications. Now the insurance on our house has gone up $30.00 and our washer has broken in the last couple months. We bought it used 21 years ago and its that ugly green from the seventies - but is lasted 21 years. So now we have to go to the laundry mat - I'm very happy it's down the block. Just about two months ago there was a clanking noise coming from our car as we we going to the doctor and it had a spring that broke on the front of the car. Thank goodness our mechanic is down the block as well. We got that fixed. I don't know how anybody can keep having such bad luck.

I was also admitted to the hospital awhile back because the doctor thought I was having a stroke. I had to have a CT scan for blood in my brain. Thank goodness I did not have any. So they kept me for observation and pain from the migraine I was having - I have had bad migraines since 1986. It was the worst one I ever had. I ended up having the migraine for about a week.  Last but not least we had to file for bankruptcy due to all the medical bills. We just got the final paper work for discharging our bills and now that is over with. I never thought we would have been in this position at this point in our lives. So now we have to start all over again. We still have hefty medication bills. I am so tired of all this stuff I have no time to be sick - I don't know how that can be - but that is how it is for a sick person.

I know we will catch up someday then our house should be totally maintenance free and just require regular house cleaning - until something else inevitably happens - oh well - that's life.

So with the service dog - I am working with a man in Maine that trains dogs for disabled people. He is going to choose the one for me, based on my needs, and then train it for those jobs. He has offered me free shipping and he also will give me a brand new cage. He has been so nice to me. Once he heard my vet is going to pay for all the vet bills he decided to make those contributions. Which I was blown away by. I told him my background as a groomer and pet owner. He liked knowing that his dog would be well taken care of by me and he really wants me to have one of his dogs. With one of his dogs I wouldn't have to wait 2 to 5 years as in many cases. I have been looking for over a year now and he by far has been the nicest person and really wants to help me. Plus I would have a dog very fast which I really need. When you talk to him he also trains mobility service dogs concentrating on what my needs are and on leash and off leash to open doors and excellent obedience. I have checked out and talked to a lot of service dog providers. The doctors prescription for a service dog means nothing to any of them. I sure was wrong with the prescription for a dog - not even a discount.

Roger Torterlla from zwingervonhimmel.com - he is the man from Maine. He is a super nice guy we have talked many times now. He offers fully trained service dogs for around or under $20,000.00 and also offers puppies. I told him that I could possibly train a puppy and then get help here in Milwaukee for the dogs service training - though that costs money too. So he also thought a puppy may be good for me to train myself to be a service dog. When I had Shepherds in the past we were members of the Wisconsin German Shepherd Club and they charge $80.00 a year and you can train 3 times a week. Plus all the regular training I do during the day although that does not cover service dog training. It is a great deal for training in that other people around here charge $80.00-$250.00 for 6 weeks of training. Roger offered a puppy for $3000.00 and he also would sell me a trained puppy for approximately $5000.00 dollars. That would be for a puppy which is house broken and knowing the basics very well including walking on a leash, sitting, laying, staying, down and more. I am not sure how he would work out something for a fully trained and certified service dog he did mention it was under $20,000.00 dollars. I need to discuss this further with him to identify which is really the best route for me.

I would prefer the fully trained service dog because that would be much better for my condition. He really wants me to get one of his dogs because his dogs are so easy to train and he knows it would have a very good home. I think after talking with my husband that getting a fully trained service dog would be way better for me. Although if the funds prevent a fully trained service dog then a puppy will have to do and we will do our best with training. I will never get better - just worse - so maybe a a half trained puppy might be good for me if I cannot acquire the funds for a fully trained service dog. Then again I could really use a fully trained service dog now as opposed to doing all the basic obedience training ourselves and then finding someone locally in the Milwaukee area who would be able to train it for service work. In talking to people locally that would cost additional money. Like I said I would prefer an already trained service dog but I would be grateful for a puppy that my husband and I could train as well.

I also would love to speak for all of us disabled people who can't afford a dog and how nobody even tells people how to get a dog and how they make you raise the money for the dog. The lack of information is not fair to disabled people. There are so many people out there that need service dogs. Disabled people don't like being sick we didn't choose to be sick. I think we do deserve some help and unconditional love. I still have nightmares of being assaulted. Dogs are a comfort for that trauma as well. I just don't know how to get into businesses to provide the much needed help at a quicker pace like with Roger who always has dogs ready to go other than training you need for your disability. He trains by the German Shepherd standards of Germany that are way stricter than the United States and that means they have to be cleared of health problems, have high quality genetics and intelligence and breeding programs. So you know you are getting a very high quality dog with great intelligence, a perfect working dog and very friendly.

Betsy I hope I didn't talk - or rather write - your ear off. I needed to provide you with all my information and I am just trying to let you know about how hard it is to be a disabled person after going a hundred miles an hour then down to a crawl. It's very hard to change your brain as well because you think you can still do everything you used to do and now you can't.

This is the name and number of Roger Torterlla 1-207-843-5405 and web site http://www.zwingervonhimmel.com/ if you would like to talk to him. Just tell him you are calling about me - Julie Gaulke from Wisconsin.

Please let me know if I can provide you with any additional information. I will provide you with any information you require such as medical records, prescriptions, my doctors name and number (if you need to verify my condition), my vet's phone number - anything you require.

I would need a few items for the mobility tools for the service dog. I am not sure if I could pay for those off the bat - I was told they are $300.00 or so for the harness for the service dog. I need to do more research on that as far as price goes and what kind for mobility. I will be looking for food from companies as well as I have been told there are companies out there that provide free food for service dogs for disabled people.

I also need to figure out how much money I need (from Roger in Maine) for the following options:
1) a fully trained service dog
2) a puppy who has had the basic training
3) a puppy who my husband and I train

Roger the gentleman from Maine has all those prices and I need to get those three options prices from him for you.

Again, I would prefer option 1 - but I understand that the economy is tough on everyone now - honestly I would be grateful for any help I can get.

Betsy you would be an angel in my life if I could get your help. I have never done any thing like this before so it would be a dream come true for me as well as a big help in my life.

Thank you for your time reading about my life and my situation and I look forward to hearing back from you.

Sincerely,
Julie Gaulke

Contact info:

Julie Gaulke
6114 W. Stevenson St.
Milwaukee, WI 53213
414-774-0584
showme2times@att.net