Stryker Brigade News

As for Scott, I arrived to find him in a very good mood. All the nursing staff ask him how many days he has left as they see him walking around. It appears that discharge will move smoothly tomorrow. An evaluator from the TBI program came by to ask how their program could have been improved and what was most helpful, etc. Scott and I both praised the work of the therapists and Stacy the Social Worker. We learned she has twice the caseload she is supposed to have (boy, do I know how THAT feels!). I promptly ordered that she not be burned out by the program, as she really gets the job done. I've worked with a lot of hospital social workers during my eight years with a child welfare agency and she's the best I've seen. I cautioned the evaluator that more soldiers are on the way and to beware that they may arrive more quickly than they have before, possibly with little notice. She said this has already happened, but they have decided not to refuse patients as some VA hospitals apparently have done elsewhere. Way to go Minneapolis!

At Occupational Therapy, Scott worked on a list of activities he should do while on leave. I suggested he could wash Strykers with his right hand at Ft. Lewis, which got a reminder from Scott of his new rank. I guess it wouldn't do to have Staff Sergeants washing vehicles. He also took the opportunity to remind me that we now hold the same rank. I told him my time in grade exceeds his time alive, but he only held up seven fingers in response (indicating he thinks he'll eventually make Sergeant First Class). "That depends on how hard you work to recover," I told him. Deb the Therapist has already ordered some safety equipment for Scott.

We met up with Stacy the Social Worker, who has done an exceptional job for us, and she had already faxed a letter to the housing folks at Ft. Lewis requesting a one level house for Scott, Tiffany and Aly (Tiff later called me and said she gets to move on Tuesday to a place closer to Madigan Army Medical Center--that's results, my friends!). We told her what we told the evaluator earlier today and she was gratified to learn we felt this way. I warned her about quick transfers of patients from Walter Reed and what confusion is still going on there about active duty status. She said, and I'll put it in capital letters here, A SOLDIER DOES NOT NEED TO BE DISCHARGED FROM THE ARMY IN ORDER TO BE SENT TO THE TBI PROGRAM AT MINNEAPOLIS FOR TREATMENT. It may be a good idea for some soldiers, but it is not a requirement. Don't make me say it again.

And don't forget that a 100% VA disability rating may be changed to a lesser amount later if the claimant recovers (which is usually considered a good thing, by the way). After a certain time (I think it's five years) the disability rating is permanent. But, before that date, you can be re-evaluated and the amount reduced. You need at least 30% to get vocational rehabilitation, so if you're at 100% and therefore not thinking about vocational rehabilitation and you're later reduced to a number below 30%, you're out of the Army and out of luck with getting the job training or education you need to be as productive as the raters think you are. Carefully consider re-training or education while you've got the benefits and the rating.

Now you know one reason why we fought as hard as we did at Walter Reed. A little education is a dangerous thing and I've been educated by the Army and the VA for over 30 years. I got a Bachelor's degree in 1983 and a Master's Degree in 1985 thanks to vocational rehabilitation. Everybody but me and one other guy (who was going to the community college) was enrolled in a jewelry repair course. Yeah, like that was going to get them a new career! I selected an internship at a VA outpatient clinic as part of my way of paying that back. It was a very valuable learning experience (I'm not being clever here) and I often think of the veterans I met there.

After we left Stacy's office, we went over to the Recreational Therapy storage area to get a movie to watch today after PT. We made our selection and returned to his room in time for lunch.

Physical Therapy pretty much finished up today with the usual routine and a discussion of stretches and exercises to be done on his own after leaving. We finished early and returned to his room.

We passed a quiet afternoon watching bad TV in his room after we discovered that the TV and VCR in the patient lounge was not there anymore. So much for watching Who Framed Roger Rabbit?

Tonight, we had dinner with Jim Moffet and Audrey Johnson, and Kathy Thompson who arrived later. We had a very pleasant evening talking about how Scott has been doing recently and just telling stories about Walter Reed, Bethesda and all points in between. Audrey picked us up and Jim took us back. The friendship extended to us by these folks has been valuable beyond my ability to describe. And still they want to help us! It is a debt we can never repay with any sum. It can only be acknowledged and deeply appreciated. We have been treated very kindly by persons who were nearly strangers before our arrival. Let's just say only the weather is cold up here. The people have been very warm indeed.

When Scott returned to his room (while Jim kindly waited to drop me off at the Fisher House--it's about 18 degrees and the wind is blowing), we discovered gifts for Scott and Alyson from a family that has been visiting soldiers off and on since we arrived. Since it's almost 2 a.m., I'll have to try to remember their names later this morning to make sure I get it right.

Yup, I'm going to need another bag...

ST