DWMM: Favorite Spin-off

Day 23: Favorite Doctor Who Spin-Off

To be honest, I only watched part of one spin-off and I didn't get too into it.

And that would be Torchwood. Which is an anagram for Doctor Who by the way ;)

Picture Source

Picture Source

It is definitely Doctor Who's sexier, gorier and darker sibling. As much as I love Captain Jack Harkness I cannot get into it as much as Doctor Who. Ryan and I watched maybe three episodes. Maybe if the Sarah Jane Chronicles ever come on Netflix I will try watching it, but so far the spin-offs do not wow me like the Doctor does!


Do you watch Torchwood or any other spin-offs? Link up and let us know!


Also, today I guest blogged for one of my best blogging friends. It is a post that appeared on my blog before and I wanted to use it again. It was tough to write but if it even helps on person it was worth writing. You can read it here at A Boy, A Girl and the Marine Corps.

Guest Post Feature Day

Hey All! My Love Story is being featured today over at the Trials and Triumphs of Loving my Sailor. Please go check it out and leave some love. I appreciate it, as always.

Guest post - Mommy Musings

hopefully things are still going smoothly with our move! Please enjoy one of my favorite bloggers and fellow Jersey Girls!

Hey guys!  My name is Mandy and I blog over at Mommy Musings. 

I am so very excited Allie is allowing me to take over her little space on the internet today!  I have been following Allie's blog forever and love all the stories about her and her husband, and their new puppy!  Like Allie I am a Jersey girl and my hubs was a Marine {well is, once a Marine, always a Marine right;-) } 

We have been married for almost seven year {woah!} and have two sweet little girls, Little M and Baby C.

But the only reason we were able to get married and have these girls is because of what happened on February 26, 2005.  The day Skip came home from Iraq.
When Skip and I met back in 2003 he was in the police academy, as well as the Marine Corps Reserve.  He drilled out of Pennsylvania and was an MP.  We were in the early stages of the Afghanistan and Iraq wars, and sure enough Skip's unit was called to active duty.  After some training in California in the early summer of 2004 and our engagement just three days before he left, I sent my man off to war.

The time he was gone was total hell for him and exhausting for me.  I had sent other friends and family members off to the desert before, but when it's the man you want to spend the rest of your life with, everything changes.  I really only survived that deployment with help from my family and friends and of course my Battle Buddies...my Marine's Girls.

Month after long month passed and before we knew it dreary February was winding down.  I cautiously started to get excited {because as we all know, until their boots are on the ground nothing is set in stone}  I got a phone call when he was in Kuwait {PTL!} and another the night of the 25th when he was on a layover in Germany.  Then the morning of the 26th came.  After barely any sleep, my girls and I headed over to the base to wait for our men.

I cannot even describe to you the absolute joy I felt when that plane touched down.  And after what felt like FOREVAH the door opened and there was my fiance, my Skip walking {practically running} towards me. 

Skip is behind the guy who is waving

I wanted to scream and cry and never let him go all in the same moment.  When he held me in his arms it simultaneously felt like he had never left and been gone for years.  The sense of relief though was ridiculously overwhelming.  He was safe, he was home, he was okay.

Skip finished up his contract and got out of the Marines the following year.  We were so lucky to only go through one deployment together, but we were even luckier that he came home.  Every year on February 26th we watch he video we have of his homecoming, hold each other a little tighter, say I love you a few thousand more times, and thank God we are able to live the life we dreamed.

Guest Post: Handling with Grace?

Hopefully we are making progress in the house! Today's blogger is Jamie from Handling With Grace?, she is an awesome blogger so be sure to check her out!

Hi!  My name is Jamie
and I blog over at Handling With Grace? 
I am a Navy wife and mother to a two year old daughter.  Allie is currently doing her first PCS move
so I am popping in to say hi while she is busy.

So it got me thinking. .. PCS’ing.  For most of us it is a undeniable
reality.  Whether we like it or not, as
long as our husbands stay in the military, Uncle Sam tells us where we are
going to live.  Sometimes we get lucky-
the stars align and we end up where we want to be, when we want to be
there.  It seems like this is happens
less often than we would like.

{In the midst of the chaos- our most recent PCS}

It is a pretty rare opportunity that we have though.  We get to transform our lives every 3 or 4 years.  We will get new neighbors, new friends, a new
job… everything.  It’s like New Years Eve
resolutions on crack.  You can literally
decide to be a different, better version of yourself every couple years in
front of an audience that didn’t know the old you.  

{Exploring our new city- The White House}

It is an interesting way to think about PCS’ing, right?  It is not being forced to pick up and leave
everything that you know and love every few years but an opportunity to experience
a transformation and re-birth for ourselves every few years.

On my blog, Handling With Grace?, every Monday different
bloggers review their current duty station so that the rest of us military
spouses can learn about potential duty stations (and maybe even make a friend!)
before we get there.  Come check it out or
email me to join in!  

Guest Post: Moving by my Mom

Today is the day! We are leaving Alexandria, Virginia and driving to North Carolina. We will be closing on our house and moving in. Over the next week or two I have some super special guest bloggers that are filling in for me while Ryan and I reorganize our lives. Give them some love! Our first blogger is a first timer on this blog and someone incredibly awesome.... my mom! She moved from NJ to NC last year... someone who totally gets it.

After recently moving from our home in New Jersey, where I have lived my whole life, I feel a little more in my element to comment on the whole moving thing.
Besides reading all the hints that everyone gives on PCSing (is that even a word?) I have been able to help Allie with her big move on Friday. No worries to all
you out there... I will be leaving Wednesday afternoon , well before Ryan gets back from school in California. I was young once... I know!

We had spent most of Tuesday cleaning out closets, donating to Goodwill, packing all the treasures that Allie couldn't bear to lose in a move, changing her address,
and generally just keeping the calm... being the mom.

I do have some idea how hard it is to move. When we left New Jersey I left behind a job a loved, a community I loved, friends, family and a home that was finally to the point where we were done fixing up, after 17 years mind you! My husband retired early... after working in IT for 33 years, working 18 hours days, phone calls all hours of the night and weekends too! We have a son who started high school in the fall of 2011 so it was August 2011 or not until June 2015, chances are he would have been dead before we realized that goal for sure! So it was with a blind leap of faith we made the big move, to a neighborhood of retired elderly couples, no family, just a big beautiful log home at the mouth of the Great Smokies in western North Carolina.

I always said that I must have done a lot right in my life with Allie to raise such a beautiful (inside & out) young woman. Allie is a confident and self assured fearless strong woman. I always admired her sense of wonderlust and fearless chances. From standing up in front of an audience and acting, to reading at church, to watching her heart break and mend when Ryan deployed to Iraq in July 2009. And even now watching her hold down the homefront while Ryan was in California in school. I honestly dont know how all the military spouses do it.....YOU ALL ROCK in my book.

My husband, son and I will meet Allie at her new home in North Carolina. We will help paint, pull up rugs, clean and help them settle next week! Ryan is the love of her life who loves her beyond the moon. Obviously I am so proud that after being married for a short time, soon 2 years, they have managed to buy their first home with no help from anyone. They are well on their way to Happily Ever After.....and I am thrilled to watch this happen!

Holiday Blog Swap 2011

The ever amazing Roller Coaster has organized this holiday blog swap among some amazing military spouses (and organizations)! We are all switching blogs for the day to share some of our favorite holiday memories, stories, advice... basically anything to do with the holidays. As always there may be that special military spouse twist to some, but you will have to read them all to find out!

My entry for today can be found on the lovely Amanda's blog so please go check it out and leave her some love!

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Now my guest post today comes from Christina at The Journey of a Navy Wife. In her own words, here she is!

My name is Christina aka "Married to a Sailor". I like to write about how I view military life - My Journey as a Navy wife. I'm pretty upbeat and positive when it comes to the challenges of military life. I take it as it comes, plan nothing and expect everything. I thrive in this lifestyle. I have only been a Navy wife for 3 years, but I have learned so much. I'm independent and I like to think my husband is the dependent one- he just makes more money ;) I have 3 obnoxious furbabies that keep me sane- I'm never "alone". I can be found at http://thejourneyofanavywife.com

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Christmas is my favorite holiday. I love the holiday scents, I’m like a little kid when it comes to seeing Christmas lights, and I love to decorate.

Thankfully, since starting my Journey as a Navy wife, my husband and I have not missed a Christmas together. In 2008 he graduated boot camp on December 19. He then had to fly to Pensacola to check in on the 21st and on the 22nd we drove down to bring him home to Tennessee just in time for Christmas. In 2009 the ship was in the shipyards, so we had no worries about being apart. In 2010 he had an underway just before Christmas, but was back just in time for Christmas leave to begin. This year, Thankfully, we get Christmas together again. And like every other year, it will be spent in Tennessee with family.

I’ve noticed that I have a lot of “Navy” themed ornaments, and decorations. It all started while he was at boot camp. I was SO proud and excited for him. I bought Navy stockings, Sailor snowmen ornaments.. Etc. Now, 3 years later, it continues. I’ve noticed every year we seem to have some sort of new Navy Christmas decoration. The Navy isn’t just his job, it’s a big part of our life- and my Christmas tree sure is showing it.

The down part to my husband being in the Navy or military in general, is having to travel to be with family for Christmas. I love spending the holidays with my family, but with the planning, the driving and saving extra money to drive 13 hours home and 13 hours back is sometimes stressful. Christmas is a time to be joyful, but slowly, I feel I’m turning into a Grinch! Ok, I’ll never be a Christmas Grinch, but sometimes I think of how wonderful it would be to spend Christmas in our own home, just me and my husband, or maybe family drive to spend Christmas with us. The big decision for us will be when we have children. Will Santa only come in Tennessee or in OUR home in Virginia. This will be something I’m really going to have to consider.

Growing up, my parents were divorced, and remarried. So, I had something like 12+ family Christmas get togethers to go to every year. I loved seeing my family, but my holiday break was so stressful - even as a kid! Now that I’m 24 (nearly 25, gasp!), I still have those same feelings I did as a child. I don’t want our children to feel stressed as I did, and do. Even my husband gets stressed when we go home. Leave is never long enough to see our huge families- but we feel obligated to visit everyone, leaving us very tired and absolutely drained (13 hours in a car doesn’t help!).

I know in his Career with the Navy, I’m not going to be lucky enough to have every Christmas, every anniversary, holiday or birthday. But I know when we do miss one, we will find a way to make it special. A care package, maybe a phone call, an email, or just knowing that he’s thinking about me at some point during his busy days, That’s all I need.

But this Christmas, I am excited to go home. This Christmas is about my mother. In 7-8 years, my mom has not had all her children together for Christmas- or any holiday. My brother left for the Air Force in 2003. In 2008, I married my husband who joined the Navy shortly after. In the past 4 years, I think I have seen my brother 1, maybe 2, times. My husband has only met him once. Now, he has a little boy who is about 8 months. I have yet to meet my nephew. My brother is stationed in Germany. All my siblings have grown up and we all have “other halves”. This year, my family will be together again, and my family of six, has grown to a family of 12. It will be amazing to see how much we have all changed. To see my mom when she sees all her kids in the same room, grown up and now, 2 grand babies. My brother’s choice of job and my husband’s choice of job has separated our families for holidays, but now, we will spend this Christmas together. This Christmas will be special to me, but most of all, It’s the best gift my mother could ever ask for. This Christmas is for her.

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Guest Blog!

Today I have a guest post over on Erin's blog Moore To Love. Go check it out! (:


Carrie and I decided to go swimming last night, seems to be a Thursday thing now, despite the fact that there was a tornado warning out. It wasn't even raining when we left the apartment, although there were some wicked streaks of lightening happening! I love lightening. But we get halfway there and the rain starts pouring down. I mean the kind of rain that makes you put your wipers on full speed and you still cannot see. Of course we get to the pool and the rain stops, such is our luck. But we got a good bit of swimming in plus some sauna time and then went grocery shopping as slightly drowned rats.

Note to self: BUY GOGGLES. Red eyes are not nice looking on anyone. At all.

I also had to watch Josh Groban on the Office last night.... even though I am still on last season (woah pregnant people on the show!) I had to make an exception to see Josh be Andy's Bronard! I wish he could have had more screen time but he was awesome.

Today is the LAST DAY to enter my give away! Go!

It has got to stop raining soon. It stopped long enough for our fire drill this morning, at work, and started again. Oy. I cannot wait for some good sunny days.

Ryan lands in 12 hours and ten minutes. So excited. I cannot wait to see him!!!

Dream Vacation with Skinnie Piggie

Thank you to Skinnie Piggie for helping me out with a guest post while Ryan and I are in Myrtle Beach! When you go on this amazing vacation I think I will hide in your suitcase, this sounds amazing! Thanks for the post (:

My dream vacation is quite literally a dream situation. I want to go on an around the world cruise, stopping in all the major seaports there are... Australia, Singapore, Thailand, India, Vietnam, Japan, The Philippines, Mexico, Costa Rica, Belize, Jamaica, Brazil, South Africa, Madagascar, Portugal, Spain, Ireland, The UK... I think you get the picture! The reason the vacation is such a dream is because most "World Cruises" only hit about 7-10 locations, take 80-160 days, and cost upwards of $55,000 per person! But a girl can dream right?



I would love to have a portion of the ship chartered to my family & close friends, I can't think of a better group of people to go around the world with. While this does guarantee some arguments, I wouldn't want to experience it without the people I love the most. The beauty of a cruise ship is that (besides alcohol) it's all inclusive- there are no cover charge for the clubs on board, the nightly entertainment doesn't cost anything, there is always something going on, the deck is quite literally your playground- complete with pools, hot tubs, ice cream bars, snack shacks, some even have running and rollerblading areas, a flowmaster surf wave, and ziplines! Also, in this form of travel you get a room with at least a bed & bathroom, most are like mini hotel rooms. So anyone, even grandparents can cruise as long as the flight to the departure destination doesn't bother them. Also, you don't have to worry about finding a hotel in each location- at night you simply get back on the ship and resume your activities the next day.

While I'm dreaming I'd want to have a photographer (or two) tag along, which seems silly if you know me. I LOVE TAKING PHOTOS. However, for this adventure it would be nice to not be the person behind the camera, not worrying about getting the shot while my husband is telling me to hurry because I'm missing out on what the tour guide is saying, well... you get the idea. I mean how awesome would it be to just live - yet still have those memories through photos?

I want to experience the cultures, foods, local sights & sounds of each place. I want to make friends all over the world. Mostly, I want to see this beautiful place God made for us. Guess I better keep dreaming, right?

Last Minute Request

So Ryan and I are leaving Sunday for Myrtle Beach SC for a week. We are taking a much needed vacation after all the re-enlisting craziness and for the fact we have never really had a long vacation together. Any vacation time or holidays we have are spent between South Carolina and New Jersey visiting our families. This is a trip just for us. Us and the beach. I am so excited.

But in that excitement I forgot to ask for guest bloggers! If any of you can help me out and send some posts my way by Sunday I would REALLY appreciate it. I have a super easy and relevant topic for you to use too.... What is your dream vacation? In your post, write where you want to go, what you want to see, who you want to go with, what you want to eat... the choices are endless.

If any of you can help with this last minute request I will love you forever. Email entries to me at imyewneek@yahoo.com.

Thanks ladies!

Words From Ryan

It is very very rare my husband posts his view's online. I had to practically twist his arm to guest post for me during my surgery... but when he sat at the computer and wrote this down I couldn't tell him no... so for those wondering the thoughts of a Marine on recent events, here you go:

I am not one to go writing my every thought on the internet. However, I do feel the need to say something given our recent news and my wife was kind enough to post this on her blog.

First of all I would like to start out in saying that I think it is great that we live in a country where every one regardless of race, sex, or religion has the right to say anything they want. With that being said I too have a right to say what I want. Not just as a United States Marine or a “conservative” or even as a Christian, but as a human being. That being said, how in the hell can some of you be disappointed in the recent news of Osama bin Laden’s death? Perhaps you didn’t take the time to think about the fact that this man has murdered hundreds of thousands of people through out the world not just our country, and that the entire world is a better place for not having him around. Maybe you didn’t take the time to ask yourself how many people would have continued to die because of this man if he was still alive. I am not saying that there won’t be some attacks from the extremists who consider him to be a martyr, but all things considered we have proven that we can deal with any attempts head on like we always do. Our service men and women have been fighting this war on terror for ten years now and have become very good at it. This victory does not mark an end to the war on terror but does mark an important mile stone in our efforts to make the world a safer place. I for one can sleep better at night knowing that this man is no longer in existence.

I also seem to notice that most of this negativity is coming from the more liberal people in our society. I wonder how you can support something like abortion but not support the death of a mass murderer. How can you say that just because bin Laden was a human, that we should not have taken his life? This was a man that would just as soon kill you as look at you, and yet you seem to be defending the idea that his death was not a victory. Well my fellow Americans, it was a victory! It is a victory for all people of all nations who wish to live their lives in peace. Some of you seem to forget that all that is needed for evil to prevail is the tolerance of good people.

Si vis pacem, para bellum.

Budget and Healthy Eating by Faith and Deployments

Lauren from Faith & Deployments was another quick blogger to get back to me! She is an Air Force wife with a fabulous blog. I have to institute this in our household... both for our wallets and our waistlines! Thank you so much for the fabulous entry Lauren (:

I am thrilled to guest blog for Allie and even more thrilled to talk about a lifestyle change my husband and I have been working on for the past 6 months. We are (or rather "were") big eat-outers and we don't (didn't) eat very healthy. Well during the third deployment I knew I needed to cook more and eat out less. One it saves money and two it is way healthier for us. So I started picking recipes (cookbooks, bettycrocker.com, kraftrecipes.com, etc). I figured out how many would last me for 14 meals: I can make 4 recipes and it lasts for for a whole week. I don't eat large portions and I usually only eat two meals a day. And I would only buy the ingrediants for those recipes. My grocery bills each month (clipping coupons included) were about $30 a week. Pretty decent. Well I knew it would go up once the husband returned, but I was determined to stick to the plan and to add in more veggies and eat less pasta and cheese. We're huge pasta and overloads of cheese eaters as well. So about $80 a week feeds up 14-17 recipes for us. We both have lunch the next day and on weekends it's sort of a fend for all. I do have "emergency" downfalls like pizza rolls or stuff to make bagel pizzas. But our emergency meals have gotten less and less and our overall eating fresh and less processed have gotten more and more. Sometimes we splurge and eat out once or twice, but it's a step in money saving and only buying what we need. Also buying week to week ensures that we use things before they expire or rot in the fridge which was a huge problem of ours. I only cook from the recipes I have chosen and if it sucks, I throw the recipe away. If I like it (or rather we like it) I keep the recipe to use later on if I need a space filler that is fast and easy.

An easy way to cook food with tons of left overs....slow cooker. It's my favorite thing. Especially if I have to work late or have meetings after work and only like 20 minutes to scarf down some food. While I am at work, the slow cooker does all the cooking for me. Don't get my wrong, I have made some DISASTERS in the crock pot. But for the most part, recipes are keepers. We've gotten to the point where I can buy two weeks worth of food and use it all and only shop twice a month. Just start small, and build up from there. It also helps that this new way was a norm once my husband returned and he was just so happy to have real food he didn't care what I was cooking. But I let him look over the recipes sometimes for input, but he eats everything so he isn't picky.

Bottom line, it takes time. Don't expect it to be easy the first time around, but now I am a master at 30 minute commissary trips because I buy way less processed things so I hit up the produce, frozen, and like one dry good aisle. I spend way less time trying to think about what we need because I make a list. And nine times out of ten I can build meals off of things we have in our pantry and only buy one thing to finish the meal. I can usually fly through the coupon section of the sunday paper because I know what we use and what we don't. I know which websites have the stuff we buy and the more I shop at the commissary I know which brands they carry so I don't have to throw so many coupons out. It's been great on our wallets and better on our waist lines. Now if we could just stick to regular work outs we would be set!

Proud By Liv

My next guest blogger is Liv! I found her blog a few months ago and she has quickly taken off in the blogging world. She is one of the strongest and sweetest people I think I have ever encountered (and she has wonderful taste in shoes... if you change your mind on those red Prada pumps you know where to find me!). Make sure you show her some love!

Hey Yall, This is Liv from Simnply Sunshine and Daisys!

I am very excited to be blogging for Allie while she is away on recovery. She is such a sweet friend and I hope I can do her blog a great guest post!

So, a time when I was most proud is what Allie wants me to talk about!

I was most proud as a young child learning sign language to talk with a girl in my 3rd grade class that was deaf. We were not told to do it nor was it a must, but I did it because I love talking and I wanted to talk to this little girl so badly because I liked her dresses that she wore everyday! My grandpa was so proud of me that he bought me one of the dresses like hers once I learnt where she got them! He even started doing it with me! I was so very happy that whole year and proud!

In my middle years I was faced with drugs and drinking and I never once allowed myself to be taken down by it. I was a young teen when I was raped as a result of a young man being under the influence at a party, and I am proud that I have forgiven myself for going to that party and being a normal teen! I did nothing wrong, and that makes me proud.

As an adult I am proud that I still have my faith after I was diagnosed with many different forms of cancer. I have maintained my lady like southern grace of loving my lord and that makes me most proud right now.

Thanks Allie for letting me guest post for you!

New Milspouse by J

J's blog It's a Dog Tag Wife Life is one of the newer ones I have stumbled upon lately and I love it! She is a terrific writer and a brand new MilSpouse! Congratulations on your recent wedding and welcome to the life. Your entry definitely made me go, "Awww..." (:

Hi there, I'm J from over at It's a Dog Tag Wife Life. Thanks so much to Allie for having me and good luck with your surgery! I'm actually a very new military spouse. We were married on 1/1/11. Cool, huh? And it was an awesome wedding. But that's not what I want to talk about. It's remembering why you're having a wedding. Several years ago the hunny (my other half) and I met. Actually, we got married on our third anniversary, but I digress. Before the wedding, there was a lot of stress. Things his mom wanted, things my mom wanted. Our guest list spiraling out of control (we wanted 100 guests and had around 150). Any bride can tell you there is stress. One of my best friends had to change her ceremony location two weeks before her wedding because the beach she had booked had a jazz festival going on that same night!

As I was sitting there, two nights before our wedding, crying my eyes out because our printer wasn't working and it was 2 am and I couldn't print our stupid programs, the hunny came in and helped me out. He didn't yell at me for being overly emotional. He didn't ask me how I broke the printer (which I hadn't, it just didn't like the thick paper). He didn't even give me a sigh of frustration. He just came in, took over calmly, and got as many programs done as he could that night.

When he saw me crying, he turned in the chair and had me come sit on his lap. He then told me, "It doesn't matter if these programs don't get printed. It doesn't matter if our flowers don't arrive. It doesn't matter if your dress isn't perfect or none of our guests show up. Our wedding is about us getting married and that's the most important thing." ::Collective "Awwwww"::

And it helped. I had been so caught up in the planning and the stressing that when it really came down to it, none of it did matter. As long as he and I were married by the end of the day, that was the most important thing. And I remind myself through our times as we go along, that since he loves me (and I him) that we can get through everything. Because the world might be crumbling around us, and some days it will feel like that, but we have each other.

So for all you ladies out there who have husbands that are abroad serving, or even home (because that's no picnic either) remember why you got married. It's not for the increase in BAH or to get benefits. It all started because you loved each other and that should help you get through deployments, PCSing, and every other thing that will get thrown your way.

And yes, I do still have stars in my eyes and that's why it's such a lovey post.

Fight PTSD with CES

Since I am writing these all in advance I have no idea how I am doing. Probably got some heavy cabin fever at this point! Now this guest post is a little different... Katie, the Outreach Coordinator from Wallace Fisher Laboratories contacted me about this. I know there are many men and women in the military dealing with PTSD so I thought I would put it out there for any of you, just in case... it is a little pricey but if you have a perscription it may cut the cost, there is also a military discount offered.


Top doctors prescribe the Fisher Wallace Stimulator to treat insomnia, anxiety and depression (as well as chronic pain). Our device has been shown to stimulate the brain's production of serotonin and dopamine (click for research) while causing no serious side effects. Cleared by the FDA in 1991, our device is portable and often reduces symptoms of insomnia, anxiety and depression within 1 - 4 weeks of daily or twice daily use. You may return the device for a full refund within 60 days of receipt if it does not successfully treat your symptoms. A prescription is required in the United States. Please fax prescriptions to (800) 657-7362. The following practitioners may prescribe our device: Psychiatrists, General Practitioners, Registered Nurses, and most Chiropractors and Acupuncturists. If you have questions, please call (212) 688 - 8100. Military families will receive a $200 discount by entering the coupon code FW495 during the online checkout process.

"I was a slave to sleep medications for over twenty years. After just one week of twice daily use of the Fisher Wallace Cranial Stimulator, I started cutting back on the sleep meds. For nearly eight months now, I've been completely off the medications, sleeping longer and waking more rested than ever."
- Mike Davis, Vietnam Veteran (US Army, Retired) & Founder of Vietnam Combat Veterans, Ltd. / VET-NET


Here is the copy of the letter I received with the information...it is from Dr. Richard Brown who is Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Columbia University Medical Center re: how the device treats symptoms of PTSD.

Richard P. Brown, MD
__________________

Psychopharmacology
__________________

30 East End Avenue (between 80th and 81st)
New York, NY 10028
Ph: (212) 737-0821; Fax: (845) 331-3562
PGerbarg@aol.com
www.haveahealthymind.com
9-24-10

Treatment of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder with Cranial Electrotherapy Stimulator

In Post-traumatic Stress disorder (PTSD), the stress response system malfunctions with excess sympathetic activity and subnormal parasympathetic activity. This imbalance in the nervous system leads to high levels of stress, anxiety, anger, over reactivity, poor judgment, impulsivity, and difficulty sleeping.

The Cranial Electrotherapy Stimulator (CES) induces a calmer, more meditative pattern of brain waves. It also stimulates the parasympathetic part of the nervous system which counteracts the stress response. Therefore, it calms both the body and the mind. This reduces the physical symptoms of PTSD such as rapid pulse, shaking, sweating, or a knot in the stomach. It also addresses psychological symptoms by reducing anxiety, restlessness, agitation, anger, depression, and sleep problems. Furthermore, the improvements in emotion regulation reduce the risk of inappropriate impulsive, aggressive behaviors.

Use of the CES releases gamma amino-butyric acid (GABA), the brain’s major anxiety reducing neurotransmitter. In addition, it releases serotonin, which inhibits inappropriate actions. Moreover, it releases beta-endorphins, which tone the stress response system and induce peaceful, positive mood states, thereby reducing the need to use substances of abuse.

As a noninvasive, easy to use procedure with minimal side effects, the CES device has significant therapeutic value in the treatment of PTSD.

Sincerely,

Richard P. Brown, MD
Associate Professor in Clinical Psychiatry
Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons


You can find more information on their website, www.fisherwallace.com and their most recent article in the Wall Street Journal.

10 Tips to Help You Get Organized for a PCS by Renee

Renee was one of the first people to contact me about guest blogging! Her posts are always very informative and I definitely am bookmarking them in the back of my mind for the future. We all know PCSing is part of the lifestyle, so here are some helpful tips to make the process easier! You can read more at her blog here. Thanks Renee!

Moving comes with the territory when you are part of a military family. I grew up in the Air Force and by the time my dad retired when I was in high school I thought moving was something everyone did. My older sister, who already had several moves under her belt by the time I was born, was tired of moving and leaving her friends at that point. No matter how many times you move, it is stressful. It is relatively easy when it's just you and your spouse. It gets exponentially more complicated as your family grows and your career progresses. Kids seem to come with a lot of stuff. And as they shed the need for baby swings, strollers and car seats, they start to get real opinions about leaving their friends and routines and starting somewhere new. And as your career progresses, you may need to take assignments that are fantastic for your career, but not so fantastic for location. By being organized and planning ahead, you can minimize the stress on you and your family during a PCS and concentrate more on the transition ahead.

1. Meet with your transportation or personal property office first.
As soon as you have orders, make an appointment. That appointment will not only cover the options available for your particular move, but will jump start your planning. You will also be given your maximum allowable weight limit, which is based on things like rank and number of dependents. The government will not pay to move anything beyond that limit.

2. Decide how you plan to move.
The least stressful way to PCS is to have the government find, hire and pay for a professional moving company to pack and move you. Another option is to do the move yourself (called a DITY move). The government will reimburse you for 90% or more of what it would have cost them to hire a company to move you. That means, if you do it right, you can actually make money with a DITY move. You get to decide how to move -- you can hire a company to do it or use self service movers or rental trucks and do the labor yourself. It is also common for families to do a partial DITY move, which means having the government handle the bulk of your move and handling the rest of it yourself.

3. Include the family.
Make sure everyone knows when your move date is, how you plan to move and what they need to do to help. Including kids on decision making, when possible, also gives them a sense of independence and confidence at a time when they may be feeling a bit anxious about the changes ahead. If you plan to do a DITY move, make sure everyone is on board. It's not worth the money you may make if you all hate each other by the time you make it to your new assignment.

4. Make a moving checklist.
If you are doing a DITY move, your checklist will be your moving bible. Following it will lead you down the path to a smooth move. If you are having the government handle everything, there are still many details you need to take care of. Write everything, no matter how obvious, on your checklist. When the chaos of moving sets in, it is easy to forget even the simplest of tasks.

5. Start a moving file.
Put everything moving related in one file folder. As you know, there is always a lot of paperwork when you move with the government. If you lose receipts and invoices, you can't get reimbursed for those expenses. Keep everything, along with your moving checklist and a copy of your orders, in one folder.

6. Collect all your personal paperwork.
Put all birth certificates, passports, vaccination records, medical records, car title and other important personal paperwork in one file. Decide how you will move it and where it will be on moving day (you don't want the movers to put it on the truck). Assign one person to be in charge of the file during the move.

7. Review your budget.
Being comfortable with your budget is vital for a DITY move, but important even if the government is handling everything. Although you will be given a moving allowance, you will end up paying for things out of your pocket and waiting for reimbursement. Make sure you have cash on hand and in your account to handle those expenses and anything unexpected that might pop up while you travel to your new assignment.

8. Lighten your load.
Regardless of how you plan to move, you do not want to waste time, money and energy moving items you no longer need. Anything you move will have to be unpacked and stored somewhere in your new home. Donate those things to a worthy organization, pass them along to someone who could use them or hold a yard sale.

9. Organize for packing and develop on unpacking strategy.
Even if the government is handling all your packing, you want to make sure things are organized logically. If you have had them handle a move for you before, you know that the moving teams come in like a tornado and pack things up as they see them. Take some time to organize each room, so it's not a big guessing game when you unpack. Decide what rooms and items you will tackle first when unpacking, so your family has some breathing room.

10. Take photos.
Take digital photos or video of all your belongings, so you can reference them if you need to make a claim for lost or damaged items.

1-800-PACK-RAT is a moving and portable storage company that has proudly helped families with their military moving and storage needs between deployments, when they PCS and when they retire and separate from the military.

Call one of PACK-RAT’s Military Moving Specialists at 1-800-MLT-PACK or visit http://www.1800packrat.com/partners/militarymoves for more information.

Whatever you do, don't call me Ma'am! by Katie

Katie from Like Sunshine after Rain is the first blogger to ever comment on my blog! In turn she was the first blog I began to follow. Thank you so much Katie for writing for me while I am off being hazy. Katie is a fantastic writer and as you will see very humorous. Head over to her blog to see for yourself!

My husband had duty this past weekend and I took him dinner on Saturday night. I always take him dinner when he's on duty and we have a picnic, on the duty desk, with the Sergeant of the Guard and the Duty Driver. It's romantic, in a military relationship kind of way.



We went out to eat the following day and somehow, over lunch at the Olive Garden, the talk turned to how old we have become. Really, it turned to how old I am, but it makes me feel better to include my husband, because as I tell him, he's old and has accepted it, it's still new to me. I told him that it always makes me feel so old when the Duty Driver calls me "Ma'am." Have a good night, Ma'am. Thanks for dinner, Ma'am. Here, have my seat, Ma'am.



I'm only going to be twenty-five in June, stop calling me Ma'am! I'm not a freaking Ma'am, I'm Staff Sergeant's hot, YOUNGER wife!



I graduated high school in 2004. It feels like it was just yesterday. I counted at lunch and I graduated high school SEVEN years ago! S-E-V-E-N.



As I was drowning my sorrow in calamari and bread sticks, my husband, who always.says.the.right.thing, looks at me and says, do you really want to feel old? Um, no, but let's see where this is going...

"We were talking about Obama last night and I told Sgt. Doesn't.Call.Me.Ma'am. that Obama's his President and we have him to thank for [whatever inappropriate thing they were discussing and probably isn't blog appropriate]. He said, 'Hell No.'  and we both looked at PFC Stop.Freaking.Calling.Me.Ma'am. and he said, 'SSgt., I couldn't even vote for the guy, he can't be my President.'"

Did ya'll just hear my fork hit the plate?

My husband then tried to make me feel better, "Oh, don't worry, he's eighteen now."

Eighteen?! EIGHTEEN?!

You've got to be kidding me, right? How in the world did I get to be a Ma'am? More importantly, how do I make it stop?



Change by Kaylee (aka my Blogging Bestest!)

Ok, day two! Hopefully I am home from the hospital and nice and loopy so I don't feel anything on my way to recovery! So, behold... my blogging besty! I absolutely adore Kaylee and I am so glad she agreed to do a guest post for me after I pestered her relentlessly asked her. She is a fabulous writer and mommy to be and her story is one to read. Head over to Moore than a Mrs and share some love!

Change…

Dunnhhhh Duhhnnn Duhhnnn!

Start the scary Jaws music and prepare to be shaking in your bikini tops because change can be a scary thing for some people.

As well all know, the only reason you are reading writings by me here is because my bloggy bestest is undergoing Big Changes!

Sure she is super nervous!

Yes she had to prepare for this for the past few months.

Of course this is going to change her life forever.

And Heck Yes, this is well worth it!

See, if you are like me, then change is can be pretty scary. When Jacob got out of the Marine Corp 1 year ago, I was so ready to have my husband home with me like every other normal relationship that I had ever had. I was so ready for us to start our life together and actually be together (since we weren’t for the first 5 months)!

But..

About 2 months before his EAS day… I started to freak out uncontrollably worry. What were we going to do? How would we react to x,y, or z scenario? Would it take long for him to find another job? Will we be okay? From there I caught myself really second guessing our his decision for leaving the military life style. Jacob was ready to be out though, so I respected his wishes and we made the change.

It was a tough one, let me tell you!

But in the end, I couldn’t picture life any other way.

We faced a few challenges and left with a few battle scars, but in the end, it wasn’t so bad and our lives have grown and flourished from the dreaded change.
Some changes aren’t quite so big though. There is the changing of one’s hair color. There is the changing of one’s car. There is the changing of the type of food you eat. There are new jobs, new houses, new pets, new clothes and the best of course is new shoes.

What I am trying to say is that no matter what the change, they can all be challenging, like breaking in those super cute peep toe pumps for a month and tending to your battle scars blisters while doing so.

Allie is making a big change for her, and no matter how scared, nervous, worried or slightly excited she may be, this is still something new for her. She is trying something unknown, but she is such an awesome person that she is keeping a positive outlook and grabbing the change by the horns and embracing it! (She is doing much better than I would be.)

Change is what you make of it.

I could have locked myself in our apartment when Jacob got out of the Corps and never enjoyed anything new for the sheer fear that it was all new, but where would that have gotten me or us?

I could have thrown those super cute peep toe pumps in the closet and never worn them again after night number one, but that would have wasted $110, and Jacob would have had my head.

Change is what you make it out to be, and if you make it fun and exciting… I promise it will be.

Good luck Allie – oop :)

This will be awesome!

(And take advantage of being waited on... that's the best part!)

Super Special Guest Blogger

Today is the day... my surgery is today, so cross your fingers for me! I wanted my first guest blogger this week to be extra special so I begged a certain someone to write something for me. ..

"I don't do mushy stuff publically!"
It doesn't have to be mushy!
"Well, it will be like homework!"
No, it won't. You're on duty anyway. What else do you have to do?
"Ok ok fine.... You know I'm just being difficult, right? I know it means a lot to you. I'll come up with something."

So, for the first time on My Marine and Me, I present, my husband and My Marine, Ryan.

The 2nd General Order
To walk my post in a military manner, keeping always on the alert and observing everything that takes place within sight or hearing.


My wife has asked me to write something for her blog. I chose to write about something that I am currently dealing with and that we all can relate to. Being bored is something that we all know about. Most people don't enjoy being bored and some of you may have heard the expression "dying of boredom." Sometimes however, this expression can be closer to true than you might think.

Most people view boredom and stress as opposites when in fact boredom is a type of stress. Webster defines stress as a constraining force or influence such as a physical, chemical, or emotional factor that causes bodily or mental tension. Boredom certainly fits that description and can be one of the most dangerous types of stress. Being bored can cause loneliness and in some cases depression. Boredom can cause complacency or cause a person to lose situational awareness. It can cause people to "zone out" for a few seconds or several minutes.

This can be harmful to anyone, not just service members. For example if a carpenter has been hammering nails for a few hours and becomes bored with the monotonous work, he could lose focus and smash his hand. If a metal worker who has been performing the same routine task everyday becomes complacent and neglects a safety precaution, it can result in injury. Boredom can cause a business executive on a long drive to a conference to fall asleep behind the wheel of a car. In the same respect, a service member who has been on post for 8 hours can zone out and become less vigilant. Also if a member of the armed forces is patrolling the same area for the hundredth time, he or she may get bored and drop his or her guard.

There are many ways that boredom can be dangerous to men and women of the armed forces as well as civilians, but the things that we do to keep from being bored can be just as dangerous. The business executive could sip some coffee or turn on the radio, both of which take eyes off of the road and focus off of driving even if only for a second or two. The carpenter can break up monotony by trying to see how many nails he can hammer in one minute, also an unsafe act. Service members have come up with many ways to keep from being bored however most of them are just as unsafe and take your mind off of what you are doing at the time.

The point is that at some point in time we must all come up with safe and efficient ways to combat boredom. This is a task that is easier said than done. Some people can take a break to regain focus, but service members don't always have that luxury. So how do YOU deal with boredom in a way that is constructive? Please feel free to leave comments and thanks for reading!

PS: This was written while on post in garrison.

Guest Post

Before I forget to post... while Nicole is enjoying DISNEY WORLD (so jealous!) I did a guest post for her. Check it out and let me know what you think! As some of you know I worked there while Ryan was in Iraq, so Disney holds a very special place in my heart <3



Oh, and hey new followers!!! So glad you've joined in!

Is this thing on?

My blog has hit a bump. I am just doing everything so samey that it is not worth writing about. I go to work, I come home and watch Netflix with my husband, then I sleep. Exciting right? :P

Attention Guest Bloggers!

I still have the posts some of you sent me.... but I am still waiting on a few! I am also willing to take on some new people! My surgery has been rescheduled for February 23 so the posts will appear from the 23rd until March 2nd. Feel free to comment or email me at imyewneek@yahoo.com I have a broad range of topics, people wrote about everything so far from being bored to the benefits of eating out to PCSing. If you want a theme... how about change? I am hoping this surgery will change a lot of things for the better so why not!

Thanks to those who sent me some already. I love 'em! If anyone else can send one my way I will love you too.

Just sayin'.



Oh! Something to write about. My work computer got a virus Friday. Scared the bejeezus out of me, some of those pop ups were definitely NSFW! But the IT guy fixed it. He had to dial in to my computer and reset the darn thing. I lost all my favorites, my saved email addresses, contacts... oh it sucked royally. The reason for the virus? Yahoo mail.

....

Seriously?

I don't think so. But whatever. I won't open yahoo on this computer again. I have my itouch to check that so it's fine.

Saturday Ryan and I got Epic Mickey for the Wii. It's pretty cool, but after awhile I get frustrated and have to quit. Which is good because it won't steal my focus for hours and hours!

Sunday we went to our friends' house to watch the game. I made my famous meatloaf and my family's famous cornbread. We didn't care for either team so we decided to root for the Packers. Hey, good pick! :P

Thanks for stickin with me guys.