Animal Companions

My little boy is the rare disease warrior in our family and he has a dog that I am training to be his service dog.

I have another cute picture of my Pig and his Hen

Once I medically disabled, I needed more than a beta fish when my husband worked 6 days a week. As with so much with me, I am allergic to traditional pets. For over a decade I had been researching mini pigs (teacup and micro pigs are not real, they are underaged malnurished piglets). My hudband was looking into getting me a piglet, even though they are best in pairs. We got one and tried our best to raise the cutest baby pig. It is a miracle he survived as he was underaged and we were lued too. We did not give him the goats milk he shoul have had. Hamlet is 5, turning 6 in May. We joined the American Mini Pig Association and trained for tgerapy pig certification. He finished when he was 1.5. Hamlet is amazing with special needs kids, especially autistic children. It warms my SpEd teacher heart. The first time a non emotional non communicating child met him and had a bright face and gleeful laugh it brought tears to my eyes. I also learned, my little pig new I was dealing with a pouchitis flare up before I knew. He lays on my lower abdomen and by the next day the pain and distended tummy arrive. My pain management doctor notice a marked change in my dealing with my constant pain. He came with me to every appointment until her office moved into the cancer building. I have been on chemo for a year for a painful chest desmoid tumor. I have neuropathy flare up time to time, but chemo makes it more regular and messes with my balance. If Hamlet is walking with me, he keeps me balanced and I do not need my cane. He has identified cancer. My uncle was initially diagnosed with an early stage lymphoma and he went insane when my uncle came around. Turned out, he was stage 4 and we would have under a year left with him. He never got that agressive before. My uncle got a scatch from him that sent him to the er for antibiotics. That was when the severity was diagnosed, thank you FAP. My mom had cancer growing on the outside of her stoma. They thought it was just granulation. It did not look like cancer, but Hamlet would nudge the area. He has gotten me through a rough 3 years of pain and chemo. I call him my sour patch pig. He has 5 chickens he takes care of. He takes his coop protecting very seriously and will only share and bond with my favorite hen, Pipi. My chicken will come over to get held, especially on my tough days. I always have an animal to snuggle with. Especially at night as we get the nightly ninja pig ballet, where he quietly comes into the room and my line backer does this delicate graceful jump o to our raised bed, sleeping between us, often facing me and going under my pillow. I love when he wraps his hoofers around me. Sometimes he puts his hoof in my hand. We are a bonded pair. He can not too long withoutme. He gets upset and will go searching or try to escape his pen after 4 hours. I love my Therapy Pig who is also my ESA. My chonky 130 pound 2 foot pig. My little love. I watch video and pi tures of him at doctors to keep my anxiety down. We all know how anxiety a d depression are connected to us with 1 or more diseases.
@HamletTherapyPigInAction @hamlet_therapy_pig_in_action

i'm so sorry for everyone who has lost an irreplaceable animal companion. i have, as all, and i keep all their ashes with the intent of having their ashes buried with me in my urn. this is a photo of bluey the rat terrier, and alex the cat. alex was named after the pain specialist who always took an interest in trying to deal with all my various illnesses. i miss these two, but am honored to have five other rescues who help me each and every day.