Well, Kossacks... you've done it. I don't know how, and I don't know why, but you did it.
A month ago, if you had told me that communities like DKos existed, that genuinely go out of their way to help one another, I'd have laughed in your face, citing your words as impossible nonsense.
I was surprised... surprised to the point of tears... along with my wife and son... at the response we received to our plea when a very special member of DKos and her husband finally talked my stubborn ass into seeking the help we needed.
If you'll be so kind as to follow me after the jump, I'll elaborate in detail where my family stands now, and what our plans are for the future.
Thanks to the support of DKos, my family has settled into our new home. It's an older apartment, but very well maintained. Approximately 1 hour by bus (10 minutes or so by car and I can likely bike there in less time than the bus) from school... a HUGE improvement from 3 hours 1 way (shaving 67% of the total trip time easily)... with convenient shopping of all sorts within reasonable distance.
My son has adjusted extremely well for a 3 year old boy, and thoroughly enjoys having the space to run around and play. The new home has a playground on site inside a gated community for him to play (as soon as the weather gets a little better). His cartoons will be available tomorrow afternoon when our cable/internet is turned on, so he'll be set with that. I still need to find a free moment to do another grocery run to get him some variety food, a pair of shoes, and a few other necessities, but after that, he'll be all set. He still raises hell like any other toddler boy, but hey... he's my son after all. :^)
My wife has been relieved of monumental stress after getting out of the hotel and into a home we can officially call our own. She's going a bit nuts without her internet, but that will be remedied tomorrow afternoon as previously stated. She has made incredible improvements to her social tendencies... Whereas before this adventure started she would not so much as walk outside to save her life, she has found trust and friendship among members of the DKos community, and people she loves enough to trust in getting outside to enjoy her life that much more. These steps will undoubtedly lead to a better quality life for our entire family.
Her eyesight is still of major concern to our family, as it always has been and likely always will be. But I am confident that... someday... we'll have the tools to address that issue as well. I also want to seek assistance with getting her back on the track of help for her anxiety control, but given tools we can only address one issue at a time.
As for me, I am closer to school, which was a major portion of why this move was necessary. I'm no longer sitting on a bus surrounded by strangers for half of my entire day, every single day, having to bite holes in my lip just to keep from shooting people. My own medical needs are minor by comparison to my wife, so I dare not bring them up in that wake. My assistance is guaranteed (albeit delayed, slowed, riddled with obstacles, etc) through the VA... well, at least once my application for increased benefits based on PTSD and TBI gets processed, and I apply the New GI Bill for my schooling.
The battle is won, but the war is far from over. More veterans that I am friends with need help, who have already been referred to Llbear and Scott. My family still has to build ourselves up within our new home.
It pains me to say that the saga is not over...
...it has only begun.