Army veteran Candace Decker describes herself as “being in a very dark place” before she connected with Pacific Islands VA.
She had experienced military sexual trauma while she was active duty and even after she left the Army, she continued to have night terrors and other issues.
At first, she didn’t think VA had programs that she would find helpful.
“I connected with the iVET Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Program first. They helped me to connect with other programs that could get me help that I needed,” she said.
When Decker first connected with the VA, she had terrible problems with her digestive tract from eating things that she didn’t realize were causing inflammation and from taking pills for pain. With the help of VA doctors, she was able to change her diet. She was also able to discover triggers for her headaches.
By looking for the root causes of her pain, she was able to find ways to address it. She says now she is on a mission to help people learn how to heal without drugs, alcohol or pills.
“Different things work for different people. For me, regular yoga didn’t work, but injury-friendly yoga helped. That’s where we focus on poses that we can do and don’t force poses that hurt us,” she said.
Decker also found other adaptations. The Cognitive Rehab program recommended her to the low-vison clinic. They were able to give her blue glasses that filter out the glare of fluorescent lights. Fluorescent lights had been one of the things that were triggering her headaches.
She also found from a neurology referral that using a GammaCore device to deliver an electric shock to her vagus nerve helped when she had a migraine.
“Whole Health has been a big part of my journey as well. The idea that I am at the center of my care and that I can ask for what works for me has been really important,” she said. “There is no doubt that Pacific Islands VA saved my life. But veterans need to know that it wasn’t easy. You have to put in the work. In Whole Health, in Trauma Therapy, you have to put in the work and be part of your own healing.”
Decker is still working on herself and her care. For a long time, she struggled to come to doctor’s appointments. The lobby felt crowded and she didn’t trust the people in it.
She says that just knowing there are people at VA that want to help her has been amazing.