Disabled Veteran in Serious Trouble
Donation protected
Hello. Thank you for your time and attention. This is very difficult for me, as I have valued self-reliance all my life, even as my body and mind have broken down over the years.
My name is Bryan. Some of you may remember me as StaffBryanS on PokerStars from 2006 through 2017, or as BryanS-PS from the TwoPlusTwo forums. I am a disabled combat veteran, currently living in western NY state, alone in a house where I raised three children who are now adults.
Put simply, I cannot sustain life here, and am trying to move south to live near my brother. The effort has been hampered by the fact that I am unable to walk or even stand. I have managed this long on savings and help from friends, but I have now reached a crisis point.
I cannot pay my mortgage or bills while trying to reduce my obligations. I need help. Honestly, I should have started this page sooner, but I avoided doing so while trying to find solutions of my own.
Thank you for your consideration. For those who want further details, I will provide a list below.
Injuries / Issuea
- Acute Severe Spinal Stenosis - multiple discs are pushing on my spinal cord, preventing mobility and sending false signals to my brain due to compression of the cord. I am stuck in a single spot on the couch in my living room, unable to walk or stand.
- Acute Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) - I regularly have nightmares which are essentially replays of the most harrowing events that I experienced in Iraq. I cannot abide sudden loud noises or fireworks that I cannot see.
- Acute Depression - this is very tough to quantify, to explain to someone who has not experienced depression themselves. One thing that I can say is that it is very surreal to know that your brain, your soul, is wounded... while feeling helpless to fix it.
- Anhedonia - basically means that most things which I once enjoyed very much no longer move me at all. It is very frustrating.
- As a result of my immobility and decreasing savings, I have been unable to continue therapy appointments for the time being.
Thank you again for your time and consideration.
Organizer
Bryan Slick
Organizer
Lakewood, NY