Well, the Adventure continues to continue! It’s hard to believe but it’s been a
year since I had surgery to remove my prostate and the cancer that went along
with it. Since then I’ve had 4
blood tests as part of the normal follow-up and all have proved to have a
negligible result of PSA (prostate specific antigen). And that’s very good news!
Also, the Veteran Affairs Department ruled on my claim for
Agent Orange related prostate cancer and has awarded me special monthly
compensation. Only took about fifteen
months, but considering the number of claims they’ve been inundated with, from
not only us older veterans but from Iraq and Afghanistan vets, I’m pleased that
it only took this long! My Service
Officer at the D.A.V. who handled my claim told me that in November alone the
Seattle VA office processed 3,500 claims, but that they received 5,000! So they were behind almost before they got
started.
I decided quite a long time ago that when the claim came
through I would get something that I have been thinking a long time about – a
tattoo. Not just any tattoo but
one that had significance in my life experience. I found one called the Veteran’s Cross that was described as
one that Scottish warriors would have on them when they went into battle. I chose it for several reasons – I am a
Christian (the cross), I’m Irish with family ties to Scotland, I am a veteran
of a 28 month combat tour and one with cancer (it’s on my the left shoulder),
and I could customize it with the 225th’s patch colors (blue, red
and gold). Below is a photo of the
finished work that I had done a few days ago.
I thank God for his goodness and grace as I have progressed
along this adventure called life! I
especially thank him for my family, for friends from the Army, for people I know
and have known from lots of church communities and from my jobs. And the fun hasn’t stopped yet! The Adventure will certainly continue!
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