Things aren't always easy for us. Jake was in the Army for 8 years and is a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom III. After he returned home he was working a great job that he loved up on the Air Force base when he started presenting with symptoms of PTSD. He has a very severe case of it and was told that he could no longer work. However, they didn't offer benefits and for a year he only received unemployment, which was nowhere near enough to pay the mortgage. Eventually he got a hold of someone in political office with the help of some people at the VA and he got benefits but not after a year of missed payments. So he's losing his house, he's tried everything, talking to the bank (the mortgage has changed banks 3 times), hiring lawyers, now we're trying for a short sale.
Not only are the symptoms of PTSD hard; anxiety, awful headaches, memory loss, depression, nightmares, and many many other health issues, but having so many of the dreams for your life taken too, it's been rough. Jake joined the Army when he was still in high school. He went to boot camp before he graduated and was looking forward to a life where he could use the GI Bill to go to school. Now his memory is so bad that he can't take classes because he can't retain the information, he can't even read books and remember what is going on. He can't go to school, will have medical problems for the rest of his life, and is losing his home.
He doesn't regret going to Iraq, he feels he did the right thing, it's just hard to watch all of your dreams crash because of it. He is getting benefits now and he sent the bank almost everything that was past due on the house but they wouldn't accept it because it wasn't the full amount, it was 90% of what was past due, every cent he had. They sent it back and he used it to pay off all the other past due bills instead. Everything is current but the house, and the ridiculous thing is that he makes enough to pay the mortgage but they won't let him unless he pays the full past due amount. That doesn't keep the bank from calling 3 times a day 6 days a week though. In December all of the stress of the constant doctors appointments, harassment from the bank, and roommate problems caught up to Jake and he checked himself into 3A.
3A is the mental ward of the local VA Hospital. I was so proud of him for being able to recognize that he needed help, and being strong enough to ask for it. He spent just under two weeks there and they changed all of his meds and he's doing a lot better. He's happier and feels better about life. He also had an experimental procedure done at his civilian physician and although his headaches are still constant, the pain is at a much lower level.
Every night I drove to Salt Lake to visit Jake during the 2 hour visiting time. I'm glad there is such a place as the VA to help those who have served our country when they need it. The services are free because his injuries are service related and they really take good care of him there. When your loved one is really sick and hurting and there is nothing you can do, well, it's an awful feeling. I just tried to show my support and be there for him however I could.
The experience really reinforced to me some of the reasons I love Jake. He's brave and courageous, strong and honest. He's loving and he tries his best to make me happy. He is an amazing person, who gave a lot and didn't get much in return but he doesn't complain. He just tries to move on and make the best of it, which is what we're doing. We're saying good riddance to this house and this town and we're going to make a new start in a new place where we can make new memories together.
