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One of my readers commented that I should mention some appropriate veteran's organizations. While I invented the West Georgia Veterans Coalition in the first story, there really is an IAVA, the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. There are also the Wounded Warrior Project, Team Rubicon, and many others. Many of these groups have dedicated programs to help with PTSD and suicide prevention. If you or a friend or a relative need assistance, there are groups out there to help. You just have to ask.
Not much to write about in Chapter 11. Enjoy!
The SOL blog system doesn't allow blog posts with links to show on the home page.
https://cornellpainclinic.com/stellate-ganglion-block-emerging-treatment-for-ptsd/
https://www.va.gov/healthpartnerships/docs/ccisgbfactsheet.pdf
https://www.militarytimes.com/pay-benefits/2019/11/06/new-research-shows-nerve-injections-are-effective-for-treating-ptsd-symptoms/
Many comments on my writing about PTSD, all complimentary. This is a real disease. I have a nephew who did a tour in Iraq in the Marines, in Fallujah, and he has had some major problems since then. It took him and his parents years to get him to admit to the problem and he's been through two marriages and God only knows how many jobs and places to live. They were very worried he would commit suicide. We're hoping he is over the worst, but we might not know for years.
Stellate Ganglion Block, SGB, is a real treatment being studied for treatment for some symptoms of PTSD. I learned about it watching 60 Minutes last year. I didn't make it up. I've posted a few links in a separate blog post that won't show on the home page. Go to my page and then look on the blog there.
I got a very nice email from elfkabezhaltera explaining something that I didn't know and that Grim didn't know. "At some point Grim wonders why the soldier with a light machine gun is called an "Automatic Rifleman". Simple - in the dim past such a soldier was armed with a Browning Automatic Rifle (as the US Military played pretend that the BAR was a squad level machine gun)." That makes a lot of sense. At the time the BAR was used, the primary infantry weapon was the Springfield '03, and then the M1 Garand, neither of which were automatic weapons.
Finally, dnkjd51 pointed out if Grim winds up being an expert witness on police procedure or tactics in any sort of legal proceeding the PhD will look pretty impressive. I never even considered that, but it's quite true. Courts love expert witnesses with doctorates. A teenage Joe Fumblefingers with a PhD will rank a whole lot higher than somebody with forty years' practical experience.
Several readers wanted to know why Grim wanted to get a PhD. It was going to be a pain in the ass. Why move out of the house? Why spend all the time doing it?
Why does anybody get a PhD? Because they want to! I remember when I was getting my MBA, going to school nights while living in a one-bedroom apartment with a daughter sleeping on a cot in the dining room. Why did I do that? (More than once since then I've asked myself the same question.) Real answer, it was either that or a PhD and I didn't want to do research. Still, it could have been for any reason.
Anyway, Grim wants to get his doctorate. I can tell you flat out that a doctorate really opens a wide range of possibilities in academia, in case you want to become a teacher. I would bet it would also look good on a fancy resume for a consultant. Probably make for a nice looking business card, too. We'll just have to wait and see!
Enjoy!
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