“It was 1966, and I was in Vietnam with the 5th Mechanized Infantry Division. I got medically discharged after about three months as a combat medic. I guess I was in the wrong place at the wrong time. A piece of shrapnel went through my right eye, and it was gone immediately. In a way, I kind of think it was a blessing that God took me out of that mess so early. If I would have stayed over there the full tour, 13 months, I probably wouldn’t have made it. I don’t know. But God knew, so he took me out of there.

“I was medically retired, but it took quite a while for my compensation to catch up with the disability. Part of it probably has to do with age and unemployability. While I’ve been without this eye for years, the other one is going out to an extent. I’ve got glaucoma working in it. I also lost the hearing in my left ear. So maybe they added all of that to the unemployability and bumped it up to 100 percent. Last November, while I was gone to visit my son in North Dakota, they finally granted it. I didn’t know until I came back home and discovered that I had a lot of money in the bank. I called the bank and said, ‘Y’all made a mistake.’ They said, ‘No, we didn’t.’ And I said, ‘Well, I guess I’ve hit the lotto.’”

— K.C. Compton, 73

(Editor’s note: K.C. passed away on Nov. 29, 2018.)

Related:

• Off the couch, onto a bike for disabled veteran

The post ‘It was a blessing that God took me out so early’ appeared first on The Baytown Project.

“I retired when I was 61 because I kept passing out and nobody could figure out why. I did a pulmonary test recently and passed out. I’m still going to see doctors all the time.

“Right now I’m dealing with COPD. I struggle to get a breath. I can’t put my shoes on. When I take a drink I just sip. If I gulp, I run out of breath.

“I’ve had my share of health issues through the years. Thank goodness for Obamacare. My wife and I have been on it since it started. I was first in line. I jumped on that. I pay $200 a month for us to have insurance with zero deductible. I want these people to tell me about ‘this awful insurance that nobody can afford with higher deductibles.’ There are all kinds of plans to choose from. You just have to be smart about picking the best plan for your specific needs.

“Who knows what the future holds, but my hope is universal health care. I have a beautiful wife, kids and grandkids, and I fear for them. I’ve already had my time. A lot of my friends from high school died in their 30s, 40s and 50s. I’m one of the few left. And I’ve watched a lot of relatives die of cancer. That’s an awful thing. I watched my dad die of Parkinson’s, and that’s even worse.

“I’ve had my health problems, but I consider myself pretty lucky. I haven’t gone through any of that stuff. Gravity is going to get you sooner or later, though. We’ll see how long I can last.”

— Cliff Duhon

The post Man with health issues thankful for Obamacare appeared first on The Baytown Project.

“I’m a 13-year survivor of breast cancer. I had a double-radical mastectomy. It’s weird, though, that when I needed breast reconstruction, I wasn’t able to get it. I had received a dollar an hour raise at my job, so I was outside the range for getting help through the county insurance. So I just wear a prosthesis.”

Are you bitter about that?
“It does seem like every other woman I’ve ever known was able to have the reconstruction. For me it means a couple of surgeries and 12 weeks off work. But I just don’t have the money to do that, even though I have insurance. But it’s OK. When I walk in the door at home now, I can just take my boobs off.”

— Rhonda Flock

(Note: Rhonda Flock passed away on June 23, 2021.)

Related:

• Breast cancer survivor learning to forgive

The post After workday, ‘I can just take my boobs off’ appeared first on The Baytown Project.

“I’ve been enjoying cigars for probably 20 years. Cigar smoking is considered non-smoking because you don’t inhale. At least, I don’t. In fact, I have a non-smoking life insurance policy, so that was validated by the insurance company.

“I know people who do inhale. A friend of mine who has passed away used to inhale, and he did that with only one lung.”

The post His philosophy: it’s not smoking if you don’t inhale appeared first on The Baytown Project.