Rose
My name is Rose. I served in the Army from 2005 – 2008, as a 97E/Human Intelligence Collector. I was a Specialist/E-4 when I was chaptered out of the military, 2 years early. Unfortunately, my time in service was cut short due to a series of traumatic events. My fiancé was killed in Iraq, and then became a victim of military sexual trauma. I am not sure what a reasonable response would have been after these life experiences, but I did not cope well. It has taken many years of therapy to get to where I am now. I am a rated as a 100% service-connected disabled veteran, primarily for PTSD. Despite my challenges, I do consider my life today to be fulfilling. I work from home for a Women Veterans non-profit that supports my needs and accommodations. I teach yoga for women veterans as well. I am someone who sees a challenge as just a new area to learn and grow, but I also recognize that there are some challenges I have that I cannot control and are part of the trauma experience. My golden retriever and I have a very strong bond already, and she has woken me up from nightmares and nudges me out of bed on days I feel the depression heavily setting in. I am so grateful for her! She is by my side always throughout the day as I really don’t leave home often. She has not had any formal training, and I think that with guidance she could be a good service dog. I have made sure that she is socialized with other dogs and people. She has gone to doggy daycare and takes morning walks with my husband. I struggle with severe anxiety, especially leaving my home. I think that having the ability to have my dog with me would make a huge difference. I want to experience life and the world around me fully, I think my 4-legged best friend could help me get there.
