🪖 Welcome to the VA Hunger Games. May the odds be ever in your favor.
If you’ve ever filled out VA paperwork and thought,
“There is no way this is real life,”
pull up a chair. 🪑
As a 100% service-connected disabled female veteran, I’ve navigated the system, decoded the confusion, and survived the emotional obstacle course.
This page is for:
- Breaking down the process without the bureaucratic nonsense
- Sharing what actually works (and what absolutely does not)
- Helping you feel a little less alone in a system that can feel… a lot
No fluff. No sugarcoating.
Just real talk, real help, and maybe a little sarcasm to keep us sane.
Because you served your country.
You shouldn’t have to fight this hard for your benefits. 🇺🇸
- Had to go see the Wizard about a Heart ❤️
I’m still here….I was just taking a minute..or two…or three, four, five…to get a few medical issues addressed. Plus, I’m starting new adventures but I’ll address that later. First, let me begin with my pacemaker fiasco at the KCVA….you would not believe! I can’t make this up!!!! So, there I was with my low heart… Read more: Had to go see the Wizard about a Heart ❤️ - The Cherry Blossoms Did Not Disappoint
I just returned from my trip to Washington DC after getting to see my two besties and finally get down to the title basin to take part in the Cherry Blossom Festival. I was able to see the blossoms in “peak bloom” and they did not disappoint. I was watching the local news and the… Read more: The Cherry Blossoms Did Not Disappoint - Arlington National Cemetery
I’m in Washington DC visiting my two best friends and yesterday I did some sight-seeing. I went to the Arlington National Cemetery and was able to see the eternal flame where President John F. Kennedy is laid to rest along with his wife Jacqueline. I also went to the Tomb of the Unknown soldier and… Read more: Arlington National Cemetery - KCVA Medical Center AKA The Twilight Zone
I had an appointment at the KCVA Medical Center today and as I drove up the street, through the entryway, I had a very uneasy, angry, sad, blah feeling. I just wanted to turn around and leave. Here I am, a 20+ year Air Force veteran, trying to go to a medical appointment and that… Read more: KCVA Medical Center AKA The Twilight Zone - Veterans DayIn 2023, according to the US Census Bureau, there were just over 18 million veterans living in the US. That’s approximately 6% of the adult population. My two brothers and I are three of those veterans and will be celebrating Veterans Day tomorrow. Every year I usually tell someone how I ended up in the… Read more: Veterans Day
- Veteran Burial BenefitsI had a conversation with a friend this past weekend about a man who passed away earlier this year. This man was retired military…Air Force veteran. She contacted me when the veteran passed because she needed assistance with information regarding VA cremation reimbursement as she wasn’t getting the information with the route she was taking.… Read more: Veteran Burial Benefits
- Veterans Getting Their Slice of the Pie!As a retired military member, working at a VA medical facility, I get TONS of questions that are veteran-related. I will be the first to admit that I do not know everything when it comes to all things “veteran” but I do have some knowledge, and if I don’t have the knowledge, I know who… Read more: Veterans Getting Their Slice of the Pie!
- The Unmanned FlightSo there I was, working my 9-5, at the VA Medical Center just minding my own business. If any of you have ever worked in a government building, where the walls are all a particular color (boring) and the photos on the wall come from stock that the interior designers get to choose from…you know… Read more: The Unmanned Flight
- Play Nice in the Sandbox…AKA, Olympics 2024
The Paris Olympics are in full swing and I am here for it! Yes, I watched the entire opening ceremony and no, I was not offended. I love art – all art! And if it gets people talking, that’s all the better! I loved their take on the Olympic “flame” being a hot air ballon… Read more: Play Nice in the Sandbox…AKA, Olympics 2024 - Retiring from the US Air Force and DisabilityI retired from the Air Force in September of 2012 with more than 20 years of service. Before my retirement, just like every other service member, I had to go through a physical. It’s very short and not at all thorough. However, when you file your VA disability paperwork, the representative goes through your entire… Read more: Retiring from the US Air Force and Disability