{"id":19129,"date":"2018-10-29T07:53:51","date_gmt":"2018-10-29T13:53:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/?p=19129"},"modified":"2023-04-20T14:11:53","modified_gmt":"2023-04-20T20:11:53","slug":"four-legged-medicine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/four-legged-medicine\/","title":{"rendered":"Four-legged medicine"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;\" class=\"sharethis-inline-share-buttons\" ><\/div><figure id=\"attachment_19130\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-19130\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-19130 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2018\/10\/26163529\/IMG_0647.webp\" alt=\"Bob Tomsky and his six-year-old husky, Anok, are pictured near the fireplace at UCHealth Yampa Valley Medical Center.\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" srcset=\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2018\/10\/26163529\/IMG_0647.webp 1500w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2018\/10\/26163529\/IMG_0647-300x200.webp 300w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2018\/10\/26163529\/IMG_0647-1024x683.webp 1024w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2018\/10\/26163529\/IMG_0647-768x512.webp 768w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2018\/10\/26163529\/IMG_0647-150x100.webp 150w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2018\/10\/26163529\/IMG_0647-200x133.webp 200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-19130\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Bob Tomsky and his six-year-old husky, Anok, are one of the newer Heeling Friends teams to visit patients at UCHealth Yampa Valley Medical Center. Photo by UCHealth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Faithful companion. Man\u2019s best friend.<\/p>\n<p>Or BFF \u2013 best furry friend, as Bob Tomsky refers to his 6-year-old husky, Anok (like a knock at the door).<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHuskies are a huge commitment. They need a good amount of training and activity to keep them happy &#8211; and a good amount of food,\u201d said Tomsky. \u201cI knew what I was getting into. It\u2019s me and Anok. We\u2019re a team.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Little did Tomsky know, it would be a literal knock on the door that would inspire them to become another sort of team.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_19131\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-19131\" style=\"width: 237px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-19131\" src=\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2018\/10\/26164006\/Anok-and-Bob-on-ski-chair.webp\" alt=\"Bob Tomsky and his dog, Anok, are pictured sitting on a ski lift chair.\" width=\"237\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2018\/10\/26164006\/Anok-and-Bob-on-ski-chair.webp 506w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2018\/10\/26164006\/Anok-and-Bob-on-ski-chair-237x300.webp 237w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2018\/10\/26164006\/Anok-and-Bob-on-ski-chair-119x150.webp 119w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2018\/10\/26164006\/Anok-and-Bob-on-ski-chair-200x253.webp 200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 237px) 100vw, 237px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-19131\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Bob Tomsky and Anok &#8211; like a knock at the door &#8211; share a love for the outdoors. Photo courtesy of Bob Tomsky.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3><strong>Four-legged sidekick<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>\u201cBobski,\u201d as he\u2019s known to many, spent 25-plus years with ski patrol and has been a ski instructor for more than 20 years. He loves the snow, being outdoors and interacting with people.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cInstructor, teacher, educator \u2013 you get to make connections with people,\u201d said Tomsky. \u201cAnok\u2019s the same way \u2013 he\u2019s happiest around people, being out and about. His eyes often draw people in.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3><strong>A different kind of medicine<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>It was late summer 2017 when Tomsky found himself at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/locations\/uchealth-yampa-valley-medical-center\/\">UCHealth Yampa Valley Medical Center<\/a> due to an infection.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI was in bed for three days it was so bad,\u201d said Tomsky. \u201cThat\u2019s a long time in a twin bed for a 6\u20194\u201d person. I was not a happy camper, and I didn\u2019t want to be there. I was in pain and worried about the future if the infection didn\u2019t respond to the antibiotics.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Then Tomsky heard a knock.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWould you like a visit from Heeling Friends?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Tomsky said yes, and almost immediately, his outlook started to shift as Patrick and his dog, Harper, walked into the room.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHarper will never know what she did for me during those 20 minutes,\u201d said Tomsky. \u201cIt\u2019s like I was covered in mud and it all got rinsed off. I don\u2019t know who loved the visit more, me or Harper.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Tomsky received another visit from Heeling Friends during his inpatient stay.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThose visits made a significant difference in my attitude,\u201d he said. \u201cAs an animal lover, being able to pet and hug those dogs made a world of difference.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Heeling together<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Following discharge from the hospital, Tomsky said Anok was a big part of his recovery. Their daily walks were an aspect of Tomsky\u2019s therapy and gave Anok a chance to exert his energy.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe can read me \u2013 dogs have that sense about them,\u201d he said. \u201cAnok can sense when I\u2019m feeling down about something. He\u2019ll come over and look at me and talk to me. Sometimes all it takes is petting him and knowing he\u2019s at my side to turn my outlook around.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>As Tomsky\u2019s recovered and grew stronger,\u00a0he reached out to Heeling Friends to see how he and Anok could become a team.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat same day, I opened up the newspaper and sure enough, there was an advertisement for the group,\u201d Tomsky said. \u201cIt was meant to be.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHeeling Friends has been working with patients at YVMC for twenty years,\u201d said Lynette Weaver, co-director of the volunteer group. \u201cBob and Anok have a special relationship and a deep trust between them. There is a lot of eye contact from Anok to Bob, looking for guidance and approval.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Over a series of months, Tomsky and Anok completed the required trainings and test environments, including Anok being around wheelchairs, hospital equipment, temptations and new smells. Trainers watch for how well the animal responds to the handler and vice versa.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_19223\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-19223\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-19223\" src=\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2018\/10\/28150529\/IMG_0668.webp\" alt=\"In this photo, Anok glances up at his owner for reassurance.\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2018\/10\/28150529\/IMG_0668.webp 1500w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2018\/10\/28150529\/IMG_0668-300x200.webp 300w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2018\/10\/28150529\/IMG_0668-1024x683.webp 1024w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2018\/10\/28150529\/IMG_0668-768x512.webp 768w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2018\/10\/28150529\/IMG_0668-150x100.webp 150w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2018\/10\/28150529\/IMG_0668-200x133.webp 200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-19223\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Anok glances up at his owner, Bob Tomsky, during a visit to UCHealth SportsMed Clinic. Photo by UCHealth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cThere were things we both learned from the training,\u201d said Tomsky. \u201cI\u2019m an extension of him. Anok picks up on body language. He reads how you are and can tell if you want a lot or a little affection, or none at all.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAs with most huskies, Anok is a talker, offering a soft howl to show his feelings,\u201d said Weaver. \u201cI was not prepared for the broad acceptance and enthusiasm from those we visited during mentoring sessions. People are drawn to him.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Once they passed training, Bob and Anok received their coveted purple shirt and purple leash.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s amazing how the dogs know that when their human gets those two items out, it\u2019s time to \u2018work,\u2019\u201d said Weaver.<\/p>\n<p>And \u201cwork\u201d they will. Tomsky and Anok can be found visiting patients and staff at YVMC almost weekly, bringing Tomsky\u2019s initial interaction with Heeling Friends full circle.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Faithful companion. Man\u2019s best friend. Or BFF \u2013 best furry friend, as Bob Tomsky refers to his 6-year-old husky, Anok (like a knock at the door). \u201cHuskies are a huge commitment. They need a good amount of training and activity to keep them happy &#8211; and a good amount of food,\u201d said Tomsky. \u201cI knew [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2146,"featured_media":19130,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[2518,171],"class_list":["post-19129","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-stories","tag-uchealth-yampa-valley-medical-center","tag-volunteer-services"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.4 (Yoast SEO v27.4) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Four-legged medicine - UCHealth Today<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Heeling Friends has been working with patients at UCHealth Yampa Valley Medical Center for twenty years. 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