@ Weekly Vets Muster on the MS deck, May 22, 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?

Dulcinea! (No, No No!)
"I am seriously, thinking of scraping the social security claim and go back to school to find something I can do."

CAUTION...been there done that. All that did was make it much MUCH HARDER for me to get SSDI. I did not want the DISABLED label either and fought against it, then my fighting to stay off SSDI worked against me BIG time! Since you already started a SSDI claim, withdrawing it may work against you as much or even more than my fight to try and keeep working did.

Going to school will not count against your SSDI. In fact it might HELP you get re-trainning/schooling etc. IF you get SSDI, then they will HELP you return to work and even have trial work periods WITH continuing benifits where you can collect SSDI while you discover IF, you can keep working. Earning money via employment can count against you, earning a degree does not.

= = = = = =

Gomer Have GoGo, will Go Go Go

[WACVet]

I'm still here, and so is the MS.
I'm scheduled for PT on the 26th, so I'm happy about that.

I learned that I need to learn a lot about traveling disabled!! My poor daughter really had a tough time as we didn't get a lot of help during our travels. Thank goodness for the USO though... we spent a night there, saving us the cost of a hotel room, and food!

I keep fighting my legs, but they seem to be winning out. I must really be in denial, because I keep thinking it's my imagination that my legs aren't working right. I'm so tired of being in bed, but every time I try and do things, I get exhausted, and my legs just refuse to do what I want them to. I keep thinking, "tomorrow things will be better"......then I wonder if I'm just setting myself up for another let down! Ugh.

Hope everyone out there is doing well.... summer is coming, so try and keep cool!!!

[Dulcinea714]

Thank you

Thanks Gomer and Bob,
I am going to stick with fighting for SSDI. Your comments, a thread about working and my counseling group have made me see that I need to stick it out.
The VA says I can't work. The Office of Personnel Management says I can't work. When two government agencies say I cannot work, this other government agency should see the light. I am waiting on a hearing and it is about a year wait here in Nashville; so I will be patient.
The depression and fatigue are really hitting me these last few weeks. I went to my women's vet group today and one of the women really made a great statement. She said, "just because they don't understand me, doesn't mean they don't love me." It was like a light bulb and really made me feel better. People mean well, but sometimes comments are off track and I just need to accept that not everyone understands me and that is ok. I don't control them and they don't control me.
So, I am feeling better tonight and hoping it stays with me for awhile.
WACVet, on traveling, there are some threads on traveling and there is a website for MSers who travel-I will have to see if I can find it. I am retired from TSA, but quit working before all these new changes took effect. I will say, do not be afraid to ask for a skycap with a wheelchair(skycaps work for less than minimum wage plus tips-so please tip them) and if a screener gives you a hard time, ask for a supervisor or manager and explain the issue.
Hope everyone has a good week.

[Dulcinea714]

Active MSers

WACVet, Here is the website I mentioned in earlier post. Alot of info on traveling.

http://www.activemsers.org/

Hope you find it helpful.