by Janet J. Seahorn

 

 

 

 

As if serving in combat isn’t bad enough, military men and women have also had to worry about the ‘other’ hazards of war. Potentially as deadly as any bullet, only quieter and slower in their fatality.

 

 

Chemicals of war have been used for a long time, not just as weapons, but also as tools to clear landscapes of foliage. We have Agent Orange, poisons in foreign soils, and then there is Asbestos.

 

 

By dictionary definition, asbestos is a “noncombustible, fibrous, mineral form of magnesium silicate that is used especially in fireproofing” (Webster Dictionary, p. 3). It was used in brake and clutch pads, clothing, pipe installation, and mixed into concrete and housing insulation among other items. Some sources (www.asbestos.net/veteran) have estimated that as many as “26% of patients that have a mesothelioma diagnosis are former sailors and shipyard workers”.

 

Several weeks ago, we received an e-mail from one of our blog readers, Carl Jewett, who is the Veteran Liaison for the Mesothelioma Center (Asbestos.com); an organization devoted to assisting veterans through their application processes for VA benefits.

 

 

Carl is a retired Lieutenant Commander in the US Navy and has worked with veterans who, during their military service, have been exposed to asbestos and are now suffering from life-threatening illnesses. What made Carl’s message even more alarming is that before his e-mail I had read several articles on asbestos and how it was on several ships in commission during World War II and the Vietnam War.

 

 

My brother, a Vietnam vet, served on three of the ships mentioned in the article, the U.S.  Washtenaw County (LST), the U.S. Tom Green County (LST), and the U.S. St. Francis County (LSMR) rocket launcher. Several years ago he was diagnosed with prostrate cancer, a disease linked to Agent Orange.

 

There are numerous editorials regarding asbestos in the military. The Mesothelioma Center (Asbestos.com) has devoted a great deal of their website to this issue.

 

 

Several characteristics of asbestos exposure mirror other illnesses, so it is important that a person who has served in the military get an accurate diagnosis. According to Mr. Jewett, obtaining resources from the military may be more challenging. 

 

 

Therefore, if any of our readers have lung, chest, or heart problems, they may want to contact Carl Jewett’s organization at www.Asbestos.com.  The military asbestos organization may be able to support them in applying for and obtaining service-related disability benefits.

 

Again, we continually go back to our motto, “If we send them, then we must mend them.”

 

 

Awareness and information is the first step in the mending process.

by Janet J. Seahorn

How do we mend a wounded body or soul?  How do we take a step forward in healing a spirit that has been battered by the trauma of battle? One possibility is to introduce the wounded warrior to a place of cooling waters, a place where fish are abundant and one can float through the waters which hum a soothing lullaby of serenity. Project Healing Waters is a volunteer organization that is dedicated to supporting the mending process of military personnel and veterans who have been impacted by the effects of combat. And it uses waters and fly fishing to achieve its mission.

            The idea originated when its founder, Ed Nicholson, a veteran of previous war, was himself being treated at Walter Reed Medical Center in Washington D.C. when he noticed a number of young warriors sitting idly in the waiting room. Ed decided to invite several to go fishing with him. On that first excursion, he discovered how this simple fishing experience made a huge difference both physically and emotionally with the young vets. Where eyes were once vacant, there was now a light of excitement; where physical energy was almost stagnate, a resurgence of vigor returned; and where a life seemed consumed by pain and hopelessness, Mother Nature breathed her message of rebirth and Trust into the mind, heart, body, and soul of the wounded warrior.

            Ironically, the Healing Waters Foundation has found that the greatest challenge is getting Wounded Warriors to the program. Recruitment is a huge obstacle, partly because of the physical and emotional needs of the individuals, and partly because of the legal ramifications of the vet centers/hospital treating the individuals. Gosh, I never imagined the number of logistical barriers faced by organizations wanting to help make a difference.

            Project Healing Waters tries to work through a VA therapist to identify prospective participants. By having a solid system in place, both the support organization and the VA centers can offer a clearer, more holistic approach to healing. The intervention received by the vet can then be measured and assessed as to what works best and why. This knowledge can then be shared with other VA centers and hospitals across the United States.

            Ancient cultures have long understood that wounds of the body and soul need a holistic approach for healing to occur. Medications, cognitive therapies, surgeries simply aren’t enough.  Where medications have some difficult side effects, nature offers only blessings. Where daily life often brings disorder, there is an order in nature - a way in which all things seem divinely connected from a single rain drop to a flowering mountain meadow. Where days feel misaligned, nature realigns the soul and spirit, letting us knows that all is as it should be. And where our day- by-day activities may seem bounded by the constraints of “to do lists”, nature chants a song of freedom, encouraging us to spread our wings and soar - even if these wings feel shattered.

            So, if you are a disabled vet, knock down the door of your local VA center or hospital and request that your medical personnel get you aligned with a volunteer from Healing Waters. This can also be a breathtaking opportunity for you and your family.

            Healing Waters volunteers serve as mentors and companions to our country’s wounded warriors. Their mission is uncomplicated - it is merely about healing and mending minds, bodies, and spirits - one unhurried cast at a time - one soothing river somewhere in America. Casting, Healing. Casting, Healing. Casting, Healing, and the wounds begin to slowly mend.

 

HEALING WATERS

My soul was battered by combat’s horrors,

So I went to the water to heal.

Wounds covered by flesh with war torn scars,

I went to the water to heal.

My heart was broken unable to feel,

I went to the water to heal.

 

And the water murmured softly–

Be at peace my precious son

Your soul is safe,

Your battles are done.

My waters shall cool and soothe your weary heart,

You came to me

Your healing can now start.

 

Not knowing where to turn for comfort or for calm,

I went to the water to heal.

The deafening clatter of ghosts from the past,

I went to the water to heal.

The strain of the city made my sanity reel,

I went to the water to heal.

 

And the water murmured softly

Sit beside me and be still,

Listen to my tranquil song

Let your soul be filled.

My waters shall comfort your torn and tattered soul.

You came to me

I will purge you of your foes.

 

For sacred, healing waters

are not new to any man,

They’ve been around a long time

Lapping shores of golden sand.

Silently restoring with their tender, gentle hands

A Life to kinder being

Healing water shall command.

by Janet J. Seahorn

by Janet J. Seahorn

 

This weekend I heard an experienced angler talk about the joys of being in a stream or lake fishing for Snotty Fish.  Snotty Fish, he thoughtfully explained, were those fish that were not easy to catch.  They were fish that could not be tricked by some ordinary fly or enticing lure. More than likely, such fish had, in some earlier time, been caught before and managed to escape through sheer luck, tenacity, or down right determination. After going through such a traumatic encounter, they were more cautious than most of their finned friends. They understood the consequences of impulsively taking the enticing lure.  Therefore, the fisherman who caught (and released) such a Snotty Fish had to be incredibly patient, knowledgeable, and persistent.  This particular angler made it clear that catching Snotty Fish was the best and most rewarding way to angle.

 

Listening to this person talk, I began to comparing how similar Snotty Fish were to veterans who are living with Post-Traumatic Stress.  Many of our troops have experienced the traumas of combat.  Men and women who have seen and participated in some of humanities worst deeds; deeds that stay etched on the mind and heart.  Vets, who when they return to the mainstreams of society, may be unable to trust others, their governments, and even themselves.  Yep, Snotty Vets! 

 

Snotty Vets, like Snotty Fish, are often hard to play out. They have experienced lessons in life that few of their fellow countrymen have ever imagined. Such knowledge often makes them wary of their surroundings, including trusting in their own abilities and worthiness.  For family and friends, this knowledge can make these Snotty Vets difficult to live with and understand. 

 

Yet, here is the beauty of being in streams with Snotty Vets—they are worth the time and effort to catch and reel back to wellbeing.  Health care professionals recognize this fact.  Families, friends and communities who walk the path through appropriate support, timely information and love come to empathize with the journey and value the internal strength, courage, and effort that each of them must live out in order to heal. 

 

So you see, Snotty Vets like Snotty Fish are well worth such effort. Simply swimming in their waters help us have greater gratitude for their sacrifice. 

 

Here’s a toast to all of you Snotty Vets, and to all the spouses, children, and siblings of Snotty Vets:  “May your new streams be filled with an abundance of peace, joy, and good vigor. May your days bring you fulfillment, and your nights quiet rest.  And may you continue to embrace your Snotty strength and leave behind the sorrows of the battlefield.  For you are our precious Snotty Vets.  We love you.  We honor you.  And, most of all, we need you to become whole again.”

by Janet J. Seahorn

Some days life is a real challenge.  It tests us in many ways.  Ways to be smarter.  Ways to be braver.  Ways to be more thoughtful.  Ways to be kinder and more compassionate.  And some days, ways to just keep getting up every morning, breathing through each minute and making it through some dark and lonely nights.  Living with Post-Traumatic Stress compounds all of these “tests”.  At times it may even seem that the journey is too long or too brutal; that the suffering is unending and the battle unachievable.  It is during such times that we must remember we are not alone in our ordeals.  Reminding that someone, something (for me it is my faith) is walking beside us telling us quietly that we will be OK.  Urging us, “Don’t Quit”.  We do not know what tomorrow may bring.  But if we Don’t Quit, I do believe in the appearance of a brighter, happier day.  Believe you have what it takes to pass any test.  And whatever comes your way –Don’t Quit!

Don’t Quit

Anonymous

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will, When the road you’re trudging seems all uphill, When the funds are low and the debts are high, And you want to smile, but you have to sigh, When care is pressing you down a bit Rest if you must, but don’t you quit.Life is queer with its twists and its turns, As everyone of us sometimes learns, And many a failure turns about When they might have won, had they stuck it out. Don’t give up though the pace seems slow, You may succeed with another blow.Often the goal is nearer than, It seems to a faint and faltering man, Often the struggler has given up When he might have captured the victor’s cup; And he learned too late when the night came down, How close he was to the golden crown.Success is failure turned inside out The silver tint of the clouds of doubt And you never can tell how close you are, It may be near when it seems so far; So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit, It’s when things seem worst that you must not quit!

     

    

 

 

by Janet J. Seahorn

This week is the week of the Heart.  Yep, lots of hearts in the multiple shapes and shades of Valentine cards.  This is the week — some focus only on one day — to call forth the power of Love.  Sounds, corny, but it is true.  Love heals.

One only needs to watch a small child with a skinned knee crying for comfort.  Mom enfolds the tiny tot in her arms, puts a band aid on the boo boo, kisses it gently, and soothingly says to her child, “See all better”.  And the child believes.  Wow!  If the emotional counselors are correct, what we focus on we get.  Perhaps we should try to focus on Love, even for a day.  Test the statement, “Love Heals”.

Love Heals acts of war…

Guns, bombs, and torture certainly don’t.

Love Heals violent acts of countless forms.

I may never forget a terrible act, but maybe I can get to a bit of forgiveness.

Love Heals our physical and emotional pain.

Ask a pet owner of the power of his precious companion.

 Love heals our fears.

“Worry is simply the habit of focusing on what we don’t want.”  (January 22, 2010, Daily Word)

Through the strength of the Heart, Love Heals.  And like that small child, I choose to believe.

 

 

 

 

 

 

by Janet J. Seahorn

Normally our blog focuses on the effects of combat trauma to military personnel, their families, friends, and communities.  Today is moving to the broader devastation of trauma.  Trauma not caused by war and hate, but by nature.  Trauma, that even with the greatest technological advances of man, cannot be halted or many times even predicted beforehand.  Such is the current state of Haiti. 

For me the effects of war trauma on children may be even worse, because it is not due to outside forces of nature, but hate, greed, or lack of compassion for others.  Hate which is colored by the darkness of men’s hearts and even nation’s souls.  Unlike nature, the torture and killings go on for years, with little hope of relief. 

In Haiti, however, what we continue to see are a people doing what they can to help their neighbors and communities.  Yes, there is looting and even violence.  Desperate people act in desperate ways when one’s life, and the lives of one’s families are at stake.  Fighting for the every day things most of us take for granted: water, food, a safe place to sleep, medical care… and the list grows.

When looking at the photos of children, I can’t help but wonder what are they able to understand about this terrible event?  How can they make sense of horror?  In a country where hundreds of thousands of children were abandoned before the earthquake, who will take care of these babies and children now?   Who will hold and comfort them?  Who will help to explain the experience and give them the physical and emotional support to heal?

What we currently know about childhood trauma is that it can be more difficult to heal. The brain has not connected the higher order neural networks that help adults sort out the facts of any event.  Adults have far more coping skills. Children, have far fewer in their young minds.  They have not lived long enough or had enough experiences to compare or sort out the hues of trauma.  Their world is very concrete - what one sees is what one understands at a very concrete level. 

We used to believe if a terrible act happened early in life, the person could more easily mend.  Current neuroscience has proven this belief is a highly inaccurate myth.  The earlier the trauma on a young brain, the worse the effects can be if the child is not given the physical and emotionally support needed for healing.  Healing that will allowed the child to grow in a world where he/she can still feel safe. Healing that offers hope and resilience from future traumas because they were loved, comforted, and supported when they so desperately need these acts of security.

Therefore, keep all of our children in your hearts and prayers, whether they are in Haiti, Afghanistan, or your own neighborhood.  Pray for the mending of our children’s bodies, minds, and hearts.  They are the world’s future.  We must do all that is necessary to try to ensure that their future is built on a foundation of compassion, kindness, and humanity.

By Janet J. Seahorn

Last year at this time, Tony and I were in Vietnam and Cambodia.  It was a humbling, yet inspiring excursion.  As Tony stated many times, he did not go there to heal or recreate the war. He wanted to visit, only to see how things had changed, with hopes that the people and the country were mending. 

By all outward appearances hope seemed to be occurring. Yet, what keep coming back to me, were the faces of the old women.  We did not see the same number of older men, perhaps because many of this age were killed in the war.  The women’s faces were not happy.  Their features lined with rivers of anger.  It was the eyes that held the emotions, and for many, their emotions were tortuous and hate-filled.  What haunts me now are the faces I glimpse in the newspapers of civilians in Iraq and Afghanistan; similar looks living in human bodies experiencing similar horrors of war.

As we continue to read of the escalation of suicides of returning military men and women, I wonder if such unforgettable faces are haunting them.  Faces of the enemy, faces of their comrades, faces of the children?  In the first few blogs of this New Year, I wrote of Peace.  Can it be attained in a person’s mind and heart after experiencing so much?  I very much want to believe such a peace is possible. For others, the hideous experiences continue to dig deeper ravines into the soul.  To heal, even a bit, these gorges must be filled in gradually. 

Perhaps not fully, but even building up the crevasses a little keeps one from falling into the yawning depths of depression, anxiety, and hopelessness.  As long as one can look up and see the sky, hope is present.  It is when one’s existence is swallowed in darkness that even the tiniest light is diminished.  Finding ways to keep the sunlight accessible for our returning vets will be the work of everyone: the nation, its people, families, friends, communities, and most importantly, the veteran.

We have troops leaving daily for the war zone, and others returning. A 2008 Rand Corporation study revealed that 300,000 troops who served in Iraq and Afghanistan had Post-Traumatic Stress, while 320,000 reported probable traumatic brain injuries. Both conditions greatly increase the likelihood of attempted suicide. “According to a Congressional Quarterly compilation in late November 2009, 334 active-duty military service men and women have taken their own lives in 2009″ (Edward Pages, 2009: The Year of Soldier’s Suicide), and this does not include those military individuals who have been discharged.

Let us all be sure to look into these eyes of freedom and not dismiss the signs of their sacrifice.  Peace and healing is everyone’s work; everyone’s answerability.  As a nation, it must be our core mission to mend and heal all those that fought in lands where few of us ever think to venture. 

I doubt if many of our returning military personnel have rational thoughts of wanting to return to the combat zone. It took almost forty years for us to do so. 

One of our favorite veterans, Michael MacDonald, wrote us the other day relating his response to those who frequently ask him if he ever wants to return to Vietnam for a visit.  His reply, “Why, I was just there last night.” 

And, for many, this statement is all too true.  It is those nights without returning that we pray for in our sleep and dreams.  It is those nights without revisiting the nightmares that keep us healing.

by Janet J. Seahorn

It is a snowy Sunday afternoon. I have been running errands, not because I have a great deal to do after the holidays; to be honest, I am merely trying to keep from thinking about the escalation of the war in Afghanistan. When I got home, Tony had posted a new message on our blog that began with “I seem to spend a lot of time thinking about war, even when I don’t want to. The reality of war. The horror of war…” With this blog he added an article from our local newspaper, The Denver Post. It was another reality check from troops actually involved in war, versus media or political rhetoric.

Every day we get emails, phone calls, or an acquaintance sharing a tragic story about a loved one, friend, or just someone they distantly know who is struggling with Post-Traumatic Stress. For those who have and are serving in the current conflict, the stories are so similar to Vietnam veterans it is down right eerie.

For some individuals the nightmares begin immediately. Others seem OK for the first six months or even a year, and then it begins, the panic attacks, unresolved anger, anxiety, and night terrors. The narratives, however, seem to remain the same. The vet initially attributes the emotions to some external force. He/she claims the feelings aren’t real. Given time, everything will be just fine.

Denial is an interesting strategy and may work for a short time, but sooner or later friends and family members will begin to feel the impact of the warrior’s pain. Owning the trauma is the first step to managing it.

I can’t begin to count how many people who have never served in the military, have never had to sacrifice their physical and emotional lives, have never lived with a parent or sibling who is carrying the war’s trauma in every cell of his body says something like, “there is a silver lining in these wars”, “if we don’t fight them there, we will have to fight them here on American soil”.

It isn’t that these individuals are unkind or uncaring; they merely have not had the experience of combat that comes with a very high personal price tag. The ultimate “Golden Globe of Thoughtlessness”, however, are those who doubt that PTSD even exists, and that if it does, it can be easily treated or overcome with just a little effort and personal fortitude.

OK, I admit, I sound cynical. Perhaps what might appease me a bit is giving all of those “others” a chance to sacrifice a bit of what our veterans are enduring. Perhaps, if the families of those “others” would have to witness and battle the demons in their homes with their loved ones, maybe, just maybe, my irritation would subside a bit. Or, maybe, just maybe, one tour of duty is enough for any warrior.

What I cannot accept is that this current war is being fought by less than one percent of the American population and that one percent isn’t comprised of the well-off and well-to-do. As a country we are passively engaged in a practice that will come to haunt us.

Haunt us as a country; haunt us in our communities; and haunt us as moral beings. For sooner or later, as a nation we will have to face the consequences of our inequitable actions. The price will be expensive and ugly.

I wonder if our country’s leaders and the American people will be willing and able to cover the costs.
      

by Janet J. Seahorn

Several weeks ago I talked about going to a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) conference and promised I’d write more about what I learned.  Now I feel like the Grim Reaper explaining the various causes and symptoms of a TBI.

  Luckily, being Halloween, perhaps the trick is dealing aggressively with the spooks of TBI injuries and the treat is getting better with focus and determination.

Much of this information is taking from a brochure, Brain Injury: How to Recognize and Treat It, by Harvey Jacobs, Ph.D. and Flora Hammond, M.D.

So let’s talk about some of the “tricks” of a TBI.  First, it can be due to many causes: falls, car accidents, sports, blasts/explosions, strokes, viruses, or aneurysms (weak spots in the walls of the brain’s arteries and veins). 

Since many of our war vets have experienced a TBI mainly from an outside force, I will concentrate on this area.  If the force is powerful enough, it can cause bleeding in the brain, bruising, and/or tearing of the brain cells.

 ”Once a traumatic brain injury occurs,” according to the experts, “there is risk of additional damage over the next several days due to lack of oxygen or reduced blood flow or medical complications”.   When a blast occurs due to an IED or other combat offenses, the shock waves move through the brain and injure the soft brain tissue causing cell damage.  The person doesn’t have to be unconscious to encounter a TBI, but the results can be quite damaging, nevertheless. 

Another trick of this demon is that no two injuries are exactly alike due to the location, size, and impact of the TBI; cells can begin to die within four minutes of losing oxygen because of the impact.  Sometimes, if the injury does not appear severe or life threatening it can be missed, yet the results are nothing short of problematic. 

The person,” according to Jacobs and Hammond, “may appear dazed or just a little confused for a brief time and then return to work or usual activities.  Problems may develop later.”  Often times other people notice the problems first, like a spouse, close friend, or employer. What they may notice is problems in the person’s short-term memory, difficulty in organizing and planning, shorter attention span or easily distracted, unclear speech, irritation, anxiety, depression, and other cognitive or emotional behaviors that weren’t present before the injury. Therefore, getting proper diagnosis and treatment is essential to restoring an individual to health and normal activity.

 This Grim Reaper can’t leave you with such a dismal TBI spook, so take heart and recognize that help is available. There are more effective and innovative treatments than ever before if treatment begins immediately.  Time is crucial. Don’t wait.  The major part of the brain’s mending normally takes place within the first two years of the injury, but the brain can continue to mend far beyond that time. 

 Trust me, having experienced a mild TBI many years ago, I kept engaged with as many cognitive and physical activities as possible and this made all the difference with being able to return to a normal life - the best treat ever.

By Janet J. Seahorn

This may be one of the most important blogs that I have written.  Important because we are quickly becoming a people who, due to the recent attention on Post Traumatic Stress, are beginning to lump into the same basket all vets who return from conflict challenged by PTSD. 

This is a major dilemma.  It is vital that we as a nation, as communities, and as families start to have a more accurate description of the effects of combat trauma.  Important because without correct information, we cannot help to mend the minds, hearts, and souls of those who suffer.

 For that reason, solid facts through research on PTSD lead to better care.  The problem, however, occurs when the media focuses only on those individuals who behave in extreme ways.  Ways that make news casts, papers, and internet reading more exciting. 

For the vast majority of veterans who return from combat tormented by the memories of war, the battle is within and remains there, silently distressing the individual. 

But here is what is key to remember; the majority of vets are not personally or professional “out of control”.  In fact, they spend a tremendous amount of time and energy trying to remain in control.  For many, the periods of distress are when the person is alone, safe within the confines of house and home, or experiencing a severe physical or family crisis. 

For most, the only people who see the anxiety and panic are not the outside world, but rather those within the vet’s inner-most circles: spouses, children, siblings, parents, and very close friends. 

There are already many young (and some older vets) who are refusing to acknowledge they have a problem, or seek medical interventions even when they realize they need it.  And why would they?  Fearing they will be labeled and thrown into that “media basket” of dysfunction, they prefer to maintain a mask of silence.  This isn’t acceptable, nor is it effective in mending the situation.

Yes, PTSD is a reality for many in our world, not just combat vets.  For sure, it is a challenge like any “reordering” of the mind and body.  Yet, most individuals move forward to live productive, successful lives.  And if the individual gets appropriate medical and professional attention, that life and those who are closest to him/her, the living becomes immensely easier. 

So let’s begin to write and tell stories of these quiet, courageous men and women. Stories of heroes and heroines who survive and manage to prosper in many areas of their lives; appreciating the fact that to be a hero requires an extraordinary act of bravery within an ordinary human spirit.