Captain Adrian Veseth-Nelson, a Wounded Warrior, is Grateful for NICoE

National Intrepid Center of ExcellenceCaptain Adrian Veseth-Nelson of the United States Army was diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Traumatic Brain Injury following his dual deployments to Iraq in 2005-2006 and again in 2007-2008. 

“I spent three weeks in Walter Reed in the Deployment Health Clinical Center being treated for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, and they chose me to come back here and represent those who can’t speak,” said Veseth-Nelson, his gorgeous wife Diana by his side.

“Here” would be the new National Intrepid Center of Excellence in Bethesda, Maryland, which will treat wounded warriors returning from Iraq and Afghanistan who are afflicted with exactly the type of issues facing Veseth-Nelson.

“Let me make a dumb statement,” said Imus, knowing it wouldn’t be his first. “You seem fine to me.”

And that’s exactly the problem with PTSD and TBI, the Captain explained. “Outwardly, we look fine,” he said of his fellow sufferers. “That’s why it’s called the invisible wound. But inside, we’re not.”

The inconspicuous nature of their conditions makes it harder for Veseth-Nelson and others to get the adequate care they need and deserve. “We look at ourselves in the mirror and we say, ‘I’m fine,’” he explained. “And it’s very difficult for you to say, ‘I need to go get help, I need a medic, because I’m wounded.’”

Veseth-Nelson estimated that he was exposed to explosions around 37 times during his deployments, and said it would be impossible to specify which one had rattled his brain to the point of trauma. “Probably most of them did,” he supposed.

Diana, who is so striking Imus initially thought she was a Fox News anchor, feels fortunate that her husband is so open about his condition, because not all returning soldiers communicate so easily with their loved ones.

“PTSD is something that affects the entire family all the time, and it’s not just the soldier’s battle,” she said. “I think that this Center is doing a wonderful job of concentrating on the whole family, not just healing the warriors.”

She has stood by his side, she said, because “when you love someone, there’s no option.” Also, having courted one another for ten years, Diana knew what she was getting into. “I think a lot of spouses don’t know,” she added. “When their soldiers or warriors are coming home, they expect them to be the same. And they’re different people.”

PTSD, her husband chimed in, is so multi-faceted that it affects each person differently. “It could be an unreasonable fear of leaving the house, it can be paranoia, it can be mood swings,” said the Captain. “But there can also be a lot of physiological symptoms that are associated with it—you can have unexplained rashes, a lot of stomach problems that are anxiety related. It’s a whole gamut of symptoms.”

As a warrior, Veseth-Nelson was amazed by NICoE, and by the great big “thank you” it represents from the American people, whose private donations he said will help him and countless others transition back to functioning members of society.

“I take this as a great honor to be able to speak, and kind of represent those with PTSD and TBI,” said Veseth-Nelson. “Because there are many who cannot be up here.”

-Julie Kanfer