Now...Let's not get too excited just yet, okay?

by Ginmar—liberal pinko commie hippie feminist female combat veteran who loves zombies and werewolves and hates trolls, twits, and MRAs.

There are qualifications to this announcement. I just wanted to make sure that people don't get too excited.

I won my case against the VA.

The qualifications are these: I still have my symptoms. That's the big thing. I couldn't figure out why I felt so numb after I got the email this morning.

I haven't gotten the official paperwork so I'm kind of afraid I'm jinxing it. It could take several weeks to get that. Nor is this permanent. However, I can pay all my bills every month, and I swear, the first thing I'm going to do is get my house insulated for what will surely be a ghastly winter heat bill.

It took three years, seven appeals, a US Congressperson, a US Representative, a lawyer, internet friends who 'knew people' and three hospitalizations to get the VA to take me seriously. I had the DAV refuse to appeal my case last year because there was no new evidence. As it turned out, there was lots of evidence, they'd just overlooked it. There are so many veterans in trouble that I expect they have a hard time going through every file with the attention it merits.

So...I'm kind of stunned. It hasn't hit me yet and I don't think it will till I get the paperwork. I still have a fight with SSDI on my hands but now I can take cabs to my civilian therapist.

I think there is a vardo in my future, too.

I just want other vets to know you can do it. Don't give up.

UPDATE: Many, many thanks to TheHolyFatman for her help putting me in contact with someone who was integral to this process. I conked out before asking if she wanted to be in the post.

(Cross-posted.)