Another year has passed, and Veteran’s Day (Remembrance Day) has graced our lives with a wondrous opportunity for gratitude. Once again I ask you to visit a Veteran, for this year we have much to remember and so much for which to be thankful. 

As the wars around the world continue, we at home persevere in our prayers that the conflicts will soon end so that our brave and valiant soldiers will return to us soon, safe from harm. You see, no matter how we privately feel about our involvement in the war on terror, all of us must invariably support the safety and well-being of our troops. However, we face one unalterable fact: the physical and psychological ramifications of combat in warfare. 

Along with loss of life and limb, the two major injuries resulting from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are PTSD (post traumatic stress syndrome) and TBI (traumatic percussion brain injury). 

First, let’s take just a brief moment to acquaint ourselves with PTSD. By definition, it is a psychiatric disorder experienced after surviving or observing life-threatening events such as those most commonly present during military combat. Trauma unfailingly leaves its imprint yet, given time, some victims simply return to normal. However, for others, who cannot give up the struggle with PTSD, the stress reaction to the experienced trauma only gets worse over time. Flashbacks of the original trauma may be accompanied by nightmares, exaggerated reactions to being startled, sleeplessness, depression and severe irritability. Some or all of these symptoms may occur concurrently in ways acute enough to impair both the function and quality of their daily life routine.

PTSD is by no means a recently discovered disorder. Historically, there are documented medical treatises referring to the syndrome, dating back as far as the Civil War. Then again in WWII (especially in regard to holocaust survivors) more and more enlightening information emerged. However, true and in-depth scientific research was not officially initiated until the Viet Nam conflict came to an end. It is estimated that over 30% of veterans returning from Viet Nam suffered from an array of symptoms stemming from PSTD, most assuredly triggered in combat. 

Now, let it be known that TBI has also witnessed an unusually high profile in Iraq. For veterans of war, TBI can actually be combined with PTSD and has become the most common cause of battlefield injury. 

According to some researchers, more than half of all soldiers in Iraq are victims of blast exposure resulting in TBI. Mortars, explosives and grenades and handmade Iraqi IEDs (improvised explosive devices) are all perpetrators responsible for these deadly percussion brain injuries. A TBI can range from mild to severe. 

A concussion is a mild TBI and can be recovered from within a matter of hours or days. A moderate TBI can result in a variety of symptoms like headache, vertigo, and short-term memory loss. Of course, severe TBI can result in death at one extreme or permanent disabilities and impairment, both mental and physical, at the other end of the spectrum.

There is no clear discrepancy that the war in Iraq is producing more TBI than any other US war in history. In May of 2005, The New England Journal of Medicine stated, “Among surviving soldiers wounded in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan, TBI appears to account for a larger proportion of casualties than it has in other recent U.S. wars.” However, the Pentagon refused to release the number of soldiers suffering from TBI, stating that such a statistic would put those fighting at risk. How could they be more at risk then they already are? 

Well, moving right along… here’s what I think we need to do about all of this: quite simply - make your voice heard! Let’s all follow the lead of former Navy doctor, Bob Meaders, and pop mega-star, Cher, who have spoken out against TBI on Capital Hill. Meaders has created Operation Helmet aimed at sending helmet liner kits to Marines (one of them being Meaders grandson, Justin). To help support organizations supplying helmet liners to our soldiers, please visit these two sites: operationhelmet.org or siprojecthomefront.com. You, as a force of one, can truly make a difference!

Below, I quote an email recently sent to me by a member of the VFW:

“In addition to Congress attempting to cut funding for centers that help our wounded soldiers, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) reports an outrageous backlog of healthcare and benefits claims -- over 800,000 cases and claims are currently pending! 

These claims represent hundreds of thousands of veterans and their families who are waiting for their healthcare and benefit needs to be met by the VA. These are real people who did their duty for our country. But, unfortunately, the country is not holding up its end of the bargain…

This Veterans Day, you can honor our veterans by adding your name to the Healthcare for Our Heroes Petition to Congress.The VFW’s goal is to gather 20,000 Healthcare for Our Heroes Petition signatures to deliver to Congress by November 11th, Veterans Day.

Please forward this message to your family and friends and ask them to join you in honoring veterans on November 11th by taking this simple action to ensure that our veterans do NOT have to fight for the healthcare that is due to them.”

One more issue the healthcare system needs to address is the frightening increase in diabetes among our senior (veteran and civilian) population. In light of this fact, 

I have personally partnered with Veteran’s Care Plus in order to make sure that our veterans and their spouses are receiving the very lowest priced medications, best nutricueticals and Pharmacy Solutions Support, designed to overcome the devastating affects of diabetes, and the many other health care crises.

Please visit www.VeteransCarePlus.com to find out more about this excellent program. And should you feel prompted to support my efforts on behalf of those determined to control diabetes, please cast your vote, by putting in a good word for me with Senior Vice President of Liberty Medical, David Bjork, and Chief Marketing Officer, Patricia Cmielewski, at 800-353-0366.

A quick call to either of these company officers, stating your confidence in me, thanking them in supporting my campaign to control diabetes through their pharmaceuticals and medical equipment, can make a world of difference for someone combating this intrepid disease.

In closing, I would also like to ask that you help me in supporting the new national commander of The American Legion, Paul A. Morin, as he takes up the baton to continue the courageous fight to maintain the integrity of every veteran’s medical benefits. 

Please take the time to visit: www.legion.org to acquaint yourself with this incredibly fine organization. Our brave men and women, acting in heroic service to this great country, were there when we needed them; it is now up to us to be there when they need us! 

Thank you for supporting our troops and veterans. 

With love and purpose,