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Iffat Damji

@damjitaffi

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Owner of I love my specially abled pet on Shopify. 31. Chronically ill and disabled writer/author/content creator.

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Today marks 9 months since Milo passed away. You don’t ever forget your first dog even if you adopt another dog, no one can ever replace them. That void never goes away. You just reserve one part of your heart for your first dog and the other for your new dog. I love Milo and Nala equally. To me, rescuing Nala was a way to honour Milo because he was also a rescue dog that got a new and wonderful life with us. I just wanted to give that opportunity to another dog who deserved it and I found the perfect doggy for me. But that doesn’t mean that I forgot Milo. I will never forget him, he’s literally everywhere in every corner of our house and in our hearts. Nala makes the grief lighter on some days because she distracts me but sometimes she does things Milo used to do and I burst out crying. Milo never abandoned me during his 14 years with us. He was there for me when I got sick and needed him the most. He was my buddy, my comfort and honestly for a while he was the reason I got up in the morning everyday even when I didn’t want to. When he passed away, my depression and anxiety got worse which made sense but I was scared that all my hard work went to waste because I was crying all the time and having anxiety attacks again. And everytime I was left alone without Milo, I would start scream-crying. It was so painful, I didn’t want to go through that pain ever again but then I met Nala and well I realized that it’s worth it to have a being that loves you unconditionally when you feel like you aren’t worthy of love anymore 💔😢 I really miss you Milo everyday but I can feel you around and that brings me some comfort #petloss #grief

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I feel like I need to use this platform to raise awareness about my conditions more and to also raise awareness about disability in general since I am disabled myself and I have a specially abled pet.

So today’s post is going to be about my incurable auto-inflammatory/autoimmune condition called non-radiographic axial Spondyloarthritis(nr-axSpA) . It falls under the umbrella term of axial Spondyloarthritis(AS) which includes Ankylosing Spondylitis (which is more commonly known). The difference between nr-axSpA and Ankylosing Spondylitis is that the former can be seen in MRIs but not x-rays. So the MRI of my lumbar and sacral spine did show bilateral SI joint edema/sacrolitis which is indicative of AS(big words that mean fluid and inflammation in the lower back area). After trialing anti-inflammatory medication, my rheumatologist put me on biologics which are bi-weekly to monthly self-injections which sounds terrifying but after 11 months on them I’m kinda used to it.

Despite all this treatment, my pain and fatigue levels haven’t improved much and my bloodwork still shows high levels of inflammation with minimal improvement.

AS has affected my ability to walk as some of you know I use mobility aids to get around but still need to pace myself and take lots of breaks.Sometimes I feel really bad that I can’t walk Nala myself and my dad or sister have to take her for walks. I can only take her out in her stroller.

AS primarily affects my spine,joints and pelvis but also affects my digestive system and can even affect your heart,skin and eyes.

It took me 5 years to get diagnosed because instead of being believed, most doctors just assumed that there’s nothing wrong with me because I’m “too young” but AS affects men&women under the age of 45 and I started developing symptoms when I was 25 but they were misdiagnosed as sciatica and even “nervous system issues aka anxiety”

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We spent some time today at @poochandhearts at the Milton Fairgrounds. It was really nice interacting with other dog owners and local businesses especially the ones that love Nala 😉 I really love meeting new dogs too! There were so many cuties 😍😍🥰🥰🐶🐾#poochandhearts2026 #milton #supportlocalbusinesses❤️ #dogsofinstagram

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I recently did some bloodwork because I suspected that I have a possible metabolic issue, however my results showed me a pretty significant problem that I need another specialist for and I’ve really been struggling with that emotionally. I also have to go through some intense treatment starting in October for a slightly different issue and it’s a lot. Sometimes managing a chronic illness is a full time job in itself and I don’t think people realize that. I’ve been really flaring up lately because I’m trying to manage life in general plus take care of myself and Nala and also manage a business which isn’t making any sales yet. I get overwhelmed a lot and just shutdown so yesterday I just couldn’t do anything after a while because my body was forcing me to just rest. Honestly sometimes I just feel like giving up but I look at Nala and I’m like I’m doing this for her now. She’s become my purpose and my reason to keep going. She is my WHY 🥹🥹😭😭I just love her so much and I want her to continue to have a good life which means I have to keep fighting no matter how difficult it is ❤️❤️🥰🥰🐶🐾 #rescuedog #fyp #blinddog #tripoddog #chronicillnessawareness

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It’s just so heartwarming to see how much my parents love Nala🥹🥹especially my dad, he barely shows his emotions and softness but with Nala he just melts and he fell in love with her so fast 😭😭❤️❤️ My mom is like Nala’s ultimate protector don’t mess with Nala or she’ll fight you 😉😉Everyday I look at Nala and tell her how glad I am that we got her and the more time goes on the more I feel like she was meant to be here with me and my family. I can’t believe it’s been 5 months since we adopted her! She’s already become such a sassy little princess but she’s so sweet and funny too😂😂 She’s the light and companion we needed after Milo’s passing. For me personally she’s made it a bit easier❤️❤️🐶🐾 #spoiledprincess #rescuedog #blinddog #tripoddog #ilovemydog

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More of Nala&mommy being their silly selves 😜I don’t even know what I was doing in the 3rd picture but I lowkey love it 😂😂🥰🥰🐶🐾#blinddog #tripoddog #rescuedog #ilovemydog #photoshoot

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In honour of Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day, I’d like to say thank you to Milo for passing the torch on to Nala. Thank you Milo for being such a good boy and for always being there for me when I needed you. I know that you are still with us in spirit but I miss having you around. It’s really difficult thinking about our time together because those memories are now filled with sadness and grief. But I’d like to think that I honoured you by taking pictures with Nala in the same spot we took pictures with you 2 years ago. You will always be remembered, I mean how can we forget you when our house is filled with wreaths, pillows, pictures and even a tree dedicated to you (my sister @noreda09 planted the tree and made all the other items btw)
You are so missed and we will always love you forever our sweet boy Milo 🌈🪽🐶🐾 run free at the Rainbow Bridge until we meet again 🥹❤️ #petloss #grief #rainbowbridge🌈

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Yesterday we celebrated Milo’s birthday (aka his gotcha day) with some friends and family. It was my first party and mommy was nervous how I’d react to so many new smells and sounds but I got so many petties and rubbies and everyone loved my little blue dress (which matched the theme of the party because Milo loved blue!) plus I was surprisingly super calm ☺️ Even though I never physically met Milo (because I was adopted 3 months after his passing), I’d like to think that he helped me adjust to my new life with his family and that he passed the torch onto me because even though he had to say goodbye he didn’t want his family to be too sad without him so he sent me to make them happy in someway❤️ here’s to Milo the greatest angel brother ever 🥰🐶🐾 Happy Birthday in heaven, everyone misses and loves you 🪽🌈 #celebration #gotchadayanniversary #family

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6 years ago, I contracted an “unknown infection”, the symptoms were so bad that I couldn’t leave my bed much(I was having difficulty walking to the bathroom) and I couldn’t even take care of myself. It got so bad that I couldn’t leave my house for months.
4 years ago, I was hospitalized for 4 days because of seizure-like activity and tachycardia. I didn’t think I was going to make it past 25 or even 30. I thought my life was over.
I didn’t think I’d ever have a life again or be able to have my own dog even. I always dreamed of having an apricot colour small breed dog. But for a while, I couldn’t even carry Milo when he needed me to and after Milo passed away I didn’t even want another dog anymore. Nala came into my life at the perfect time. I have so many health issues that need addressing and doctors often don’t take me seriously. I felt like giving up. I didn’t feel brave at all. But seeing Nala and how she went through surgery after surgery and a dental procedure when we got her, made me want to keep fighting. She’s so brave and strong and I want to be a fighter just like her. I feel connected to Nala more and more everyday. It’s been 3 months since we got her and I’m starting to feel like she’s my soul dog. I love her so much and I’m so grateful that we found our way to each other 🥹🥰🐶🐾 #rescuedog #speciallyableddog #souldog #puppylove

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Review of products from Fluff n Stuff (they reached out to me to become an ambassador on TikTok)! #dogsofinstagram #fypシ #dogmom #rescuedog #blinddog

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PSA to all the dog mommies out there!!!
Your dog does not need you to be a “perfect” mom.
They need you to be a present mom!
#dogmom #rescuedog #blinddog #tripoddog

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