Ajax is my lifesaver by veteran Lee
A message & photo from Lee, one of our veterans on the programme, who had an utterly amazing day yesterday! He really wants to share this with just about EVERYONE – as it’s just so wonderful! I hope it gives some insight on how trained PTSD dogs truly make all the difference.
Lee struggles, badly, with nightmares and night sweats, on bad days not catching more than 4hrs sleep. Often also not willing to go to bed in fear what the night might bring. Lee also needs to take vital medication for his PTSD otherwise days do become very dark and difficult, it’s essential to his wellbeing and those around him that he takes them.
Lee, you have come a very long way and the friendship between you and Ajax is amazing – thank you for sharing this with us…
“I have to take specific medication at specific times (7am & 7pm). I’ve an alarm on my phone that goes off at these times, but unless I immediately go and take my meds… i forget to do it. Since training Ajax to respond to the alarm, go to the cupboard, open it, take out my bag of meds and bring them to me…I have NEVER missed taking a dose.
I had a really terrible night last night… I went to bed late, around 1.30am as I didn’t want to go to sleep as I fear the nightmares. The first nightmare kicked in at 3am and the reason I know is that I was woken up by this beautiful dog doing his job! I stayed up for a bit to calm down, have some water and fell back asleep around 5.30am as I could hardly stay awake… I had however left my phone with the important medication alarm downstairs., I’d forgotten it in my midnight confusion to take it back up.
I got woken up on the dot, 7am, big snout in my face, head-butting me, with the medication pouch… Ajax, who sleeps with me, heard the alarm go off, he’d got up, gone downstairs and got my meds from the cupboard, got back up to the bedroom and ‘handed’ me my pouch.
This dog is my lifesaver! I love him so much!“
By Lee, who is an Army and Fire Service veteran.
