I had a great time in Europe, and things have been pretty busy since I got back, with K and I looking at land to buy and homes to put on it. This past Sat, he put a offer on a lot, and after some negotiating, we reached a price. Now to see if the appraisal matches it or not.
I had a great lunch with 3 veteran friends, two of them single that I hope might hit it off.
A big part of my therapy is taking control of things in my life, and working to change those things I feel are worthy of effort. The two things I chose to work on, and is supported by my docs at the Vet Center and the VA, and civilian, are MST awareness and advocacy, and getting medical cannabis legalized here in Texas, so we don't have to be criminals to use the medication that works best for us with the least side effects. So Norml and Texas Norml, and other veteran and cannabis advocates have been calling for us veterans to contact our local elected reps today and tell them we want their support for this. There are some great 'canned' letters I say, but once I started writing.. this is what came out, it's brutal, but factual.
Honorable ___________,
I am a proud Texas Veteran, 100% disabled with PTSD from four years of military sexual trauma. I suffered rapes and beatings during those four years, being threatened with being thrown out in disgrace if I spoke up. I buried it when I got out, thinking it would go away. It didn't, instead, it ruined much of my life until my mental breakdown in Dec of 2011. Since then, I've had to face some ugly truths. If one thinks that cannabis is a terrible thing, then it takes courage to look at it with an open heart, and I am asking you to do that please, for my sake, and the sake of so many other veterans. If not for medical cannabis recommenced to me in Calif by my WW2 veteran Uncle, I would not be here. I was well on my way to drinking myself to death over the secrets I was commanded not to talk about. I never even told my mom the truth that I was beaten so bad I couldn't have kids. Every day was torture, until I smoked some cannabis with my Uncle. Then, things began to lighten up, even before it all came out. Drinking would have killed me like it did my older brother who died from alcohol poisoning, which is why my Uncle intervened, he could see how close behind my brother I was. I will be coming to Austin next year, and hopefully as my elected Representative, you can tell me face to face why you might disagree with medical cannabis.
22 veterans a day kill themselves. This short clip is about them. It's Veterans Day, and I ask you to watch it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRhj1hDwrEI&feature=youtu.be
I've tried all the different psychiatric meds the VA prescribes. Senator_____, some of them have terrible, terrible side effects, they made me want to die... really. But medical cannabis helps in ways I can't even describe. My granma, who used it for her arthritis and depression encouraged me to use it as well. There are sooo many folks this can help, but please, for those of us that put our lives on the line, and those of us that lost much of our sanity, this IS a vital medicine.
I pray you have the open heart to listen and help us.
Thank you for your service to this great state of Texas!
Sincerely,
mstrecovery.blogspot.com
If you came here from this link... welcome in a sick kinda way. But you will find here some ugly honesty. Please keep an open mind and heart, and help change what can be.
I want to also say, that many of the docs I've talked to here in TX would like to be able to recommend medical cannabis for me. Some have gone as far as to read some of the Israli studies about the benifits of cannabis on PTSD. They have told me that they really hope I and others succeed. So not only do I do this for myself, and the brethren, but also the doctors who are frustrated that their hands are tied as well.
So where every you are, please, please think about advocating for the VA to allow veterans access to medical cannabis, wherever we might live. For many of us, it's all between us and 'suicidal idiation'
Over and out,
Myst
