The Broken Soldier

As more time passes, the realities of my injuries and secondary illnesses/syndromes become profoundly more clear.  By that I mean I’m not talkin’ the probability of permanent disability, but of actual permanent disability.  Recognition and acceptance has been a difficult process, but I’m finally coming to terms with it.  Indulge me in a bit of third person, the ‘old’ Jimison is gone and won’t be coming back.  The beat goes on.

I’ve done a lot of complaining to a lot of people over the past year and a half.  Making frank, angry, confrontational dialog something of a science.  I’ve been fortunate to have made many allies and friends - contradicting the ‘more flies with honey’ maxim.  JR is one of those.

Former Army, Airborne, messed up back, chronic pain, depression, his CV looks a lot like my own.  But our differences are what’s important for the purpose of this post.  He worked for quite a long time, until he was physically no longer able to work, with the VA assisting vets obtain equitable compensation and access to entitlements under the law.  Though he no longer works with the VA, he’s fully disabled from service-connected injuries, he has an encyclopedic knowledge of the system, many contacts, and considerable respect of his former co-workers.    He’s helping me navigate this system.

Based on his experience, JR’s confident I’m eligible for 100% disability entitlement or Individual Unemployability, which amounts to the same rate of compensation.  (And before those of my readership subscribing to an Eric Cartman strain of economic Conservatism get their vaginae sandy, there’s an easily recognizable difference between an earned legal entitlement and an entitlement mentality.)  That is, as JR says, “… if things are done right.”  Getting things right seems to be a major issue in my limited experience with the federal government.