Reaching Out To Veterans
Kotowski, Alexian Unveil Program Aimed At PTSD
By TOM ROBB
Journal Reporter
A new program to treat Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) for returning veterans was unveiled at Alexian Brothers Hospital Wednesday.
State Sen. Dan Kotowski (D-33d) of Park Ridge attended. His bill helped fund the program.
Physicians at Wednesday's press conference explained that new state of the art equipment recently brought online at the hospital is helping doctors tell the difference between PTSD and traumatic brain injuries.
"The one thing we can agree on is that we need to honor our veterans in a better way," said Kotowski.
Kotowski said the Pentagon identified 40,000 veterans who have sought treatment for PTSD. He explained that some groups estimate the true number of veterans suffering the condition is closer to 300,000.
Kotowski said through technology PTSD can be detected physically and not just through psychological examination.
go here for more
http://www.journal-topics.com/eg/08/eg080625.1.html
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Morning the loss Marine Andrew Whitacre
Morning the loss of our beloved Marine Andrew Whitacre
June 26, 2008
The sun was shining over Jay County on Saturday morning. The sky was a glorious blue.
But there was a cloud over our heart.
Despite all logic, we had hoped that the community could make it through the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq without the loss of local life.
Last week, those hopes were dashed.
With the death of Andrew Whitacre, this community joins hundreds of others across America in mourning.
It is an occasion for solemnity. It is an occasion for dignity. And it is an occasion for honor.
On those three points, every American can agree.
This is not about politics. This is not about policy.
This is about a young man, one of our own, who is lost to us now.
Let us honor him now, with solemnity and with dignity and with enormous respect.
Let us honor and console his family and loved ones. Let us remind them that they are not alone.
They are part of a larger community and a nation that places great value on their sacrifice.
But, most of all, let us honor Andrew, a Marine, but also not much more than a kid.
A young man with the world and all its possibilities in front of him.
A young man so much like so many other young men and women who serve their country.
And let us acknowledge the painful passing of that cloud over our heart
This was found in the Commerical Review, Portland, Indiana
http://www.policelink.com/news/34546-morning-the-loss-
of-our-beloved-marine-andrew-whitacre
Good Lord, how I wish that everyone in this country could remember these exact words.
Community honors fallen Indiana Marine
Posted: June 26, 2008 11:57 AM EDT
Lance Corporal Andrew Whitacre died last Thursday in Afghanistan.
JAY COUNTY, Ind. (WISH) - A community is honoring a fallen Indiana Marine.
The body of Lance Corporal Andrew Whitacre arrived in Jay County Wednesday. Hundreds of people lined the streets.
The 21-year-old, from Bryant, died Thursday in Afghanistan.
Whitacre's visitation is going on now in Portland.
His funeral will be held on Friday at 10 a.m. at the Jay County High School.
http://www.wishtv.com/global/story.asp?s=8559187
Help on Four Legs, Sometimes Followed by Confusion
Help on Four Legs, Sometimes Followed by Confusion
By GREGORY BEYER
Published: June 29, 2008
THE incident occurred about two years ago. Laura Damone, a 56-year-old resident of Gramercy Park who suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and panic attacks, walked into the Union Square subway station with Buddy, who was her service dog at the time.
The dog, who wore a vest, attracted the attention of two transit workers, who, Ms. Damone says, humiliated her by backing her into a corner, demanding proof of her disability and giving her a ticket.
The confrontation exemplifies problems that can arise from what Assemblywoman Deborah Glick thinks is a vague city law.
Unlike state and federal law, which explicitly prohibits asking about or demanding proof of a disability, city law declares only that establishments provide “reasonable accommodation” to people with service animals. According to Bethany Jankunis, Ms. Glick’s chief of staff, this subjects people like Ms. Damone, who use service animals and whose disabilities are not plainly evident, to discrimination and embarrassment.
click post title for more
By GREGORY BEYER
Published: June 29, 2008
THE incident occurred about two years ago. Laura Damone, a 56-year-old resident of Gramercy Park who suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and panic attacks, walked into the Union Square subway station with Buddy, who was her service dog at the time.
The dog, who wore a vest, attracted the attention of two transit workers, who, Ms. Damone says, humiliated her by backing her into a corner, demanding proof of her disability and giving her a ticket.
The confrontation exemplifies problems that can arise from what Assemblywoman Deborah Glick thinks is a vague city law.
Unlike state and federal law, which explicitly prohibits asking about or demanding proof of a disability, city law declares only that establishments provide “reasonable accommodation” to people with service animals. According to Bethany Jankunis, Ms. Glick’s chief of staff, this subjects people like Ms. Damone, who use service animals and whose disabilities are not plainly evident, to discrimination and embarrassment.
click post title for more
Veterans for Common Sense fight goes on
From Paul Sullivan
My two cents
Because of this, because of the hard work they all did on this (as well as what they plan to do) things will change. It proved once and for all there are people in this country willing to step up and force the changes so that our veterans receive the care they not only earned but the care they all deserve. We have so many who were willing to lay down their lives for this country that need our help for what should never, ever, have been something they had to fight for. They did their fighting when they were deployed. They shouldn't have to keep fighting for their lives because they made it home.
I’m sure you are aware of Judge Samuel Conti’s detailed 82-page ruling that found VA is in crisis and that he was “troubled” by VA’s delays. Yet he decided that the Court lacks jurisdiction and that VA and Congress should fix VA’s problems. Although we are disappointed the Judge would not order VA to act, we are pleased he found in our favor on many facts of the case. VCS re-states our offer to provide Congressional staff with any information that could be used to reform VA so our veterans receive prompt and high-quality VA healthcare as well as fast, complete, and accurate VA claims decisions.
Attached for your review are four items regarding the U.S. District Court’s ruling in our lawsuit, Veterans for Common Sense and Veterans United for Truth v. James Peake (U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs):
Link to Army Times news article:http://www.veteransforcommonsense.org/articleid/10516
Link to KPIX-TV (CBS News in San Francisco) television broadcast: http://www.veteransforcommonsense.org/articleid/10517
Link to VCS press release:http://www.veteransforcommonsense.org/articleid/10517
Attachment containing the Court’s ruling.
Our lawsuit enjoys broad support from veterans and the public. Here are just a few of the many overwhelmingly positive e-mails VCS received from our members about our landmark lawsuit with our co-plaintiff organization, Veterans United for Truth:
Your efforts will make life better for … veterans.
Thanks for all the hard work.
It was a great effort. The fact you were able to get the VA attitude out in the public, presented as evidence in a federal court, was of critical importance…. KEEP IT UP!
I think you did a terrific job of exposing the tragedy of the veterans with the law suit.
All of you working on this should be proud of yourselves.
You have accomplished a great deal and there still things to do. This is only the beginning of the fight; end of round one.
You are to be commended for your hard work.
You should be very proud of the effort you put into this. Because of you, there was a lot learned that would have remained hidden. You gave it your best as you always do.
It will pay off in the long. It will help.
Our fight is now in Congress.
As of April 2008, VA medical centers have treated 325,000 Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans, including 133,000 with a mental health condition, 75,000 of whom are diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder. We remain alarmed that VA still has no national policy on what to do when a suicidal patient shows up at a VA medical facility. We remain concerned that veterans such as Jonathan Schulze and Jeffrey Lucey were improperly turned away by an under funded and under staffed VA.
Therefore, VCS plans to appeal the Court’s decision primarily on the grounds that the Judicial Branch must enforce the laws of the Legislative Branch ignored by the Executive Branch. Please contact VCS if you have any questions.
Thank you,
Paul.
Paul Sullivan
Executive Director
Veterans for Common Sense
Post Office Box 15514
Washington, DC 20003
(202) 558-4553
Paul@VeteransForCommonSense.org
http://www.veteransforcommonsense.org/
My two cents
Because of this, because of the hard work they all did on this (as well as what they plan to do) things will change. It proved once and for all there are people in this country willing to step up and force the changes so that our veterans receive the care they not only earned but the care they all deserve. We have so many who were willing to lay down their lives for this country that need our help for what should never, ever, have been something they had to fight for. They did their fighting when they were deployed. They shouldn't have to keep fighting for their lives because they made it home.
Returning Veterans Conference
Returning Veterans Conference
Paving the Road Home: The National Behavioral Health Conference and Policy Academy on Returning Veterans and Their Families
Conference Date: August 11, 2008
Location: Hyatt Regency in Bethesda, MD
Registration begins June 16, 2008
This national conference and policy academy sponsored by SAMHSA will help Federal, State, and local partners improve and enhance mental health and substance abuse services for returning veterans and their families. The conference/policy academy will facilitate nationwide sharing of information on mental health and substance abuse services and supports across multiple health care delivery systems. Attendees will be provided science-based information to assist veterans and their families in building resiliency and preventing and/or treating complex conditions, including mental disorders (e.g., TBI, PTSD) substance use disorders, suicide, homelessness, domestic violence, and co-occurring disorders.
Visit the Conference Web site and Register
NAMI provides support to those facing PTSD
Group aids troops with combat stress
NAMI provides support to those facing PTSD
BY LILY GORDON - lgordon@ledger-enquirer.com --
Kenneth McDonald was 17 when he joined the Army in 1968. After completing basic training at Fort Benning, he was deployed to the jungles of Thailand where his duties included loading the bodies of dead American soldiers onto airplanes to be transported home.
It was there in the hot, isolated jungle that McDonald says his troubles began.
After two years of active duty service, McDonald was stressed, depressed and worn. In 1971, he left the Army and enrolled in trade school. He was having a hard time adjusting to civilian life, however, and six months later McDonald dropped out of school and went to work at Fort Benning as a mechanic. When he was laid off from that job, he launched a landscaping business, then a catering and florist company, then a small antiques business. Nothing seemed to hold his attention and he spiralled deeper into depression.
It wasn't until 1990, more than two decades later, that a doctor told McDonald he suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, schizo-affective disorder and bipolar disorder.
Help available
Some 40,000 troops have been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder since 2003, according to Pentagon statistics released in May. It's a growing problem among veterans returning from tours in Iraq and Afghanistan and one that is just beginning to get the attention it deserves, said Sue Marlowe, director of the Columbus chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness.
Combatting the stigma surrounding the disease is ostensibly more challenging than treating it, especially when soldiers are the ones effected.
go here for more
http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/news/story/357312.html
NAMI provides support to those facing PTSD
BY LILY GORDON - lgordon@ledger-enquirer.com --
Kenneth McDonald was 17 when he joined the Army in 1968. After completing basic training at Fort Benning, he was deployed to the jungles of Thailand where his duties included loading the bodies of dead American soldiers onto airplanes to be transported home.
It was there in the hot, isolated jungle that McDonald says his troubles began.
After two years of active duty service, McDonald was stressed, depressed and worn. In 1971, he left the Army and enrolled in trade school. He was having a hard time adjusting to civilian life, however, and six months later McDonald dropped out of school and went to work at Fort Benning as a mechanic. When he was laid off from that job, he launched a landscaping business, then a catering and florist company, then a small antiques business. Nothing seemed to hold his attention and he spiralled deeper into depression.
It wasn't until 1990, more than two decades later, that a doctor told McDonald he suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, schizo-affective disorder and bipolar disorder.
Help available
Some 40,000 troops have been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder since 2003, according to Pentagon statistics released in May. It's a growing problem among veterans returning from tours in Iraq and Afghanistan and one that is just beginning to get the attention it deserves, said Sue Marlowe, director of the Columbus chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness.
Combatting the stigma surrounding the disease is ostensibly more challenging than treating it, especially when soldiers are the ones effected.
go here for more
http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/news/story/357312.html
Dr. Loree Sutton, Brigadier General and Psychiatrist
Special to The Press-Enterprise
Loree Sutton says military service “changed my life in ways that I could not have anticipated.”
Loma Linda native is first female psychiatrist to attain rank of brigadier general
By MARK MUCKENFUSS
The Press-Enterprise
When Dr. Loree Sutton was born, Loma Linda did not yet have its university medical center.
"I'm old enough that I was born at the old sanitarium up on the hill," said Sutton, 49.
"The physician that delivered me, Dr. (Herbert) Henken, was actually one of my instructors when I was in medical school. Talk about a small town."
click post title for more
Resident wants support for returning troops
Resident wants support for returning troops
June 26, 2008
By MARCIA SAGENDORPH msagendorph@pioneerlocal.com
Iraq veteran Jim Black, 26, returned home to fight a new war. He, and millions of other veterans, are battling brain injuries and post traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD.
His father-in-law, Tim Corrigan of Mundelein, wants to do something about it.
Black served in Iraq from April 2003 to March 2004. He originally lived in Tempe, Arizona before moving to Lake Villa in 2007. He is married to Jennifer and they have two boys, RJ, 5, and Gavin who will be a year old on Sept. 11.
Black originally joined the Army to get some training and college funding, Corrigan said.
"He didn't hesitate to go to war and he became a Recon Scout and saw lots of action as soon as he stepped foot in Iraq," Corrigan said.
He returned home to Tempe after finishing his active duty in June of 2004. He was called back to active duty but was already diagnosed with PTSD, which kept him from going back.
go here for more
http://www.pioneerlocal.com/grayslake/news/1025267,gr-PTSDgroup-062608-s1.article
June 26, 2008
By MARCIA SAGENDORPH msagendorph@pioneerlocal.com
Iraq veteran Jim Black, 26, returned home to fight a new war. He, and millions of other veterans, are battling brain injuries and post traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD.
His father-in-law, Tim Corrigan of Mundelein, wants to do something about it.
Black served in Iraq from April 2003 to March 2004. He originally lived in Tempe, Arizona before moving to Lake Villa in 2007. He is married to Jennifer and they have two boys, RJ, 5, and Gavin who will be a year old on Sept. 11.
Black originally joined the Army to get some training and college funding, Corrigan said.
"He didn't hesitate to go to war and he became a Recon Scout and saw lots of action as soon as he stepped foot in Iraq," Corrigan said.
He returned home to Tempe after finishing his active duty in June of 2004. He was called back to active duty but was already diagnosed with PTSD, which kept him from going back.
go here for more
http://www.pioneerlocal.com/grayslake/news/1025267,gr-PTSDgroup-062608-s1.article
Goodbye Jim Hinde, Tribute to Vietnam Vet
Goodbye Jim Hinde
Eat the State - USA
by Jim Page
Jim Hinde was the real deal. He was born and raised in Ohio. He was a Vietnam Vet who rambled homeless and broke in the early '70s, lived in the skid road missions, and rode the freights. He settled in Seattle as a father and musician, and wrote a whole bunch of songs. He became such a solid force in the Seattle busking scene that when he died unexpectedly the morning of June 9, the whole city gasped and half of the Pike Place Market went home early.
The wind blew real hard all that day. Jim didn't like the hard winds because they reminded him of the typhoons when he was in the Navy. That was a time that haunted him. It kept him from sleeping and woke him up with night sweats--Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), the shadow partner that Uncle Sam gives to his military veterans. Jim would spend the last years of his life pursuing his claim for service-related disability benefits from the Veterans Administration. Not just for himself but for all vets. Maybe it wore him out.
Jim was one of the founders of the Pike Market Performers Guild, an organizing body of Seattle street performers. With his work ethic and background, he was an enormous asset for getting all the nuts and bolts in place to create and produce the annual Pike Market Busker Festival. Organized collectively, the Guild seeks to raise the profile and legitimacy of street performers, who by nature are a little outside the social norm. Jim could bridge that gap. The festival has now become an established part of the city's culture, and busking a celebrated art form.
click above for more
Eat the State - USA
by Jim Page
Jim Hinde was the real deal. He was born and raised in Ohio. He was a Vietnam Vet who rambled homeless and broke in the early '70s, lived in the skid road missions, and rode the freights. He settled in Seattle as a father and musician, and wrote a whole bunch of songs. He became such a solid force in the Seattle busking scene that when he died unexpectedly the morning of June 9, the whole city gasped and half of the Pike Place Market went home early.
The wind blew real hard all that day. Jim didn't like the hard winds because they reminded him of the typhoons when he was in the Navy. That was a time that haunted him. It kept him from sleeping and woke him up with night sweats--Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), the shadow partner that Uncle Sam gives to his military veterans. Jim would spend the last years of his life pursuing his claim for service-related disability benefits from the Veterans Administration. Not just for himself but for all vets. Maybe it wore him out.
Jim was one of the founders of the Pike Market Performers Guild, an organizing body of Seattle street performers. With his work ethic and background, he was an enormous asset for getting all the nuts and bolts in place to create and produce the annual Pike Market Busker Festival. Organized collectively, the Guild seeks to raise the profile and legitimacy of street performers, who by nature are a little outside the social norm. Jim could bridge that gap. The festival has now become an established part of the city's culture, and busking a celebrated art form.
click above for more
PTSD education is veterans mission
PTSD education is veterans mission
TONY SPINELLI
MILFORD — U.S. Marine Corps Vietnam veteran Charles Trumpower flips open his souvenir Zippo cigarette lighter, the one he carried with him through fields of blood and gore, to reveal its clever slogan. "I'm not here to die for my country," the lighter reads, in words inscribed just below the insignia of the Playboy Bunny with the erect ears and numerals for the year "1969."
"Let that other SOB die for his," it reads.
Trumpower, 61, didn't die for his country. But he did not make it out of the steaming Vietnamese jungle unscathed: in addition to bullet wounds and shrapnel that sent him home wounded in November 1969 after nearly 10 months in combat as a rifleman, Trumpower suffers from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
go here for more
http://www.connpost.com/localnews/ci_9692485
TONY SPINELLI
MILFORD — U.S. Marine Corps Vietnam veteran Charles Trumpower flips open his souvenir Zippo cigarette lighter, the one he carried with him through fields of blood and gore, to reveal its clever slogan. "I'm not here to die for my country," the lighter reads, in words inscribed just below the insignia of the Playboy Bunny with the erect ears and numerals for the year "1969."
"Let that other SOB die for his," it reads.
Trumpower, 61, didn't die for his country. But he did not make it out of the steaming Vietnamese jungle unscathed: in addition to bullet wounds and shrapnel that sent him home wounded in November 1969 after nearly 10 months in combat as a rifleman, Trumpower suffers from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
go here for more
http://www.connpost.com/localnews/ci_9692485
CBS Plans To Appeal Ruling On Haditha Interview
CBS Plans To Appeal Ruling On Haditha Interview
Associated Press
June 26, 2008
SAN DIEGO — - CBS News said it plans to appeal a ruling by a military appellate court that ordered a judge to review unaired footage of an interview given by a Marine squad leader from Meriden, Conn., charged in the killings of 24 Iraqis.
The Navy-Marine Corps Court of Appeals said a judge must review the footage to determine the legal basis for the television network's refusal to turn over unaired "60 Minutes" footage of its interview with Staff Sgt. Frank D. Wuterich.
The decision by the appellate court comes after a military prosecutor appealed a judge's decision to throw out a subpoena, saying the unaired footage is vital to the case because it contains admissions by Wuterich of crimes in the attack in Haditha, Iraq, on Nov. 19, 2005.
Wuterich "apparently admits in an unaired segment that he did in fact order his men to 'shoot first and ask questions later,'" Marine prosecutor Capt. Nicholas Gannon said in a motion.
go here for more
http://www.courant.com/news/nationworld/hc-haditha0626.artjun26,0,5447837.story
Associated Press
June 26, 2008
SAN DIEGO — - CBS News said it plans to appeal a ruling by a military appellate court that ordered a judge to review unaired footage of an interview given by a Marine squad leader from Meriden, Conn., charged in the killings of 24 Iraqis.
The Navy-Marine Corps Court of Appeals said a judge must review the footage to determine the legal basis for the television network's refusal to turn over unaired "60 Minutes" footage of its interview with Staff Sgt. Frank D. Wuterich.
The decision by the appellate court comes after a military prosecutor appealed a judge's decision to throw out a subpoena, saying the unaired footage is vital to the case because it contains admissions by Wuterich of crimes in the attack in Haditha, Iraq, on Nov. 19, 2005.
Wuterich "apparently admits in an unaired segment that he did in fact order his men to 'shoot first and ask questions later,'" Marine prosecutor Capt. Nicholas Gannon said in a motion.
go here for more
http://www.courant.com/news/nationworld/hc-haditha0626.artjun26,0,5447837.story
Army friend: Stepdad suffered war stress
Army friend: Stepdad suffered war stress
Veteran says PTSD might have played role in boy's death
By RUSS ZIMMER • Advocate Reporter • June 27, 2008
NEWARK -- A few weeks ago, Iraq War veterans Kevin Phelps and Corey Flugga were out on the town in Oklahoma City.
The pair, who had forged a close bond during near-daily firefights near Ramadi, laughed, drank beers and caught up on what each other had missed since their last meeting in summer 2006.
The conversation eventually turned to what mementos both had brought back from the war -- nightmares, irritability and alienation from family and friends. The symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD.
"For the most part, we talked about how people don't understand what we're going through," Phelps, of Oklahoma City, said Thursday morning, one day after learning the man whom he roomed with was to be charged in connection with the death of his stepson, Carson Hanson. "Family, the military, they don't know how to deal with it."
Flugga now is sitting in the Licking County Justice Center, his bond set at $1 million and facing a charge of murder, which could result in a life sentence if convicted.
Investigators allege Flugga, 22, struck his 3-year-old stepson in the stomach Saturday, resulting in internal bleeding that led to his death.
Licking County Assistant Prosecutor Dan Huston said his office has received unconfirmed information about the possible role of PTSD in the death but has no indication any mental condition was a factor in the incident.
Any determination as to the significance of his state of mind during the alleged assault would be made by the grand jury when the case is presented to them July 3, he said.
Phelps, speaking in a phone interview requested by The Advocate, refused to make any comments he felt would incriminate his friend. He said at first he was sure the allegations were false. But after the news sank in, his shock faded.
“I’ll just say this,” he said. “My little girls were shoved down my throat as soon as I got home just like his boys were shoved down his throat. That’s wrong. We weren’t over there baby-sitting. We were killing people and getting shot at.”
go here for more
http://www.newarkadvocate.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080627/NEWS01/806270304/1002
Veteran says PTSD might have played role in boy's death
By RUSS ZIMMER • Advocate Reporter • June 27, 2008
NEWARK -- A few weeks ago, Iraq War veterans Kevin Phelps and Corey Flugga were out on the town in Oklahoma City.
The pair, who had forged a close bond during near-daily firefights near Ramadi, laughed, drank beers and caught up on what each other had missed since their last meeting in summer 2006.
The conversation eventually turned to what mementos both had brought back from the war -- nightmares, irritability and alienation from family and friends. The symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD.
"For the most part, we talked about how people don't understand what we're going through," Phelps, of Oklahoma City, said Thursday morning, one day after learning the man whom he roomed with was to be charged in connection with the death of his stepson, Carson Hanson. "Family, the military, they don't know how to deal with it."
Flugga now is sitting in the Licking County Justice Center, his bond set at $1 million and facing a charge of murder, which could result in a life sentence if convicted.
Investigators allege Flugga, 22, struck his 3-year-old stepson in the stomach Saturday, resulting in internal bleeding that led to his death.
Licking County Assistant Prosecutor Dan Huston said his office has received unconfirmed information about the possible role of PTSD in the death but has no indication any mental condition was a factor in the incident.
Any determination as to the significance of his state of mind during the alleged assault would be made by the grand jury when the case is presented to them July 3, he said.
Phelps, speaking in a phone interview requested by The Advocate, refused to make any comments he felt would incriminate his friend. He said at first he was sure the allegations were false. But after the news sank in, his shock faded.
“I’ll just say this,” he said. “My little girls were shoved down my throat as soon as I got home just like his boys were shoved down his throat. That’s wrong. We weren’t over there baby-sitting. We were killing people and getting shot at.”
go here for more
http://www.newarkadvocate.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080627/NEWS01/806270304/1002
Get shame out of the way of healing PTSD
I just flew back home from the United Female Veterans Convention in St. Louis. It seems no matter where I go, the main topic of conversation is PTSD. Most of the time I try to just listen thinking that one of these days I'll hear something new, something hopeful, but there is really so little new begin done.
Sitting in the airport waiting for the flight, I sat next to a young man with a very shot hair cut. Not wanting to assume anything I stopped myself from wanting to ask if he was in the military. He saw my Chaplain shirt and we began to talk. My first impression was correct and he was a Marine. He is training for deployment. We sat together on the flight. This was very hopeful. He told me of some of his friends on a 4th deployment and how some people he knew came back changed. The hopeful part is the attitude this young man had. He had knowledge, faith and an abundance of compassion for his brothers in the Marines. This generation is more aware of PTSD and in that there is hope.
Talking to him was a much needed event for me. I had received an email from the wife of a veteran I did a post on, taken from Time magazine online. At least that is what I gathered from her email. It was not filled with much information but she seemed bent out of shape that I posted what was on Time. I can only assume her husband must have PTSD. Given the fact Screaming In An Empty Room blog has almost 10.000 post and this one has over 2.000, it's pretty hard to guess who this person is. My problem is that there are still people out there who don't get it. They don't understand that there is no shame in having PTSD and loving someone who does have it, as I do, should be worn as a badge of honor. Emails like this bother me incredibly.
Let's assume for now that this woman's husband told his PTSD story to Time. Evidently there must be no shame in him or he wouldn't have told his story. How could there be any shame in being wounded? How could there be any shame in serving your country, stepping up and doing what you believe you were called to do and then have the government refuse to take care of you? It's the government that should be ashamed and not the veterans who have been wounded simply because they were willing to serve. How could a wife be so ashamed that she would complain about a post being done taken from a publication the size of Time magazine? This kind of attitude makes me always question the work I do to the point where I wonder if it's worth it or not.
All these years, dedicating my time and energy to do whatever I can for these veterans, for free, and some people would rather attack me for doing it. Everything I post is public information. No email gets posted unless the veteran asks me to make their story public and usually that's done so they can let others know they are not alone. There are only a few veterans I can think of who wanted their story public. It is always up to the veteran. The PTSD veterans going public, to me, are heroes in all of this. They will be the reason the stigma of PTSD vanishes and lives will be saved. Advocates like me across the country have been doing this since veterans came home from Vietnam. I've only been in this for 25 years but others have been in it since early 70's telling their stories and trying to change the minds of the general public. Most of us have very little regret except the fact that there are still too many in this country and around the world still thinking there is a reason to feel any kind of shame. I'm sure the others feel the same way that we will not give up until every veteran and every person with PTSD is treated with the same kind of compassion we would treat any wounded person with. It will be a wonderful day on this planet that every person with any kind of mental illness would be treated properly but we are far from it. NAMI gives me hope that this will happen one day because of all the dedicated people working on this around the country.
I have a lot of posts to catch up on but I wanted to get this out first. I want to ask all of my readers to keep this post in mind the next time they hear anyone with any kind of shame in their voice to address it. We must eliminate any kind of shame from PTSD so that the wounded can be helped as soon as possible without hesitation. The longer they wait because shame is standing in their way is time lost forever. If they are ready this second then this is the second the help should begin and they don't need someone clinging onto shame getting in their way.
Sitting in the airport waiting for the flight, I sat next to a young man with a very shot hair cut. Not wanting to assume anything I stopped myself from wanting to ask if he was in the military. He saw my Chaplain shirt and we began to talk. My first impression was correct and he was a Marine. He is training for deployment. We sat together on the flight. This was very hopeful. He told me of some of his friends on a 4th deployment and how some people he knew came back changed. The hopeful part is the attitude this young man had. He had knowledge, faith and an abundance of compassion for his brothers in the Marines. This generation is more aware of PTSD and in that there is hope.
Talking to him was a much needed event for me. I had received an email from the wife of a veteran I did a post on, taken from Time magazine online. At least that is what I gathered from her email. It was not filled with much information but she seemed bent out of shape that I posted what was on Time. I can only assume her husband must have PTSD. Given the fact Screaming In An Empty Room blog has almost 10.000 post and this one has over 2.000, it's pretty hard to guess who this person is. My problem is that there are still people out there who don't get it. They don't understand that there is no shame in having PTSD and loving someone who does have it, as I do, should be worn as a badge of honor. Emails like this bother me incredibly.
Let's assume for now that this woman's husband told his PTSD story to Time. Evidently there must be no shame in him or he wouldn't have told his story. How could there be any shame in being wounded? How could there be any shame in serving your country, stepping up and doing what you believe you were called to do and then have the government refuse to take care of you? It's the government that should be ashamed and not the veterans who have been wounded simply because they were willing to serve. How could a wife be so ashamed that she would complain about a post being done taken from a publication the size of Time magazine? This kind of attitude makes me always question the work I do to the point where I wonder if it's worth it or not.
All these years, dedicating my time and energy to do whatever I can for these veterans, for free, and some people would rather attack me for doing it. Everything I post is public information. No email gets posted unless the veteran asks me to make their story public and usually that's done so they can let others know they are not alone. There are only a few veterans I can think of who wanted their story public. It is always up to the veteran. The PTSD veterans going public, to me, are heroes in all of this. They will be the reason the stigma of PTSD vanishes and lives will be saved. Advocates like me across the country have been doing this since veterans came home from Vietnam. I've only been in this for 25 years but others have been in it since early 70's telling their stories and trying to change the minds of the general public. Most of us have very little regret except the fact that there are still too many in this country and around the world still thinking there is a reason to feel any kind of shame. I'm sure the others feel the same way that we will not give up until every veteran and every person with PTSD is treated with the same kind of compassion we would treat any wounded person with. It will be a wonderful day on this planet that every person with any kind of mental illness would be treated properly but we are far from it. NAMI gives me hope that this will happen one day because of all the dedicated people working on this around the country.
I have a lot of posts to catch up on but I wanted to get this out first. I want to ask all of my readers to keep this post in mind the next time they hear anyone with any kind of shame in their voice to address it. We must eliminate any kind of shame from PTSD so that the wounded can be helped as soon as possible without hesitation. The longer they wait because shame is standing in their way is time lost forever. If they are ready this second then this is the second the help should begin and they don't need someone clinging onto shame getting in their way.
Friday, June 27, 2008
Committee votes to protect vet gun ownership
Committee votes to protect vet gun ownership
By Rick Maze - Staff writer
Posted : Friday Jun 27, 2008 6:27:14 EDT
Lists of veterans who have been assigned fiduciaries to handle financial matters on their behalf could not be used to prevent gun ownership under an amendment approved by the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee on Thursday.
By voice vote, the committee attached to a veterans’ health care bill an amendment prohibiting the Department of Veterans Affairs from sharing lists of so-called “incompetent” veterans with the FBI. Only if there has been specific ruling that a veteran poses a risk to himself or others could the VA pass a name on to the FBI for inclusion in records used to make instant background checks before gun purchases, under the amendment to S 2969, the Veterans’ Health Care Authorization Act of 2008.
Sen. Richard Burr of North Carolina, ranking Republican on the veterans’ committee and the chief sponsor of the amendment, said the VA makes a determination of incompetence based, primarily, on whether a veteran is capable of handling his own finances. If he cannot, a fiduciary is appointed to handle their benefits.
go here for more
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/06/military_veterans_gunownership_062608w/
Not sure on this one at all. A friend is in this postition. What we have to remember is that there is not always a one size fits all answer. Some of these veterans should never have been able to own a gun, just like some people in this country should never be able to own one. But what is the answer? Do we go with this but allow the local law enforcement to make their own rules given the fact they are the ones dealing with whatever happens in the long run? Murphy and Akaka want to side on common sense but Burr wants to take the side of the NRA attitude. Who is right?
When Congress was taking on gun ownership for PTSD veterans, they were very upset wondering if veterans with mild PTSD would have to give up their jobs if they had to give up their guns. some of them decided that they would not seek treatment for PTSD because of this. Would you rather see a veteran with PTSD owning a gun and not getting help or would you rather see them getting help and keeping their jobs? Again there is not a one size fits all answer when it comes to PTSD. After all, we do have thousands of them in Iraq and Afghanistan right now with weapons a lot more dangerous than a hand gun.
By Rick Maze - Staff writer
Posted : Friday Jun 27, 2008 6:27:14 EDT
Lists of veterans who have been assigned fiduciaries to handle financial matters on their behalf could not be used to prevent gun ownership under an amendment approved by the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee on Thursday.
By voice vote, the committee attached to a veterans’ health care bill an amendment prohibiting the Department of Veterans Affairs from sharing lists of so-called “incompetent” veterans with the FBI. Only if there has been specific ruling that a veteran poses a risk to himself or others could the VA pass a name on to the FBI for inclusion in records used to make instant background checks before gun purchases, under the amendment to S 2969, the Veterans’ Health Care Authorization Act of 2008.
Sen. Richard Burr of North Carolina, ranking Republican on the veterans’ committee and the chief sponsor of the amendment, said the VA makes a determination of incompetence based, primarily, on whether a veteran is capable of handling his own finances. If he cannot, a fiduciary is appointed to handle their benefits.
go here for more
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/06/military_veterans_gunownership_062608w/
Not sure on this one at all. A friend is in this postition. What we have to remember is that there is not always a one size fits all answer. Some of these veterans should never have been able to own a gun, just like some people in this country should never be able to own one. But what is the answer? Do we go with this but allow the local law enforcement to make their own rules given the fact they are the ones dealing with whatever happens in the long run? Murphy and Akaka want to side on common sense but Burr wants to take the side of the NRA attitude. Who is right?
When Congress was taking on gun ownership for PTSD veterans, they were very upset wondering if veterans with mild PTSD would have to give up their jobs if they had to give up their guns. some of them decided that they would not seek treatment for PTSD because of this. Would you rather see a veteran with PTSD owning a gun and not getting help or would you rather see them getting help and keeping their jobs? Again there is not a one size fits all answer when it comes to PTSD. After all, we do have thousands of them in Iraq and Afghanistan right now with weapons a lot more dangerous than a hand gun.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Brain imaging may show PTSD, TBI or both
High-tech testing for war vets with post-traumatic stress disorder
'Magnetic stethoscope' will search for brain injuries in soldiers
By Kristen Kridel Chicago Tribune reporter
11:13 PM CDT, June 25, 2008
An Elk Grove Village hospital plans to use brain-imaging technology to determine whether combat veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder also might suffer from undiagnosed traumatic brain injuries.
A "magnetic stethoscope" primarily used to study epilepsy and autism will help determine how brain function is altered by PTSD, officials at Alexian Brothers Medical Center said Wednesday.
The MEG technology—short for magnetoencephalography—allows doctors to read magnetic signals produced by the brain when exposed to visual or auditory stimuli, said Jeffrey Lewine, director of the Alexian Center for Brain Research.Those signals appear to differ in a veteran who only has PTSD compared with one who has PTSD and traumatic brain injury, Lewine said.
The combination can be hard to diagnose but critically affect proper treatment, according to Lewine. "You have to know what you're treating to get the right treatment," Lewine said.
"Behavioral testing doesn't always distinguish the different components. We need to look at the biology."
go here for more
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chicago/chi-vets-trauma-center_both_26jun26,0,3069101.story
'Magnetic stethoscope' will search for brain injuries in soldiers
By Kristen Kridel Chicago Tribune reporter
11:13 PM CDT, June 25, 2008
An Elk Grove Village hospital plans to use brain-imaging technology to determine whether combat veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder also might suffer from undiagnosed traumatic brain injuries.
A "magnetic stethoscope" primarily used to study epilepsy and autism will help determine how brain function is altered by PTSD, officials at Alexian Brothers Medical Center said Wednesday.
The MEG technology—short for magnetoencephalography—allows doctors to read magnetic signals produced by the brain when exposed to visual or auditory stimuli, said Jeffrey Lewine, director of the Alexian Center for Brain Research.Those signals appear to differ in a veteran who only has PTSD compared with one who has PTSD and traumatic brain injury, Lewine said.
The combination can be hard to diagnose but critically affect proper treatment, according to Lewine. "You have to know what you're treating to get the right treatment," Lewine said.
"Behavioral testing doesn't always distinguish the different components. We need to look at the biology."
go here for more
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chicago/chi-vets-trauma-center_both_26jun26,0,3069101.story
Veterans-good enough to serve but not to live next door to Betty?
Neighbors worry about home intended for homeless veterans
Rockford Register Star - Rockford,IL,USA
By Chris Green
RRSTAR.COM
Posted Jun 25, 2008 @ 12:10 PM
Last update Jun 25, 2008 @ 03:16 PM
ROCKFORD — The grass is mowed, the flower beds are weed-free and the scent of freshly painted interior walls lingers throughout the home.
Carpenter’s Place closed Friday on the three-bedroom ranch home at 3426 Ridge Ave. It moved in furniture over the weekend, and on Tuesday, a group of employees and volunteers stood in a circle in the living room, held hands and prayed for the people who will live in the house and the neighbors.
The only thing missing now is the tenants, and that’s what has neighbors worried.
Located in a quiet northwest neighborhood, the home will be used to house three military veterans who are transitioning back into society.
“It’s got the neighbors in an uproar,” next-door neighbor Betty Percey said Tuesday afternoon.
“They’ve been exposed to war. What happens if one night one of them goes off the deep end? All of this looks fine and good now, but is it going to last?”
click above for more
First, not all homeless veterans have PTSD and the majority of PTSD do not "go off the deep end" so both of these notions are absurd. Are there some who commit crimes? Sure but they are rare compared to how many veterans have PTSD. Do some "normal civilian" neighbors commit crimes too? Yes. So why aren't the homeless veterans worried about the neighborhood they are moving into? Anyone can have PTSD if they lived through trauma. So it could be anyone in the neighborhood. Why do they have to single out veterans when it comes to them living in their "nice" neighborhood?
Veterans are just like everyone else surviving trauma, only veterans were willing to lay down their lives for the sake of people who do not want them in their neighborhood because of some ridiculous notion. Homeless veterans were good enough to serve the country but not good enough to move in? Given a choice, I would rather have someone with the character who was willing to serve the country living next door to me. It takes a special person to be able to do that. Does Betty Percey understand that law enforcement officers get PTSD too? Well maybe she'll move and improve the neighborhood these veterans want to move into.
Rockford Register Star - Rockford,IL,USA
By Chris Green
RRSTAR.COM
Posted Jun 25, 2008 @ 12:10 PM
Last update Jun 25, 2008 @ 03:16 PM
ROCKFORD — The grass is mowed, the flower beds are weed-free and the scent of freshly painted interior walls lingers throughout the home.
Carpenter’s Place closed Friday on the three-bedroom ranch home at 3426 Ridge Ave. It moved in furniture over the weekend, and on Tuesday, a group of employees and volunteers stood in a circle in the living room, held hands and prayed for the people who will live in the house and the neighbors.
The only thing missing now is the tenants, and that’s what has neighbors worried.
Located in a quiet northwest neighborhood, the home will be used to house three military veterans who are transitioning back into society.
“It’s got the neighbors in an uproar,” next-door neighbor Betty Percey said Tuesday afternoon.
“They’ve been exposed to war. What happens if one night one of them goes off the deep end? All of this looks fine and good now, but is it going to last?”
click above for more
First, not all homeless veterans have PTSD and the majority of PTSD do not "go off the deep end" so both of these notions are absurd. Are there some who commit crimes? Sure but they are rare compared to how many veterans have PTSD. Do some "normal civilian" neighbors commit crimes too? Yes. So why aren't the homeless veterans worried about the neighborhood they are moving into? Anyone can have PTSD if they lived through trauma. So it could be anyone in the neighborhood. Why do they have to single out veterans when it comes to them living in their "nice" neighborhood?
Veterans are just like everyone else surviving trauma, only veterans were willing to lay down their lives for the sake of people who do not want them in their neighborhood because of some ridiculous notion. Homeless veterans were good enough to serve the country but not good enough to move in? Given a choice, I would rather have someone with the character who was willing to serve the country living next door to me. It takes a special person to be able to do that. Does Betty Percey understand that law enforcement officers get PTSD too? Well maybe she'll move and improve the neighborhood these veterans want to move into.
Iraq Vet Driven by Friend's Death
Iraq Vet Driven by Friend's Death
Daniel W. Reilly
Politico
Jun 25, 2008
June 25, 2008 - On the eve of last month’s Senate vote on Sen. Jim Webb’s GI Bill, Patrick Campbell clicked "send" on one last lobbying e-mail to staffers. Then he broke down and cried.
Campbell, the legislative director for Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, had started his message by laying out all of the latest developments on Webb’s bill.
In the final paragraphs, the Iraq war veteran shared the news that was foremost in his mind, news that he hadn’t shared with anyone outside his unit.
"Yesterday," he wrote, "one of my buddies from Iraq committed suicide."
It should have been a heady week for Campbell, a week in which the former staffer for Sen. Barbara Boxer (Calif.) and other Democrats shared a rally stage with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), saw the Senate vote overwhelmingly in favor of Webb’s bill and graduated from law school at Catholic University.
go here for more
http://www.veteransforcommonsense.org/ArticleID/10492
Daniel W. Reilly
Politico
Jun 25, 2008
June 25, 2008 - On the eve of last month’s Senate vote on Sen. Jim Webb’s GI Bill, Patrick Campbell clicked "send" on one last lobbying e-mail to staffers. Then he broke down and cried.
Campbell, the legislative director for Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, had started his message by laying out all of the latest developments on Webb’s bill.
In the final paragraphs, the Iraq war veteran shared the news that was foremost in his mind, news that he hadn’t shared with anyone outside his unit.
"Yesterday," he wrote, "one of my buddies from Iraq committed suicide."
It should have been a heady week for Campbell, a week in which the former staffer for Sen. Barbara Boxer (Calif.) and other Democrats shared a rally stage with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), saw the Senate vote overwhelmingly in favor of Webb’s bill and graduated from law school at Catholic University.
go here for more
http://www.veteransforcommonsense.org/ArticleID/10492
VCS thanks Judge for hearing them anyway
June 25, VCS Press Release: Court Rules that Veterans Should Seek Relief from VA and Congress, Veterans to Appeal
VCS thanks Judge Samuel Conti for our day in court. By confirming many of the allegations in our lawsuit, VCS considers the Court’s ruling a very loud and bright warning shot over the bow for Congress and VA to overhaul VA now. VA needs massive reform soon, before the situations becomes worse as hundreds of thousands of wounded, ill, and injured Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans flood into the VA system. VCS stands willing to work with Congress and VA to resolve the many serious problems the Court confirmed. VCS intends to work closely with our attorneys, Morrison & Foerster and Disability Rights Advocates, as we move forward with an appeal.
click above for more
Shingles and PTSD
‘Madness of the trenches” flourishes
I was briefly in the emergency room at Cape Fear Valley Medical Center recently, and the young man who took my history was a former soldier.
When I brought up my experience with shingles, the virulent and terribly painful herpes zoster, grandchild of chickenpox, he told me some interesting information about military medicine.
Shingles, it seems, is very familiar to combat soldiers. It is part of that widely experienced battle wound, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
The fact that young people could experience that condition, which I thought of as an old folks ailment, surprised me.
The reason is obvious. Herpes zoster has several triggers. But by far the most common is that well-known but ill-defined thing called stress.
Now, my mother had another name for shingles. She called it “the mad itch,” because it can literally evoke hair-pulling agony during its tenure.
The conversation at the emergency room led me to an unusual topic of military history.
That is, the non-bleeding wounds that war inflicts on its participants.
What one poet has called “the madness of the trenches,” and what World War II soldiers generally referred to by the polite term “battle fatigue.”
The fact that soldiers could literally go mad on the battlefield is an old phenomenon. The armies of Tzarist Russian actually established hospitals for soldiers whose injury was what we would term psychiatric rather than physical.
go here for more
http://www.fayobserver.com/article?id=297593
Before I was 5 years old, I was tossed off a very high slide and landed head first on the ground. My scull was cracked. A few months out of the hospital, I had shingles. I have a tiny scar left over. I can tell you, it is not something I would wish on anyone. Later on in my life, I managed to get the hives. Both are terrible and you want to get rid of the skin you are in. Stress makes both of them worse. Having the shingles or hives adds to the stress and makes the conditions worse.
I was briefly in the emergency room at Cape Fear Valley Medical Center recently, and the young man who took my history was a former soldier.
When I brought up my experience with shingles, the virulent and terribly painful herpes zoster, grandchild of chickenpox, he told me some interesting information about military medicine.
Shingles, it seems, is very familiar to combat soldiers. It is part of that widely experienced battle wound, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
The fact that young people could experience that condition, which I thought of as an old folks ailment, surprised me.
The reason is obvious. Herpes zoster has several triggers. But by far the most common is that well-known but ill-defined thing called stress.
Now, my mother had another name for shingles. She called it “the mad itch,” because it can literally evoke hair-pulling agony during its tenure.
The conversation at the emergency room led me to an unusual topic of military history.
That is, the non-bleeding wounds that war inflicts on its participants.
What one poet has called “the madness of the trenches,” and what World War II soldiers generally referred to by the polite term “battle fatigue.”
The fact that soldiers could literally go mad on the battlefield is an old phenomenon. The armies of Tzarist Russian actually established hospitals for soldiers whose injury was what we would term psychiatric rather than physical.
go here for more
http://www.fayobserver.com/article?id=297593
Shingles
Also known as: Herpes Zoster
What is it?
It is an infection of the skin that causes painful, fluid-filled blisters.
Who gets it?
Shingles can occur in anyone who has had chickenpox. While it can occur at any age, it is more common in people over the age of 50.
What causes it?
Shingles is caused by the varicella zoster virus, which also causes chickenpox. If you have had chickenpox, the varicella virus remains in a group of nerves in your central nervous system, but doesn't cause any symptoms. This is called a dormant virus. The central nervous system consists of the brain and spinal cord, which are connected to the nerves in the body. When the virus becomes active again, it causes the symptoms of shingles. No one is sure why the virus becomes active. However, it seems to be linked to a weakened immune system, such as in people who are ill (such as with cancer or HIV), have had major surgery, or are taking immunosuppressant medications or drugs with cortisone.
It can also be triggered by skin trauma, such as sunburn or injury, and emotional stress. Although shingles is not contagious, someone who hasn't had chickenpox can develop chickenpox if they have contact with fluid from a shingles blister.
go here for more
http://www.hmc.psu.edu/healthinfo/s/shingles.htm
Before I was 5 years old, I was tossed off a very high slide and landed head first on the ground. My scull was cracked. A few months out of the hospital, I had shingles. I have a tiny scar left over. I can tell you, it is not something I would wish on anyone. Later on in my life, I managed to get the hives. Both are terrible and you want to get rid of the skin you are in. Stress makes both of them worse. Having the shingles or hives adds to the stress and makes the conditions worse.
Marine Eric Hall to be buried at Arlington National Cemetary
Jeffersonville marine to be buried at Arlington National Cemetary
08:27 PM EDT on Wednesday, June 25, 2008
WHAS11) - The Jeffersonville marine found dead in a Florida culvert in March will be laid to rest this Friday. The discovery of Eric Hall's body came after a month-long search.
Hall had been seriously wounded in Iraq and suffered from post traumatic stress disorder. His family is now working to prevent this tragedy from repeating itself.
After combat in Afghanistan in 2004, serious injuries from a bomb in Iraq in 2005, and three years of chronic pain and mental anguish, Hall will finally be able to rest in peace and with honor. Hall's cremated remains will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery
go here for more
http://www.whas11.com/topstories/stories/whas11_topstories_080625_erichall.3bee5d14.html
08:27 PM EDT on Wednesday, June 25, 2008
WHAS11) - The Jeffersonville marine found dead in a Florida culvert in March will be laid to rest this Friday. The discovery of Eric Hall's body came after a month-long search.
Hall had been seriously wounded in Iraq and suffered from post traumatic stress disorder. His family is now working to prevent this tragedy from repeating itself.
After combat in Afghanistan in 2004, serious injuries from a bomb in Iraq in 2005, and three years of chronic pain and mental anguish, Hall will finally be able to rest in peace and with honor. Hall's cremated remains will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery
go here for more
http://www.whas11.com/topstories/stories/whas11_topstories_080625_erichall.3bee5d14.html
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