When I first came to steemit, I wanted to be involved with the Veterans of the community because I see the sub par treatment that the Veterans Affairs here in the United States provides. Let me explain what it is that happens to trigger me to finally pull that trigger and stand up for myself and hopefully others will rise for themselves and join me in my movement.
As I have mentioned in many posts before my wife is my rock and my family is everything. As such, if you mess with my family in any type of inappropriate manner I am going to check you on it. I'm a sleeping bear don’t poke me or mine! It goes much deeper then that though because I have the same mentality about my fellow veterans.
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My wife also doubles as my caregiver due to my TBI and PTSD the biggest symptom is memory loss. With that remembering my medication, appointments, and everything else. Even saved my life when I was on the way to execute the ending of my life, she somehow saved a drunken, medication side affect, induced raging veteran from getting out that door. I also very openly with the VA have been smoking Marijuana as a medication for some time now. ALL my doctors know it helps me physically and mentally. I cannot have pain killers because I'm a recovering addict coming up on 5 years clean April 8th and never want to visit that road again so pain management is limited.
Now fast forward to my wife's 6 month review of being my caregiver. Here to find out because I smoke marijuana as a medication, whether with a State Medical card or not, which I don't peruse to have because I enjoy my rights! They are drafting a policy to make caregivers eligibility may be in jeopardy if I'm using marijuana. I will likely need to go to outpatient rehab per this program, as if I'm a drug addict when I am controlling my intake down to the weight and timing as in doses, I have never been in more control.
Now the VA over stepped a boundary in my mind, they gave me the option. Strictly the prescription medication that have so far not worked and almost killed me or my wife loses her income. Now you’ve threatened my family with the very thing that I have quit easily 5 times for months over the last year to see what their medication is doing, documented as well. I have been preaching there needs to be change well there will be now. The VA pissed off the wrong and very determined Veteran!
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I'm not talking riots, I'm talking numbers, documentation from doctors about the positive affect that marijuana has with PTSD. Family and character statements. Presence EVERYWHERE. We aren't some 17-20 year old children, we are war hardened veterans that have done enough for this country, for this country to listen to use and give us the right to choose our medication! Basing the fact of a few case studies, that marijuana has addictive tendency’s and doesn't work as well for everyone. Sounds very familiar to any other type of medications that are prescribed by doctors and the VA. I know that because I have withdrew from 4 off them in the last 1.5 years. I need Veterans that have the same experience with Marijuana and ease PTSD with this. If you are interested in joining this cause for your right to choose, give me your contact information and we can all gather. Numbers speak, lets do this the right way! We can get the change we need to happen. Its time that the VA listens to the very ones that are dying daily, 22 Veterans commit suicide a day, because of the mistreatment and disregard to the problem at hand. I will lay out my official thoughts in the next post. Until then, think about what I said and I hope to be in contact with someone soon.
@veteranforcrypto
I know it does help, I would love to be able to use Marijuana as a medication. It is still illegal to use and it would cause so many problems here, so I just do not use anything. The meds the VA gives me makes me and the wife fight, taking them before and split up three times, not taking them makes me and the wife fight but I am able to somewhat move around and do something and not a zombie like I am on meds from VA. Life with PTSD sucks and it never really gets better you just learn to live with it. Always Forward!
Forward Always! The crappy thing is it is legal Medically here in NY but with the federal policies it screws me both with the VA and my wife's Care giver status and my ability to purchase firearms on a federal background check which I have passed numerous times. So it seems I am in a damned if I do and damned if I don't situation. My current meds make me a total zombie, hard to motivate myself to get out of my chair as seen in my consistency of posting. Thanks for reading brother!
I know how you feel about the meds the VA gives you. The short of it is till it becomes legal on the federal level it is not going to change. Just because state law says it is legal, federal overrules that so to speak. Here in Georgia, it is not medically legal and I would be in a world of hurt if I was caught with some here. So it works and I know it does but I cannot touch it. I hate having something that will help and make me feel better just out of reach and cannot have it.
That is what I want to change, they need to do something to change the out dated policy's. Its literally killing people, well in some cases causes people to kill themselves.
That is the sad part is most of them really do not care about vets at the VA. It is just a paycheck to them. They are not trying to change any policies and they are understaffed in most clinics.
Beep!Beep! @shadow3scalpel & listkeeper @chairborne have your six new veterans, retirees and military members on STEEM. We’ll be patrolling by to upvote your posts (because you are on the list) and we'll answer any questions you leave us. Comment by @shadowspub. This is a opt-in bot.
I agree that the medication the VA prescribes can have way worse side effects than marijuana. That is why we are seeing such a shift in the attitude towards medical marijuana being adopted as a real medication. I know you have said that you measure out each dose you use and it is very controlled. The problem is, there are still so many people that over medicate with it and have not taken the time to learn how to micro dose properly.
I think that you will have an easier time finding information that will help you if you contact Warriors for Weed Project or Veterans Cannabis Project. I am sure they will have all the info you will need to help you with your caregiver case. Good luck dude.
I'm hoping so! I need to get more involved on a more advanced level, there needs to be change! It would save so many veterans lives. 100% agree that people need to have the mind set to micro dose then selves the way I have. With allowing research they can get effective doses for severity but must allow them to begin with I would be first in line for those case studies.
Policies override proper medical care at the VA .
I got caught up in the opioid crisis . I have been taken them for years . Now all the sudden the VA no longer prescribed them as before .
If you wanna talk about abuse , I agree there are many who abused it to include doctors who prescribe it .
There are 2 ways to handle a problem . One is to identify the problem and solve it , the other is just to make a blanket policy that doesn't directly affect the problem .
We all learn problem solving techniques , Maybe it would help teach the leadership in the VA how problem solving techniques work .
Thats where they need to change it. They need to lead the charge to provide that care for veterans that it does work for, as with my medications all having negative effects and not working having to withdraw and start the whole process over again.. I think the VA needs to get some stones and tell the feds that they need to allow this to be an option because just as with prescription pills medical marijuana is not for everyone, loosen the grip a bit. Thanks again for reading 😃
they have the power to do it .
they need to get out of the system healthcare mentality and do individual care .
Exactly! Listen to the people!
Have you talked to the folks at Weed 4 Warriors?
I have not but I will definitely be looking into them and others 😎