Today I was able to make contact with Susquehana Service Dogs again. It had been awhile since I heard from them. I left some messages and never got the return call. Basically we are in a holding pattern right now in regards to receiving a dog. I was told we are about #35 on the list. I don't remember them saying it would take this long to do this. It was basically come up with the funds and we will be able to place a dog with your family. These are the times when a dog would come in handy in dealing with Jonathan. He has been diagnosed with what a psychiatrist called ODD(oppositional defiance disorder). Exactly what it sounds like. Along with this he is very anxious about things and having the dog in my opinion would help to relieve some of these anxieties.

The good news is that he starting to get more body control. He is able to decide when he needs to pee in the potty. Which is awesome, and now wants to see the mens rooms so he can pee in the urinals. We are working on his encopresis, although after seeing two gastro specialists and them giving the same suggestions it is frustrating. We tell them the problems, what he has been given to help pass stool (we even had stuff that people are given before being given a colonoscopy) and that has still not cleared him up. I wish there was an easy answer to control this. Still the two gastro doctors have suggested absolutely nothing new to us and has us at wits end.

Diet change was not successful as well for us either. We had gone to a gluten free (no wheat diet). We did this for about 3 months and saw no changes except a higher food bill. The first night we took him off this diet he ate as much pizza as I have ever seen him eat before. The diet was tough for him, as he is a finnicky eater as is and to take away some foods that we was accustomed to was not easy. Going out to places like Chuckee Cheese was a challenge as he was wanting to eat pizza but we always had to keep him to the salads and have a special surprise. It just came to the point where it was easier to avoid the place that he loved all together.

Fund raising has been doing well for us. We have a little over $1,450 dollars in Jonathan's account. I would like to thank all that have donated to his cause.

Joey