“I have suffered from PTSD, bipolar disorder, depression, and anxiety for many years. I have served in emergency services for over 30 years. During this time I have been involved with many emergencies both life and death situations. I have also been involved and served in many capacities of natural and man-made disasters.
The events that brought all the feelings, guilt, grief, loss, disassociation to the forefront was my anaphylaxis to seafood and nut and nut products that started on July 18, 2015, while I was in the Florida Keys, I was taken to a local hospital where I was intubated and airlifted to Baptist Hospital in Miami Florida, I developed double bi-lateral pneumonia, I was on a ventilator for five days and in the hospital for 14 days.
Since that time, I have been hospitalized and intubated 11 times. These traumatic events triggered all the feelings that I have been holding in over the last 30 years in emergency services. I have been receiving professional therapy, got a PTSD K9 to help with my struggles and anaphylaxis, I workout with a personal trainer 6 days a week, take long walks on the beach with my K9 Cesar, this is helping but I know it will be a long arduous process and will take time to cope with the scars of the last 30 years even though the past will never go away. I also write a blog every week and post on Instagram about things that I feel and going through.
I would like to offer some things that may help others, first talk about it with a friend or people that you don’t even know, (I find that easier than talking with friends), the more I talk about it the more comfortable I get and my coping skill age getting better, I speak with groups and share my life story which also helps but is very difficult at times because I have to relieve the past and it is like pouring salt into an open wound.
You can visit my website at www.affirmliveconnect.com for my story and blogs.”
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Kay’s NEW BLOG www.kayska.com
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