Down but not out

There’s a reason why you’re supposed to plan for emergencies. You hope never to have to act on those plans, but when something does happen—you’re grateful you’re prepared. This post is about one of those moments and how Gunther’s training was really put to the test.

I know I’m really dating myself here, but have you ever heard the phrase, “I’ve fallen, and I can’t get up?” It was a catchphrase from a medical alarm commercial that ran all the time in the late 80s. Everyone thought it was hilarious, and it spawned a lot of parodies. I’m hoping people found it funny not because some poor elderly woman had fallen and, well… couldn’t get up, but because the line delivery by “Mrs. Fletcher” was so comical and the commercial had such poor production values. If you have no idea what I’m talking about, you need to see this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQlpDiXPZHQ.

Anyway, a couple of weeks ago, I became Mrs. Fletcher! Albeit a sassier and better-dressed version, I must say, but still in her same predicament where I had fallen and could not get up. How did it happen, you ask? Well, I was standing in the kitchen, scarfing down a quick bite of pizza before I had to jump on a zoom call for work. Gunther walked over to innocently investigate what I was eating. He bumped my right leg ever so gently but at the perfect angle where it buckled under me. And down I went. It was all a very slow process. I just plopped on my rear, so I wasn’t hurt at all. But since I have hardly any strength in my arms or legs to help myself get up—I was down for the count. Just like poor Mrs. Fletcher.

Who needs a Life Alert medical alarm around your neck when you have the next best thing—G dog! I was able to give him the command for “Phone,” and my boy went and retrieved it like we had practiced a hundred times before. I was able to call my husband, who, fortunately, only works 15 minutes away. While I waited for Eric to come home and lift me off the floor, Gunther laid beside me and happily accepted my grateful belly rubs. Sure, he was the culprit of this fall, but there have been plenty of times before when I’ve fallen without his involvement. And most of the time, one of my falls includes some sort of injury like cracked teeth, bruised body parts, torn ligaments… So, it was such a fantastic feeling to know that if I needed Gunther to get the phone for me in case of an emergency, he could follow through like a champ. 

That’s why my life involves always hoping for the best but preparing for the worst. Having a service dog helps relieve some of that constant anxiety and gives me peace of mind. And the final ending to my story was that my husband arrived home quickly and was able to get me up with just enough time for me to make my zoom meeting on time, just as if nothing had happened. If only Mrs. Fletcher could have been so lucky.