ptsd Being 100% P/t

[stillhere]

Very "GOOD" and thought out posts. Thank you all again I will try and take them to heart and continue my journey with my head held high!

[carlie]

The "good investments" path is good too, I think I may use that one with your permission of course, Carlie?

Ruski

Ruski,

Go for it, it usually stops them from asking anymore questions.

If it doesn't - just tell them the monthly dividend checks from Microsoft

have been a blessing :-) .

[Notorious Kelly]

My new line is, "I'm retired."

If further prodded, "Well, I made some good decisions after some bad decisions. How much do you make a month?"

Fastest way to shut up a nosy person is ask them the same questions.

[rpowell01]

First, Do not ever, ever feel bad about anything because like others stated "You earned it"...Second, nobody is making you feel you should work, you are making yourself feel that way. I use to think the same way for 14 years until last year whenever my life started going downhill medically all because of SC'd injuries catching up with me.No I didn't take their handout 14 years ago but I did file and was SC'd for it. Here is the booger of it all. I was rated at 0% not because the VA wanted to rate me at that but because I was hard headed and didn't show up at the second appointment I had for C&P and didn't show up at none of their XRay which I had a million of them already. My mistake but I knew something back then that I didn't understand. Well my brain did. I knew once I got in then if it got worse later on then I will utilize it. 14 years later, here I am using it to the max because having a degenerative issues is not fun. Going from ago 28 (living sky high but can deal with a lot of pain) to now, 42 and can't deal with it any longer. If I could only reach back to that stupid 28 year old punk who thought he was on top of the world and let him know what it's going to be like later on down the road I would do it in a heart beat!!!! Trust me, never regret what you have earned, only regret the things you should have done but didn't do it earlier....

[RuskiLinguist]

Stillhere,

Aren't the people on here great for putting things into perspective?

I personally am waiting for my 100% PTSD with Major Depression to turn into an award by the SSDI folks. I will eventually be in your position and I know that I will be facing a shameful-joy emotional battle when I win. Facts are facts, and everyone here knows that these awards are not just handed out to anyone. I am sure that my reaction will probably be a mix of many of the suggestions on this thread.

I fully intend to embrace the VA disability as a source of pride, and help others get to where they need to be. I will most likely never share the Social Security Disability victory with the general public or most family and friends.

Like it or not, VA disability used to have a stigma that I have watched fade over the years. I agree it should never have been there, and I feel the only way for me to help it disappear completely from our society is to educate the ignorant, appreciate the ones who get it, and humiliate the ones who never will. We bore the weight of freedom that every American enjoys, and no matter if the wounds are visible or not, we carry them for the rest of our lives.

I read this somewhere else, but I can't remember where: There are only 2 entities who have agreed to give their life for you. Jesus Christ and your military.

The social security disability component is one that I just can't expect too many others to have any other reaction than jealousy as Testvet points out.

I have heard others suggest that we just say "I'm retired" and leave it at that. The "good investments" path is good too, I think I may use that one with your permission of course, Carlie?

Bottom line is follow your own heart and do what makes you comfortable. These suggestions are burned into my thoughts as I am still moving to the goal you have already reached.

You have earned it more than enough times to finally be getting it

Ruski

To add 2 more points to my earlier rambling, Here is a site that can possibly help you start putting some order to the confusion. (ignore all the sales and marketing garbage). It helps answer the question; "I'm retired, now what". http://retirement.ameriprise.com/planning-for-retirement/retirement-ideas/advice-for-retirement.asp

And my last useless insight on the topic is: if you are having trouble picking a path, start from the end and work your way back to today. To define this exercise a little better, we only get 1 or 2 lines on a good headstone when our time here is through. How do you want those lines to read? Then pick a path that starts you in that direction.

Ruski

[godeep]

Be proud of the fact that you are a disabled American veteran. I most certainly am. I went through combat Hell and didn't file ANYTHING with the VA for 42 years. Seven years ago I began going through significant physical difficulties that no one in my family had ever experienced. I was insured and had heard the nightmare stories of Vietnam vets and the VA, so I stayed away and rationalized it by thinking/saying that the OIF/OEF vets needed VA help more than I did. A retired DAV legislative advocate and high school friend told me that I was wrong and that by not filing I was making it more difficult for them. Now I understand what he meant. It parallels what those that went before me and lived through the VA nightmare sacrificed for me to enjoy a 100% P&T claim that took a mere six months.

I thank all of you old school patriots for enduring the delays, the appeals and the bureaucratic maze that allowed we newbies to succeed the first time out the gate.

Paying it forward one vet at a time! I helped an OEF veteran that I saw at the San Jose clinic yesterday, and I continue to help those survivors that I served with. You can read about them here:

www.jackmclean.us