Today was a good day. Michael and I were taken aback by the repsonse to my last post on living with PTSD. We received many comments-both on the blog and on Facebook as well as texts and phone calls. Thank you.
Sunday started off well with the farm and then heading to the bagel place we recently discovered. I treated us to ordering some bagels to take home. I got a plain bagel with cream cheese and Nutella while Mike got a salt bagel with cheddar horseradish cream cheese. We ate them in the car before heading home. I was exhausted and curled up on the couch to take a nap. Mike got on the computer to look up info for future projects. After I woke up we headed back to the farm and had a nice evening there.
Sometimes with mental illness and PTSD or with any illness people are unsure what to say or do. Many times I have found it most meaningful when someone reached out to me just to say hi, called on the phone or sent a note saying they were thinking of me. Sometimes the stigma (I know it is becoming more accepted however slowly) of PTSD makes people scared, nervous, afraid of setting the person off without even knowing what set off the individual. I have found a little compassion, empathy and kindness go a long way. Rather than asking what causes it, doubting the person has it or telling them not to worry instead I have found with Mike just a kind word or showing care helps a lot and helps him realize he is not alone fighting the demons. He has come far with his therapy as draining and exhausting as it is he almost needs to hibernate for a while and be alone to process things.
One of the beauties of being human is the ability to adjust, transform and grow. Michael is such a different person now than he was just a little under three years ago when we met. He has opened up like a spring flower emerging from the winter. He truly is a strong and loving man and I am honored and proud to be his wife.
The first two photos I took at the farm Sunday while the photo of Michael and I was taken by Jon Katz two years ago. Now Michaels eyes smile more so perhaps we can get Jon to take our photo again in the fall.
becca's event horizon 
Personally, I’m a big fan of hibernation, especially after spending more than two or three hours in a big social situation. My brain just gets fried from too much interaction with other humans…so I go off to my private cave to regroup. This of course is nothing compared to PTSD but it seems a bit like a little drop out of that same bucket. So yes, I get it as far as the time needed to defrag and process things.
Knowing you and Michael like dogs, I thought of Michael when I read an article in our local newspaper about K-9s for Warriors. The article told about a man whose dog was trained, at the command “cover”, to go to the man’s right side and sit, facing backward, and wag his tail if anyone was approaching, enabling this man with PTSD to be more at ease about anyone approaching from the rear. Raises lots of questions, like how do you teach a dog when and when not to wag his tail? What if you are walking? etc….but, wanted to pass this along because it caught my attention and made me say, “Wow What a great idea! I should share.” Best to you both.
A long time blog follower
Jean Prud’homme
Thank you Jean! I really appreciate this. I will share it with Mike. It is amazing what dogs can do to help us!