My friend Mary, also known as ex sailorette, is beginning to blog, at long last. She's a disabled navy vet (as her blog's profile will tell you) who is trying to save the dog who has been with her since shortly after she left the service.
Jack, her longtime canine companion, is suffering from injuries similar to ex sailorette's, and, although she probably won't want to admit the psychological link, for me, it lies just barely beneath the surface.
Ex sailorette, herself, is facing deterioration in her spine (among other physical woes), and only very recently has she found a useful advocate within the VA system. For the past decade, she has fought tooth and nail for every single thing they have provided her. She's used to fighting. I have it on good authority that she was a d*mned fine sailor because of that.
It also makes her a little reluctant to ask for anything from anybody.
Ex sailorette drives nearly two hours every week to the nearest approved medical facility, in Iowa City, for her own tests and treatments -- even in cases of moderate emergency, such as when she recently broke a finger (let me just say, if she'd asked, I'd have driven her, myself, but... well... at any rate, I'm glad her van has power steering and automatic transmission, for her sake). She goes where and when the government tells her to go.
She's been fighting red tape for so long, she's been beating her head against the wall so long, that she's sort of run out of ideas for helping herself, let alone her best furry buddy.
If you are inclined to give support -- even if it's simply moral support -- please visit her site and get acquainted with her, and with her Shih Tsu, Jack, in all his sweet, ornery splendor.
If you want to help more, she will have her tip jar enabled as soon as she gets the hang of blogging.
Most of all, though, visit ex sailorette and share a few smiles and a few good laughs with her. We can all use them, can't we?
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