{"id":657485,"date":"2025-09-17T14:30:00","date_gmt":"2025-09-17T14:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/?p=657485"},"modified":"2025-09-17T15:23:31","modified_gmt":"2025-09-17T15:23:31","slug":"veterans-journey-with-multiple-sclerosis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/?p=657485","title":{"rendered":"Veteran\u2019s journey with multiple sclerosis"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>When Veteran June Hamilton was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) at 24, she was told her career and independence were over. Instead, she chose a different path. With support from her family, the G.I. Bill, and later the VA health care system, she pursued a degree in computer science, built a successful 30-year career and created a life on her own terms.<\/p>\n<p>Her journey reflects the resilience of many Veterans with MS\u2014and the vital role VA plays in supporting their health and independence.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Living with MS: Finding support through VA<\/h2>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-large is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/JuneHamilton_Uniform_r2-2.jpg\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">June Hamilton in uniform. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>MS is a chronic disease of the central nervous system that can cause fatigue, pain, mobility limitations and emotional challenges. For Veterans, it can also bring uncertainty about the future.<\/p>\n<p>Through VA, Hamilton accessed care and resources that helped her manage symptoms and maintain her independence, including:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>MS specialty care teams at VA medical centers nationwide.<\/li>\n<li>Acupuncture and chiropractic care to reduce pain.<\/li>\n<li>Mental health services and medications to treat depression.<\/li>\n<li>Specially Adapted Housing (SAH) grants to make her home wheelchair accessible.<\/li>\n<li>Clinical trials and research programs to expand future MS treatment options.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ve learned it\u2019s okay to use the tools available\u2014whether it\u2019s a cane, an electric chair or VA programs that make life more manageable,\u201d she said. \u201cNever give up. Keep trying to go one more step, but also give yourself rest. And when you need to, it\u2019s okay to cry over spilled milk.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">VA resources for Veterans with MS<\/h2>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-large is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/JuneHamilton_Husband_r1-scaled-6.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" height=\"487\" width=\"730\" src=\"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/JuneHamilton_Husband_r1-scaled-1.jpg\" alt=\"A couple stands smiling in front of a rustic red barn surrounded by tall grass and trees.\" class=\"wp-image-142698\" srcset=\"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/JuneHamilton_Husband_r1-scaled-2.jpg,233 350w, https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/JuneHamilton_Husband_r1-scaled-3.jpg,487 730w, https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/JuneHamilton_Husband_r1-scaled-4.jpg,512 768w, https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/JuneHamilton_Husband_r1-scaled-5.jpg,1024 1536w, https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/JuneHamilton_Husband_r1-scaled-6.jpg 2560w\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">June Hamilton and her husband Mark. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>VA offers a variety of national resources for Veterans diagnosed with MS:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.va.gov\/MS\/\">VA Multiple Sclerosis Centers of Excellence (MSCoE)<\/a>: Specialized care, education and clinical research.<\/li>\n<li>Telehealth Services: Access to MS care and support without long travel times.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.va.gov\/wholehealth\/\">Whole Health Services<\/a>: Tools like health coaching, pain management and wellness apps to support living well with MS.<\/li>\n<li>Housing and Adaptive Support: Programs like the SAH Grant help Veterans adapt their homes for mobility needs.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mentalhealth.va.gov\/\">Mental Health<\/a> and Peer Support: Counseling, group programs and resources to help Veterans cope emotionally with MS.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Hamilton\u2019s story shows that while MS brings challenges, Veterans don\u2019t face them alone. With resilience, support and access to VA\u2019s comprehensive care network, Veterans with MS can build lives that reflect not just their diagnosis, but their determination and dreams.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When Veteran June Hamilton was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) at 24, she was told her career and independence were over. Instead, she chose a different path. With support from her family, the G.I. Bill, and later the VA health care system, she pursued a degree in computer science, built a successful 30-year career and [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":657487,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,1499,386],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-657485","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health","category-ms","category-multiple-sclerosis"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/657485","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=657485"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/657485\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":657497,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/657485\/revisions\/657497"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/657487"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=657485"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=657485"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=657485"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}