This President and his entire administration makes me ill, mentally ill, seriously! Just to give a perspective of what vets go through to get their benefits, let me give you, dear readers, a little insight.
I served in the Army as a paratrooper then later as a weapons sergeant in 7th Special Forces Group. Our area focus was/is Latin America. This was during late Reagan years; early Bush I years. I served on many deployments during that time including the invasion of Panama. During that time I suffered several compressed disc fractures and afterwards started to feel really funny inside. I began to have really strange nightmares. During the day my chest felt tight and very strong sensations of butterflies in my chest. I am very jumpy as well.
I left active duty and attended UMich while staying in 19th Special Forces Group National Guard to help pay. It was at this time that I was diagnosed with spinal injury and degenerative bone condition in the lumbar. Somehow, when I graduated, I got permission and a medical waiver to switch to the Navy to attend OCS and become an intelligence officer. During this time I began to drink even more heavily to sleep at night.
Up to current day. Out of the service and recieved 60% disability. But here are the problems. I had to pay for my own sleep study (sleep apnea) and orthopedic exams beyond the regular VA exam. After the war started I got worse with these funny feelings inside and drinking even more heavily. I went to a shrink at my grad school and was finally diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder, Interpersonality Disorder, and PTSD.
Though I have all my paperwork in order (medical diagnosis, CIB, stressor letter, buddy letters, failed marraige, etc.) and the VVA is helping me, the VA says that I need to go to therapy to help back up my claim. But guess what, they won’t send me to therapy because it isn’t service connected yet and I have no health insurance to go to therapy. Catch 22. Vietnam Veteran’s Association says this is common place in that the VA hopes the veteran will eventually give up and save the government money because this asshat administration is gutting VA funding.
My claim has been in since March 2002 and is still pending the appeals process. Will I eventually win? I believe so, my ducks are in order. But how much taxpayer money and resources are they wasting by keeping me in appeals when thos sources could be going to other vets?
Yes folks, this might be a personal bitch, but I thought I’d give you some food for thought on this wonderful veteran’s day about just ONE person’s struggle against the government and how they treat us once we’re all used up and broken.
The good side is that I’ve taken a road to recovery to get out of the alcoholism.
