Police seek van in death of disabled Iraq vet
The Associated Press
Posted : Tuesday Jul 14, 2009 15:29:34 EDT
FRAMINGHAM, Mass. — Massachusetts State Police are asking for the public’s help in tracking down a van they say may have been involved in an accident that killed a disabled Iraq war veteran.
Police say the blue, older-model passenger van was seen on Interstate 93 south in Andover on Friday at about the time a Pontiac Sunbird lost control and rolled over, killing 23-year-old passenger Mark Ecker II of East Longmeadow.
Ecker was a sergeant in the Army when he was injured in February 2007 by an explosive hidden in a wall in Ramadi, Iraq. Both his legs were amputated and he spent seven months learning how to walk on prosthetics.
The driver of the car suffered minor injuries.
Ecker’s military dog tags were lost in the crash, but recovered by a volunteer and returned to his family.
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/07/ap_vet_killed_van_071409/
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Rachael Todd wins Miss Florida
Rachael Todd wins Miss Florida!
First Appearance at Tuscawilla Country Club
Winter Springs, Florida - Tuscawilla Country Club is honored to be hosting the first appearance of the new Miss Florida, Rachael Todd, on Tuesday, July 14, 2009. Rachael, who was born and raised in Oviedo, Florida, will now go on to compete nationally for the title of Miss America! Ms. Todd, who celebrated her win and was crowned on Saturday, will be appearing to thank those who have supported her as she prepared for the Miss Florida Pageant.
Rachael's heart lies with her platform - "The Changing Face of Homelessness", which has been in the forefront and main topic of all of her appearances prior to the win. Rachael has held the position of volunteer coordinator for several large outreach events for the HOPE Foundation, which was founded by her mother in 2007, and was currently named Non-Profit of the Year. Rachaels' focus is to bring awareness to the "Millennial" generation and the true aspects of homelessness today, with specific focus on children and families. Rachael was a guest earlier this year at the Tuscawilla Country Club "Party with a Purpose" where thousands of dollars were raised to benefit the HOPE Foundations *Village of HOPE.
After the reception Rachael will start her new career traveling throughout the State of Florida, and within the US to continue her mission to spread the word about homelessness, encouraging people to get plugged into their community, and of course, prepare for the Miss America Pageant that will take place in Las Vegas, January of 2010.
WELCOME RECEPTION: Rachael Todd, Miss Florida
WHERE / WHEN: Tuscawilla Country Club
1500 Winter Springs Blvd.
Winter Springs, Florida 32708
http://www.tuscawillacc.com/tuscawilla/
RECEPTION: 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. (open to the public, cash bar available)
HOSTED BY:
Tuscawilla Country Club, in association with Miss Florida
Pageant and the HOPE Foundation *HOPE currently runs a large Thrift Store, Food Pantry and Resource Center. The Village of HOPE will allow families in crisis to access all resources and services in one location such as; case management, counseling, life skills training, medical/dental services, educational/apprenticeship programs and more. HOPE's assists families in crisis, preventing them from becoming homeless and giving them the tools to become self-sufficient.
For additional interview or appearances for Miss Florida, please contact Miss Florida Representative Mary at marycrwnmry@aol.com For additional information about HOPE, please contact Joan Faulkner joan@helpforthehomeless.net
First Appearance at Tuscawilla Country Club
Winter Springs, Florida - Tuscawilla Country Club is honored to be hosting the first appearance of the new Miss Florida, Rachael Todd, on Tuesday, July 14, 2009. Rachael, who was born and raised in Oviedo, Florida, will now go on to compete nationally for the title of Miss America! Ms. Todd, who celebrated her win and was crowned on Saturday, will be appearing to thank those who have supported her as she prepared for the Miss Florida Pageant.
Rachael's heart lies with her platform - "The Changing Face of Homelessness", which has been in the forefront and main topic of all of her appearances prior to the win. Rachael has held the position of volunteer coordinator for several large outreach events for the HOPE Foundation, which was founded by her mother in 2007, and was currently named Non-Profit of the Year. Rachaels' focus is to bring awareness to the "Millennial" generation and the true aspects of homelessness today, with specific focus on children and families. Rachael was a guest earlier this year at the Tuscawilla Country Club "Party with a Purpose" where thousands of dollars were raised to benefit the HOPE Foundations *Village of HOPE.
After the reception Rachael will start her new career traveling throughout the State of Florida, and within the US to continue her mission to spread the word about homelessness, encouraging people to get plugged into their community, and of course, prepare for the Miss America Pageant that will take place in Las Vegas, January of 2010.
WELCOME RECEPTION: Rachael Todd, Miss Florida
WHERE / WHEN: Tuscawilla Country Club
1500 Winter Springs Blvd.
Winter Springs, Florida 32708
http://www.tuscawillacc.com/tuscawilla/
RECEPTION: 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. (open to the public, cash bar available)
HOSTED BY:
Tuscawilla Country Club, in association with Miss Florida
Pageant and the HOPE Foundation *HOPE currently runs a large Thrift Store, Food Pantry and Resource Center. The Village of HOPE will allow families in crisis to access all resources and services in one location such as; case management, counseling, life skills training, medical/dental services, educational/apprenticeship programs and more. HOPE's assists families in crisis, preventing them from becoming homeless and giving them the tools to become self-sufficient.
For additional interview or appearances for Miss Florida, please contact Miss Florida Representative Mary at marycrwnmry@aol.com For additional information about HOPE, please contact Joan Faulkner joan@helpforthehomeless.net
Wounded Times receives endorsement from Vietnam and All Veterans of Brevard
A few months ago I was contacted by Bill Vagianos, Vietnam and All Veterans of Brevard, offering support for the work I do. I was stunned because up until now, I often traveled wondering how anyone had any clue who I was. I asked Bill if God sent him to me because his email came at a time when I was really depressed. (You know, one of those times in my life when I was wondering if what I was doing was worth it or not. One more time when bills were more than we had coming in. ) Then he told me that he had been reading my blog when I posted how hard it was to do this work while my family was suffering financially for it. I worked since I was 14 and had never been without a paycheck until January of 2008.
This is my work, my job, my ministry and what I was called to do when I fell in love with my Vietnam vet husband along with every other Vietnam vet. Since then, my arms expanded to reach out to the newer veterans, police officers, firefighters and survivors of trauma. Most of what I do is kept private. What you see on this blog is only part of what I do everyday. If I post 10 articles, there were about 60 more I had to read. Then the videos on the blog take more time. I do this because I remember being alone, or at least feeling alone because in the beginning, I just didn't know how many others there were living with PTSD.
This is the email I received from Bill today as an endorsement. He had great compassion for me since I told him that I was not really good at advertising what I do, so instead of just saying I have his support, he wrote this.
Chaplain Kathie,
Thank you for the powerfully inspiring presentation you made at the General Membership meeting of the Vietnam and All Veterans of Brevard (VVB) last evening. You provided enlightenment and hope for many of the members in attendance, myself included.
I began following Wounded Times about 18 months ago and remain in awe of your prolific writing and depth of knowledge regarding PTSD and many other veteran issues of concern. It is profoundly clear that your blogs are well-researched and reality-based.
And you message is clear that you are committed to bring a sense of normalcy to our fellow veterans, active troops, police officers, firefighters and other trauma survivors.
As you stated, we Vietnam veterans manifested PTSD as a legitimate diagnosis, having it recognized by the American Psychiatric Association as a disability related to combat and forcing the VA to treat the disorder.
Your unique and seemingly tireless approach to eradicating the sense of aloneness sufferers of PTSD experience through assemblage of compelling stories about people experiencing trauma, suffering the after affects of trauma, and trauma survivors reaching out to help others is powerfully healing. As you described, “Quiet heroes have been turning their own pain into missions of support to others”.
I realize that the cost of your commitment to your calling, training, licensing fees, insurance, computers, Internet, website fees, phone charges and travel expenses to name a few, have been absorbed by you and the financial burden on your family is huge. I am also aware that you recently lost your income.
The VVB is happy to financially support your supreme efforts and just cause in service to our past and present veterans and first responders. Please accept our donation.
In Service to America,
Bill Vagianos, President
Vietnam and All Veterans of Brevard
There is an old, yellowing copy of a pamphlet I was handed by a Vet Center councilor,
(This is the paper I was holding last night.)The first page is the introduction and sums up what was going on in 1978 but was kept America's dirty little secret.
"Most Vietnam veterans have adjusted well to life back in the United States, following their wartime experiences. That's a tribute to these veterans who faced a difficult homecoming to say the least.
However, a very large number of veterans haven't made it all the way home from the war in Southeast Asia. By conservative estimates, at least half a million Vietnam veterans still lead lives plagued by serious war-related readjustment problems. Such problems crop up in a number of ways, varying from veteran to veteran. Flashbacks to combat, feelings of alienation or anger, depression, loneliness and an inability to get close to others, sometimes drug or alcohol problems, perhaps even suicidal feelings. The litany goes on."
This pamphlet hangs on my office wall just above my desk to remind me of why I do what I do when things get too stressful, I get too depressed over the lack of attention PTSD gets, when I get one more email about a veteran on the brink of suicide or from a family member after it's too late to save them. I leave it hanging there to remind me when I cannot find the will to go on as my own financial stresses take turns for the worst and I begin to wonder if this is worth it when I know I could go back to working for paychecks. I used to do accounting and was very good at it and paid well for doing it. The last job I had ended January 2008 and that was the last paycheck I could depend on. I worked for a church as head of Christian Education. It's what led me to become a Chaplain. For any suffering I go through doing what I do, I know veterans are paying the price a lot higher than any price I pay helping them.
I started doing outreach work in 1982 and have been doing it for over half my life. In 2004 we moved from Massachusetts to Florida so that I could work part-time and devote more time to this work. The need increased and the numbers I was seeing coming in terrified me. I knew the suffering all too well after living through the worst of it with my own husband.
Years ago I realized there were many stories about traumatic events but scattered around the world. This was before Afghanistan and Iraq. I began to put stories together on an AOL blog. This lead to the blog now called Screaming In An Empty Room. I began Wounded Times because I had blended too many political posts with posts about veterans and this became a problem when veterans were looking for posts about them, so I limit the political posts on Wounded Times unless it has a direct bearing on our veterans. With whatever time I had between working and helping veterans, I tracked the stories around the country and internationally for one simple reason. PTSD is a human wound that strikes after traumatic events. It was important to have as many stories as possible all in one place to bring a sense of "normal" to our veterans, troops, police officers, firefighters and survivors.
Until Vietnam veterans made headway addressing PTSD, having it recognized as a disability related to combat and forcing the treatment of it by the VA, there was not much done on mental health following traumatic events. What they managed to do was bring Post Traumatic Stress Disorder into the awareness of the mental health community. What we see today in the response to traumatic events is directly due to their efforts. This also caused the reporters to cover stories of after trauma as well as the event itself.
Realizing the only way to eradicate the stigma associated with feeling alone, my mission became to focus on compiling stories of humans suffering after trauma as well as reaching out to help others. Quiet heroes have been turning their own pain into missions of support to others.
Wounded Times focuses on trauma with a spotlight on the military/veterans. There are stories about the VA and the DOD along with civilian life. I post about traumatic events effecting police officers, emergency responders, firefighters and survivors to also bring in the fact that our troops and veterans, while a minority of our population, are still humans. The difference is their traumatic exposures happened a lot more often than what we face in our lifetimes.
The need to have these reports all in one place is key to the mission of Wounded Times. I also do editorials to add in over 25 years of knowledge to say what is not being said. As a Chaplain, I try to address the need for spiritual healing since this is a common condition of people after trauma. The majority either believe God judged them or abandoned them following traumatic events after combat. This also happens with many others. Understanding what PTSD is enables the survivor to reconnect to their faith and know that God did not do this to them.
Wounded Times is about healing and understanding PTSD. This is why I produce videos on PTSD. In 2005 I understood that no matter how much I wrote, I could not break through to the people needing the information fast enough. I now have over 25 videos. These videos are now available on Wounded Times, Nam Guardian Angel PTSD Shield and Great Americans. If there is a need to have a DVD for service groups or individuals, I ask for a donation to help cover the cost of what I do. These videos are used all over the country by mental health providers, service groups and veterans groups. If anyone cannot afford to donate, they are not turned away.
I travel with these videos doing presentations to bring understanding of this complicated wound to any group wanting to understand as simply as possible believing once they understand, they will be able to provide the support to those suffering from it as well as their families.
I have been trained to respond to traumatic events because heading off PTSD is vital. I can also explain to the survivors what they may face so that they will seek treatment as soon as possible should the event set off the need for mental health care. Believing the sooner PTSD is addressed, the better the recovery, understanding what it is will assist the survivors in watching for signs they may need help as well as to watch for signs in others to assist them in getting help. The prevalence of PTSD we see today would not be so great had the information been available to them.
So far, training, fees for licensing and insurance have been out of pocket. I spend an average of 70 hours a week working on the blog, videos and reaching out with veterans thru emails. This has caused a huge financial burden on my family. Aside from lost income when I work outside of this, we have had to cover those expenses along with computers, Internet and website fees, phone charges and travel expenses. This is why your support of my work is so important. I cannot maintain Wounded Times without your help and I cannot continue my ministry to others without financial support.
I have set up a Charter of the International Fellowship of Chaplains so that donations are tax deductible. Your support will help me to continue to reach veterans and everyone else wounded by PTSD across the nation and internationally. It will also allow me to pay for advertising so that others needing help will not have to find Wounded Times or my videos accidentally. I have received too many emails from veterans on the brink and families when it was too late to help because they could not find my site sooner. Your support will help save lives and prevent families from having to feel lost.
Thank you for your support and believing in the work I do.
Chaplain Kathie
Senior IFOC Chaplain
Kathie Costos DiCesare
web site
www.namguardianangel.com
blog
www.woundedtimes.blogspot.com
"The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional to how they perceive veterans of early wars were treated and appreciated by our nation." - George Washington
Certifications and Training
IFOC Certified, ordained, licensed and insured senior chaplain
Trauma Grief and Loss
Critical Incidents Stress
Critical Incidents Stress Management
Critical Incidents Stress Debriefing
Crisis Intervention and Peer Support
Military Cultural Competence
DEEP, Disaster and Extreme Event Preparedness
Administrator of Christian Education 2 years
Veterans outreach and trauma specialist, over 25 years
Producer of PTSD educational videos
Female veterans
Hardest Times You Could Imagine
Sisters After War
The Voice, Women at War
Women at War
Combat Veterans
Wounded Minds
Hero After War
When War Comes Home Part one and two
Wounded and Waiting
Veterans Day Memories of Vietnam
Veterans Everyday
PTSD, It’s All About Soul
PTSD Final Battle of War
PTSD Not God’s Judgment
Nam Nights of PTSD Still
Lean on Me
Death Because They Served
Homeless Veterans Everyday
Coming Out of the Dark
National Guards
PTSD I Grieve
Civilians
PTSD After Trauma
IFOC Chaplain Army Of Love
Point Man Ministries
Veterans Outreach, Home Free
There you have it. Now back to work for me.
Grant to help Vets with war injuries
Grant to help Vets with war injuries
Updated: Monday, 13 Jul 2009, 4:30 PM EDT
Published : Monday, 13 Jul 2009, 4:23 PM EDT
Virginia Commonwealth University
RICHMOND, Va. - The Partnership for People with Disabilities at the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Education and the Virginia Wounded Warrior Program , Virginia Department of Veterans Services, have received a grant to ease the return of war veterans to their homes and communities throughout Virginia.
The Commonwealth Neurotrauma Initiative (CNI) Trust Fund awarded $398,700 to fund the project Common Ground: Linking Wounded Warriors and Community Support Providers. This three-year, statewide collaborative project will provide training and resources to help community support providers throughout Virginia – including volunteers, brain injury service providers, clinicians and peers – work with veterans with traumatic brain injuries and post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and their families.
read more here
Grant to help Vets with war injuries
Updated: Monday, 13 Jul 2009, 4:30 PM EDT
Published : Monday, 13 Jul 2009, 4:23 PM EDT
Virginia Commonwealth University
RICHMOND, Va. - The Partnership for People with Disabilities at the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Education and the Virginia Wounded Warrior Program , Virginia Department of Veterans Services, have received a grant to ease the return of war veterans to their homes and communities throughout Virginia.
The Commonwealth Neurotrauma Initiative (CNI) Trust Fund awarded $398,700 to fund the project Common Ground: Linking Wounded Warriors and Community Support Providers. This three-year, statewide collaborative project will provide training and resources to help community support providers throughout Virginia – including volunteers, brain injury service providers, clinicians and peers – work with veterans with traumatic brain injuries and post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and their families.
read more here
Grant to help Vets with war injuries
Vietnam Veteran Re-enlists in Iraq
Vietnam Veteran Re-enlists in Iraq
16th Sustainment Brigade
Story by Capt. Natalie Mercedes-Williams
Date: 07.13.2009
CONTINGENCY OPERATING SITE MAREZ-EAST, Iraq — Sgt. 1st Class Hershel L. Mayfield, a native of Tallassee, Ala., has been serving in the Army for 39 years; thirty-seven of which were with the 158th Maintenance Company, Alabama Army National Guard.
Mayfield decided that it was time to re-enlist again into the Guard and continue to serve his country for two more years.
"Everything I do today is done with the next generation in mind, and how I can influence them to do the same for their nation," said Mayfield.
Mayfield joined the Guard, reclassing as a light-wheel vehicle mechanic, with a desire to continue serving his country as a Soldier. He thanked his wife of 30 years, Sheila, and his children Hershel Mayfield III (deceased) and Amber Lynn Tounton, for supporting him throughout his military career.
read more here
Vietnam Veteran Re-enlists in Iraq
16th Sustainment Brigade
Story by Capt. Natalie Mercedes-Williams
Date: 07.13.2009
CONTINGENCY OPERATING SITE MAREZ-EAST, Iraq — Sgt. 1st Class Hershel L. Mayfield, a native of Tallassee, Ala., has been serving in the Army for 39 years; thirty-seven of which were with the 158th Maintenance Company, Alabama Army National Guard.
Mayfield decided that it was time to re-enlist again into the Guard and continue to serve his country for two more years.
"Everything I do today is done with the next generation in mind, and how I can influence them to do the same for their nation," said Mayfield.
Mayfield joined the Guard, reclassing as a light-wheel vehicle mechanic, with a desire to continue serving his country as a Soldier. He thanked his wife of 30 years, Sheila, and his children Hershel Mayfield III (deceased) and Amber Lynn Tounton, for supporting him throughout his military career.
read more here
Vietnam Veteran Re-enlists in Iraq
Lindsey Baum, missing child of National Guardsman covered by CBS
UPDATE
Small town of McCleary not giving up on missing girl
By Keith Eldridge
Watch the story
MCCLEARY, Wash. -- While the official search for Lindsey Baum has been scaled back, no one in this town is giving up on finding her. "We continue to get tips, we continually talk to the public," said McCleary Police Chief George Crumb. "I don't believe they've given up hope."At the town's annual Bear Festival over the weekend, volunteers were passing out flyers with photos of the missing girl, who missed her 11th birthday last week. "I know she's out there and I know she's alive," said Lindsey's mom, Melissa. "I just want her to know if she can hear me that I'm never going to stop looking for you. I'm going to look for you until I have you back. I swear I will never stop looking.
Watch CBS Videos Online
You can read more about this here
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Lindsey Baum, missing child's father to deploy to Iraq
Small town of McCleary not giving up on missing girl
By Keith Eldridge
Watch the story
MCCLEARY, Wash. -- While the official search for Lindsey Baum has been scaled back, no one in this town is giving up on finding her. "We continue to get tips, we continually talk to the public," said McCleary Police Chief George Crumb. "I don't believe they've given up hope."At the town's annual Bear Festival over the weekend, volunteers were passing out flyers with photos of the missing girl, who missed her 11th birthday last week. "I know she's out there and I know she's alive," said Lindsey's mom, Melissa. "I just want her to know if she can hear me that I'm never going to stop looking for you. I'm going to look for you until I have you back. I swear I will never stop looking.
Girl Disappears, Dad to Deploy
July 13, 2009 5:55 AM
The search continues for an 11-year-old Wash. girl who disappeared. Julie Chen spoke with the parents of the missing girl, whose father will soon be deployed to Iraq.
Watch CBS Videos Online
You can read more about this here
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Lindsey Baum, missing child's father to deploy to Iraq
VA 'Quack' Scandal in Montana Worst Yet
Special Report: Are the 11 Montana VA Deaths Murder?
Gordon Duff Special to Salem-News.com
VA 'Quack' Scandal in Montana Worst Yet.
(CLEVELAND, Ohio ) - When a whistleblower brought records of 28 veterans who were undiagnosed and untreated to VA authorities in Montana, he was threatened, bullied and abused. No surprise here. When forced to investigate, the hospital quickly found all claims were false.
The doctor's name is secret. We assume he is a radiologist. He treated 5800 patients, some are known to have died. Was this simple "malpractice" or a pattern of criminal behavior that may have led to the deaths of many Montana veterans?
Examining the VA Inspector Generals report, we now understand more. Not only did this doctor falsify medical records, he failed to diagnose and treat countless patients. He falsified records showing false diagnoses and treatments. It is extremely unlikely that many patients didn't die because of these actions.
read more here
Are the 11 Montana VA Deaths Murder
Gordon Duff Special to Salem-News.com
VA 'Quack' Scandal in Montana Worst Yet.
(CLEVELAND, Ohio ) - When a whistleblower brought records of 28 veterans who were undiagnosed and untreated to VA authorities in Montana, he was threatened, bullied and abused. No surprise here. When forced to investigate, the hospital quickly found all claims were false.
The doctor's name is secret. We assume he is a radiologist. He treated 5800 patients, some are known to have died. Was this simple "malpractice" or a pattern of criminal behavior that may have led to the deaths of many Montana veterans?
Examining the VA Inspector Generals report, we now understand more. Not only did this doctor falsify medical records, he failed to diagnose and treat countless patients. He falsified records showing false diagnoses and treatments. It is extremely unlikely that many patients didn't die because of these actions.
read more here
Are the 11 Montana VA Deaths Murder
Cpl. Simeon Sanders killed in Chicago suburb on leave
1 held in death of soldier on leave
The Associated Press
Posted : Monday Jul 13, 2009 13:51:11 EDT
HARVEY, Ill. — Police in the Chicago suburb of Harvey say a suspect is being held in connection with the fatal shooting of a soldier who was home on leave.
Cpl. Simeon Sanders was crossing a street with a relative on Thursday evening when he was shot. According to authorities, the shot was fired by one of two men involved in an altercation.
read more here
1 held in death of soldier on leave
The Associated Press
Posted : Monday Jul 13, 2009 13:51:11 EDT
HARVEY, Ill. — Police in the Chicago suburb of Harvey say a suspect is being held in connection with the fatal shooting of a soldier who was home on leave.
Cpl. Simeon Sanders was crossing a street with a relative on Thursday evening when he was shot. According to authorities, the shot was fired by one of two men involved in an altercation.
read more here
1 held in death of soldier on leave
Healing the hidden wounds of soldiers
Healing the hidden wounds of soldiers
Craig and Marc Kielburger
In yoga, the warrior pose represents the spiritual strength of the person performing the move.
As Lucy Cimini slowly leads her students into the posture at the Central Mass Yoga Institute, it takes on new meaning.
The men standing firm-footed with their arms outstretched are not your typical yoga students. They are warriors – actual ones, not just spiritual.
Cimini’s Yoga Warriors program, which was started for veterans of Vietnam and has grown to include those returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, uses the tenets of the meditative discipline to teach coping strategies for post-traumatic stress disorder.
“Men come out the service and they are just so stressed out,” she says. “It’s very hard to get veterans to come forward and join a group like that. When they’re in it though, they know it actually helps them.”
Help can be one of the hardest things to ask for, especially for veterans. PTSD has often held stigma in the armed forces. Historically, it was referred to as battle fatigue or shell shock before being officially recognized as an illness in 1980.
read more here
Healing the hidden wounds of soldiers
Craig and Marc Kielburger
In yoga, the warrior pose represents the spiritual strength of the person performing the move.
As Lucy Cimini slowly leads her students into the posture at the Central Mass Yoga Institute, it takes on new meaning.
The men standing firm-footed with their arms outstretched are not your typical yoga students. They are warriors – actual ones, not just spiritual.
Cimini’s Yoga Warriors program, which was started for veterans of Vietnam and has grown to include those returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, uses the tenets of the meditative discipline to teach coping strategies for post-traumatic stress disorder.
“Men come out the service and they are just so stressed out,” she says. “It’s very hard to get veterans to come forward and join a group like that. When they’re in it though, they know it actually helps them.”
Help can be one of the hardest things to ask for, especially for veterans. PTSD has often held stigma in the armed forces. Historically, it was referred to as battle fatigue or shell shock before being officially recognized as an illness in 1980.
read more here
Healing the hidden wounds of soldiers
The world notices America's homeless veterans
This video was linked to a site out of Pakistan. Imagine that! The world notices them but we walk by them. Think about how this nation looks to the rest of the world when we manage to spend almost half of what the rest of the world spends on "defense" but ends up with allowing veterans of the wars we wage to become homeless. We allow them to suffer for the rest of their lives as if we just didn't care because they were no longer of any use to us. I know what I think when I see a homeless veteran. I know what a lot of people think when they actually do care about the men and women willing to lay down their lives for the rest of us but find us missing after action.
YouTube Video: America's Shame!
By admin
There are nearly 200000 homeless veterans nightly in American. Nearly 1 in 4 homeless people is a veteran. That's criminal.
Pakistan News News, Videos,... - http://rightnreal.com
Stepping up for Stand Down in San Diego
Stepping up for Stand Down
Chaplain Pavich pulls it all together – again – for next weekend's rally for homeless veterans
By Caroline Dipping
Union-Tribune Staff Writer
2:00 a.m. July 12, 2009
Nearly 1,000 homeless military veterans are expected to descend on San Diego High School's upper athletic field next weekend for the 22nd annual Veterans Village of San Diego Stand Down. As in years past, they will be looking forward to a shower, food and a safe place to sleep. Maybe even a haircut.
Whether they get this, and a host of other services crucial to their welfare, hinges on the organizational acumen and sheer workhorse drive of one woman.
Darcy Lovgren Pavich.
Pavich took over as San Diego's Stand Down coordinator 10 years ago by happenstance, when the regular coordinator retired just a month before the three-day rally. The former Navy chaplain was nearing the end of a long convalescence from ovarian cancer when her husband, Al, then CEO of Veterans Village of San Diego, asked her if she could pitch in and help with that year's Stand Down.
go here for more
Stepping up for Stand Down
Chaplain Pavich pulls it all together – again – for next weekend's rally for homeless veterans
By Caroline Dipping
Union-Tribune Staff Writer
2:00 a.m. July 12, 2009
Nearly 1,000 homeless military veterans are expected to descend on San Diego High School's upper athletic field next weekend for the 22nd annual Veterans Village of San Diego Stand Down. As in years past, they will be looking forward to a shower, food and a safe place to sleep. Maybe even a haircut.
Whether they get this, and a host of other services crucial to their welfare, hinges on the organizational acumen and sheer workhorse drive of one woman.
Darcy Lovgren Pavich.
Pavich took over as San Diego's Stand Down coordinator 10 years ago by happenstance, when the regular coordinator retired just a month before the three-day rally. The former Navy chaplain was nearing the end of a long convalescence from ovarian cancer when her husband, Al, then CEO of Veterans Village of San Diego, asked her if she could pitch in and help with that year's Stand Down.
go here for more
Stepping up for Stand Down
Troop-support Videos Pulled Over Taste
Support the troops with something like this? A matter of taste? Give me a break. I bet many people find these videos very funny. That's fine. It seems that supporting the troops requires actually doing it instead of just entertaining them. How about actually putting out videos about readjustment? Maybe some one PTSD and what they go through? How about what it's like for the families when they come home wounded and then have to face life altered by it along with months or years of having to fight to have a VA claim approved? How about actually doing something to support the troops instead of putting out videos about this kind of sensationalism? Taste is always debatable but it's a waste of time when what they need has been unattainable.
Troop-support Videos Pulled Over Taste
July 14, 2009
Fayetteville Observer
The promotional videos were meant to show that Fayetteville goes out of its way to support the thousands of Soldiers who call the city home.
But the videos were quickly pulled from YouTube and other Web sites Monday after their tastefulness was questioned.
One video shows a Soldier leaping on the back of an old woman using a walker to cross a street. Late Monday, the video was back on YouTube.
Another has a Soldier kissing a blonde while a man dressed in women's clothes sits nearby and fumes because he's ready to go.
Later, the man in drag is approached by a swarm of prospective suitors. The Soldier turns to the camera, gives a thumbs-up sign and says, "Thanks, Fayetteville."
"Now that's what I call supporting the troops," adds an actor playing a town official in the videos. "Then again, that's what you'd expect from America's first sanctuary community for Soldiers."
The videos are a product of the city's advertising campaign "Fayetteville N.C., the World's First Sanctuary for Soldiers." They were spearheaded by the Fayetteville Area Convention and Visitors Bureau.
One includes a flatulence sound. Another seems to imply masturbation on the part of the "official town official" before the camera sweeps down to show that he's rubbing a Soldier's feet.
"Shhh. He's sleeping," the actor says.
go here for more
Troop-support Videos Pulled Over Taste
Monday, July 13, 2009
PTSD henchmen out in force again!
PTSD henchmen out in force again!
I can just imagine the kinds of posts I'll read after this. As if the henchmen needed any help in assaulting our veterans, our troops, police officers, firefighters, emergency responders and survivors of trauma. Believe me, they've had all the help they can get from a bunch of hacks that never knew or lived with a veteran with PTSD. This "research" is nothing new. They have been trying to paint veterans as simply looking for money and nothing more. Pharmaceutical make billions off treating "PTSD" so they point to the fact there is a lot of money involved. Doctors make millions of dollars every year treating it, so again, it has to be all about money. I'd like to see one of these hacks tell that to the family of a veteran that committed suicide. Plus how is it that when people have cancer, no one is every accused of being in it for the money?
I've been in this for far too long to ever once have second thoughts about the reality of PTSD. It's been researched to death since the 70's and even before that, it was called something else but the history of it was kept in a cone of silence like it was America's dirty little secret.
It was only up until the last 5 years or so that I did not have to search endlessly for reports on PTSD. The media finally picked up on this but anyone living through traumatic events has been suffering from it since the beginning of time. Part of the reason I track this so much is that I am looking for a cure for my husband and my own life! He is living a life again, but oh, how I wish I could have him back the same way he was when we met and PTSD was mild. Even back then, he was my best friend, so I was a bit jealous when we were around friends he had since he was really young and they told me what he was like. I can only imagine that Jack. Still, the Jack that got up and went to work, worked overtime and had dreams of doing things, frugal, responsible, thoughtful, would be wonderful to get back. Even with him being in treatment and on medication, things in this house are a balancing act on a roller coaster ride. I never know what each day will bring, what kind of mood he'll be in or what will set him off.
I did not spend almost 25 years with this man, never once spending the entire night in the same bed unless we were traveling and were forced to sleep in the same bed, for nothing! Believe me, even with a king size bed in a hotel room, I had to stay far away from him while we tried to sleep. I've seen him off medication and in denial. I've seen him without treatment. I never want to go through that kind of hell ever again.
Any "researcher" doubting the reality of PTSD, has never walked in my shoes or lived in my house. They have never seen what it is like as they lose so much hope they want to die. They have never had to bury someone in their family that committed suicide instead of living one more day with it. We buried my husband's nephew over this!
I have lived through many traumatic events in my life beginning with an alcoholic violent father. I saw what it did to my two brothers and my mother. I didn't end up with PTSD or a drinking problem but my brothers did. I didn't end up bitter, but my mother did. Am I blessed? Cursed? Stronger? Have more faith than they did? Than my husband did? Hell, I don't know and I'm still searching for that answer. There are many things in this world I don't understand and some things I will never understand, but there are things I know for a fact and that is the reality of PTSD. Is there one treatment that works for everyone? No. Is there one medication that works for everyone? No.
There is a fact that PTSD treated early can be reversed if they get help soon after the event. PTSD does stop getting worse as soon as treatment begins and it does get worse if it is left alone, not treated. I didn't spend more than half my life doing this to still be reading crap like this that some henchmen is still trying to say that this has to do with money. We had a lot of money when my husband worked! I was able to work full time and pull overtime with good jobs. We left Massachusetts so that I could work part time and do this work full time because it was that important to me to do it and there were increasing numbers coming in with PTSD and not enough hours in the day to keep up with it. Now, think if he didn't have PTSD, or there was ever a possibility PTSD was not real, I can assure you that I wouldn't be spending 70 hours a week working for free and praying for donations to come in so that I could actually not have to use credit cards and refinancing the house over and over again. That's how real PTSD is!
I don't want one more family going through what we did. I don't want one more veteran or anyone else for that matter, going through what my husband has. I'll be damned if I let one more jerk even attempt to link PTSD veterans to money!
One more note here, if there is no trauma, there is no PTSD! That's why it's called Post Traumatic! It means it is something else but these "researchers" must not know what it is. If a psychiatrist is looking for anything other than PTSD, they will find it because the symptoms mimic other illnesses. PTSD comes after trauma and the two are not the same.
I can just imagine the kinds of posts I'll read after this. As if the henchmen needed any help in assaulting our veterans, our troops, police officers, firefighters, emergency responders and survivors of trauma. Believe me, they've had all the help they can get from a bunch of hacks that never knew or lived with a veteran with PTSD. This "research" is nothing new. They have been trying to paint veterans as simply looking for money and nothing more. Pharmaceutical make billions off treating "PTSD" so they point to the fact there is a lot of money involved. Doctors make millions of dollars every year treating it, so again, it has to be all about money. I'd like to see one of these hacks tell that to the family of a veteran that committed suicide. Plus how is it that when people have cancer, no one is every accused of being in it for the money?
I've been in this for far too long to ever once have second thoughts about the reality of PTSD. It's been researched to death since the 70's and even before that, it was called something else but the history of it was kept in a cone of silence like it was America's dirty little secret.
It was only up until the last 5 years or so that I did not have to search endlessly for reports on PTSD. The media finally picked up on this but anyone living through traumatic events has been suffering from it since the beginning of time. Part of the reason I track this so much is that I am looking for a cure for my husband and my own life! He is living a life again, but oh, how I wish I could have him back the same way he was when we met and PTSD was mild. Even back then, he was my best friend, so I was a bit jealous when we were around friends he had since he was really young and they told me what he was like. I can only imagine that Jack. Still, the Jack that got up and went to work, worked overtime and had dreams of doing things, frugal, responsible, thoughtful, would be wonderful to get back. Even with him being in treatment and on medication, things in this house are a balancing act on a roller coaster ride. I never know what each day will bring, what kind of mood he'll be in or what will set him off.
I did not spend almost 25 years with this man, never once spending the entire night in the same bed unless we were traveling and were forced to sleep in the same bed, for nothing! Believe me, even with a king size bed in a hotel room, I had to stay far away from him while we tried to sleep. I've seen him off medication and in denial. I've seen him without treatment. I never want to go through that kind of hell ever again.
Any "researcher" doubting the reality of PTSD, has never walked in my shoes or lived in my house. They have never seen what it is like as they lose so much hope they want to die. They have never had to bury someone in their family that committed suicide instead of living one more day with it. We buried my husband's nephew over this!
I have lived through many traumatic events in my life beginning with an alcoholic violent father. I saw what it did to my two brothers and my mother. I didn't end up with PTSD or a drinking problem but my brothers did. I didn't end up bitter, but my mother did. Am I blessed? Cursed? Stronger? Have more faith than they did? Than my husband did? Hell, I don't know and I'm still searching for that answer. There are many things in this world I don't understand and some things I will never understand, but there are things I know for a fact and that is the reality of PTSD. Is there one treatment that works for everyone? No. Is there one medication that works for everyone? No.
There is a fact that PTSD treated early can be reversed if they get help soon after the event. PTSD does stop getting worse as soon as treatment begins and it does get worse if it is left alone, not treated. I didn't spend more than half my life doing this to still be reading crap like this that some henchmen is still trying to say that this has to do with money. We had a lot of money when my husband worked! I was able to work full time and pull overtime with good jobs. We left Massachusetts so that I could work part time and do this work full time because it was that important to me to do it and there were increasing numbers coming in with PTSD and not enough hours in the day to keep up with it. Now, think if he didn't have PTSD, or there was ever a possibility PTSD was not real, I can assure you that I wouldn't be spending 70 hours a week working for free and praying for donations to come in so that I could actually not have to use credit cards and refinancing the house over and over again. That's how real PTSD is!
I don't want one more family going through what we did. I don't want one more veteran or anyone else for that matter, going through what my husband has. I'll be damned if I let one more jerk even attempt to link PTSD veterans to money!
RESEARCHERS: DIAGNOSTIC CRITERIA FOR PTSD UNSATISFACTORY
It is difficult to distinguish between the PTSD symptom cluster and what could be considered a normal human response to massive trauma.
NOTE from Larry Scott, VA Watchdog dot Org ... This is an interesting look at the diagnosis of PTSD. Something to think about: A high-ranking VBA employee told me, "If the VA didn't offer compensation for PTSD, it wouldn't exist." Click here for more about veterans and PTSD.
-------------------------
Psychiatric Times. Vol. 26 No. 7
Point/Counterpoint
PTSD Has Unreliable Diagnostic Criteria
David Wilson, MS and Peter Barglow, MD
Mr Wilson is a medical student at the UC Berkeley–UC San Francisco joint medical program. Dr Barglow is clinical professor of psychiatry at UC Davis Medical School.
Currently the Veterans Administration (VA) is the world’s largest recipient of per patient funding for PTSD. The VA treats 200,000 veterans with this diagnosis annually at a cost of $4 billion. But research calls into question the very existence of the “PTSD” syndrome, and its diagnostic formulation remains invalid. We do not minimize the suffering of those who experience trauma or the need for comfort and restitution. We seek only to reexamine research evidence, to clarify the impact of culture on diagnosis, to reevaluate the consequences of trauma, and to ensure optimal allocation of resources.
The 1980 edition of DSM (DSM-III) included PTSD after lobbying by antiwar psychiatrists, Vietnam veterans’ organizations, social workers, and psychologists.1 According to Scott,2 these advocates argued that traumatic memories of war were reemerging in more virulent form as PTSD. This perspective focused on the aftereffects of war rather than the psychodynamics of individual patients.3 It was assumed that an organic brain change had occurred secondary to the psychological arousal of stress. A second assumption was that those treated would become chronically disabled.There is a more fundamental problem: PTSD symptoms may not be linked to trauma. Bodkin and colleagues7 showed that among those for whom pharmacological treatment of major depression was considered, patients with and without a trauma history met the diagnostic criteria for PTSD at identical rates (78%). Gold and coworkers8 showed that college students without a traumatic experience were more likely to meet the other diagnostic criteria of PTSD. In 1988, the National Vietnam Veterans Readjustment Study found that 30.9% of Vietnam veterans had full-blown PTSD—but only 15% of these vets had been assigned to combat units.9 Analyses using narrower diagnostic criteria and verified reports of trauma exposure reported rates from 2.9% to 15.5%.10
read more here
DIAGNOSTIC CRITERIA FOR PTSD UNSATISFACTORY
One more note here, if there is no trauma, there is no PTSD! That's why it's called Post Traumatic! It means it is something else but these "researchers" must not know what it is. If a psychiatrist is looking for anything other than PTSD, they will find it because the symptoms mimic other illnesses. PTSD comes after trauma and the two are not the same.
Standoff at VA clinic ends with bullets for cigarette trade
Gunman surrenders after Kan. VA clinic standoff
The Associated Press
Posted : Sunday Jul 12, 2009 15:33:53 EDT
TOPEKA, Kan. — Authorities say a gunman who entered a veteran’s administration medical center in Topeka, Kan., has surrendered after trading his ammunition for cigarettes.
The Topeka Capital-Journal reported on its Web site that a SWAT team and multiple law enforcement agencies responded to a report of a gunman at Colmery-O’Neil VA Medical Center early Sunday afternoon.
read more here
Gunman surrenders after Kan. VA clinic standoff
The Associated Press
Posted : Sunday Jul 12, 2009 15:33:53 EDT
TOPEKA, Kan. — Authorities say a gunman who entered a veteran’s administration medical center in Topeka, Kan., has surrendered after trading his ammunition for cigarettes.
The Topeka Capital-Journal reported on its Web site that a SWAT team and multiple law enforcement agencies responded to a report of a gunman at Colmery-O’Neil VA Medical Center early Sunday afternoon.
read more here
Gunman surrenders after Kan. VA clinic standoff
PTSD:What part of outreach didn't the VA understand?
Aside from the fact the VA only had to take the data from Vietnam veterans and PTSD, then use it to calculate how many more would come from Iraq and Afghanistan needing treatment for PTSD, what the hell did they expect would come when people across the country were moving mountains to get older veterans to seek help? I saw this coming years ago and all I needed was what was available online. The really sickening part is, most of what I've learned over the years came from the VA itself. What part of their own research didn't they understand? Why didn't they use any of it?
Veterans Affairs Faces Surge of Disability Claims
By JAMES DAO
Published: July 12, 2009
He jumped at loud noises, had unpredictable flashes of anger and was constantly replaying battle scenes in his head. When Damian J. Todd, who served two tours in Iraq with the Marine Corps, described those symptoms to a psychiatrist in January 2008, the diagnosis was quick: he was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.
Less swift was the government’s response when Mr. Todd submitted, a month later, a disability claim that would entitle him to a monthly benefit check. Nearly 18 months went by before the Department of Veterans Affairs granted his claim late last month, Mr. Todd said.
Mr. Todd, 33, is part of a flood of veterans, young and old, seeking disability compensation from the department for psychological and physical injuries connected to their military service. The backlog of unprocessed claims for those disabilities is now over 400,000, up from 253,000 six years ago, the agency said.
go here for more
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/13/us/13backlog.html?_r=1&em
Vets with post-traumatic stress are at high risk of dementia
Vets with post-traumatic stress are at high risk of dementia
By Mary Brophy Marcus, USA TODAY
Veterans diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have a significantly higher risk of developing dementia compared with veterans who don't have the disorder, a study reports today.
Using data from the Department of Veterans Affairs National Patient Care Database, scientists from the University of California-San Francisco analyzed files of 181,093 veterans ages 55 and older without dementia from 1997 to 2000. The mean age at the start of the study was 68, and 97% were male.
DRINKING:
Repeated deployments raise soldiers' stress and enrollment in alcohol treatment.
During the follow-up period from 2001 to 2007, the researchers learned that 53,155 veterans were diagnosed with dementia or cognitive impairment. Veterans who had post-traumatic stress developed dementia at a rate of 10.6% over seven years, while those who didn't have the disorder had a rate of 6.6%, the researchers reported.
read here more
Vets with post-traumatic stress are at high risk of dementia
By Mary Brophy Marcus, USA TODAY
Veterans diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have a significantly higher risk of developing dementia compared with veterans who don't have the disorder, a study reports today.
Using data from the Department of Veterans Affairs National Patient Care Database, scientists from the University of California-San Francisco analyzed files of 181,093 veterans ages 55 and older without dementia from 1997 to 2000. The mean age at the start of the study was 68, and 97% were male.
DRINKING:
Repeated deployments raise soldiers' stress and enrollment in alcohol treatment.
During the follow-up period from 2001 to 2007, the researchers learned that 53,155 veterans were diagnosed with dementia or cognitive impairment. Veterans who had post-traumatic stress developed dementia at a rate of 10.6% over seven years, while those who didn't have the disorder had a rate of 6.6%, the researchers reported.
read here more
Vets with post-traumatic stress are at high risk of dementia
PTSD On Trail:Joseph "Pat" Lamoureux
Iraq war veteran awaits shooting trial as wife looks for help
Wife says husband's post-traumatic stress led to shootout with deputies
Joseph "Pat" Lamoureux couldn't erase from his mind the sight of the young Iraqi girl walking up to his heavy equipment transport truck and blowing herself up.
"Her body parts were all over his vehicle," his wife, Sue, said about the 2003 suicide bomber attack.
She said her husband was knocked down from the blast and later was evaluated for traumatic brain injury. In a benefits claim he filed with the Department of Veterans Affairs, Lamoureux wrote that the Iraqi girl, who was 12 to 14 years old, "came out of nowhere."
Then there was a firefight near the Baghdad airport and, later, an old man with a donkey who wouldn't stop when soldiers hollered at him. "He was 'lit up,'" Sue Lamoureux wrote in a July 1 e-mail. "To this day Pat believes the old man may have been deaf, and the image of him haunts Pat."
She said it was the weight of post-traumatic stress from these and other incidents that caused her 46-year-old husband to mentally collapse last September.
read more here
Iraq war veteran awaits shooting trial as wife looks for help
Wife says husband's post-traumatic stress led to shootout with deputies
Joseph "Pat" Lamoureux couldn't erase from his mind the sight of the young Iraqi girl walking up to his heavy equipment transport truck and blowing herself up.
"Her body parts were all over his vehicle," his wife, Sue, said about the 2003 suicide bomber attack.
She said her husband was knocked down from the blast and later was evaluated for traumatic brain injury. In a benefits claim he filed with the Department of Veterans Affairs, Lamoureux wrote that the Iraqi girl, who was 12 to 14 years old, "came out of nowhere."
Then there was a firefight near the Baghdad airport and, later, an old man with a donkey who wouldn't stop when soldiers hollered at him. "He was 'lit up,'" Sue Lamoureux wrote in a July 1 e-mail. "To this day Pat believes the old man may have been deaf, and the image of him haunts Pat."
She said it was the weight of post-traumatic stress from these and other incidents that caused her 46-year-old husband to mentally collapse last September.
read more here
Iraq war veteran awaits shooting trial as wife looks for help
Marine's wife, daughter die in Michigan crash
Marine's wife, daughter die in Michigan crash
The Associated Press
Posted: 07/11/2009 09:46:09 AM PDT
Updated: 07/11/2009 01:28:05 PM PDT
BLENDON TOWNSHIP, Mich.—The wife and new daughter of a Marine who was away at basic training in San Diego when the child was born were killed in a crash before he had a chance to meet the infant.
Morgan DeHaan, 19, and 4-week-old Hannah died following the crash Thursday in Ottawa County's Blendon Township, about 12 miles southwest of Grand Rapids. Another daughter, 21-month-old Jordyn, was injured.
Relatives were keeping vigil at a hospital for Jordyn, who was expected to recover.
read more here
Marines wife and daughter killed in car crash
Please pray for the family and for Jordyn's recovery.
The Associated Press
Posted: 07/11/2009 09:46:09 AM PDT
Updated: 07/11/2009 01:28:05 PM PDT
BLENDON TOWNSHIP, Mich.—The wife and new daughter of a Marine who was away at basic training in San Diego when the child was born were killed in a crash before he had a chance to meet the infant.
Morgan DeHaan, 19, and 4-week-old Hannah died following the crash Thursday in Ottawa County's Blendon Township, about 12 miles southwest of Grand Rapids. Another daughter, 21-month-old Jordyn, was injured.
Relatives were keeping vigil at a hospital for Jordyn, who was expected to recover.
read more here
Marines wife and daughter killed in car crash
Please pray for the family and for Jordyn's recovery.
Bloggers help raise donations for homeless veterans
Bloggers help raise donations for homeless veterans
By Matt Gilmourt • Democrat staff writer • July 11, 2009
More than 10 bloggers from Tallahassee.com gathered at Lake Ella on Saturday to collect donations for an apartment complex for homeless veterans on Lake Bradford Road.
Glenn Walker, a former homeless veteran, said the housing project, which is being organized by the American Legion and Volunteers of America, will have enough bedrooms for 52 veterans.
“It’s going to be transitional housing to help more veterans move from the streets back into society,” Walker said. “This is a pilot program, the first of its kind in the country. That’s why we’re trying to do it right.”
read more here
Bloggers help raise donations for homeless veterans
By Matt Gilmourt • Democrat staff writer • July 11, 2009
More than 10 bloggers from Tallahassee.com gathered at Lake Ella on Saturday to collect donations for an apartment complex for homeless veterans on Lake Bradford Road.
Glenn Walker, a former homeless veteran, said the housing project, which is being organized by the American Legion and Volunteers of America, will have enough bedrooms for 52 veterans.
“It’s going to be transitional housing to help more veterans move from the streets back into society,” Walker said. “This is a pilot program, the first of its kind in the country. That’s why we’re trying to do it right.”
read more here
Bloggers help raise donations for homeless veterans
Sunday, July 12, 2009
When doctors get it wrong, keep looking and talking
I haven't been posting today because this morning I woke up to a big shock. I have a 13 year old Golden Retriever. His name is Brandon. He's one of the best dogs a person could ever hope for. Yesterday he seemed to really be having a problem. He never complains about pain, so it's always a guessing game. His appetite was great as usual, but he kept losing his balance. He's been treated for arthritis, so I assumed it was acting up again. Last night he still wanted to play with his favorite toy, a stuffed duck that quacks. He pounced around the house like he's a puppy again with the thing sticking out of his mouth as he shakes his head trying to "kill it" but then lays down when he's done playing and laps it. Last night he kept falling down but got right back up and kept on playing.
This morning, I got his food ready but he didn't come as soon as he heard the fork in the bowl. I put the bowl down and went to get him. He couldn't get up. Right away I thought it was his hips, so I picked him up. No easy task since he's a huge breed of Golden and weighs about 90 pounds. He couldn't stand up.
I called his vet and was advised to get him to the emergency Vet's office because they had all the right diagnostic equipment. We picked him up, carried him to the car and the techs at the vet's met us at the door. After several tests, they found a problem with compressed discs in his spine, which meant he needed something stronger than that other medicine he was taking. They found a little arthritis in his hips, which was a relief in a way. They also said he had Idiopathic vestibular disease. Read about that here.
The poor dog is dizzy and his head is tilted to the side. There is no way of knowing when this disease really started but the vet said he'll get worse before he gets better. We are going to try to keep him home because we don't want him to be alone in a cage as the vet takes care of him. We'll see how this goes over the next day or so and then decide what to do. The Vet was sure that he'll recover well but may end up with a tilted head. It's also good to know that he needs to have the right medicine for his spine instead of his hips.
There is a point to all of this.
His regular vet is wonderful and she is very caring. She thought since large dogs have problems with their hips and arthritis, that was why he was having some problems. It's was an easy guess to make. It also didn't cause any questions when he seemed to be having an easier time walking on the medicine he was on. Naturally dogs can't tell you when we're wrong. Dogs like Brandon, very stoic when it comes to pain, usually don't let you know when there is something seriously wrong either. It's up to us to notice the changes in them and know when it's time to get them more help than we can give.
All of this boils down to humans being diagnosed as well. When it's PTSD, the doctors can get it wrong simply because if they are looking for depression, bingo, they find depression. If they are looking for bipolar, they find it. If they are looking for paranoia or schizophrenia, they find that too. The problem with PTSD is that PTSD comes after trauma. If the doctor doesn't really listen and we don't pay enough attention, then we walk away with the wrong diagnosis and most of the time medicine that seems to help for a time, but the real problem is getting worse.
I know it sounds odd to compare a dog to a person with PTSD but when you think about it, it does make sense. People with PTSD are usually not looking for it since they don't know what it is. Doctors won't look for it unless they know something happened to the patient they are just meeting. The wrong medicine and the wrong treatment may mask the real problem and it's very important for the families to know the difference. PTSD patients often are in denial and too often never connect a traumatic event to what they are going through, so they don't communicate with doctors any better than a dog does with a Vet. It takes the right tests to know what they are dealing with. I've seen this happen too many times.
People suffer because we don't communicate well enough with doctors but most of that comes from our own lack of knowledge. Just as I was totally lost this morning with my beloved dog, we can all feel lost if we have no understanding at all. Had I not known what PTSD was before my husband was finally diagnosed, I would have settled for the original diagnosis of possible bipolar. I opened my mouth and told the doctor what I knew.
It's up to us as someone who knows them to make sure they are taken care of the right way. Just as my dog was in pain and I didn't know it, or at least knew the right cause of it, too many PTSD wounded are in pain and if we don't have a clue what it is, we make a lot of mistakes while they suffer. Make sure you know what PTSD and then open your mouth to the doctor so they can test for the right thing. Otherwise, the real problem is just being covered up.
I'll keep you posted on my dog as well. Pretty ironic though that one thing lead to another since this was not the original intent of this post.
This morning, I got his food ready but he didn't come as soon as he heard the fork in the bowl. I put the bowl down and went to get him. He couldn't get up. Right away I thought it was his hips, so I picked him up. No easy task since he's a huge breed of Golden and weighs about 90 pounds. He couldn't stand up.
I called his vet and was advised to get him to the emergency Vet's office because they had all the right diagnostic equipment. We picked him up, carried him to the car and the techs at the vet's met us at the door. After several tests, they found a problem with compressed discs in his spine, which meant he needed something stronger than that other medicine he was taking. They found a little arthritis in his hips, which was a relief in a way. They also said he had Idiopathic vestibular disease. Read about that here.
Idiopathic Vestibular Disease in Dogs
veterinaryhelp Questions and Answers Thursday, 27 July 2006
Idiopathic vestibular disease is also referred to as old dog vestibular disease or geriatric vestibular syndrome because it is typically seen in older dogs. Clinical signs are acute in onset and are often described as a stroke. This is due to disruption of the peripheral vestibular system that controls balance.
Signs seen with this disease are consistent with those expected in other peripheral vestibular diseases - peripheral meaning not involving the brain but the vestibulocochlear nerve in the ear. Patients may be unable to stand, fall to one side, tilt the head to one side or have an abnormal flicking of the eyes called nystagmus.
click link for more
The poor dog is dizzy and his head is tilted to the side. There is no way of knowing when this disease really started but the vet said he'll get worse before he gets better. We are going to try to keep him home because we don't want him to be alone in a cage as the vet takes care of him. We'll see how this goes over the next day or so and then decide what to do. The Vet was sure that he'll recover well but may end up with a tilted head. It's also good to know that he needs to have the right medicine for his spine instead of his hips.
There is a point to all of this.
His regular vet is wonderful and she is very caring. She thought since large dogs have problems with their hips and arthritis, that was why he was having some problems. It's was an easy guess to make. It also didn't cause any questions when he seemed to be having an easier time walking on the medicine he was on. Naturally dogs can't tell you when we're wrong. Dogs like Brandon, very stoic when it comes to pain, usually don't let you know when there is something seriously wrong either. It's up to us to notice the changes in them and know when it's time to get them more help than we can give.
All of this boils down to humans being diagnosed as well. When it's PTSD, the doctors can get it wrong simply because if they are looking for depression, bingo, they find depression. If they are looking for bipolar, they find it. If they are looking for paranoia or schizophrenia, they find that too. The problem with PTSD is that PTSD comes after trauma. If the doctor doesn't really listen and we don't pay enough attention, then we walk away with the wrong diagnosis and most of the time medicine that seems to help for a time, but the real problem is getting worse.
I know it sounds odd to compare a dog to a person with PTSD but when you think about it, it does make sense. People with PTSD are usually not looking for it since they don't know what it is. Doctors won't look for it unless they know something happened to the patient they are just meeting. The wrong medicine and the wrong treatment may mask the real problem and it's very important for the families to know the difference. PTSD patients often are in denial and too often never connect a traumatic event to what they are going through, so they don't communicate with doctors any better than a dog does with a Vet. It takes the right tests to know what they are dealing with. I've seen this happen too many times.
People suffer because we don't communicate well enough with doctors but most of that comes from our own lack of knowledge. Just as I was totally lost this morning with my beloved dog, we can all feel lost if we have no understanding at all. Had I not known what PTSD was before my husband was finally diagnosed, I would have settled for the original diagnosis of possible bipolar. I opened my mouth and told the doctor what I knew.
It's up to us as someone who knows them to make sure they are taken care of the right way. Just as my dog was in pain and I didn't know it, or at least knew the right cause of it, too many PTSD wounded are in pain and if we don't have a clue what it is, we make a lot of mistakes while they suffer. Make sure you know what PTSD and then open your mouth to the doctor so they can test for the right thing. Otherwise, the real problem is just being covered up.
I'll keep you posted on my dog as well. Pretty ironic though that one thing lead to another since this was not the original intent of this post.
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