Finding a rock in a sea of pain

The therapeutic use of pets as companions has gained increased attention in recent years. Unlike people, with whom interactions may be complex and unpredictable, animals provide a constant source of comfort and focus for attention. Animals make people happy. Research shows that interacting with animals can help people feel less lonely and depressed, reduce stress-induced symptoms, offer entertainment, and provide a welcome distraction from chronic pain and illness. A study of 100 Medicare patients found a significant drop in prescription costs when a service or therapy animal was introduced.

Smaller breeds of dogs have been effective in relieving common fibromyalgia symptoms, such as decreased energy levels and chronic pain. Dogs provide fibromyalgia patients with a sense of grounding when they are caught in fibrofog. Through their unconditional love, dogs encourage FMS patients to be more active, obtain better range of motion and better balance. Overall, fibromyalgia patients have found these dogs to give them a sense of security and independence they had never known before. These pets have given their owners the courage to tackle daily tasks and work with renewed vigor.


I never knew that I could derive all of those benefits and more from anything but a dog, but now I can and do. Here is is our story:

I ventured out one spring evening in 2001 to hit Petsmart for a month's worth of dogfood and rawhide, not suspecting that my life was about to take a hugt turn for the better. I passed through the huge bilateral doors and into the Wide, Wild World of ginormous dogs and their mostly clueless owners. There was a huge plexiglass display on my immediate left that hadn't been there before. In it were loads of interesting looking toys in it and I was curious to see the animal that must be in there somewhere. Halfway there I was hung up by an overly-friendly Bull Mastiff with his owner screaming on the other end of his leash. Nice. I disantangled myself and continued on searching the cage. Presently I saw a tiny little lavender bird with orange spots where the ears should be and the most inquisitive little personality! I saw here and she definitely saw me. It was love at first sight.

I don't even like birds.

I'd take a few steps, and this fascinating little peeper would scramble over toys, ladders and rocks to keep up with me. I'd move closer to get a better look, and she'd scoot herself to the highest toy that was nearest to me and burst into a a tinkly sort of chatter that was hard to resist. Then she would pouf all out, shake her tailfeathers, get settled again and cock her head to focus her eye right on me. I tried to fake her out to no avail. All thoughts that this little creature was only responding to the noise in the store or merely to the hulking shadows all around her clear plexiglass cage evaporated on the spot. She was a smart little thing!I leaned down, with a warped test in mind: if I spoke to her and she responded in some way I could recognise, I'd take her home with me. So I walked all the way around the plexiglass monstrosity, chattering back and forth with my new little friend and she accompanied me every step of the way. An hour later and with a somewhat lighter wallet in my pocket, we went home together.

She's named Peekaboo Street after the Olympian downhill racer and she is, if I had to pick a behaviorally similar species, a cross between an extremely friendly cat and one of those cute, fuzzy, lop-eared bunnies...with a little puppy goofball humor mixed in. No kidding. There are many Peekaboo stories, the most exciting of which involves a really miserable date with Mr.Business-Owner, an open screen door, and ten Peek-less days. Misery. No other word for it, but against all odds she found her way home (via a Good Samaritan and some hot pink "Lost Bird" flyers) and I love her to bits.

She is 125 grams of pure love and affection, and has gotten me through more mornings of screaming back pain than I care to recount. Her care and keep isn't much, but it adds structure to my days and I enjoy it very much. Peek sits atop her cage supervising my efforts and lets me know real quick if she doesn't approve of how things are going. She's a wonderful companion and and it's very hard to keep my mind on my chronic back pain when my little buddy is snugged up under my chin or riding around on my shoulder.