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The Veterans Show
Join Geoff, a US Army Veteran with over 20 years of service, and his wife Laura, a US Air Force Veteran, as they welcome a diverse group of Veteran guests to discuss topics relevant to all Veterans. Geoff and Laura believe that by fostering conversations with fellow Veterans, they can help prevent others from making impulsive and irreversible decisions. Tune in as we explore all things Veteran.
The Veterans Show
Episode 77: PO2 Lindy Ayers-Mattingly
In this episode, PO2 Lindy Ayers-Mattingly, a vibrant and active Coast Guard veteran, saw her life drastically change after reluctantly receiving the COVID-19 vaccine in September 2021 under pressure and threats of dishonorable discharge. Soon after vaccination, Lindy experienced severe health issues, including heart palpitations, muscle tears, and debilitating symptoms that now require her to use a wheelchair and depend on her husband, PO1 Mike Mattingly, for 24/7 care, forcing him to leave his military career as well. Despite receiving 100% disability from the VA, the designation as "chronic fatigue due to residual of the vaccine" rather than vaccine injury has denied Mike caregiver benefits, leaving the couple to spend their life savings on uncovered treatments. Sustained by their faith, Mike and Lindy urge other struggling veterans to seek solace in God, while her story raises critical questions about accountability, veteran care, and societal responsibilities toward those who serve. Please join us to hear Lindy and Mike's heart wrenching story.
There's men and women all around who fought and died for your freedom and it's real fucked up how the government treats them. They just sit back and they won't even feed them. They lay on the ground feeling defeated. Lord, they paid their dues and they beat the enemy while they're all alone fighting PTSD Because freedom ain't free, but in reality, you entitled holes are handed everything. We should all rise up and all just agree the division ain't the way that it's supposed to be lord. It's a damn shame what the world's gotten to. We, the people like you, and we, the people like me, should just wake up and realize it's true, cause it is oh, it is Living in a new world With an old soul.
Speaker 3:Hello and welcome to the Veteran's Show. Thank you for listening. We know you could be doing anything else on a Saturday night, but you're sitting listening to us and we thank you. I'm Jeff and I'm here with my beautiful, wonderful wife Laura.
Speaker 4:Hello.
Speaker 3:We wanted to thank producer Michelle and WCBM for letting us have this opportunity to do this at this time, and then for Officer Carrie for our bumper music.
Speaker 4:Thank you Always providing us good music and tailor it to the show. So we do thank Officer Carrie for doing that, and I know she really enjoys it. If you are new to the Veterans Show, we open up each show with a prayer, so, if you can, can please bow your heads with us. Heavenly father, all glory to you. Father, tonight I lift up. First, I beg for peace for your people, israel, and then, second, father, I lift up all of the hearts out there that are hurting, that are dealing with a heavy moment in their life. I beg that you put your wisdom into them, your peace into them and your strength. So many people are enduring so much. You know what they're going through. You too have suffered so much, greater than anything we ever could. So, father, show us how to endure and just protect those people and give them some relief, if it's your will. Father, thank you for all you do, and I pray all of this in your son's name, my Lord and Savior, jesus Christ, the risen King. Amen. We do thank everybody for joining us tonight. You know you could be doing anything on a Saturday, but you're here with us and we really appreciate that. It means a lot to hear the stories that we bring to you, that you take the time to do that. So first, we want to make sure that if you are dealing with anything heavy right now, if you are in a dark place, we want you to know that there's help out there and that we beg you to reach out for help. One of the ways that you can do that is you can dial 988 and then option one, or you can text 838255. You can also chat online and you can go to wwwveteranscrisislinenet. Those are just three of the ways that you can reach out for help. Just never stay locked in your own mind. Definitely talk to people, ask people to help you work through whatever you're going through.
Speaker 4:There's also so many other charities out there I mean, there's just veterans charities everywhere, but we've highlighted a few veterans charities on this show before. Each charity that I'm about to discuss is free to all veterans and it helps all veterans nationwide. We've actually looked at these tax records, we've walked through these charities, we've met with them, so we've really vetted these people and they cover just about everything veterans deal with. So the first one that you can reach out to is Heroes Bridge. They have the National Battle Buddy Call-In Center and what they do is they just try to help a veteran with whatever they need help with. If you need help with yard work, they can find somebody. If you need help getting to a medical appointment, they can find somebody. They're just a great connection, source of networking, and you can call them at 1-800-653-8387. The next one is Warfighter Advance and that's led by Dr Vieten. She deals with post-traumatic stress and helping our warriors get through that and it's not just for veterans. First responders are also eligible to be in Warfighter Advance and again, it's all free. You do have to self-refer if you're dealing with post-traumatic stress and you want help from Warfighter Advance. Sorry, I can't get these words out of my mouth, but you can call them at 202-239-7395.
Speaker 4:If you know a veteran or if you are a veteran who's dealing with homelessness, we recommend the Baltimore Station. It is a year-long program and they help veteran men Amazing, amazing program and you can contact them at 410-752-2254. If you are a veteran who is dealing with financial issues and you need some assistance, you can contact Operation First Response Peggy over there is amazing, beautiful soul. You can contact them at 888-289-0280. If you're dealing with addiction issues, if you're dealing with addiction issues, we highly recommend. Either you go to AA so you can go online at wwwaaorg. I've been told that you can attend an online meeting 24-7. So you don't have to wait for a meeting. Or there is another recovery. It's called Celebrate Recovery. You can go to wwwcelebraterecoverycom. That one is more of a faith-based, so I've heard beautiful things about that one as well.
Speaker 4:But me personally, with everything that I've ever been through, I have been homeless, I have had issues with finances, post-traumatic stress, and I've needed help for just with everything. But the thing that worked the best for me and I recommend it to you all is God and his son, jesus Christ. I think there's a lot of people out there right now searching just for purpose and searching for some answers in this world, and I got to tell you the answers that you're seeking, I truly believe were provided by God and Jesus, and you can read about those in the Bible. I recommend just pick up the Bible and just read it from cover to cover and see what it speaks to you. But if you call out to God, if you are in a dark place, such as I was a few years ago, I called out to God. If you are in a dark place such as I was a few years ago. I called out to God and he answered. And I know if you call out to him he will answer you as well. Um, and he'll just change your heart and it will be beautiful. So highly, highly recommend um, god. If you've just tried everything else and you just don't know what else, just call out out to god. But you are never, ever alone. So many people we love you. We love that you have air in your lungs and that your heart is beating and we just we know you're going to get through this. If you're in that dark spot we've been there too there's light always comes, so just hang in there and reach out for help.
Speaker 4:Tonight we have a pretty phenomenal guest on, and you know I've talked about it a little bit, but this whole show has been a culmination of, I think, getting this particular guest. Even on the show We've had a few veterans who got out of the service because of the vaccine, but our guest tonight she is vaccine injured and I want to feature her story. I have such a desire to feature her story because I don't feel as a society that we can look away. We have to deal with what has been done to some of these people because of this vaccine. We have to tell their stories and as a society, we have to help them, and we also have to ensure that this is never, ever allowed to happen again.
Speaker 3:But wait a second. I thought we did that. That was all with World War II.
Speaker 4:Yeah, nuremberg, mm-hmm.
Speaker 3:Yes, but here we are again.
Speaker 4:Here we are again, but back then they had the same option. When they went to those concentration camps and they saw the horrors of what was happening, they could have put their heads in the sand. Our ancestors could have looked away, they could have buried it, but instead they dug deep and wanted the truth. They didn't want it feel as a generation, as a society. Now we can do the same thing, don't you agree?
Speaker 3:Yeah, I mean we should have, but I mean the people that were supposed to be there to protect and defend us weren't no, and they failed in their job. They did and those are the failed in their job.
Speaker 4:They did, and those are the people that need to be held accountable. We can't just sit here and say they were doing their job, that they were just following orders.
Speaker 3:And in fact, that's what came out. That was part of the Nuremberg trials. The reason why the Nazis were the people that were oh, I was just following orders. Okay, that's not good enough. Your job is to stand up for those that cannot fight for themselves. Your job is to refuse unconstitutional orders, Right.
Speaker 4:The one time that we can disobey a direct order is when it's unconstitutional. The one time that we can disobey a direct order is when it's unconstitutional. And a lot of what was done to these troops while they were in to be forced to take a vaccine and not even just the veterans, just society in itself. Americans, you know, we were told that. You know you're not essential, you don't need your job unless you get a vaccine. But we can't do that to one another. We have hurt a lot of people and those people deserve to be heard and to ensure every single one of those people that they told them that their job was unimportant.
Speaker 3:Just told them that those people were unimportant yeah, they did.
Speaker 4:And now many of those people who who gave in um, you know, just, they had no other option. They they took the vaccine. Many of them are very, very sick and they need proper medical care.
Speaker 3:But if we keep putting them to the shadows, if we don't talk about this, and I would put for some form of this is where doctors have to go back to being doctors and go back to being researchers research and figure out how we got in this situation in the first place and how they can cure us. If you're a doctor and that's your medical profession, then that's what you should be doing, Not just sitting there getting your licenses from pharmaceutical companies and just handing out pills.
Speaker 4:You are absolutely correct. I think it's doctors, but it's all of us. All of us have to start putting more humanity and love in our hearts towards one another. It's not just about us, it's about cohabitating on this big blue ball together and taking care of one another, and so that's what we really need to do and that's what we want to do by highlighting some of these stories, and some of the stories are hard to listen to, but you know, we have to. We cannot look away. We just can't, and I'm not going to let people look away.
Speaker 4:So tonight we are going to feature a really amazing story of this young woman. We thank you for, you know, taking the time to listen to her story, and we do beg that. You, uh, you, you share her story with as many people as possible because she's one of many, so many and, uh, she needs help, she needs a lot of help. So it's, you know, she's young and there's medical bills and, uh, they're having to shoulder a lot of those bills on their own and they shouldn't have to their their country that they raised their hand to defend um should fight for those or give her those medical benefits, one of the things that, before we go to break.
Speaker 4:I do want to say what was interesting. One of the videos I watched online of our guests that's about to come on is um, she, she still loves her country, so much that she actually renewed her oath. She took a video and said her oath again and that hit a chord with me that she still has the love of the nation to do that and the passion of this country, this beautiful country. So with that we have to take a break.
Speaker 6:We will be right back freedom was something I never found. Trying to find six feet on the ground under the weight of all of my sin, I thought in the fact that I couldn't.
Speaker 3:Okay, welcome back everybody and thank you for listening to the veteran show. If you're in crisis, please pick up the phone, dial 988, press option one or text 838255. Just remember you're never alone. There's always somebody out there that wants to hear your voice there absolutely is.
Speaker 4:Thank you, babe. Always reach out. Don't stay locked in your own head um, it's the worst place to be. Just always, uh, tell somebody what's going on and uh, it will be worth it, I promise so. I know people might be in a dark place right now on, and it will be worth it, I promise so. I know people might be in a dark place right now, but you will get through it and you could get through it so much better if we talk about it. So always reach out for help.
Speaker 4:This evening, you know, all of the shows that we do each week are kind of a culmination, bringing us to a certain point, and the show for this evening is no exception. We have had many of guests on the show that you know the military accountability, the declaration of military accountability. We had Commander Rob Green, colonel Brad Miller, we've had quite a few. We've had quite a few. We've had Colonel Teresa Long, everybody who's been talking about the vaccine. But tonight we're really honored to help beautiful souls share their story, because this is our first guests who are vaccine injured, vaccine injured, and I think it is really um appropriate for people to hear uh this, uh beautiful woman's story, and her and her husband as well.
Speaker 4:So it is our honor to introduce um former coast guard petty officer second class, lindy mattingly, and her husband, also coast guard veteran petty officer first class, mike mattingly. Thank you both for joining us today. I really appreciate it For you. Lindy, can you tell me a little bit about your service? What made you want to join the Coast Guard and what were you doing prior to 2020?
Speaker 2:Thank you for having me on the show. Well, I joined the Army right out of high school and then I was very active and did air assault and had a deployment, and then I joined the Coast Guard so I could stay closer to home, and then I joined the Coast Guard so I could stay closer to home and my life before 2020, I was just extremely active. I surfed, I skateboarded as a part of the youth group.
Speaker 4:Anything I could do to just be physical, I did. I've seen a few of your videos you especially that one where you jumped on your husband's shoulders like from the back and you didn't. That was pretty impressive. There I wouldn't, I would definitely trip. So, um, you're very vibrant and healthy and just uh, the world was at your fingertips prior to 2020, it sounds like, and love of your nation, love of your hometown or where you came from. You wanted to stay close, so that says a lot about you. But then, in 2020, when COVID happened, what happened with you With the mandates and stuff like that? Can you tell us, elaborate on that?
Speaker 2:yeah. Um, so in the coast guard they started rolling out vaccines really fast and they told us we had an option at first. And I felt in my spirit don't get this. And I've gotten. You know, I've been deployed, I've been to third world countries. I've gotten lots of vaccines. Before you know, I've taken the antibiotics they gave me, got the peanut butter shot and I was fine. But for some reason in my spirit I felt God be like, do not get this. And um, it just made me feel alarmed and my stepmom was like don't get this. They haven't even, you know, done a lot of studies on this and so I chose not to get it at first.
Speaker 2:And um, basically, you know my command, on my base in the Coast Guard, people were just acting mean to people who didn't want to get the vaccine. They're kind of ostracizing us and making us feel like dirt bags, you know, like sandbags, basically my E7 and my E9, like the guy in charge of my whole rating gunners may like. They sat me down in the room by myself and they were like hey, if you don't with paperwork. And they're like if you don't get this, you're going to get kicked out of the military in two weeks You're going to have a dishonorable discharge or other than honorable. You're going to lose your benefits. It's better for you to get the vaccine, and so I got the vaccine you're pretty pressured and doing that it sounds like very pressured.
Speaker 4:So people in your chain of command told you you would lose your career if you didn't get the vaccine. Did they ever say, I mean, was any doctors in with them? Did anybody give you any kind of full informed consent of of what could happen?
Speaker 2:No, they basically they had one of the doctors on base sign me up to get the vaccine and she like called me and she was like why aren't you here to get the vaccine? And I was like I never said I wanted it and then I kind of I didn't get in trouble but they were like why didn't you show up to your appointment? Kind of deal. And that's like the only informed information I got about the vaccine was like you have to get it.
Speaker 4:So they told you. They sat you down and told you all of this stuff that could happen negatively for your career, but they never went over what could negatively happen to your health. That's very interesting to me. That's very telling. I just want the audience to just you know if they took the time to research you know that kind of paperwork why not take the time to research the possible hazards of doing this? I'm really sorry that they did that to you. I truly am. On just behalf of veterans, I'm sorry that they pressured you into that. It's not right. I hear that a lot about people. It's not right. I hear that a lot about people. I hear it actually a lot. Just something in our souls told us not to get it and I felt the same way. Just something told me it just wasn't the right thing to do. I wish you'd had the opportunity to make that choice. So you missed one appointment for getting the vaccine what happened after that?
Speaker 2:um, they just were pressuring me, um, and they're like look, you can't, you can't go anywhere. Like you can't go 45 minutes away from the base. Um, you can't take leave to see your family.
Speaker 5:Can't go to church.
Speaker 2:Can't go to church. You know, they were just making it feel impossible to do anything and I spent like a year of not going anywhere. So I signed up to take the vaccine and September 21st 2021 is when I got my second dose. And I remember that date more than my wedding because my whole life turned upside down after that in a bad way.
Speaker 4:Can you elaborate more what happened at that?
Speaker 2:So I started getting heart palpitations within two weeks of my second dose and I'd be driving to work and then my vision would be blurry. Um, and I'd be driving to work, and then my vision would be blurry, my heart would be pounding. I had no clue what was going on. Um, my muscles started tearing. I remember I was just carrying ammo which is normal for me every day carrying ammo and I tore my ACL. And then, and then they said I had tennis elbow and golfer's elbow. Um, and I was like what?
Speaker 2:I just started getting random things happen to me, and so I went to the ER one time because I had severe pain in my stomach and on base, they, they sent me to the ER. They're're like, you know, look, something's going on, we don't know. And I went to the ER and they couldn't really find anything wrong with me. And then, you know, I was telling my doctors this and I decided to get out at that point, cause I was like freaking out. I was like what's going on?
Speaker 2:I was like scared, and the doctors on base were just like you have anxiety. And so they gave me some anxiety medicine, but I had a allergic reaction and I convulsed for four hours. Wow. Then I just started having like panic attacks all the time, and the weirdest part for me was I used to run three to five miles a day, um, and I would swim at least a thousand meters every other day and for me the weirdest thing is I could barely even run three miles anymore. Like my chest, I was so out of breath. I just felt like something was wrong.
Speaker 4:That's what first happened yeah, we know our bodies pretty well. Um, you know it, it takes a lot. I always find it interesting, you know, we know what's going on in our bodies long before you know the doctors and stuff, but it's. We have to convince the doctors we're sick. So, gosh, that's a convulsing for four hours, I'm really sorry. So you went to the ER. You were having tears and muscles and all they gave you was anxiety pills. So that's just insane to me. That's insane. Did they do MRIs? Actually, did anybody ever say that it could have been the vaccine at any point?
Speaker 2:no. And then the weirdest thing, like I was doing my you know, I was getting out of the military and they had to do like a last checkup and I told my doctor I was like my ears are ringing and he was like why didn't you tell us that before? Are you just trying to like get money or something? And so at that point I just felt like I couldn't talk to them. I felt like it wasn't gonna like it wasn't safe to talk to them because they were just going to dismiss what I'm feeling and I felt like I was going crazy.
Speaker 4:Yeah, I don't doubt it. They had you locked down basically on the base for an entire year. You couldn't go to church, you said.
Speaker 5:Well, you know, I lived 30 minutes from base, but all I could do was go to work and come home, or what was the because I was unvaccinated and I don't know, maybe I don't really know what their intent was on it it was just a coast guard wide policy for the most part, that, like you, couldn't travel more than 100 miles. It always changed too, the distance always changed. But then you weren't able to participate in any kind of group events. At one point they even said that you couldn't even go to restaurants. You couldn't do anything like that. It depended on your state's guidelines. Gyms was one of them. So if you were unvaccinated at one point you pretty much could stay home and go to work.
Speaker 4:That was it well, if the vaccine worked to protect all these people, then why were they so scared of you? That doesn't make any sense to me. It sounds to me, if they changed it that much over and over and they kept changing their policies, that was more of a it was back that we're going back to the whole fear and control thing.
Speaker 3:Yeah, that's all they want to do is put everybody in fear so they can control everybody wow, what did that do?
Speaker 4:go ahead sorry.
Speaker 2:Um well, and going back, like a lot of people might be wondering, like why I didn't get a waiver or a religious waiver. You know, if I felt in my spirit and in the coast guard particularly, I don't know I haven't heard one religious waiver being approved for the vaccine and I don't think any religious waiver in the coast guard got approved, and so I heard that in, like I actually saw people getting denied and, um, my boss was like you could put it in if you want, but no one else is getting approved for it.
Speaker 4:You know so on every level, over and over. They just kept discouraging you from doing what was in your heart and what was youth leaders um, so we'd go to church to see the youth group and then we go to church.
Speaker 4:We're pretty active in the church and we'd go hang out with the church members a lot like twice a week, I think and yet the military tells you that you might not get a religious exemption when you have a history of being involved in the church. I don't see how they have a right to do that. Isn't that infringing Hence?
Speaker 3:the military accountability project.
Speaker 4:Yeah, the declaration, military accountability. So for the time that they limited you and told you you couldn't go exercise and you couldn't go to church and stuff like that, how did that? What did that do to your psyche?
Speaker 2:well, it made me very frustrated because, like they'd be like all right, take the truck, the truck and go on an eight hour trip, right, so four hours one way, four hours back and do some work at a different base. And it was so confusing to me I didn't understand it. And this is where me and my E7 had some disagreements. E7 had some disagreements. I was like I don't understand how this, how I can go to a different base, go to the gas station, deal with all these people on a different base but I can't go to the gym.
Speaker 4:Yeah, that makes no sense. I only have about 60 seconds left. I want to remind our audience who's listening. No-transcript. So for the people who say that the benefits outweighed the costs, I would highly beg to differ With that. We're going to take a break and we will be right back to buy myself a chance.
Speaker 6:I'm like everybody else. I got a twisted, broken story. I could tell I paved the road to hell with stones I laid myself and I built it all too well.
Speaker 1:Well, I know.
Speaker 6:I've done, and if judgment should come, I couldn't face it. Oh my.
Speaker 3:Hi, welcome back. Thank you for listening to the veteran show. If you're in crisis, please pick up the phone, Dial 988. Press option one or text 838255. Just remember you're never alone. There's always somebody out there that wants to hear your voice.
Speaker 4:There absolutely is.
Speaker 4:And I thank you for giving out that information, babe. So we still have on the line with us former Coast Guard Army and Coast Guard but former Coast Guard Petty Officer Second Class, lindyy Mattingly, and her husband, former Petty Officer First Class, Mike Mattingly. I thank you guys for joining us tonight. Before we get into talking to her again, there's just a few things that I want to break up. She does have a Give, send, go, and if you are interested in helping her, lindy, and if you are interested in helping her Lindy, she is trying to raise funds for some medical treatment that is not covered by the VA for some reason. And if you want to do that, just go to GoFundMe and look for Health Lindy, walk Again and you'll be able to help her out, and I really hope people are able to help this beautiful soul.
Speaker 4:On a different note, jeff and I you and I have been going through some emotional roller coasters. We lost our dog and we were going to do this interview with Lindy and Mike a little while ago, a few days ago, before our dog passed and you know, with everything that she's going through, they actually prayed over us for what we were going through, and that's the kind of souls that we're talking to right now, just really beautiful souls that are looking out for other people and wanting to help other people. And so I just I think I think, mike and Lindy, just for what you did for us the other day and just for having hope and faith in god, still I it meant a lot. Um, I do want to talk to you. So you, you ended up getting out of the coast guard on your own volition. You, you separated under normal circumstances, is that correct, lind?
Speaker 2:I'm sorry we lost you there for a second oh, it's okay.
Speaker 4:So you ended up separating from the Coast Guard just at your regular end of service, is that correct?
Speaker 2:Yes, I did.
Speaker 4:Okay, so once you got the vaccine, what all you've been dealing with? Medical issues now. So what? All of the um, what I don't know what you call the word I'm looking for? What are the medical ailments that you now have to deal with? Could you list them for us?
Speaker 2:yeah, I might need my husband to help me. Um, so, so, brain fog, extreme fatigue, I'm in a wheelchair, I can't walk, I can't drive, tinnitus, vertigo, migraines, muscle weakness and I have something called post-exertional malaise. And I have something called post-exertional malaise. Basically, I get to a semi-conscious state sometimes when I have flares and I can't speak, I can't communicate and I'm just in pain over my whole body. It's only gotten to a 10, probably five times, but when it does flare, it's usually around an eight and a half or a nine out of 10 pain. So, basically, for eight months I was in a bed and I couldn't barely speak, but now, since I've been going to this neurological neurology clinic, I've been able. Obviously, I can speak more now. I wouldn't have been able to do this before I went to this clinic. Um, they've just been helping me speak and be in less pain. Um, so, basically, like, all the nerves in my body felt like they were on fire and I'm still learning how to walk again.
Speaker 4:Wow, you are Sue. You got out. You weren't kicked out or anything, but you got out. But now you're 100% permanent total. But there's something interesting with that You're not rated for vaccine, injury or anything of that nature or toxic exposure. What are you rated for? What are they calling it?
Speaker 2:It's called chronic fatigue due to the residual of the vaccine. I'm 100% for that 100% for that.
Speaker 4:And why don't just they rate you for vaccine, injury or hazardous material exposure or toxic material? Did they ever say anything about that?
Speaker 2:When I talked to the guy rating me, he was saying like they don't have any of that to be rated as like it's not in the paperwork they don't have a code, the va.
Speaker 3:Apparently the va doesn't have a code for vaccine.
Speaker 2:Injuries no, they don't because they don't want to admit it yeah, um.
Speaker 4:So that 100 percent permittal on the way that you're rated. From what I understand, it has had a bit of an impact on your care, because the wording um is getting in the way, is it not today? Yeah?
Speaker 2:so, um, we filed for my husband to be my caregiver. He actually had to get out of the military because I have to have 24-7 care. You know, I can't go get water for myself, I can't make food, I can't fold laundry, because I'll literally pass out or I'll just be in so much pain. And we filed for him to be my caregiver and they denied it because the paperwork says chooses to stay in bed. And we showed my VA, primary care, that and she was like I never said you choose to stay in bed.
Speaker 4:You, you are in bed because you have to be so that wording is getting in the way of your husband becoming and getting paid a caregiver for you is that correct we're still in the works, trying to figure that out and trying to resubmit.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 4:Mike, would you mind telling us what you did while you were in the service?
Speaker 5:Yes, I was a gunner's mate as well. At the time I was an instructor and when Lindy got out of the military we ended up moving, transferring, and I was an instructor for a reserve unit in California and it got to the point where I couldn't keep up my work anymore. I couldn't take care of the office and take care of my wife. I was teleworking more than I was at the office. They had to have a reservist on orders full time in order for things to keep moving and I still was honestly failing at my work and failing. So it just became necessary for me to get out and take care of Lindy full time.
Speaker 4:So I've been thinking a lot about this. You know, building up to this conversation with you two the people who sat you down and said that you could lose your career, lindy, and this and this and this would happen, and you know, yada, yada, yada. Instead, what actually ended up happening is you lost your career anyways and your husband is now out of the service too. So two amazing troops that were on the edge of the rest of their lives and the military impacted both of your lives. All for what that's been really resounding with me, or for what that's been really resounding with me. I just want people to know two really good people are no longer in the service, and we really need good people in the service. We really do. So you're not getting paid caregiver status. That's insane. Has anybody in Congress or any of your legislators, anybody reached out to you to try to help?
Speaker 2:No.
Speaker 4:So right now you're going through a new treatment and you're having to pay for it yourself. Can you tell us a little bit about this treatment and why isn't the VA covering it?
Speaker 2:um, why isn't the VA covering it? So I was a part of a long COVID clinic. Um, because in in California with the VA, um, they said that my symptoms were so similar to long COVID. That's why I was there and basically, like all my doctors and the VA and at Stanford they would say things like you could die in seven months or they would just randomly spit out like diseases I could have, but they basically said there's nothing they could do for me and that I just need to stay home and rest. And I was praying and I was like Lord, like I need help. I was crying, I was like Lord, what can I do? Like I can't live this way anymore, like I'm in so much pain, you know, and I'll just be praying this to God, like when I can, because, you know, I was in my conscious a lot and I was just Googling like places that can help with rare neurological disorders, because that's what's going on with me.
Speaker 2:It's like the covid shot goes past the blood brain barrier with the mrna, um, and what they say with me is that it went past that, and so that's what's going on. And I found this place called sparrow in arkansas and they help with CRPS, long COVID and rare neurological symptoms. And we got here nine weeks ago and when I got here I was laying in a wheelchair. I couldn't speak, I couldn't open my eyes and I was in pain at least an eight all the time, and unfortunately it's $62,000. For like a five month treatment.
Speaker 4:Sorry, out of your own pocket you're $62,000.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and that's basically our whole life savings. How old are you um?
Speaker 4:I'm 31 31 and I. I asked you guys this earlier. You guys have been married for four years yeah, we, we got.
Speaker 2:I got sick six months after we got married.
Speaker 4:That's about like us. Yeah, has this impacted? I hate to ask it for such a personal question, but has this impacted? If you guys have, did you guys want children before?
Speaker 2:Do you still there's? There's no way, like in my state, that I can even think about having a child. Every time they ask me if I'm pregnant at the doctor, I just laugh because I cannot have children at all.
Speaker 4:If I tried to have a child, I would die. Did you want?
Speaker 2:children. We wanted kids.
Speaker 4:But now I'm afraid of being in pain because of how much pain I'm in all the time. So the best way people can help you is to go to the GoFundMe and then help Lindy walk again. Your faith has been really beautiful and it seems to be keeping you grounded. So, with everything that you've been through, is there anything that you want to say to your fellow veterans, to give that, to show them maybe some of the hope that you have and the fight that you're? You have in you Any words of wisdom?
Speaker 2:My words of wisdom have to come, you know, from what God's done for me, and it's basically like whenever you feel like everything's crumbling around you and like everything's so painful and you don't know what to do, just talk to God, because he'll meet you where you're at and know for me in my darkest times, like I would just close my eyes and pray to God and I would see so much beautiful things and um, just, he'll always be there for you and he'll answer your prayers you will, that's for sure.
Speaker 4:Amen. Well, lindy and mike, I really appreciate you joining us tonight. Um, I uh will always be praying for you and if there's any way that jeff and I can ever help you in any way, um, please let us know and keep us posted on how you're doing, and I pray that the audience goes to your GoFundMe page. Help Lindy walk again, and I pray they help you. But to both of you for everything that you've done for us in the short time that you've known us and for your faith, for your fight. It has been an honor getting to talk to you and we wish you all the best. With that we're going to end the show. We pray everybody has a great week and we will talk to you again next week.
Speaker 6:God bless you all the way is lost. My eyes they strain to see. I struggle forth to find a friend to light the way for me. Oh brothers, can you hear my voice, or am I all alone? If there's no fire to guide my way, then I will start my own. Oh, my God, we'll have our home again. My God, we'll have our home. My blood or sweat will get there. Yet, my God, we'll have our home.
