This year...

The anniversary of my attack passed this year without too much trouble or tears, I'm happy to report. The days leading up to it saw a massive violent rage fit and many many tears shed. The day of, passed with out incident, no dreams, no flashbacks, not even the smallest reminder. I actually questioned if I had the day correct. That lead me to a thought, has my mind fixated on the date? I know the time of year reminds me, when it has snowed and the temp gets to a certain point and it's dark outside, I remember things without wanting to. Even if it's not near the date, I remember. I've identified those conditions as a trigger. It's only been a few days since, but I already feel as though I've crested a peak in my year and can start relaxing again. I'm still a tad mopey and I have been daily running through the week as though it were happening all over again, the aftermath was nearly as bad as the event! But this year, I feel as though there's a thick fog keeping it from touching me too hard, and I'm watching it play out again like a show on a projector screen. Large and in my face, but fairly harmless.
I asked my husband the morning of, if he thought from his prospective, if I've improved at all this year. He said he did think I had gained a little more control and I'm making progress. He, as usual, was very comforting and as always, a steady rock bolstering me up. Thank you Lord for him!
All in all, I have some encouragement, that I'm getting better and next year may even be easier to pass through! All I can do is rest & hope in the Lord. I know everything will be alright one day.

In which I creep from my sick bed, just to blog...

I'm almost half way through my last pregnancy, and I'm sick with God-knows-what. One of my children is sick as well, but we know it's the flu for certain. My poor baby is miserable, and I really can't do much to help him.
On an unrelated note, I've been having a lot of flashbacks and moments of involuntary reflection lately. I don't have another appointment until Halloween. My sleep loss is unchanged, not worse and not any better. How much is due to my mental health and how much is due to my pregnancy is uncertain. When I do sleep, it's deep enough that if I am dreaming, I'm unawares. This is good, at least that means no nightmares bothering me. I have felt extra 'clingy' to my husband lately, needing reassurance for no apparent reason. I think he's picking up on this too, because he's meeting that need more and more before I even "ask". Thank you God for a good intuitive man! Knowing I have a man willing to meet the challenges that having a wife with PTSD can present, brings me a lot of peace and comfort. I know I can count on him to be there.
Also recently, a well known man, CNN founder Ted Turner made an asinine comment that made me wish i could reach out and slap him. He made remarks to the tune of: " I think it's good soldiers are committing suicide in large amounts." Really? His reasoning was along the lines of that they were killing themselves because they had a severe aversion to war and the "immoral acts" they are directed to commit. Aside from the fact this guy makes me sick(er), I can't say I'm surprised coming from Hanoi Jane's ex husband. Go figure right? Well buddy, this is one soldier who hasn't killed herself, because special folks took the time to help me see I had more to live for and that I could heal. I am blessed, I was saved. Sadly, not everyone gets the chance I got, and they become a statistic for douche bags like Turner to comment on. If i could send out a heartfelt message to all my brothers & sisters out there, struggling like I have and still do, I'd tell them, "don't give up, it's not worth throwing in the towel, not yet." I'm not giving up, I've already tasted the sweetness of healing. That's pushing me on. I want to get better again. THAT is worth it, for me, my husband, my kids, my friends, everyone who cares about me and has been touched by this. I'm not going to let PTSD win. Take that Mr. Turner.

Escape? Am I sure?

Sometimes you just can't handle the memories, or the things that invoke them. Sometimes you feel the need to just get away from it, because you're just not strong enough to deal with it. Not yet, and you don't know when you will be. I spent the previous month just trying to keep somewhat sane. So many things put me on edge, I was spending more energy just trying to keep from snapping that I kept passing out cold in sheer exhaustion. Everything seemed to remind me, every man I saw was him, my heart was always pounding. Now, my family & I are about to move a ways away, and the stress from that certainly didn't help matters any. But I'll be away from more things, places & people that remind me of things I can't handle thinking about. Am I running away? Is this my escape? Am I a coward because I'm not ready to handle the processing my mind needs to do to heal? So what if I am. I'm tired of being forced to heal at the pace others think I should. According to my therapist, I have already crossed many great hurdles. I'll get it, but I'll get it in my time. And if that means I'm escaping it, well, for now I am.

Somethin' just ain't right...

As jacked up as Jayne is in this shot, that's how bad I have been feeling. Only I don't have any guns to shoot. Once again, sleep is the number one culprit, leading the way for jumpiness, flashbacks and more bloody nightmares. A sidekick to sleep loss, I believe, is the waiting to hear that my attacker has finally been completely let go from the exact same job I lost because of him. My career was demolished, most folks would say it's only fair that his is too. But "Vengeance is Mine, saith the Lord." Part of me is very glad, maybe he won't harm anyone else, maybe he's learned his lesson. I can only hope this is the case. The rest of me is a confused bundle of bitterness and sorrow. I had a good thing going, til it all came crashing down, because I wasn't going to let him get away with what he did. I spoke up. Made my superiours look bad, they tried to sweep it under the rug. But I had a few champions in my corner, who weren't willing to let me be denied some justice. They stood for me, when I wasn't capable of standing. I owe a lot to my advocates. I'm grateful they were there for me. People who should have been there for me, weren't. Maybe they were ashamed of me, maybe they didn't want to believe it. Either way, selfishly, they weren't there when I needed them the most. Making those who were there, look even more the hero.

My memories are like the Reavers, and they'll tear me apart if I let them. I can hardly face the nightmares. A man was waiting behind me in line at the petrol counter yesterday, and he wasn't even terribly close to me, just there. I couldn't handle it, I nearly ran out once my transaction was done. I can't live like this. It'll get better, I know it will, it'll get better, I just keep telling myself....

"Burn the land and boil the sea, you can't take the sky from me!"

In less than two months' time, we'll be moved into our first home. It's not been easy, it's been very stressful in fact. And the stress isn't over, not by a long shot. I still have much to do with the banks, mortgage company, collecting documentation, and arguing with stupid people...(long story that I'm not sharing). Then there's the grief the current home landlords are giving me. On top of packing, cleaning & down-sizing. The stress is wearing me thin, breaking down my mental barriers that keep the hell hounds of my memories at bay. My sleeping issues have returned with a vengeance. I get perhaps 4hrs a night now, and not always consecutive. The plus side of less sleep; less dreams. The downside; excessive irritability due to sheer exhaustion. I don't have the patience to deal with petty annoyances. I snap very easily. And I in turn regret my behaviour. And especially when it's directed toward someone innocent. A lot of prayers are being directed to my mental health, even more than towards the process of the house buying and moving. I'll get through this, as will my family, and I know they'll still keep loving me. I look forward to the day, when normal stresses don't cause me to snap like a maniac.

At our new home, there'll be more freedom for us, no annoying landlord to harass us & no Nazi-like rules to suffocate us. They can't take the sky from us!

Crew Mates for life

I took a huge step back towards normalcy by taking a huge step into the unknown. I got remarried. This time, to a good man.

 So while a good & loving marriage is something new to me, I met this new adventure with excitement and hope. I have found my crew mate, my beloved, my Wash. We are compatible and a united front, and just different & odd enough to keep things humorously interesting.

I love my husband, next to becoming a born again believer in Christ Jesus, he's the best thing to happen to me, tieing with having my kids. He has helped with my healing and continues to do so. He's my hero.

Tha gaol agam oirbh mo duine.

A blessing in disguise?

My back went out last week, in a real bad way. I couldn't hardly walk the first day, the second I hobbled to a chiropractor downtown. After x-rays showing many old injuries acting up and much damage from a life lived rough, the doctor ordered me to come back in a few days when the pain had let up, as he couldn't even touch me without causing me immense pain. But as I was getting ready to mince my way out of his exam room to make another appointment, he shared a substantial bit of information that contained a bundle of hope. He could possibly help with my healing. Not just my back, hips and neck, but with my PTSD, anxiety & depression. Previously unawares to me, my neck is out of place and it's pinching nerves that have much to do with psychological responses. So unkink my neck and I'm all better? Well it's never that easy, but I should be quite improved! There's a chance I could even feel well enough to lower or even wean off my meds entirely! That thought fills me with joy and hope!

"You've never flown on a Firefly before have you?" -Kaylee

Nope, but I want to.