My husband is an injured Veteran who served with the 1st The Queen Dragoon Guards. He served in Bosnia and completed three tours of Iraq, the first being the Invasion of Iraq, where his squadron earned the Marines’ dagger for bravery in battle. He has experienced traumatic events both in combat, including a “blue on blue” incident, and on home soil while serving. Additionally, he suffers from a Traumatic Brain Injury, as well as exposure to overpressure and blast waves during his service. As you can imagine, a single event could cause someone to develop mental and physical ill-health, but my husband’s condition is a complex mixture of both physical and mental health challenges, and due to the nature of military service many alike experience dual diagnosis’.
My husband now falls into the category of complex veteran cases, and as a result, I have become his carer and therefore an expert by experience.
I have been campaigning about the effects of exposure to military blasts and the crossover of symptoms with PTSD, as well as the overlap between physical and mental health diagnoses. I believe investigations should be conducted in the UK for all serving personnel and veterans who may have suffered from this and may now be living with long-term health problems due to incorrect diagnoses and care. Addressing this could reduce the long-term costs associated with the wrong care pathways and, in the worst cases, prevent suicide.
Our journey through the NHS systems, charities, and the justice system has been a steep learning curve, one that I’ve had to navigate at lightning speed, mostly alone, while also caring for young children. I’ve grown to despise the term “Too Complex,” which I hear all too often.
My journey has involved adapting to a new way of life, marked by medical appointments and the daily intricacies of providing support. Despite the challenges, I have embraced this role with determination and empathy, addressing both the physical and emotional wounds attributed to my husband’s service. My life has also expanded to include advocacy for others, campaigning from a local level (including becoming a carer governor at Oxford Health Foundation Trust) to organising carers to speak directly with the Defence Select Committee.
My objective is to help improve the experiences of all who fall under the Armed Forces Covenant within the healthcare system, including serving members, veterans, family members, and carers. This includes aiming for dual diagnoses to be better understood, with hidden injuries such as those caused by blast waves leading to brain damage and their long-term effects recognised, and for a holistic understanding of the whole person and their entire family to be achieved.