Disabled Veteran fighting war against Dystonia.

Hi, my name is Timothy Spears and I’m a 37-year-old disabled Army Veteran, fighting the Veterans Affairs Office for the disability compensation I deserve from medical conditions relating to my time in service to this great country. I served from 2005-2010 (Army), and again 2016-2017 (MN National Guard), I was deployed from 2007-2009 in support of Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom with the 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team “Warrior,” based out of Schofield Barracks, Hawaii. During my tour of duty, I earned several decorations, medals, badges, citations, and campaign ribbons awarded or authorized such as the Combat Infantryman Badge, Army Achievement Medal x2, Good Conduct Medal, Iraq campaign medal with campaign star, and overseas service ribbon x2 just to name a few. Daily, I continue to suffer as so many other veterans do with our scars from a service provided to our country when answering the call to serve. Many of my medical conditions are unseen by the naked or untrained eye, such as my battles with my mental health, from mood swings, depression, insomnia, night terrors, isolation, ocd, anxiety in social settings and even in my own home accompanied with panic attacks. The battle with these conditions every day is too much for many and I fight the days when I find myself thinking, is it worth it? Should I continue to face and fight these demons, is this life worth living? Thankfully on that note I have a 3-year-old Belgian Malinois mix named Oliver that is my best friend and continues to save me daily from those demons, as well as on-going treatment with my mental health team at the VA Medical Center and all that’s just for starters. Let’s get physical or to the physical side of my ongoing fight with Dystonia and the war raging on my body. Dystonia as defined by Oxford Languages, noun MEDICINE. “a state of abnormal muscle tone resulting in muscular spasm and abnormal posture, typically due to neurological disease or a side effect of drug therapy.” Most people know of the disease Parkinson’s and Dystonia can be a symptom of Parkinson’s and some other diseases and is movement disorder on its own. I currently just have good ole dystonia which unlike Parkinson’s can be extreme painful. As of 18 December 2023, my dystonia mostly affects my right side but due to the abnormal posture(s) causes widespread pain through my body. Somedays I look and function as I did before symptoms worsened and somedays, I have trouble pulling up my own underwear, putting on a pair of socks, holding items in my right hand or even controlling my right arm as it jerks and twists. As you could imagine, this is a killer for my mental health as I was once a ground pounding, war fighting machine. I’m trying my best to learn and deal with this but often I lose the battle not wanting to leave my house due to my physical look or the amount of pain I’m in but again, I turn back to Oliver and how he helps me every day and some days that means pushing me to get up and move when I do not want to. Finally, though we may have some light at the end of this tunnel. After approximately four years I’ve been approved for Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) surgery at my local VA medical center on 19 January 2024. At this time, I am staying with a friend in Oakland, CA who has been kind enough to allow Oliver (dog), myself, and my mother (caregiver) a place to stay till I’m able to travel back to Arkansas where I will be moving in with my mother and father as I continue to recover and figure out our new life and all its challenges. As I mentioned at the beginning of this, I’m still fighting the Veteran Affairs Office for my deserved benefits and have retained a lawyer. I’m currently rated at 80 % disabled through the VA Medical System for my current rated conditions which pays to the dollar 1,933.15 monthly for a single person with no dependents. I have now been out of work for over two years with this as my only form of income. I have lost two vehicles due to not being able to pay once I lost work and I believe I have reached rock bottom as this was, one thing the Army did not prepare me for, to quote a song by Mitch Rossell “yeah there’s no end in sight ‘Cause even though I’m home now I’m still fight for my life.” So as with my current financial, living situation, travel and moving costs to rehome Oliver and myself to Arkansas, I find myself once again at the mercy and grace of good hearted people out there in this world as I will be discontinuing the old go fund me campaign and focusing on the more important things (thanks Mom for the talking too) and making sure that I focus on the more longer term issues I’ll be facing i.e. the financial, travel, moving costs, daily expenses and now lawyers fees. I received my most recent denial from the VA for an increase in my disability rating on 13 December 2023. I believe this is my fourth denial and will have to start the process over again. I have also gone ahead and reached out to begin the process to file for my SSI which again will mean another attorney and fees. Please, any donations are greatly appreciated as well as prayers, good thoughts, and good vibes.