Amy Caperchione

Hi my name is Amy. I am a service dog handler, future expert in K9 behaviour modification, and am currently in my fourth year of brain injury recovery.

How have concussions affected your life?:

A traumatic brain injury (TBI) interrupts normality and can harbour many brutal challenges. However, despite obstacles, warriors of trauma persevere, and this is the advantage we have against pain and suffering. The power behind perseverance is a weapon and every warrior needs a weapon. 

Post TBI transition is unorthodox and chaotic. Even currently being in my fourth year of recovery I still find myself haunted by debilitating symptoms and self-limiting idealizations. TBI can obstruct one's ability to independently navigate through legal, social, professional, and personal responsibilities. Accepting that my life is never going to be as it once has been an agonizing transition. Understanding disability-related behaviours and the symptoms that can come paired with a TBI is a constant learning process for both the injured and their caregivers. Brain injury symptom behaviours can test a relationship in ways that are unpleasant and jarring and the impact this can have on family and friends is cruel and severe. With the acceptance of one’s disability-related strengths and limitations comes a much smoother transition and consequently so, an acute ability to cope with a complex and life-altering disability.

Due to the nature of my injuries I had experienced memory loss for a period of about 7 months. I am also aware that I wasn't diagnosed with a brain injury until about 3 or 4 months after the car accident. I can recall driving around a rental car for several months after sustaining injuries. Numb to self-destruction I had continued to pursue the completion of my specialist degree and had been driving across multiple cities to attend classes for up to 2 months after the accident. Upon my first visit to the ER, I was given prescriptions to aid with pain. My TBI was a closed head injury; the paramedics and ER doctor failed to consider the potential for a brain injury and chose to label my injuries as whiplash. I was in total shock and couldn’t speak up to communicate with the people around me, I couldn't find the words to navigate my questions and concerns to properly express my needs. I do not recall any other events from the first ER visit other than receiving a prescription for Morphine and muscle relaxants. This took place about 24 hours sustaining injuries, and while I sit here writing, attempting to provoke my memory; I still cannot recall what happened next. Prescription drugs are a thread that has been sown into the fabric of health care and recovery. Pharmaceuticals are now nearly unavoidable and although treatment is unique to each person, for me prescription drugs were complicating more symptoms than they were treating. I can recall appointments where I would be shaking and panicked over having to repeatedly revisit the moments of my car accident. Confusion led to a debilitating degree of frustration. Talking to health care practitioners about pills that treat trauma rather than actively doing something to mitigate the effects long-term still overwhelms me with frustration. Appointments only ever offered me temporary solutions. Speaking about my own experience, the medication that was prescribed to me to treat pain, anxiety and depression were only increasing other TBI-related symptoms like confusion, dizziness, nausea, loss of appetite, irritability, and sleep irregularity. Whenever I took my prescriptions these TBI-related symptoms would be provoked to the point where I would be incapacitated by pain and suffering. As a result, much of my rehabilitation has been pharmaceutical free. The prescription drugs that have been recommended to me were only intended to treat anxiety and depression and have not been successful in stabilizing my TBI-related symptoms and therefor are not compatible with my needs. I seek a long-term solution and a rehabilitation that is catered to my disability-related needs. I will not settle for anything less. In terms of my personal recovery, I will continue to choose to be pharmaceutical-free because I believe this is what is best for my long-term health and wellbeing. I understand my brain injury as a disability that will have reoccurring symptoms for the rest of my life. The symptoms I experience due to my TBI influence my daily life in complex ways. Throughout my recovery I have been faced with manipulative and careless health care professionals who have complicated and delayed my recovery. I visited urgent care and the crisis center on multiple occasions before I realized that there is no magic pill and no enchanted instruction manual that makes life with a TBI un-complicated. I was devastated over the fact that no one had a solution for my pain and suffering. Coping with this life-altering disability required me to acknowledge & adjust to my strengths and limitations as a survivor of trauma.

A portion of the funding provided through car insurance after an accident is intended for medical needs and treatment. The medical coverage I was entitled to had been reduced to zero during my first year of recovery. I feel as if though I was exploited by a rehabilitation team that was unsystematic and unorganized. Their services were not compatible with the medical needs and care that I required at that time; nevertheless, in-home and public appointments were scheduled constantly until funding was no longer available. Currently my rehabilitation team consists of zero medical professionals and one service dog. At one point in time my medical rehab team consisted of a speech pathologist, occupational therapist, personal support worker, chiropractor, kinesiologist, physiotherapist, social worker, physiatrist, optometrist, audiologist, and a neurologist. These 11 individuals made full use of my medical coverage as a resource by engaging my rehab funding without structure or limit. 

The nature of my injuries forced me to drop out of post-secondary one semester before graduation. I lost everything I considered valuable and my perception on success and that which makes an individual successful was mangled. The passion was gone, the joy and fulfilment I once felt when studying my practice was replaced with extreme frustration. The skill and mastery I once wielded for the arts has been devastated by injuries that impact my visual processing and general tolerance. The disappointment that comes with a sudden inability to satisfy your own standards is haunting. These circumstances removed me from my professional practice, from friends and colleagues, and from my future in the city I was thriving in. Being unable to graduate was deeply devastating to myself worth. My medical rehab team had instructed me to move to a new city where I was put on a waiting list for a brain injury rehabilitation program. A year went by, and I eventually received notice that the brain injury program I was waiting for was no longer available and that it was being considered to transfer me back to the city I came from to do a brain injury rehabilitation there. To this day I still have not been able to attend a brain injury rehabilitation program. The extra confusion and uncertainty continues to have an adverse impact on my ability to cope. As a result, my rehabilitation has been inconsistent, inadequate, and entirely left up to me. Unfortunately, being left to your own resources, even when you possess none, is the cruel reality for many individuals who live with life-altering disabilities. The healthcare system and like resources become inaccessible to those who need major accommodation to achieve equal opportunity.

By the end of 2017, the first year after my injury, I had already acquired debt collectors due to student loans, credit card debt, and other personal loans. These factors permanently effect ones' credit rating. This type of infraction makes being accepted as a tenant for rental housing impossible; landlords expect good credit, paying jobs, and first and last rent costs- things I was no longer able to provide. The potential for homelessness creeped into my reality as I struggled to find housing that could be supported on a fixed income, that was safe, that would accept dogs and a tenant with no job and horrible credit. The results were devastating. Since my injuries I have moved 7 times. The quality of housing seemed to go from bad to worse. My ability to cope with the degree of pain and suffering I was experiencing was at zero. I became numb to the devastation occurring in my own life and confined in humanity's oldest companion, the canine. Despite it being largely unorthodox my partner and I had taken on three dogs. Our family dog was my partners’ Mastiff Cheeba, she was a faithful companion and dedicated her life to being my partners loyal guardian; for me, she was a divine presence. By the end of 2017 we had also adopted two other puppies: a female Boston Terrier Bulldog and a male Cane Corso. I owe my recovery and wellbeing to these dogs, yet I regret that I couldn’t think coherently or decipher if introducing the puppies to our core family was a good decision or not - I wasn't thinking about consequence or money or lifestyle. Although the decision to do so definitely created some challenges, the puppy-related responsibilities forced me to alter my priorities and adjust my lifestyle so we could live better. The dogs are my alliance. As puppies they showed an ability to detect and respond to complex symptoms. When I was experiencing medical episodes or symptoms the puppies would follow me around the house or they would simply just be present and curious. Their natural ability to sense the subtle has since developed into so much more. The dogs have learned to cope with the novelties of human life to the degree that they are capable of also assisting me in several areas of my day-to-day living. Locating objects, locating individuals by name, retrieving objects, and symptom mitigation are some of the ways my dogs continue to assist me. Miraculously, taking responsibility for my actions and assuming the responsibility of raising and working the puppies gave me purpose. As a result, training the puppies to be confident working dogs has also provided me with an acute ability to cope. The impact these three creatures have had on my recovery has been monumental. Providing structure, routine, and an unwavering alliance; our dogs became the consistent support system that I required yet were being neglected of.

The vulnerability that comes with acknowledging that you are not well is complex. The risk of self-destruction and endangerment is real. I can recall being stopped at a red light, intending to drive from the new city to my university 3 hours away until suddenly my vision started vibrating and my ears started ringing. I could hardly see through the pain. I drove myself to urgent care. I was experiencing blurred and double vision, confusion, dizziness, extreme panic, and face numbing migraines. This time the doctor in UC told me to consider the possibility that I sustained a traumatic brain injury. It took another month of testing to confirm that I will be living with a permanent and severe disability with catastrophic impairments for the rest of my life.

About 4 months after the car accident, I was diagnosed with a closed skull traumatic brain injury, visual midline shift, PTSD, post-traumatic amnesia, post-traumatic vision syndrome, and major depressive disorder. My days were limited to damage control and as someone who was once fiercely independent, I was threatened by the idea of having a TBI. I viewed my disabilities as something that made me weak and vulnerable. Besides the obstacles inherent in the healthcare system are matters of discrimination, exclusivity, and negligence present in housing and rental properties. More often than not, landlords were cruel, judgemental, and under-educated. Asking for basic repairs and accommodations became an extenuating task that resulted in mine having to defend my basic rights on several occasions, confronting the illegal and discriminatory actions of 3 different landlords from 3 different rental properties.

After suffering through these undue hardships, I was able to eventually get help in organizing social assistance; because I couldn’t do this independently it took over 2 years after my injuries to finally get funding for basic needs and shelter. For multiple years prior I sustained ourselves on coffee, chocolate bars, and instant food that I would purchase from the closest convenient store. No support, no stability, no funding, and no form of transportation- I survived years where I couldn't get to appointments or afford the grocery store. I survived the shock of the food bank being my only resource and I have survived the hopelessness that comes with not even being able to figure out a way to get there. 

I have been without treatment or pain management for over 3 years. Another year has gone by, and I am still waiting for legalities to be resolved so I can attend a brain injury rehabilitation program. I greet each day with a severe migraine and panic that can leave me completely debilitated. Episodes can last for days and at times the pain is so intense that I can’t move or open my eyes until the episode fades out. I also have days where I am motivated. I cherish the moments when I can write and research. I cherish moments I can walk and work with my dogs. I also have days when I can empower an audience and can inspire others to persevere. Still, there are days when pain pushes me past the point of caring and I feel completely compromised by things out of my control. Indeed, pain can reduce living to surviving. My experiences with TBI have been chaotic and life-altering. There are parts of myself that I have lost forever, and it hurts. Sometimes I catch myself waiting to experience a day that isn't complicated by TBI-related barriers or the brick walls I build myself. My transition to life with a TBI brought me complex suffering. Although living with a traumatic brain injury and loving someone who also lives with a TBI is mutually complex and convoluted; it is a lifestyle that has graced me with true love; a love that restores life to living.

There are days when I struggle to participate with the world outside of my own thoughts and when it comes to relationships, I have become a paradox - perplexed over completely relying on my partner...wanting him and needing him in my life; yet there are times when I can push him so far away that he has no idea that I need him, let alone love him. The reality of coexisting with another person who lives with this life-altering disability is extreme. Presence, dedication, and support are essential. Throughout our journey together we have achieved a sense of unity that allows us to be confident in our future together no matter what hardships we may go through. Dreaming about a better day has been our refuge on many occasions. My partner has shown me great strength and I am blessed by his ability to care unconditionally. When things get challenging, I know that he is doing his best to search for a solution. He inspires me to think beyond the pain and even in the presence of chaos dreaming about what we wanted to achieve, how we wanted to feel, and what we wanted to experience throughout our journey has always been our refuge from pain and suffering. We are dedicated to our future together and over the years my partner and I have established an understanding that allows our relationship to thrive. The reality of coexisting with someone who lives with these life-altering disabilities is that there are going to be challenges; there will be good, bad, and ugly days impacted by outbursts and episodes, but forgiveness will always prevail. We are all so fragile to the idea of being wrong but the vulnerability that comes with acknowledging that you are in the wrong has been the key to our success. It has taken immense strength and dedication to be able to admit to our own weaknesses and limitations, but vulnerability forces us to confront our will to be better. Taking responsibility for your actions and admitting when you are in the wrong can be embarrassing and totally humbling but at the same time, acknowledging our weaknesses gives us the strength to change. Get comfortable with vulnerability and learn to embrace the ways your journey can change. As I continue to adjust to life with a TBI I have come to accept that my way of life has been permanently altered. I know I will never have another day where I go to school to make art, sing in the car while I drive myself to work, go shopping, see a movie, or hit the pub with friends after class. I have had to adapt and take into consideration my strengths and limitations as a TBI warrior. I struggled with the transition; totally compromised by brain injury symptoms and isolated by the brick walls I built myself. I was devastated by change and immediately retreated into interacting with the dogs. Over time, supporting my dog’s wellbeing, engaging their needs, nurturing our bond, and developing their working function also provided me with fantastic adaptation techniques and an acute ability to manage my life-altering disabilities.

My pack has taught me to draw on courage and resolution when faced with challenges. They represent the essence of companionship and commitment; the most bitter moments of catastrophic symptoms became training opportunities where the dogs and I can utilize and develop their abilities as medical aids. As I continue to adjust, these dogs guide me throughout my journey. They are a symbol of my resilience, a tether to reality, and a reason to participate. The time I spent with the puppies had conditioned them to respond to my disability-related needs and now, as I continue to train the dogs to engage their working function I am in turn, conditioning myself and learning to engage life despite my TBI. As a warrior of trauma my journey to recovery has confronted me with many hardships and to gain an advantage over pain and suffering, a warrior needs a weapon. My weapon of choice has granted me a means to achieve independence and equal opportunity through a K9-assisted lifestyle. With two dedicated working dogs by my side and a true love partnership empowering me to persevere, I will conquer and rise.

Over the years I have experienced several benefits while working with and training my canine companions. Our time together has accomplished a k9-assisted lifestyle that continues to benefit my recovery and personal wellbeing in dynamic ways. Training my own service animal has provided me with an opportunity to identify my disability-related needs and in doing so, adapting to and understanding the consequences of my disabilities. Acknowledging my limitations in this way allows me to be comfortable with vulnerability. The task/s a service animal performs are vital to the health and safety of their handler. For a handler, the care a service animal can provide is the underlining difference between a crisis occurring and the crisis being managed. A service animal is an extension of independence, a vital service, and a form of medical equipment that is reliable and immediate. For those reliant on the task/s their service animal preforms; these immediate psychological and/or physical services can be the difference between life and death.

My service dog Iris came into my life as a 3-month-old companionship puppy a few weeks after my car accident. Although I was glad to have a puppy to take my mind of the chaos, I had no idea that K9 assistance was going to become an essential part of both my recovery and my lifestyle. I had only become aware of my eligibility for a service animal nearly a year after I started raising the puppy. I educated myself on the topic and became familiar with the laws and regulations pertaining to service animals. In order to satisfy the provinces’ requirements and to obtain an official status as a legal and valid service dog team working in Ontario, my medical director prescribed me use of my dog as a service animal. The moment I decided to train Iris for service work was the moment I became dedicated to my own recovery. While I worked with her as a young puppy, I was unconsciously developing her curious tendencies, observation, and play into advanced behaviours. At this time, I was not conscious to the idea of a service dog, the legalities surrounding its use, or the ways in which it could assist me. I was overwhelmed by symptoms and injuries that I didn’t understand. Diligently training a dog for service work just wasn’t something I had ever considered. Nevertheless, as a young pup Iris would express meticulous concern whenever I was experiencing an episode. If I was struggling with symptoms, she would follow me around the house and interrupt behaviors by demanding that I acknowledged her presence. The puppy possessed a natural tendency to observe and a heightened sensitivity that eventually led to an acute ability to detect and respond to my disability-related needs. Our bond together continues to reinforce this 6th sense function through play, affection, real life exposure, an array of training cinereous, and reward reinforcement. As a result, Iris eventually acquired the ability to detect fluctuations in body language, alert to negative stimuli, and to respond in a way that can defuse episodes, mitigate symptoms, and prevent further injury or panic from occurring. Today, my service dog is 4 years old, 100% handler trained, & government funded. Iris is capable of preforming multiple health and safety tasks and continues to wilfully engage her position as a professional, reliable & dedicated service animal. Ironically, by providing Iris with the tools she needs to perform as a healthy, confident, and professional service animal; I was also, in turn, providing myself with the tools I needed to re-engage with life even despite the challenges that come paired with this life-altering disability. I may not be able to control how my injuries impact my daily living but the process of training my own service dog and the tasks we have worked to condition allow me to accept and prepare for the consequences of my disabilities.

Baku came into my life as a 2-month-old puppy. The responsibility of owning this dog has changed my life forever. He requires an extremely structured lifestyle that has forced me to maintain specific routines. Much like personal recovery, managing this dog requires constant dedication and hard work. As a young pup Baku was rambunctious, reactive, and required constant guidance and structure. Now as a three-year-old giant he possesses a fiercely attentive personality and with it, the courage to confront and the strength to conquer. Baku’s imposing presence provides me with the additional support I need to be able to demand my space when in public and to reassure me of my safety when I am at home. Baku provides me with piece of mind and supports me with an unwavering strength when I am at my weakest. Over time Baku has become sensitive to my disability-related symptoms and remains attentive and aware with a 24/7 vigilance. The Cane Corso is naturally an observant breed and so Baku happily remains hyper vigilant, so I don’t have to be. As a high-intensity dog he requires me to constantly confront challenges from his perspective with unconditional patience and understanding. Similarly, to how a Corso confronts challenges directly and head on, Baku has shown me the value of resolution. Resolving challenges and conquering limitations makes room for accomplishments and achievements and this has been an essential feature in both dog training and personal recovery. The involvements inherent of raising, owning, training, and working these dogs have proved to be an interactive and life-changing experience that has motivated me to achieve a healthy lifestyle. As our journey continues my pack works as an invaluable resource; a means to cope with my disabilities and to achieve a sense of independence and equal opportunity that allows me to engage the world as a confident and able individual. Strong alone, unstoppable together. 

After sustaining a traumatic brain injury my dogs became more than just pets. There was an unexpected overlap between the lifestyle changes I required to thrive as a brain injury survivor & the lifestyle change, I required to thrive as a dog owner running a multi dog household. In terms of both a successful recovery & successfully modifying canine behaviour; the solution is a process. Complex pain and suffering had forced me into a state of survival for too many years and when I was struggling with my will to live social media became a much need support system.

First originating in 2017 as a platform intending to share the lifestyle & training endeavours of owner-trained service dog, Iris; District K9 has more recently branded & has begun providing a volunteer-based pet care service. Over these past 4 years on Instagram the @district.k9 platform has become more then a means to document my personal journey as a service animal user & a young woman 4 years new to the dog training industry. As a growing social media influence the main objectives at District K9 are to 1. share a unique insight into understanding canine learning & behaviour, 2. create thought provoking content for an awesome audience & 3. use the platform to promote allyship, advocate for matters of interest, and to uplift & support other likeminded advocates. District K9 is interested in promoting the benefits of meaningful relationships & the power inherent of the human-canine bond. As a future expert professional District K9 is focused on developing an innovative approach to training that addresses mindset, improves quality of life, prioritizes the canine experience & creates relationships that optimize the canine working function. Since February 2021 I have taken essential steps toward officially beginning my career as a professional in canine behaviour modification & began documenting hours toward 10,000 hours of deliberate practice. As an individual in their fourth year of brain injury rehabilitation; the chronic illnesses & life altering disabilities I live with on a daily basis still impair my ability to traditionally become a certified expert in the field through formal education & work force experience. While I continue to learn how to adjust to life with a brain injury & progress in my personal recovery and business endeavours I am also actively volunteering & gaining creditable experience working with various dogs in various environments. These deliberate hours of practice include working one-on-one with a variety of dogs that vary in age, breed, skill set & areas of limitation. These hours of practice also include observing & assessing behaviour, addressing & adjusting the canine mindset, developing a relationship & creating a foundation that supports future learning. After observing & working with the dog I address the owner: discuss key notes & determine next steps. Each session provides me with an opportunity to reflect on behavioural observations, document key notes & expand on my observations through research & continued practice. As I work steadily towards 10,000 hours of deliberate practice my goal is to collaborate with industry specific expert professionals, advance in the knowledge & passion I have for canine behaviour, keep up to date with relevant information & eventually become a qualified expert professional. Like us, dogs are a product of their lifestyle; sculpted by their experiences. Taking into consideration what my personal dogs needed to be successful has motivated me to function outside of my comfort zone. On days when I feel incapacitated by the consequences of trauma the dogs become reliable medical aids. When I feel stuck, they become an outlet for exercise and movement and when I am suffering they force me to dedicate time to laughter, play, and participation. Dog training has allowed me to appreciate progress. In terms of K9 learning the smallest indication of progress leads to huge accomplishments. Acknowledging the power of progress and observing this process occur in my own working dogs has allowed me to also appreciate the small accomplishments and moments of progress in my own recovery. Dogs embody the essence of presence and participation. Working with dogs and learning about K9 behaviour has allowed me to shine. The experience I have gained when volunteering with various dog owners has been an invaluable asset that enhances my skill set & provides deliberate practice specific to canine behaviour modification. Currently District K9 is a brand in the early stages of development targeting brand recognition, marketing campaigns & promotional techniques that are intended to establish meaningful connections with our audience. Our early development plan focuses on establishing a credible presence through online retail, social media influence & volunteer work. As a brand in the early stages of development; the District K9 trademark will gradually expand to provide goods & services as my personal qualifications also continue to evolve. I am proud to represent my growing business as a female founder who also lives with life altering disabilities. My story gives me strength. Throughout this journey I have been confronted by tribulations that have impaired my quality of life & tested my will to live. Pain and suffering is a potent influence that alters mind and body. Yet, parallel to every moment of pain and suffering is a glimpse into the power of perseverance. Although I have suffered through my TBI transition with great distress & difficulty these experiences reveal my true strength and fuel my will to live beyond these catastrophic impairments and life altering disabilities.

Why do you want to advocate for concussion awareness?:

Sharing my experiences has been a key aspect in my recovery. Similarly, I want to empower others to Persevere through pain and suffering.