@ Weekly Vets Muster on the MS deck, May 15, 2011

[gomer]

Weekly Muster on the mess deck

All veterans, active duty, family even LimboLanders are ALL welcome here. As veterans we have some different situations and issues than most civilian MSers. We deal with the VA and some of us get our medical care thru VA medical Centers, issues of getting help with disability and pensions etc.

Please......... Drop in and say HI at least once per muster. We want to know you are doing OK, hope better than just OK. With REGULAR musters we can get to know our fellow vets better and build a sense of UNITY. If you run across a fellow Vet elsewhere on MSWorld, please let them know we are here so they can join us.

Hope everyone is doing well !

The VA web site..... (link below) list notice of free monthly educational conference calls.
http://www4.va.gov/MS/articles/Educa...ence_Calls.asp


If you have not done so yet, please post an intro in the thread titled "Vets Master Muster & intros". Please post only your into there so it ONLY contains your into. You can always start a new thread for questions or other issues.


How was YOUR week?
Any recent Doc appts or tests at the VA or elsewhere?
Anything new coming up Soon?
...............................at the VA or elsewhere?

= = = = = =

Gomer Have GoGo, will Go Go Go

[Dulcinea714]

Hello again

Hi,
I've been slacking. Had to deal with girl scout cookie sales in Feb and Mar. Then daughter's computer died; bought a used one from local computer shop for $150. Then it caught a virus. Computer guy says it is bad; virus will not go away. Makes me scared to go online.
OPM finally came through and processed my disability retirement, so used some of the money to get my daughter a new computer. The rest went to bills.
The only appointments I have had recently are Physical Therapy and Psychology. I like the ampyra; I have had some back and leg pain, but I do better on the balance test at physical therapy. I completed the coping skills class with psychologists and have moved on to the women vets group. There is definitely some validation to my feelings by going to these groups.
After I got my disability retirement approved, I went through a down period, kind of still there. It is rather anti-climatictic, you can't work, you need help, you file and then they give it to you, but now there is this disabled label on you. I am seriously, thinking of scraping the social security claim and go back to school to find something I can do. The income from the VA and retirement will pay the bills. I am just not sure if I could handle school; think I need to wait a bit longer. I have had so many changes in the last few years, I really need to have 2 years of no major drama before I tackle anything new.
So, I am taking it slow and easy, no major changes or decisions. Going to try and enjoy life one day at a time.

[unstoppable]

My week

My week has been hectic, but then again, all of my weeks are hectic! I have been running from my meds. But I think I will stop being a brat real soon. I am going to my husbands unit ball on saturday. I am excited already. I felt like a princess just trying it on. My night classes have began this week and I am just trying to work out my schedule with homeschooling my kids during the summer.
Have a great week!

[Bob698]

After I got my disability retirement approved, I went through a down period, kind of still there. It is rather anti-climatictic, you can't work, you need help, you file and then they give it to you, but now there is this disabled label on you. I am seriously, thinking of scraping the social security claim and go back to school to find something I can do.

I know you're thinking about this for all the right reasons, but please be careful with the disability paperwork.
It sounds like someone thought your Sx warrented the payout and you don't want to go back to them with anything that could sound like "Ha ha, fooled you!". That kind of stuff can stick in your files and follow you in case things get worse and it takes a lot more effort to undo the damage. Remember, these are social workers not Neuro's and they may not fully understand your disease.
You've got a lot of things to consider right now. Give yourself the time to understand all of it.
I don't think any of us wanted to get that d-word hung around our necks but MS just happens and it wasn't like we could prevent it.