Yet another day of meeting with mental health care professionals and telling my story. But the meds are on their way to my post box (let’s all hope the post office doesn’t lose this shipment like they did the last one) and the adjustments have been made, though as with any med change it’s a wait and see if it helps or hinders.

I am scheduled for the biopsies.
I am also scheduled to see a neuro for my hands. I guess they have to zap your nerves to see how/where to operate. If I can call back tomorrow and get through then hopefully I’ll get the date for the actual surgeries, whether it will be both hands at once or one at a time I don’t know.

Then I went back to this other program. Center point something or other. They’re actually being helpful. Really!
Helping me get insurance on my truck again, it lapsed in January, helping me with enough gas to get to my appointments, and helping me fill out paperwork for help with the VFW.

But the biggest thing so far is that there is a program run by the VA about an hour north of me (closer to the regional VA office) that they think they may be able to get me into if I’m interested.
It’s a 7 week residential program for women veterans with PTSD, and it does have the issues I experienced as one of its focuses.
Furthermore, they not only welcome service dogs but request that if a service dog is in use by the veteran that the dog participate in the therapy. So Keegan would be with me the entire time. And maybe she and I would even learn some more useful things since when I was training Keegan service dogs for PTSD didn’t exist and we were training by common sense and need.

Now I’ve always feared residential treatment programs. If its considered “being committed” then I’m automatically barred from many jobs that I would otherwise be good at. But at this point in my life I can’t get ANY job so…

If it can be done without missing my hand surgeries and if they will accept me, I think it would be a good opportunity for me. Almost two months in a safe place, not a lockdown, but secure from the outside getting in. The cutting edge PTSD treatment, med adjustment and fine tuning, a peer/support group of other women veterans, and Keegan with me.

The only drawback to getting into the program is that I have to have a place to go when I’m released, and a camper on the back of my truck doesn’t meet their qualifications.
I have a meeting with the case worker next week and I’ll bring this topic up.
I’m wondering if there’s any way that if I can get accepted into this program if it might move my VA benefits decision a bit faster.

I can hear the confusion from here, but if the treatment program is VA aren’t you already approved for VA benefits? Uhmmmm… Short answer? No. There are so many levels of “veteran” that it’s mind-boggling. Some services/programs count me as a veteran because I have an honorable discharge and a DD214. Some services/programs require proof that I was injured/damaged during active duty. It’s all very confusing and completely unknown to me until about a year ago when I first stumbled into the VA clinic asking for help.

There is also a service dog training organization in the area (not in this city but within this region) that I’m going to be getting information on. Keegan will be 14 in June. I need to start thinking about the inevitable. And be prepared when the time comes.
The training org isn’t a train and give service, it’s a self-train guidance service, teaching handlers how to train their own dogs. I’ve done that once already with Keegan but they know a lot more about training for this situations now and it’s good to have support with any endeavor.

A lot to think about today.