I recently read an article on Huff Post that was titled just what the title of this blog reads—“Taking Care of Our Country’s Veterans.” I have to wonder though, is this one of our top national priorities?
I’ve often heard the phrase, “Veterans wrote a blank check on their lives.” In many cases, these Veterans went to war, risked not coming home, watched brothers and sisters in their units suffer, and once they returned home—there’s still a war. There’s still suffering.
I often wonder if folks outside of the military experience, not just civilians, but maybe those who don’t know someone who has served, aren’t related to someone who volunteered to go to a war reallly understand that these men and women give so.much. They give up a life of normalcy, they give up seeing their families and friends, they end up missing holiday events, birthdays, graduations, births of children—and they become a different person.
I know what you may be thinking, “did she say people who go into the military become a different person?”
Yes, I did.
I know that because I’ve often heard Sam say he knew he changed, he was a different person before he joined the Army. He’s even made a comment that he wanted to be the person he was before war. Therapy, going through a trauma resiliency program, and working daily with Memphis is helping him to do that.
After some Veterans come home from a war or battle, they still fight a battle at home. I’ve said before that not all Veterans go through this, but in the article I read, and from talking with some Veterans, I know that there’s a struggle and fight. Fighting down demons, nightmares, injuries, illness, physical and mental injuries—it continues day and night. Sometimes causing little to no sleep, these instances are starting to be common among some Veterans. Not only do they struggle to deal with the phsyical and mental injuries, but they struggle to seek help.
According to a Washington Post/Kaiser Family Foundation poll in 2013, more than half of the service members polled who served in Iraq or Afghanistan admitted to suffering a physical or mental health problem as a result of their service. More service members than ever before have survived combat wounds that would have been fatal in previous wars.
But do we really take care of our Veterans when they return home?
Do we know what Veterans deal with when they come home?
Well, there’s mental health. Not all wounds are visible or physical. At least 20 percent of returning Veterans suffer from PTSD. And I know I don’t have to mention the statistics on Veteran suicide. There are still Veterans who are taking their life on a daily basis. We have to work to stop that. We have to do better. And PTSD—at times I imagine myself, if PTSD would be an actual person, I would love to throat punch—-I would love to kick—-for all of the harm, for all of the intrusive thoughts, the sleepless nights, the panic attacks, I could go on—but instead my fight is different. I’ll fight for Veterans, I’ll advocate for them, I’ll edcuate others so we can help out Veterans who might be suffering.
If you want to know more about PTSD and help reduce the stigma, hear from Veterans, their family members, learn about service dogs and hear from professionals in a variety of fields, I encourage you to come out to southern Illinois, John A. Logan College to be exact, in November. November 18. Save the date. From 9 a.m.-4 p.m. You can learn about PTSD, you can get some education, you can be part of a change. There’s a conference that will take place, and if you are curious, if you are in healthcare, if you are a caregiver, I encourage you to come. I’ll be sharing more information about that conference in upcoming blog posts. We have to reduce the stigma. We have to provide education.
TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury) is sometimes deemed a “signature wound” of Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom. This can be caused when an IED blows, sending incredibly powerful shockwaves to the brain. Some Veterans suffer with severe TBI and require rehabilitation to recover. Sam had to go through many different types of therapies to work with his TBI. He still suffers from memory issues today. Imagine having trouble remembering daily activities, having little to no short term memory, being reminded to do small things like take mediciation, take out the trash, brush teeth, grab all items needed for work or school—-it happens at our house. TBI is a real thing, and we need to do better about recognizing it.
Chronic Pain–this is something that Sam endures every day. He has been blown up (more than once) and has some back issues. His back always hurts. He can take medication for it, and sometimes he just has to relax and rest. That doesn’t always work out. He likes to be active: working in the yard, the garage, doing wood working, he can’t sit still long at times. But, there’s always pain. That sometimes happens for other Veterans too.
One thing that we have to do better with (we here is society, not you, me, my family, friends—we is very general) is helping these Veterans get access to the health care they need. I know there are things about the VA that Veterans (and their families) have problems with—long wait times, cancellations, waiting for treatment, disability ratings, there are problems and sometimes things are slow. S L O W.
We can’t end the support when Veterans come home. We have to take care of our Veterans.
That Veteran in the photo…he means more to me than he will ever know. He is a fighter. He is strong. He’s a light to others. I will fight with everything I have to help him, to love him, and to reduce stigmas of mental illness. I’ll do so until I simply don’t have the breath. We are a team. It’s my turn to have his six.