Yolanda Jones

"I served 6 years in the Army, active and Guard from Feb 88 to Jul 95. I trained most of my Army career as a Signal soldier, by the end I became a supply specialist. In Aug 95 I joined the Air Force National guard as a flight medic and was medically retired in November 2005, in total almost 18 years of service. I did two tours in Iraq. I came back home with a serious neck injury. I appeared like I had an extreme kink in neck, but my reality was that my C2 was 3-4mm from slicing my vertebrae and had to be pulled back. After my neck surgery in September 2004, it took me 2 years to get back to a semblance of normal activities. All my true hopes and dreams. Garbage. When I first got out, I was lost, hurt, confused, depressed and very much disabled. A totally unfamiliar place for myself. After having been very athletic all my life this was not a happy place for me. I did lots of retreats, and IOP’s (Intensive Outpatient Programs) across the US from 2016 to present. It took a long time to get back right with myself emotional, physically and mentally. I’ve even been homeless and bankrupt and yes I even had thoughts of suicide. Today I paint, garden, exercise, ride my green machine (my recumbent trike), build things, travel and love on my grandkids as much as I can. Life is much better. I am far from being totally healed but coping on another level. I’m learning to live my best life. I AM A PHOENIX RISING FROM THE ASHES AND ON THE MOVE!"




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