Being a wife to a veteran with PTSD

PTSD-Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder- a mental health disorder that can come after a traumatic event, like abuse, war, or disaster. My brave husband served 3 tours overseas, 1 in Afghanistan and 2 in Iraq. He served as a Sergeant in the 101st Airborne. I'm proud of his service. I tear up every time I see or hear a news story about a veteran or active duty military person. It always gets to me. I know what he has sacrificed, I know the horrors that he relives, I know the anxiety and restlessness he deals with on a regular basis. My husband has PTSD. He has been going to counseling at the VA for CPT-cogntive processing therapy.  He has weekly assignments where he describes in-depth his triggers and how he felt during this particular parts of his past. He has a hard time being in large groups, it's sometimes difficult to watch firework displays, if we go out to eat he has to sit where we can see the exits and all the tables-he doesn't like having his back exposed. He doesn't have dramatic episodes where he "hits the deck" if he hears something loud. He is sometimes easily angered and frustrated. He sometimes has a hard time expressing his feelings. He has nightmares and is often restless at night. We've had a really great week and a couple really rough ones. You can't always control the triggers. I say all this so people have a better understanding when talking to and being around people that have PTSD. It may not be a veteran, someone who's experience combat, it may be a first responder-fire fighter/EMT, police officer, someone who's experienced any type of abuse. Veterans have sacrificed so much for us and our freedoms and at a great price. I wouldn't change this experience, I know in the end we will be a stronger and better couple for it. I just wish I knew exactly what to say or what to do. I often find myself just listening, being quiet and praying a lot (which is always a good thing, right?). I want him to know he is not alone, I want him to know how much he is loved, by so many people. I want him to know we will get through this together. I want him to know how much I care and cherish him. I want him to feel peace. I want him to turn to God throughout this process. I want him to get a good nights sleep. I want, I want, I want...God knows what we need and when we need it. It's amazing how often I need reminded of this. This is not more than we can handle. I sometimes feel defeated. But I don't have to be, I know He is here through it all, walking in the middle of us.

The Joys of Cooking and Baking

This weekend I spent a lot of time in the kitchen. I really generally enjoy it. That would be miserable to spend so much time in the kitchen if I didn't like it. I supposed that is why I do spend in there, it relaxes me and gives me a great sense of satisfaction knowing I made something healthy and nourishing for my family. Yesterday Carson and I made pumpkin spelt muffins. He's a great little helper in the kitchen. Today, I made homemade turkey noodle soup (yep, with Thanksgiving day leftover turkey). I used some chicken broth that I made previously and just thawed it from the freezer- about 4-5 cups. I diced up 4 celery stalks, 3 carrots, one white potato and about 1/4 of a box of whole-wheat rotini pasta. I added salt and pepper to taste with a touch of chili powder. I sauteed the celery and carrot first, then added the diced turkey and cooked pasta. I made sure the potatoes were small so they would cook fairly quickly. The end product was delicious! I made some homemade whole-wheat biscuits to go along with our soup. Later this afternoon I made some butternut squash soup. I baked the squash yesterday and had it waiting in the fridge. While I was thawing out broth for the turkey noodle soup, I got out another batch for the butternut squash soup. Then, my sweet tooth kicked in and I made some whole-wheat chocolate chip cookies. They turned out much better today than the last time I made them. There is a theme, whole-wheat. We've gotten really used to it and I can't really taste the difference any more. I know a lot of people are going wheat-free but I don't really feel like I have a reason to at this point. My stomach is far happier without additives, preservatives and artificial dyes and flavorings. I found a recipe for cinnamon struedel coffee cream so I adapted it for one cup of coffee I may tonight-a few drops of vanilla and almond extracts and 1 cinnamon stick. The original recipe calls for ground cinnamon to be added to whole milk and cream but I was in a rush.