Few stories are as inspiring and affecting and Baxter's.  The "golden chow" rescue dog turned hospice hero spent the last seven years of his life volunteering at San Diego Hospice.  He brought comfort and calm to patients facing death, he brought solace and a smile to grieving loved ones, he graced hospice staff and volunteers with his gentle soul.  He was a beautiful dog, inside and out.  His teddy bear looks and loving nature touched everyone he met.  His story is inspiring and deserves to be heard and shared.

Melissa Joseph, Baxter's owner, wrote a book about Baxter's work.  <i>Moments With Baxter</i> is a collection of 36 stories of how Baxter impacted the lives of those he touched.  I received my copy in the mail a couple of days ago and I've already read 25 of the stories.  I made the mistake of taking the book to my daughter's gymnastics class and ended up crying in the lobby because I was so moved!  Baxter has an international fan club and the book is a top seller.  Baxter even has his own stuffed animal replica complete with a pet therapy vest.  Shhh....my daughters are each going to get one for Christmas!

Read Baxter's story to learn more about this amazing dog.

Don't miss my Q&A with Melissa Joseph, Baxter's owner and author of <i>Moments With Baxter</i>

Learn more about pet therapy volunteers and how to get your pet certified.

Trisha Torrey, About.com Guide to Patient Empowerment, knows all to well the importance of being a patient advocate.  She herself was misdiagnosed with a serious illness for which the treatment could have killed her.  She pursued a second opinion and was thankfully given good news.  In her blog today, she shares another personal story with readers - the story of her mother's death.

Trisha's mother suffered with Alzheimer's Disease for many years and died peacefully last week under the care of hospice.  Please visit Trisha's blog to read her touching personal story.

Mom - No Longer a Prisoner of Alzheimer's Disease

Flexible spending accounts (FSA's) are employer-sponsored benefits that allows you to pay for eligible medical expenses on a pre-tax basis.  If you have set up one of these accounts with your employer and haven't used up the money you've set aside, now is a good time to start spending those dollars.  Most plans don't allow you to carry over money each year so you might need to get creative on how you can spend the money before you lose it.

An FSA will cover items that can be very useful to palliative care patients and their caregivers.  It allows for reimbursement for things you might be spending on regularly, such as:

• Adult diapers and other incontinent supplies
• Wound care dressings and first aid supplies
• Latex gloves
• Medical equipment (walkers, shower chairs, wheelchairs, etc.)
• Fees for hospital services, qualified long-term care services, accident and health, and qualified long-term care insurance premiums, nursing services, laboratory fees, prescription medicines and drugs, and insulin.

If you are a palliative care patient or the caregiver of one, chances are your spending money on at least one of these items.  Why not spend pre-tax dollars to get them?  Use up your hard earned money sitting in your FSA and remember to sign up for an FSA next year.

November is nationally recognized as Hospice and Palliative Care Month.  This is an excellent time to do whatever you can to raise awareness of hospice and palliative care and to support local and national programs providing or supporting palliative care.

What is National Hospice and Palliative Care Month?

How Will You or Your Organization Honor National Hospice and Palliative Care Month?

What is Palliative Care?

What is Hospice Care?