The Ankle Update

So, honestly today I have mixed emotions and that's what this blog is going to reflect. Recently I broke my ankle in three places during an airborne operation at drill. No biggie, I mean people get hurt all the time and parachuting is a high risk activity. Dealing with the ankle has brought out a lot of feelings about the National Guard for me however.

I am grateful for individuals who have been so helpful in caring for me. Friends and family have brought me dinner, taken care of Josh and just got me out of the house from time to time. I even had a really close friend come and take me Christmas shopping all day in my wheelchair. Let's just say she's up for saint hood in my book. My parents and Doug's parents have taken turns staying with me while I was on heavy narcotics. Both parents have picked things up from the grocery store, brought over food and done other little chores that seem overwhelming to me with my lack of mobility. People in the military have doe their best to help me get the medical care I need and take care of paperwork.

But then there are the Army regulations. I was injured during a drill weekend, so my injury is in the Line of Duty or LOD. When soldiers suffer an LOD they are usually compensated with full-time pay and full coverage of their medical expenses. So I got out of the hospital and Doug and I were expecting LOD pay to start hitting our checking account. Time went by... and by... and by...

Then I called my unit administrator to ask her "Where's my pay?" she said, "What pay? because you were not employed before you were injured, you are not eligible for any compensation.

I hung up the phone and cried.

I have sat with this conversation running through my head making me angry for a few days and finally decided to write a letter. Following is an excerpt.

"After speaking with you the other day regarding LOD pay for compensation other than my medical expenses I had a few thoughts on the matter. Although I am not paid, I am home full-time with my son. As he is only 18 months old my injury has made it so that I am unable to care for him the way that I need to. I am completely unable to put any weight on my right ankle. This means that I cannot pick him up, I cannot carry food to him because I am on crutches, I am unable to discipline him, I am unable to play with him and I am unable to take him to various appointments. My husband works in excess of 60 hours a week as a salesman. During the past month he has lost a significant amount of money in having to come home to care for me and for our son. He has actually had to walk away from deals that he was working on, turning them over to other salesman and losing thousands of dollars and our only source of income. My extended family has had to come care for us, and I have had to arrange for day care--an expense we don't normally have and the job that I consider myself to be doing full-time. In addition, I was in the process of setting up my office at home so that I could work from home to provide extra income. I have been unable to pursue this while I have been recovering. Finally, this last week I stopped using painkillers. I have spent the last 5 nights sleepless and going through tremendous withdrawal symptoms because of this. Needless to say this has been a hardship in and of itself. So, I guess I am hoping that yes, there is some other kind of compensation for all that I have been through with this injury that I would not have sustained had I not been performing my duties and jumping during drill weekend. I know that this is not your decision. I know that you are just the messenger, so I'm hoping that by explaining the hardship all of this has truly been that you will be able to direct me to the person I need to make my case to."