100 percent disabled Combat Veteran needs a PTSD service dog

Brian Jacobsen is organizing this fundraiser.

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Hi, my name is Brian and I am a 50 year old 100% Disabled Combat Marine. I served with 1st Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, Alpha Company and am the recipient of the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, while serving in the Persian Gulf in the 90’s. Freedom is not free. Last year my back degraded from an injury occurred in service which caused me not only to lose my job last October but ended up in spinal fusion surgery in March. Post surgery I was convalescent for 60 days, but I am happy to report that Iam slowly recovering. My PTSD, goes way back but after the surgery it progressed to the point that I thought people were going to break in my house and kill me and I would not be able to defend myself, due to a combination of medications that the VA had prescribed me(specifically Setraline, Gabapentin, metoprolol, and generic adderall) it produced a serotonin syndrome which is PTSD on steroids, delusion, hallucinations, nightmares, extreme hyper vigilance and nerve pain and sensitivity.I have daily panic attacks and I don’t feel safe outside these four walls. I need some time to heal both mentally and physically. The Va does provide me with a home health care assistant on M, W, F but it’s only from 11am-2pm and they are not trained in mental health, great with physical needs but not mental. My wife is the only one who knows what to say to reorient me to the pr sent and I know the dog can do the same. My wife has to work, one of us has to and she misses so much time(she’s hourly) taking me to my VA appointments, managing my medication, taking care of the house meal prepping, it’s ALOT. She fully supports me having a service animal as she feels it would help me integrate back into society. Put it this way, bought a house in 2019 and I would host the Super Bowl party every year until last year, that’s how outgoing we were, and now I barely leave the house. I am participating in group counseling at the VA, as is my wife for spouses living with someone who has PTSD, but it’s gonna be a battle, I am up for it, I just need a little help. I am asking for $3000 in order to adopt the puppy($1500), travel to training facility and stay there for 10 days($750, they will have the dog completely trained beforehand, the 10 days is like a bootcamp for me and the dog so that his professional trainer can hand over the reigns to me, so the dog understands what’s happening and then he works with me and we practice the commands with the dogs. I will have to take him to my vet so that we have a 2nd opinion on the dogs overall health($750). Though the VA will not purchase or train the animals, they currently have a study underway in various cities across the US to show how much service animals benefit people with PTSD, but there is 2 years left out of the 5 on the research. Oh and btw, I have training secured thru an accredited VA program which means the dog will be able to know my triggers, when I anxious, or panic he will calm me down, he will walk the perimeter of stores before I even go inside, he will also be able to help me in and out of bed, on and off the toilet. in and out of the tub, and keep me stable while walking. If I drop my keys or my wallet or my sunglasses, he will pick them up. He will open and close doors, push elevator buttons. And will even go to the bathroom on command. My right side is shot and I’ve fallen 9 times in the last 12 months. He will be able to crawl under my chest and get me to my knees. He will then crawl between my legs and stand up which will bring me back to my feet. I also became diabetic leading up to the surgery 6 months prior due to lack of exercise. I was in so much pain I just could not do anything and ended up bedridden. I had an A1C of 11, 1 month later 10.9, then 8.3, then 7,8, then 6.5, and the latest 6,1. If I can get a handle on diabetes like that, imagine what can be done with my PTSD. The dog will also be trained to smell if I am having a low glucose event. I have had 2 and they are no joke, imagine just sweating profusely, your hands are shaking, your mind knows what’s going on but you stand and your dizzy, you can barely walk, you fall down, tou pass out, you don’t know how long you were out, you call your wife and you’re incoherent and she is 30 minutes away. Thats was messed up. But what are you gonna do? Give up? Not this Marine I put together this plan in order to take charge of the fight. Without a plan there can be no attack, without an attack, there can be no victory. Due to me favoring my left knee over my right side, I have a torn acl that may require surgery down the road. And finally since I secured training thru a VA accredited trainer, the VA will buy the dog a pet insurance policy, which covers, shots, annuals, heart worm, rabies, flea and tick, surgeries, and even and of life. I will be responsible for this he care, feeding, on going training and grooming of the dog. I will also have to bi-annually certify my dog to ensure He is in compliance and know the latest techniques and they will evaluate his health each time, so that we are proactive not reactive with his health. To adopt, foster, potty train. Finally by being proactive here’s how I am going to pay it back. A buddy I served with is in a similar boat. We both have filled out applications to become acccresited VA claims representatives. We are going to help other Marines and service members. Get the healthcare, the mental health care, the benefits their family deserves that most vets don’t even realize they exist and our promise to not charge the current market price, our biggest reward and goal is to take the 22, the number of veterans who commit suicide every day and work long and hard to eventually reduce it to 0, which I know is impossible but we are gonna give em hell. Thank you for listening and Semper Fi, for those of you who do not know, that is the Marine Corps slogan, its means “Always Faithful”

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