Military Wife

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Military Wife

By Stanman63
Thanks To JennaFL For Proofing And Nora Adrienne for editing
Synopsis: When a boy whose injury prevents him from entering into the military, but his best friend does enlist, so he chooses to give in to his desire to become a woman and over time, finds that being a Military Wife is what she wants to be.

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Well, here I am, with my beloved Frankie watching as the sun goes down behind the hills, and this would not be possible without a Love that overcame the horrors of war.

We grew up together, and because of the accident, I became a girl, not a boy as I was born. My name was Andrew Nicholas Woods, but after the accident, I became Drew Nicola Woods.
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It was during summer vacation, just before our senior year in Eastmoore High School. Frank and I were in the backyard, shooting his dad's rifle at the targets when a bullet ricocheted off of the brick wall and got me in the groin. When it hit, it tore away everything, nearly causing me to bleed to death, but I was rushed to the E.R. where the surgeons were able to stop the bleeding.

They had to do an emergency surgery to rearrange my groin's anatomy, giving me the vagina that I would have received later. When I awoke, I received the news.

"Andrew, I am Doctor Wheeler, the surgeon who worked n you."

"Hello, how bad is it?"

Momma looked at me with tears in her eyes, "Drew, there's nothing left below. you are now sexless."

"WHAT?"

"Son, we can fit you with a bodysuit that can give you the appearance of a male, or that of a female," said Doctor Wheeler.

"Can the bodysuit give me reproductive organs?"

"Yes, either sex, or you can choose to be neither or both.

"What if I choose to wear the male suit, but take estrogen?"

"Then the suit will not work until the estrogen is metabolized."

"And if I choose the male and take testosterone?"

"Then you will become a fertile male as the suit's nanites create what you lost."

"What if I choose to be a girl? Will I become a mother?"

"Yes, according to the tests, the bodysuit's nanites and estrogen will help you to grow your own female reproductive system."

"How?"

"When or if you choose to be a girl, simply take a hormone pill a day until you start your menstrual cycle."

"Drew, I know that you want to be a girl, but please ask Frank. He is distraught over what happened and might not e able to accept you as a girl. You know that he needs his best friend by him."

"Damn! You're right. Frankie might not want me as a girl," I sighed.

Frankie came running over to me and hugged me, fiercely, "Damn it Drew! What in the hell have I done to you?" he wept.

"Frankie, you just made it easier for me to be me."

"I knew that you wanted to be a girl, but I thought that you were going through a phase would and stay a boy," he confessed.

"Can you accept me as a girl? Your girl?"

"Drew, I can be your best friend, but how can you forgive me for hurting you?"

"Because I fancy you as my best friend. Maybe even as something more. Can you forgive yourself?"

"In only one way, I will be your protector, since you will need one, now," he offered.

"Does that mean that I need to kiss my hero?" I laughed to let him know that I forgave him.

"Not unless you want for me to thump you," he laughed as he hugged me.

Things changed between us after that as he began to unconsciously treat me like I was a girl. He always put my needs ahead of his and even though I too was playing on the boy's sports team, I was always chosen to be the most protected player.

When Frankie got his first car, a '94 Toyota RAV4, that his dad gave to him when he earned his Driver's Permit, I was put on the car's insurance since Frankie and I were the two top student drivers. Momma got me a cute '93 Subaru Brat, and put Frankie on its insurance policy.

Since we lived next door to each other, we'd share driving duties, using his Rav4 one week, my Brat the next. We became known as the Eastmoore Duo due to our athletic and academic prowess. We were both ready to enter college when America was attacked on September Eleventh, ending our plans. I was unable to join because of my injury, so I wished Frankie well and he joined the Marines.

When America was attacked on September Eleventh, I was a senior in Eastmoore High School. Oh, how I wanted to enlist, but because I'm an only child, and my accident, I was denied, but my best friend, Frank Weller enlisted.
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As the days turned into weeks, I learned that many of the soldiers never got any letters from friends or family. For them, it was as if they were forgotten. That made me cry for them, so I when learned that the armed forces would forward unnamed letters to men in the field as a way to cheer up those men that had no families, I organized the single women in the neighborhood into writing a letter to a soldier.

I would not let them take their sacrifices for granted, and when the dead and maimed started to return, Campaign Air Mail was launched, only Frankie's name was left out as I fully intended to woo him.

I had begun taking hormones when he left, so that I now had my mother's figure. I could wear her clothes since I never grew after the accident, and the girls accepted me as one of them. As for the boys, when they learned about the accident, they all adopted me as their kid sister.

When Frankie got my letter, he told me that he was always thinking about me and that if I was going to be a girl, would I be his, I answered, 'YES'.

Our letters began very platonic, but over time he began to tell me about the hell that he was going through. So I sent him a care package of medical supplies and homemade goodies to eat.

When Momma learned about our 'affair', she got positively mad at me, "DREW! ARE YOU MAD? DOES FRANKIE KNOW ABOUT YOU?"

"Yes, Momma. He knows. Don't I look like a woman to you?" I asked as I stood up, wearing a pale blue tennis dress.

She looked at me and smiled, "Very much Drew. But are you sure about this?"

"More than anything!"

"Then it's high time that you get a new wardrobe to go with the new you. I won't let you dress in my clothes and have you look like an older woman when you are half my age."

"Momma, believe it or not, other than your business suits that you wear as an attorney in Judge Clark's People's Court, your wardrobe is quite young. In fact, all that's needed are a few items that I need for my pictorial debut."

Oh?"

"Yes, I want to send Frankie a video of me around town and even in my swimsuit to prove how much of a girl that I am."
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"I understand your reasons for doing this for Frankie. You fell in love with him and when he went away, you became the girl in your heart. But now he has fallen for you and needs to see that you are for real. It's a good thing that Judge Clark is an advocate for the T.G. Community. He can get your records changed to match your new gender and keep everything discreet so that there are no public records of the change."

"Momma, we love each other. I know that Frankie will appreciate anything that Judge Clark can do for us."

"Oh, His Honor is a veteran. So, he'll be more than happy to help a fellow soldier."

Under Momma's guidance, I dressed in a pale green sundress and pale green hose and she wore a matching outfit in lilac as we headed off to the mall to get us some new clothes. I got myself copies of my school's girl's uniform, including the sports teams, band and cheer. I so wanted for him to see what I would look like growing up as a girl.

We also donated my boy's clothing to the mall's charity shop and got a nice discount that when combined with Momma's Homewood Mall Discount Card made our purchase under $500. Good thing that I was able to get my uniforms from the Charity Shop, that left my lingerie and hosiery to be gotten at Glamour Boutique, Momma's favorite beauty parlor and intimate apparel shop.

Glamor Boutique prided itself on being able to handle the beauty needs of the community, often helping out Towne And Gown Theatre whenever they needed help. All too often an actor or actress would a part as a character of the opposite sex, so Glamor Boutique's special talents were required. They even helped the Police by transforming male cops into a females when needed for undercover assignments.

Glamor Boutique did their magic on me using their special equipment designed to work with my bodysuit to turn me into a beauty queen for him. Going in, I wore that sundress, but they had me to strip and wear a flesh tone bra and panty as they worked on me. Now, I was wearing a red robe that accentuated my figure. My body was totally feminine in every which way, even in my groin where my vagina was now as real as Momma's since I was using a tampon now.

My golden hair lay in waves on my shoulders, styled into long ponytail that cascaded down to my waist. I looked like I Lindsey Lohan from a Disney movie. I was a knockout!

Momma had me wear a red sailor girl tennis dress with white anklets and tennis shoes with my legs encased in taupe hose. I must admit that I hammed it up a bit as we went around town with me posing with statues and landmarks. I made sure that whoever saw the video with Frankie got a good look at my body as I showed my panty as I danced and twirled that day.
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We sent Frankie the video of me strolling around the city along with an assortment of goodies that I'd baked. Under Momma's scrutiny, I baked pans of cookies, cupcakes and doughnuts as well as a few loaves of bread for him to eat and share with his buddies. He especially loved my peanut butter oatmeal raisin cookies and I got requests for other items from other soldiers, too.

Thanks to Major Abe Steele, I was able to send the recipes to the soldiers families who requested my goodies and sent copies to him for the Camp's Chef to bake.

Even though the camp chef was not able to use my recipes, they were a smash hit with other families over here who started to send care packages overseas and the locals did enjoy getting a few sweet treats from the soldiers.

I found that out when Frankie sent me an email, telling about how my recipes had helped out. Each of his buddies sent me a message thanking me for the goodie and how their family had started sending them goodies, and they also sent me pictures of them devouring the goodies that I sent which made me and Momma laugh.

Frankie sent me a VERY personal letter that told me how much that he loved me.

Drew, when I came over here, I NEVER thought that I’d have fallen in love with you. Here I am, a Marine, like my dad and Grandpa Joe were, finding that like them, I have a girl, back home. But, unlike them, MY girl used to be my very best friend. How was I to know that YOU would become the LOVE of my life?

At first, I was scared to admit to my feelings for you because I thought that that meant that I was gay. But when I saw you looking so feminine, I then knew that you were truly a girl at heart. Then I fell in love with you and knew that when I was protecting you in school, that I was declaring myself as your boyfriend which nobody contested.

Knowing that you and your mom are safe back home with my family is the only thing that makes this hellhole bearable. I see the horrors of war daily as I help the locals who are maimed and killed because of their countrymen. When you sent your assortment of baked goods, the guys all claim that you are an angel in disguise, and I must agree with them.

Last Sunday, I shared your latest care package with everybody in Sick Bay and your cookies were a smash hit. When the locals found out that you sent them, they told me how blessed that I was in having you as my girl.

Take care, my Love. Frankie.

He included a picture of himself, dwarfing most of his buddies, making me appreciate how tall and powerfully built he was. Frankie was built like Lou Ferrigno, but was nearly seven feet tall. No wonder Frankie was nicknamed 'Tank' by his buddies.
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When I showed the letter and photo to Momma, tears started to flow, "Drew, you and Frankie truly love each other, just like your dad and I did until he died serving the country just before you were born. That is why I am proud of you for wanting to be a Military Wife. Even though I am a widow, I cherish his memories."

"Momma, tell me about Daddy," I requested.

"Your daddy was Andrew Lloyd Prescott. He was a lot like Frankie is. Andy was a Viking Prince who looked like Kevin Sorbo. When I met him in Stonewall Grammar School, he had just been fostered out to the Prescott family."

"Why have I never met them?"

"Because they died just after we graduated from Stonewall High School ."

"Momma, You are my only family. I feel that I have missed out on so much with no siblings," I admitted.

"Me, too. I so wanted to be a mother to a big family, but when Andy died, I dedicated myself to raising you out of love for him."

"What happened to Daddy?"

Momma had told me many times, but telling me always seemed to help her to calm down whenever she got distraught like this.

"We were due to get married, but he died during Basic Training. Since I was pregnant with you, and we were both only children, I became his widow and you his heir. That is why you have always had money for schooling. After 9/11, I was scared that you would be accepted, but was relieved when you were denied."

"Because you couldn't bear to think about losing me, too. Right?"

"Yes, losing you would have killed me," she wept.

"Now I know how you must feel. I live with the fear of Frankie being hurt, every day. I know that he is doing his duty to America , but I still want him back home with me."

"The same torment that all families who have members serving in the Armed Forces. We are the Unsung Heroes of the Military, yet we too receive our Honor when they come home."
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A few days later, I was in Bookmart, picking up my latest finds when I met up with Frankie's mother, Grace, "Drew, how are you doing?"

"Fine, Grace. How's Bob?"

"Oh, he's doing OK, He's proud as can be that Frankie is a Marine, like he was."

"Well, what else could he do with Bob being such a great father figure to him?"

"Yes, but we are also grateful that Frankie found you."

"So, you two accept the fact that I was born a boy?"

"Drew, even when you were a boy, we saw a cute little girl, just like Frankie did. That accident simply corrected a mistake."

"Thanks, I've been wondering about that."

"Well, you might not say that after today," she admitted.

"Oh? Why is that?"

"As Frankie's mother, I need to inspect his Girl to see if she is worthy of him."

"WHAT?"

"Drew, I need to get to know you as a woman, NOT as a friend. You grew up as a boy. I want to make sure that you can be a woman for Frankie."
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What else could I do but agree? I began to spend time with her? We began to see each other in the support group 'Drew's Coalition' in the Community Center to make things to send to our troops overseas consisting of families with soldiers and those who wanted to support the troops.

Grace was a wonderful aide for me as I was chosen to lead the group. I got my start with the baked goods, but now I was seen as a capable leader and whenever a volunteer was sent to Boot Camp that lived in the area, the volunteer and family was warmly welcomed into the group where new friendships were forged.

"Drew, I have seen you as you worked with everybody. why don't you have a job?"

"I've been way too busy volunteering. Believe me, I wish that I could get paid for this," I sighed.

Then, an elderly gentleman in Air Force Dress Blues came up to me, "I am General Bradley Wescott in charge of Volunteer Support," he said as he saluted me.

I returned the salute, "Pleased to meet you, Sir. How may I help you???"

He chuckled, "You have it wrong, Missy. I am here to help YOU."

"How?"

He handed me a leather bound folder, "Here is a document signed by the Chief Of Staff authorizing you to be granted the Rank of Major in the Women’s Volunteer Corps., with back pay."

"You mean that I'm in the Military?"

"Well, you have Veteran's Benefits and what a Major receives after retirement. And you may shop in any Base PX, too. Go ahead and look at the document. I want to see your smile," he chided me.

I opened the document and was amazed at the idea of having my wish granted in this fashion. And with the document was a bank draft showing that I was now richer.

I hugged him, "Thanks. I've wanted to join, but was denied," I wept.

"I know. What I see before me is a courageous young woman who has overcome a major obstacle."

"Sir? Does the Military now accept the Transgendered?"

"If I had my way, it would. But there are too many who fear you to accept you. You and Frankie are lucky in that his commanding officer Major Abe Steele likes your cookies, he chuckled.

Major Abe Steele would often send back news about our soldiers, both those under his command and those of the families. He told me in a personal message that when he learned about me, he was shocked, but as he got to know me through my letters to Frankie, he found that his prejudice was unfounded.

Finding that I had helped him to accept girls like me made me grateful that I was denied. Here I was, a woman in love with a soldier and helping others in a way that I NEVER thought possible.
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Frankie's dad, Franklin Lee Wescott surprised me one day, "Drew, you sure are a pretty girl."

"Thanks, Mister Wescott."

"Call me Papa, please. I miss Frankie, so now I want to get to know his girl."

I smiled, "I'd like that very much, Papa Wescott. I lost mine when I was little."

"I know. You and your mother have often been in my prayers."

Papa Wescott, I must know one thing..."

"Why I accept you as my daughter-in-law when I know that you were born as a boy," he completed for me with a chuckle.

"Yes, I must ask because being what I am, there are some who would try to hurt me?"

"Child, I NEVER saw you as a boy. When we moved in next door, I saw a cute girl that my son adored. Even after we knew that you were a boy, we saw you as a girl. When you actually became a girl for Frankie, Grace and I knew that it was out of Love for him."

"Is there another reason that your Family is so wonderful to me?" I asked because I sensed that there was a reason behind why they were so accepting.

"Very smart of you to ask. Yes, there is a reason. Hope and I know another girl like you."

"Oh? Who?"

"One of Frankie's Sunday School teachers, Allison Manning," he answered, showing me a picture of a black lady wearing a purple dress with white hose. She was beautiful and very feminine.

"What happened?"

"One day, a man from her past visited us at Grace Methodist Church when they were looking for teachers in their private school. She told Brother Simon about her past and he assured her that she was accepted as a teacher."

"Was that the end?"

"No, a man from her past tried to get her fired, but she had been teaching for several years and everybody knew about her past. So, he was asked to leave the church."

"Did he cause any more trouble?"

"No, Chad was found guilty of wife beating. He is now serving a life sentence."

"What about his wife?"

"Sally Marcus fully recovered and is living with Allison. Together, they are running Sally’s Catering and are very successful, too."

"Sounds as if things worked out very well for them. Now that I know, I am no longer scared about you," I admitted as I hugged him.
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Taking everything to my room I checked my email. Frankie had been out on a mission where he saved a local family, earning him a promotion to Major and a Purple Heart for a black eye when he tripped over his boot strings that came untied.

When he sent me pictures confirming it, I had to laugh at his shiner, it gave him a rakish look and that smile was full of Life. I knew that his Heart of Gold had led him to save the family. I knew that with him caring so much for strangers, that he'd make a most wonderful husband and father.

Until now, I had seen myself as his girlfriend. Being married was just an idea. Now I was ready to marry him and feel him as he entered me. I felt myself getting wet in anticipation of losing my virginity to Frankie and giving birth to our children. Changing my panty, I found that I was in menses, too and took care of business.

Frankie loved the pictures that his family had sent of me. They had secretly taken them as I was doing mundane things. Luckily they had no candid shots of me as I was dressing which he hinted at wanting, even though there were a few of me in revealing bikinis.

On Saturday, I got to meet his Auntie Gail who lived up to her name with her constant chatter. She was as young as Frankie since she had been born around the time that Frankie was. When the elder Wescotts died, Wendy Gail Prescott was attending Whately College to become a beautician. Now she had graduated and was ready to officially meet her new Sis.

"Drew, you look amazing! No wonder Frankie has the hots for you," she giggled.

"Thanks, Sis. It's good to know that you like me."

"What's not to like? You're a cute girl, ready to make guys cream in their jeans."

"BUT I AM FRANKIE'S GIRL!"

"There are dirty old men out there who would love to score with you or me."

"I'll say, I have to watch it or they'll look down my dress, or up my skirt, even pinch my butt!"

"Same, here. Which is why I’m glad that you seldom go out alone.”?

"Wendy, even alone, I'm safe since I know all of the Military Wives and the Military Pen Pals and their families. And I know how to defend myself, too"

"Pen Pals?"

"Yes, girls who have sent letters to lonely soldiers."

"Way cool. Would you go out on a double date with me?"

"Why me?"

"Because you need to have some fun. And I know a guy who is like Frankie. In fact, he is the only fella that Frankie would trust to be a gentleman."

"You mean Gus Abernathy?"

"The same."

Gus and Frankie were Best Buddies ever since Gus moved in during our freshman year. He was a black Adonis with a deep baritone voice who loved sports and dated all of the girls. He had the reputation as the School's Resident Casanova, yet he never took a girl out to the make out places. When asked if he fancied a girl, he simply said that his girl was back in New York and that when she graduated, that we'd meet her.

"Okay, I trust Gus. He knows about me and treats me like a kid sister."
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That night, Wendy went out with Leon, I with Gus. Leon was a newbie who Gus had befriended. he had spoken to Wendy about helping Leon, THAT'S when she got the idea about the double date.

Gus and I had fun. He treated me like I was his kid sister as we played miniature golf and ate pizza. Seeing how Gus and I carried on helped Leon to relax and enjoy being with Wendy.
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The next night, I got with Wendy while Gus got with Leon .

"Leon had fun last night. Thanks for double dating."

"You're welcome. If it hadn't of been Gus, I'd have declined."

"Do you have any plans on wooing Frankie when he gets back?"

"Wendy! That's a secret!"

"Girl! Frankie loves you with all of his Heart! He'll do anything for you! Please take it easy on him. He's a big ol' teddy bear."

"A teddy bear? After being in a war he's more like a lion. But I'm not worried about THAT, at least not too much," I giggled.

"Drew, please talk to our mothers about their first time. They can help prepare you for that special night."

"What about you?"

"Me? Sorry, but I can't really help since Kenny and I did it. He was my first."

"Then tell me about your experiences."

"Okay."

We spent that day bonding as she told me about her sexual history and about taking care after intercourse. I had found what every girl needs, a Girl Friend to pal around with. Oh, I had my family and friends in the support group, but no one to share secrets with.

When I returned home, Momma saw how animated I was and knew why, too, "I see that you've found your Best Friend in Wendy Gail."

"Yes, isn't it wonderful that she's Frankie's sister?"

"Yes, and you are a love struck girl. You have found True Love in Frankie. Are you ready for him?"

"Mom, I don't know how ready I am. Wendy and I have talked about sex, but that's just it. How much talking does it take to get you ready?"

"Only you will know for sure. Want for me to tell you about my experience?"

"Yes, Momma."

She told me about how she and Daddy had met in school and fell in love, telling about how special he made her feel. When it came to talking about sex, Momma was crying silently as she remembered giving herself to Daddy and the joy of having me as well as the bittersweet memory of their last moment together.

Listening to her made me wonder if I'd never marry Frankie. Would he die serving the country? Would I become a widow without getting married?

Momma saw my distress, "No sad tears for you. Frankie will return to you."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. And when he does, you can marry him since you are legally a girl, remember?"

I hugged her, "Thanks Momma."

Back when I had the accident, steps were taken so that I could go to school as a boy or a girl. Now that I had chosen, ALL of my records showed me to be a girl.
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Wendy and I spent a lot of free time together going to the beach to sunbathe. I wore a swimsuit that let me tan without those annoying tan lines. I wasn't about to give any guy a peek at my goodies.

Wendy was another story entirely. She wore the skimpiest of bikinis that encouraged the wolves to help her with her suntan lotion. But when they tried getting fresh, they learned the hard way about my black belt in Karate and Judo.

As the year progressed into winter we got together to spend the night together with other girls where we talked about boys and who we liked. When the other girls told me about their Sweethearts in the Military, I felt a bond with them that would last forever.

Soldiers share a common bond from their time in the trenches, we share a common bond of loving our men. We are the Unsung Heroes of the Military. Rarely given any recognition or honor. But if not for us, the soldiers wouldn't have the Heart to fight.
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One day, I received a letter that I was anticipating from Frankie that sent me into a tail spin.

"Drew, my Love, My time over here is over. I will be home as soon as I can be. Then I'll be on the Inactive Reserve List. When this began, I was an innocent child, but now I am a Veteran of the horrors of war. If not for your Love, I'd have died, long ago. You gave me the strength to be the soldier that I am, and the counselors say that I am dealing with the trauma of being a Veteran. But if you can't handle my nightmares, I'll understand.

Frankie.
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I read that letter and cried with anger. I LOVED him! And if he thought that I only wanted to be with a man that was whole, he was wrong! It didn't matter if he had nightmares, I would help him! I took the letter to his parents.

"Drew, Frankie was in a part of the world where women are treated as second class citizens and even worse," stated Papa Wescott.

"But Frankie's not that way!"

"He was captured and tortured, now he suffers from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder that brings up images of a girl that was brutalized because she was helping the Americans by the locals who sided with the enemy," admitted his mother.

"So, he's afraid that he will hurt me because of that."

"Yes," answered Papa Wescott.

"Take me with you when you pick him up! I will show him that he need not fear," I promised them.

We were there when Frankie's plane came in and saw him walk over to his parents and hug them both, then I walked up to him and kissed him, Frankie, WHY?"

"Because I don't want to run the risk of hurting you. If I hurt you, I'd..."

I started crying tears of Love that he wiped away, "My Love, I have been here for you and will always be here. Do you not want me?"

"Yes, but.."

"I LOVE YOU AND I REFUSE TO LET YOU GO! I DID NOT GO THROUGH HELL TO LOSE YOU NOW!"

"But what about my nightmares?"

"We can deal with your nightmares. There are counselors here that are qualified in dealing with PTSD. And I will be there, too. In fact, I do have the rank of major in the Women’s Volunteer Corps. So we are of equal rank," I smiled.

He saluted me, "Aye, Aye, Ma'am."

I giggled, "Does this mean that our marriage is still on?"

He looked over to Momma and Papa Wescott who were both crying, "Ma, Pa, best get to planning the wedding. Because NOW I am no longer afraid of hurting Drew."

Papa Wescott hugged him as Frankie opened his arms, "Son, we NEVER doubted it."

Mama Wescott kissed him as her hugged her, "We just let Drew convince you of her Love. We knew that would help you to start on the road to recovery."

We went to dinner, then a hotel where I gave myself to Frankie. That night, I learned of his nightmares as I held him to me.
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It took several sessions to get Frankie to stop having nightmares, and he started building houses and boats as therapy for Habitat For Humanity. We went to a meeting of the Rainbow Scouts where Frankie met other reservists that were involved and formed Rainbow Security with them to protect the businesses of companies either run or employed the transgendered .
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Well, Frank and I wed on Independence Day to signify our freedom from our past. I love meeting other Soldier's Girls at the bases and Frank is an excellent Scout Master for the Rainbow Scouts and enjoys running Rainbow Security. We are both as happy as can be.
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The End

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Comments

A Nice Sweet Story.

Stanman,
Thank you for sharing your warm, sweet story with us. I appreciate your efforts to please us. I did stumble on irregularities at a few places that additional editing might have smoothed out, but all in all, a good presentation. I recommend it to all to read and enjoy. Thank you.
Avid Reader

I liked this

It was a nice, change. Sweet and charming really. I enjoyed it very much.

Bailey Summers

The best Stanman Story I've read yet!

Stanman, you are continuing to make progress with your writing.

Not even a hint of the rumination which so marred your early work, and almost free from extraneous details which don't advance the story.

Keep it up! With all your ideas, you'll make a good writer yet!

It's still going to be a while before you make it onto my "Always read" list with the likes of Angharad, Julie O. & The Professor, but you may make it yet!

helping an author

I did not edit the story for Stan, but I did do my best to get him on track in regards to PTSD and how it is not cureable unless it is in the beginning an acute stage can be treated with endoral.
The other thing is the accident reating the situation I made recommenations. Following a basic military concept and the fact of the using of nanites I sugested this be a sci-fi story.

Jill Micayla
Be kinder than necessary,Because everyone you meet
Is fighting some kind of battle.

Jill Micayla
Be kinder than necessary,Because everyone you meet
Is fighting some kind of battle.

PTSD, may I gently disagree?

I have PTSD among some other stuff, and for someone to tell me that it is not cureable, just feels like so totally damning. I don't want to be labeled a basket case and it makes me feel really devalued.

K

PTSD in Combat vets

If you are a Viet Nam vet with combat related PTSD your chances of being cured is 0%.
it is a brain disorder caused by an imbalance of chemicals. One would be given psychotrophic drugs to level them out to cope but one is never cured.

An OIF or OAF combat vet has a better chance for recovery expecially when they are diagnosed with acute combat related PTSD.

Sorry to disappoint, I am a combat vet from Viet NAM with PTSD. I was told not to claim any mental problems or face a less than honorable discharge. I drank for self medication and now that I am older I understand the disorder. I will never be cured,but I can do things to identify my oncoming episoded.

My interactions with combat Vets Viet Nam era is an observational behavior diagnosis.
the VN CBR PTSD individuals actually believes it is a combat wound and not a brain disorder. PTSD is in the DIagnostic and Statistic Manual as a brain disorder.

I do public speaking to police departments and other groups about PTSD, of which I have a very good understanding. When I am In doubt I talk to a PTSD counselor at the VA to ensure my facts are correct .

I've experienced being handcuffed to a hospital wall (seven times)l, put in jail for an episode (twice) and going to court for creating a public riot (once) I ended up on probation for six months and court recommended for more therapy. i have had flash backs on more than one ocassion and have daily triggers that I am always aware of. I take psychotrophic drugs and function well in society but I am not cured nor will I ever be.
I've learned to accept my mental disorders.

Jill Micayla
Be kinder than necessary,Because everyone you meet
Is fighting some kind of battle.

Jill Micayla
Be kinder than necessary,Because everyone you meet
Is fighting some kind of battle.

I am so glad you're a part of this community...

Andrea Lena's picture

...as well as two other communities that sometimes overlap; the veterans of service to this country and the GLBT community at large. We all are blessed for your service to this country and I'm glad to call you friend. Thanks for sharing this information.

She was born for all the wrong reasons but grew up for all the right ones.
Con grande amore e di affetto, Andrea Lena

  

To be alive is to be vulnerable. Madeleine L'Engle
Love, Andrea Lena

May I respectfully say, "Bullshit"

It is not for the purpose of diminishing your suffering at all but for the purpose of helping someone to have the will to heal as much as is posible. Working at the VA and various other non profits and comining into contact with wounded people of all ages, I resist the temptation of saying whose damage is worst.

How do you compare dropping into a hole with a live hand grenade and a pistol, with a life of being raped almost every night or of being beaten so severely that you wind up in the hospital, or of having your own father castrate you without anethesia, and then have your own mother feed you estrogen? The point is that we all cope as best as we can, and I absolutely and categorically, adamantly refust to try to put a measure anywhere as to whose damage is most severe.

It was so hard for me that I can no longer do the work, yet there is no way that I will compare my wounding with anyone elses.

I will thank you for serving, as others have thanked me for serving.

Much Peace

Khadijah

Gwen dear....

Andrea Lena's picture

You do know I am all too familiar with what you went through. Our paths are maybe parallel but grow closer on occasion and further apart on others, but I do understand. The part of the brain that controls our emotions and our responses is responsible for maintaining and managing memory. When the memories or even the events become too much to handle, the brain sets them aside; almost like storing them, while the brain and the body cope with the trauma.

The trauma may be different for each of us, but the response is identical. So someone like Jill may have flashbacks or nightmares that go back decades to Vietnam, while yours may flood you with fear and terror over something so horrible you can't even say it in public...even if both of you remember the events. The emotional overload of the moment(s) of trauma are too much so the brain says NO! In my case, I remembered events for the first time fifty years after they occurred, because, as my therapist says, my eight year old psyche couldn't handle the horror of what my sister and I were going through. Three different people with three different stories to tell, with many if not nearly all of the symptoms.

So we all cope. I find that both of you are so dear and precious to me, even though we've never met. We all dealt with different horrors, but we have one supremely wonderful commonality. We all survived. You and Jill and I are alive because our hearts and minds refused to give up and surrender to the terror. I thank God for both of you, and I'm so glad you are alive.

I really appreciate that this thread started. Thanks to Stan for including this in his story. I wonder how many folks here actually have either been diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress disorder or suffer from the symptoms as described on the website I linked to in my previous comment. It might be a good idea for any of us who experience this to look at the link, as well as the links over at Wikipedia. And perhaps a blog later in the week with an idea for a poll. We have so many veterans here who served our country and other countries as well. And we have so many abuse survivors as well. Knowing that we're not alone...knowing that I'm not alone...a great thing.

She was born for all the wrong reasons but grew up for all the right ones.
Con grande amore e di affetto, Andrea Lena

  

To be alive is to be vulnerable. Madeleine L'Engle
Love, Andrea Lena

Adding on

I teach a class that has a relapse prevention program. its for people with a mental illness. We may never be cured and I am sure that is what triggered the words by Gwen. We can accept we have no way out and that would be wrong. There is no cure for a menalt illness, medical doctors and psychiatrist will even tell people that. There is a quiet balance that can be achieved.
I never said that combat related PTSD was worse than a rape, I grew up abused and had already shown the signs of PTSD, went to combat and was exposed 24/7/365 to an intense
hypervigilance.

I know about trauma, and I also know that trauma created chemical imbalances in the brain, I see a therapist weekly, attend a support group weekly see my psychiartrist every 90 days and I talk about my experiences to others. I'm not cured but I am far better off than I have been in the past.
Stigma, the use of freak tells me one is afraid of the stigma. how do we cope with that stigma depends on us as an individual. NAMI Connection Support and Recovery groups may well be the answer, check out NAMI.org to see where there are groups in your area. The underlying basis of NAMI connection is Sincere Uncritical Acceptance

Jill Micayla
Be kinder than necessary,Because everyone you meet
Is fighting some kind of battle.

Jill Micayla
Be kinder than necessary,Because everyone you meet
Is fighting some kind of battle.