A Brother and Sister Team Rows for Veterans

Shannon Casey (L) and Matt Casey (R) more than 7 hours into their rowing marathon on a sidewalk in downtown Tampa.

This morning on a sidewalk in downtown Tampa, a brother and sister team were 21 hours into a rowing marathon.

They were working to set a 26-hour and 12-minute rowing record and raise money for Quantum Leap Farm which offers equine therapy to wounded veterans and military families.

Their attempt , however, was stopped short by their father.

Tom Casey called off the rowing event at 8 this morning – 21 hours after it started. He told WUSF 89.7 News that his children would have kept going, but he was concerned about their health.

“They were exhausted,” Tom Casey said. Dad is no stranger to athletic challenges. For 12 years, he swam in a relay across Long Island Sound. So, he understands the perils of pushing beyond a breaking point.

Shannon and Matthew Casey started their fund-raising event Wednesday (May 15,2013) at 11 a.m. Each hour they traded-off sitting at an “erg” rowing machine – pushing with their legs and pulling with their arms and shoulders as the seat slid back and then were pulled forward.

Fueled by water, protein bars, bananas, peaches, trail mix and watermelon. They hoped to row until 1:12 p.m. Thursday, May 16, 2013.

Matt Casey (L) and his dad, Tom Casey (R), on the first day of the rowing marathon.

At 6:30 a.m. Thursday, their father, Tom Casey, reported that the duo made it through the night. Their pace slowed but they kept rowing. However by 9 a.m., they were packed up. No trace of the rowing machine, tables, coolers, chairs and canopy could be found on the concrete sidewalk.

Their goal was to raise $5000 for Quantum Leap Farm. There’s no word on how close they got to that financial goal.

Shannon has volunteered at Quantum Leap Farm since a sophomore at Berkeley Prep High School. She’s now a junior at the University of South Florida. On Wednesday, she couldn’t conceive of not reaching their goal.

“It’s such a wonderful organization (Quantum Leap Farm),” Shannon said. “I wouldn’t want to let them down at all.”

Her brother Matt, who just graduated from USF’s College of Business, said he wanted to do something to help veterans after meeting several WWII vets when he started a stock club at a local retirement community.

“What Quantum does is, yes people have a lot of injuries but, they get them back on their feet and provide them the therapy in order to live their lives like the veterans at the stock market club,” Matt said.

Tom Casey said late Thursday morning that both rowers had gotten a shower and sleeping. He stayed with them all night on the downtown city street. So,  he planned to take a nap too.

Matt Casey during hour 8 of a 21 hour rowing marathon with his sister.

VA Bay Pines Resarch Fair and Recognition Today

Photo courtesy of Bay Pines VA.

Speech and hearing, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Alzheimer’s Disease are three of several areas the Bay Pines VA is conducting clinical research.

Their work will be showcased today, May 13, 2013, as part of National VA Research Week. The research fair is set from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the first floor of the main medical building in the JC Cobb room.

Other areas of clinical research at Bay Pines include: ; psychosocial behavioral science (sexual trauma); diseases of the heart, lung and respiratory system; infectious diseases; cancer and wound healing.

Bay Pines is located at 10000 Bay Pines Blvd N, St Petersburg, FL.

 

VA Budget Proposes a 10 Percent Increase for Veterans

The President has proposed a $152.7 billion budget for the VA. Unlike other federal agencies, that would mean an 10.2 percent increase over the current year according to the Veterans Health Administration.

The additional money will pay for three major goals: eliminating the disability claims backlog, expanding access to benefits like health care and ending homelessness among veterans.

Eliminating the Claims Backlog

Using people and a $291 million investment in technology in the coming fiscal year, the goal is to eliminate the backlog and process all claims within 125 days with 98 percent accuracy. That’s the goal of VA Secretary Eric Shinseki.

• $136 million for Veterans Claims Intake Program (VCIP); and
• $155 million for the next generation of the electronic claims processing system Veterans Benefits Management System (VBMS).

Expanding Access

Whether its making health care more accessible to veterans in rural areas or expanding veterans’ college transition programs, there’s funding to expand access. Some examples:

• $460 million in home telehealth funding, which helps patients monitor chronic health care problems through innovative uses of the telephone, a 4.4 percent increase over the current year;
• $422 million for women-specific medical care, an increase of nearly 14 percent over the present level;
• $799 million for the activation of new and enhanced health care facilities;
• $16 million for the construction of three new national cemeteries; and
• $8.8 million for “VetSuccess on Campus” at 84 facilities, a program that helps Veterans transition to college life.

Ending Veterans Homelessness

This is a  strategic goal for the VA – to end homelessness among Veterans in 2015.  The budget request targets $1.4 billion for programs to prevent or reduce homelessness, which includes:

 

• $300 million for Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) to promote housing stability;
• $278 million for the HUD-VASH program wherein VA provides case management services for at-risk Veterans and their families and HUD provides permanent housing through its Housing Choice Voucher program; and
• $250 million in grant and per diem payments that support temporary housing provided by community-based organizations.

Major Health Care Costs

The budget proposal also covers the health care costs for more than 6.5 million veterans and items like:

• $6.9 billion for mental health;
• $4.1 billion for health care for Veterans of Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation New Dawn;
• $2.5 billion for prosthetics;
• $601 million for spinal cord injuries;
• $246 million for traumatic brain injuries;
• $230 million for readjustment counseling; and
• $7.6 billion for long-term care.

Health Care Costs Now 10 Percent of Defense Budget

Photo courtesy of CBO.gov

Health care costs are soaring at the Pentagon. A recent report by Associated Press finds that military medical costs are now 10 percent of the Department of Defense budget and rising:

Even more daunting, the Congressional Budget Office estimates that military health care costs could reach $65 billion by 2017 and $95 billion by 2030.

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said that the military faces budget threats not from the $487 billion cuts over the next decade but from internal spending on things like medical care.

Congress has rejected previous attempts to increase fees and enrollment for retired military and military families.

Yet,d increased  health care fees is expected to be part of President Barack Obama’s 2014 fiscal budget plan. He will send his budget to Congress this week.

It is expected to include other unpopular items like military base closings in 2015 and 2017 and pay raises of only 1 percent. You can read more details on the Pentagon health care budget problems in Stars and Stripes.

4 Things Not to Say to Someone with a Brain Injury

An IED blast. Traumatic brain injuries are most often caused by powerful blasts from improvised explosive devices. A roadside bomb explodes and the concussive effect violently shakes the brain inside the skull.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is one of those “hidden wounds” that goes unnoticed by many. It’s also one of the signature wounds of Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans.

And while many times the wound is not visible, a brain injury comes with real side-effects that make it difficult for the injured persons.

A recent article on brainline.org written by Marie Rowland, PhD, EmpowermentAlly, details 9 Things NOT to Say to Someone with a Brain Injury.

Rowland focuses her advice for the caregiver who, out of frustration and exhaustion, may say something to the brain injured person without realizing its impact. Here are Rowland’s top 4 Things NOT to Say:

1. You seem fine to me.

What does not show is the fatigue, depression, anxiety and pain that may accompany a brain injury. Something like a memory problem can be far more disabling than a physical wound like a limp.

2. Maybe you’re just not trying hard enough (You’re lazy).

Lazy is not the same as apathy (lack of interest, motivation, or emotion). Apathy is a disorder and common after a brain injury. Apathy can often get in the way of rehabilitation and recovery, so it’s important to recognize and treat it. Do beware of problems that mimic apathy. Depression, fatigue, and chronic pain are common after a brain injury, and can look like (or be combined with) apathy.

3. You’re such a grump!

Irritability is one of the most common signs of a brain injury. Irritability could be the direct result of the brain injury, or a side effect of depression, anxiety, chronic pain, sleep disorders, or fatigue. Think of it as a biological grumpiness — it’s not as if your loved one can get some air and come back in a better mood. It can come and go without reason.

4. How many times do I have to tell you?

It’s frustrating to repeat yourself over and over, but almost everyone who has a brain injury will experience some memory problems. Instead of pointing out a deficit, try finding a solution. Make the task easier. Create a routine. Install a memo board in the kitchen. Also, remember that language isn’t always verbal. “I’ve already told you this” comes through loud and clear just by facial expression.

You can read all 9 Things NOT to Say HERE as well as learn other tips for living with, preventing and treating TBI at Brainline.org .

Seven Steps Fort Bliss Took to Reduce Soldier Suicides

Maj. Gen. Dana Pittard, commander of Fort Bliss. Photo credit: army.mil

There is no single solution to reverse the rise in soldier suicides.

In fact when Army Maj. Gen. Dana J. H. Pittard took over as commander at Fort Bliss, he came armed with a comprehensive approach reports Donna Miles for American Forces Press Service on military.mil.

Confronted by a spate of suicides among redeploying air defenders when he arrived at Fort Bliss in July 2010, Pittard launched the “No Preventable Soldier Deaths” campaign. The goal, he explained, was to prevent not only suicides, but also high-risk behaviors that can lead to drug overdoses, motorcycle and vehicle accidents, and other preventable fatalities.

That comprehensive campaign includes more than 30 different initiatives but all are focused on reducing risky behavior and creating a culture where seeking help is encouraged. Some of the steps taken:

1. Pittard began assigning accountability for preventable deaths, holding leaders accountable for their soldiers, and soldiers accountable for themselves and their battle buddies.
2. All new arrivals to Fort Bliss get comprehensive screenings at the Wellness Fusion Center.
3. Pittard made the Army’s Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training mandatory for all incoming soldiers.

VA Makes Change to Speed Up Veterans Disability Claims

Secretary Eric Shinseki speaks with a Veterans at the 32nd National Veterans Wheelchair Games, June 2012, in Richmond, Virginia. Photographer: Ken Holt. Photo Courtesy Dept. of Veterans Affairs.

A small change in how the Department of Veterans Affairs processes disability claims could help speed up the cases for up to  40 percent of veterans according to a report in the Marine Times.

The VA initiative, called ACE for short (Acceptable Clinical Evidence, could eliminate the requirement for an in-person medical examination for some veterans. A VA press release describes how the ACE initiative will work:

When a VA medical provider determines VA records already contain sufficient medical information to provide the needed documentation for disability rating purposes, the requirement for Veterans to travel to a medical facility for an examination may be eliminated.

The new program will allow the VA to complete a veterans Disability Benefits Questionnaire (DBQ) by reviewing medical records already on file and supplement the information by interviewing the veteran over the telephone.

That could alleviate the need for some veterans to report for an in-person examination.  A 15-month test of the ACE initiative at one VA regional processing office found 38 percent of submitted claims were eligible.

The program is one of many in an effort to eliminate the backlog of disability claims. The Marine Times reports: On average, it takes VA 265 days to process a disability claim. VA’s goal is to process all claims within 125 days by 2015.

Watch a Quadruple Amputee Use His Two New Arms

Brendan Marrocco at a news conference Jan. 29, 2013 with the surgeons who transplanted his new arms. Photo Credit PBS.org

His goal is to hand-cycle a marathon. That is just one aspiration of a young soldier who lost his four limbs to a roadside bomb more than three years ago. He now has two arms, thanks to surgeons and medical staff at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore.

It’s one thing to read about the young soldier receiving his transplanted arms – it’s a whole other thrill to watch him as he brushes back his hair with his newly attached hand as shared by MilitaryTimes.

He can move the elbow on his left arm that was not taken in the blast. And now, he can now rotate his left hand slightly on the transplanted arm. His right arm does not much motion yet, but the 26-year-old is hopeful.

“I used to love to drive and it’s, it was a lot of fun for me. So, I’m really looking forward to getting back to that and just becoming an athlete again,” Brendan Marrocco told reporters at a news conference Tuesday.

The retired infantry man lost all four of his limbs in a roadside bomb attack in 2009 in Iraq.

You can view a clip of his press conference at Johns Hopkins hospital in Baltimore carried by the Telegraph here.

2012 Military Suicides Exceed Afghanistan Combat Deaths

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Associated Press has learned that suicides in the U.S. military surged to a record 349 last year.

That far exceeds the 295 American combat deaths in Afghanistan in 2012 and compares with 301 military suicides in 2011.

Some private experts predict that the trend will worsen this year.

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and others have called military suicides an epidemic.

The Army had the highest number of suicides among active-duty troops last year at 182, but the Marine Corps had the largest percentage increase — up 50 percent to 48.

The Air Force recorded 59 suicides and the Navy had 60.

4 Tips to Help Your Service Member Seek Mental Health Help

U.S. Navy Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Sean Stevenson takes a knee while on a security patrol in Sangin, Afghanistan, June 6, 2011. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Nathan McCord/Released)

A family member is usually the first to know when something is wrong with their service member whether its depression or symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. But getting your loved one to seek help is easy to put-off.

There are a few tips to help prepare and present a case for help offered by experts at the Defense Centers of Excellence:

Gather information
Become informed about PTSD, family reintegration, combat stresses, depression, alcohol and drug use to start.  Try these resources.

Talk about your concerns
Talk openly about your thoughts, feelings and concerns you have about how the veteran is feeling or reacting to situations. Refrain from using the pronoun “you” – instead, try saying, “I know things are not going well right now … I’d like to help.”

Recognize your service member or veteran’s choices
Demanding someone seek help can backfire. Avoid making threats. Talk about choices. Only the individual can make the choice and commitment to improve their lives, but your support can make this more likely.

Get help from others about talking with your loved one
If you’re having trouble talking to your service member about mental health concerns or just want to know about the right treatment resources, Military OneSource at 800-342-9647 can be a good start.

For those family members concerned about a military veteran, you can contact Coaching Into Care at 888-823-7458. This program, provided by Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), helps family members assist their veteran in accessing health and mental health care.