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Recently: Up and going out and abroad

Posted on March 13, 2008 by Staff

<br /> Marianne Principe has reclaimed her life with Journey’s help. Photo by Valarie Schwartz.

By Valarie Schwartz

At first it seemed to her Dogwood Acres neighbors that Marianne Principe was an assistance dog trainer, as they were seen walking each morning. Usually the first with a greeting to others walking along, she clearly had her sight, though the beautiful Golden Retriever, with its harness and “Do Not Pet” sign, was obviously an assistance dog.

Assistance dog, indeed — “Journey” has been assisting Principe with her balance since going to live with her in October 2006, providing her with stability since her equilibrium was suddenly robbed in January 2005.

“It happened in an instant,” Principe said. She was fine one second and the next she was so dizzy she had to lie down — and ever since, she has not been able to get up without severe dizziness. She frequently must keep her eyes closed during conversations to control the vertigo and nausea that sweep through her body as the result of an infection-damaged vestibular nerve. The only way to correct it is through a risky, low-success-rate surgery.

She stumbled upon the treatment that has brought her back a life — getting Journey.

“They thought I’d have a typical recovery after one year of physical therapy,” Principe said of the diagnosis of vestibular neuronitis. After a year, she was no better, and as she continued therapy a new test became available that indicated she had experienced all the recovery she would have. “In most cases, the other nerve compensates for the damaged one, but that didn’t happen. What’s left of the damaged nerve sends out erroneous, distorted messages that confuse the brain.” It leaves her spinning and nauseated.

She may seem familiar to many after working for 12 years as the nutrition department buyer at Whole Foods. She tried to continue her job there, which was also the center of her social life, but it was more than she could handle.

Life became PT, and when she could watch with out feeling sick she found comfort in television shows like Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan.

“I watched his show to be entertained and uplifted,” she said warmly. Then one day, he did a show on assistance dogs, which led her to New Life Mobility Assistance Dogs in Moravian Falls (www.nlmad.org), where she was matched with 4-year-old Journey. New Life only uses “shelter” dogs that are screened, and those passing the criteria are trained.

“Getting Journey was life-changing,” Principe said as he dozed at her feet. He gets her up and out every morning and evening, which has given her a harder workout than physical therapy ever required. And because she has him to hold onto, she can now run her own errands and get herself to and from doctor’s appointments through the use of E-Z Rider.

“I’ve found a whole lot of quality of life. E-Z Rider service is unsurpassed,” she said.

Her life will change even more in two weeks when she and Journey hop on a few airplanes and fly to the French Riviera for three months, where they will live with her son, Shepherd Dobson, as his first child is born, making Principe, 56, a grandmother.

A recent trial run for the trip proved successful.

“We spent three hours at RDU and flew to Philly,” she said. “He loved every minute of it. He loved the baggage carousel the most.” Journey has his European Union passport and a microchip. For both, it will be a first trip to Europe, though Principe, a California native who lived in 12 states before moving to Chapel Hill in 1989, has been to India twice.

“This whole trip to France is an incredible gift,” she said.

But not as great a gift as Journey.

“He’s such an angel,” she said. “There’s nothing about him that I would change. He’s perfect in every way.”

Contact Valarie Schwartz at 923-3746 or valriekays@mac.com.

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