Post-deployment health issues

Recently I was contacted by Taylor Dardan about writing a guest post. After a bit of conversation Taylor sent me the following article. I think it’s incredibly important to realize that our troops need our support more than ever after their deployment is over. You can reach Taylor at dailydardan(at)gmail(dot)com.

“Post-deployment health issues require support from military families
The stress of deployment can often hit military families hard, but sometimes that stress can continue on after soldiers return home. Even though it’s supposed to be a time of reunion and happiness, a soldier’s return from deployment can often be overshadowed by the tough transition and possible wounds they are forced to deal with, after putting their lives on the line. It is in this time, that a soldier’s family is more important than ever.

Wartime wounds are most often thought of as taking place on the battlefield with injuries and bloodshed. In some cases however, wounds can be essentially “invisible” or mental type of wounds. For many soldiers today, there return from service requires them to take on wounds like Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Traumatic Brain Injury and Mesothelioma.

PTSD is a severe type of anxiety related disorder that is common after psychological trauma, but is increasingly common with military service because of their difficult experiences. Some of the common symptoms include sleep problems, flashbacks, mood swings, and hyper arousal. Dealing with these symptoms in length can cause patients to suffer significant impairment to occupational and social functioning.
Like PTSD, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is largely viewed as a signature wound of the war on terror in the last ten years. TBI involves an external force that traumatically impairs or injures the brain. Though it’s common in children because of falls, military service personnel are often left with TBI because of an event or action during their service time. Common symptoms include dizziness, balance issues, blurred vision and sleep problems.

Mesothelioma is a type of cancer that is related to asbestos exposure. This is tied into military service because asbestos was one of the most commonly used materials throughout shipyards and bases for the better part of the 20th century. It is often common in older buildings and structures which are a commonality of battle as well. This cancer involves the lining of the organs within the lungs and effects victims long after original exposure, as the symptoms often arise decades later.
These are just a few of the health related issues that a soldier may deal with following their deployment. It’s important to be aware of any type of symptoms that may occur during their time home. Being educated and prepared for any type of health problems is vital as other issues can also present themselves following deployment.

I am involved in actively supporting our troops. We have 2 “adopted soldiers” that receive a care package filled with hard to get in the middle of the desert items……
They also get at least one letter a week.. Depending on life and what silliness I can share.
Smiles are a precious commodity to a stressed out soldier. The BengalBrats can be very entertaining..

I also am a member of Wednesday Hero, a group started by Christopher Lee.
I joined the group back in November, 2006. I first started blogging about supporting soldiers after Beth at Blue Star Chronicles invited me to join her blogroll.

Thank you Taylor, and Thank you to all who support our troops!