Army Thread 31 December

[startingover]

Army Thread 31 December

Well, 2009 simply MUST be better then...

[nowandzen11]

Army Thread 31 December

Thanks work

for the smoker info and the ok to post here.

Yes, I was born in New Orleans and lived there my whole life. I left the day of Katrina and drove to my family's house in Dallas. I wasn't going to leave b/c I was in denial about the seriousness of the storm. I walked outside and all of my neighbors were leaving. I grew up with most of them as the house where I lived was my parent's home that I inherited. It scared the hell out of me to see them leaving. They all begged me to go with them and if not, to leave. I called my cousin and said "I'm on my way". I took 3 t shirts, 3 pairs of shorts, a bathing suit, my laptop and my 2 babies- my cats yin and yang. Oh and I called the vet and asked him to put some kitty valium in a bottle for me in case I had to sedate them. I left at 11 am and got to Dallas at 11 am the next day. I slept on the side of the road b/c no hotel room that had vacancy would let people in the front door. Not even to use the bathrooms. I had to sedate my cats so they wouldn't freak out after hours in the car going 3 mph. I saw cars overheated, people passed out from heat stroke on the side of the road, people who had taken clothes and anything they could write on. signs like- need gas, help us, need medical attention, car broke etc.
I prayed and asked God to forgive me for not stopping.

I thought I would be at my family's house for a few days and then the levees broke. I lived in Dallas for 5 months after the storm. My best friend found his way to Dallas when he had to evacuate from Galveston where Hurricane Rita headed a week or so after Katrina. We eventually got an apt. He knew he had lost everything. I wasn't sure and waited for months for the ok to go back to see what was left. I got a press pass from a friend and went back in Oct. My house didn't flood but 3/4 of the roof came off. My business had 10' of water. I grabbed a few things from my house: a crucifix, a few books and my seinfeld DVD collection. I put them in a shoe box and went back to Dallas.
My friend kept telling me he didn't feel well. We both went to the doc and he found out he was in stage 4 lymphoma. I took care of him in Dallas until his daughter could get there the day after Thanksgiving. We moved from Dallas on Dec 1st and he went back with his daughter. I went home. I flew back to Dallas a few weeks later to get his car and drove it back to N.O.. he was too sick to drive his car. I had a roof put on my house. I lived without electricity and only a sofa for 2 months. There was no electricity and all you saw or heard were helicopters, military people with big guns and military trucks. Cleanup was awful. I wished that my house would have floated away b/c having a lot of damage but not being totaled was harder to deal with. I fought daily with insurance companies, fema, contractors and strangers in groceries who had returned and were very angry. I had rape and death threats from workers in the neighborhood b/c they watched me and saw I lived alone. I bought a 38 and kept it on my side at all times. The tires from my work van were stolen from in front of my house at 9 am one day. My neighbor saw the whole thing but thought the people were workers changing my tires. The van was sitting there and they painted "thank you jesus" on the side of it. Some of my friends had stayed and drowned and one commited suicide when he found his wife and children dead when he returned from work (he was a policeman in n.o. and had to work during and after the storm). I had a friend who was raped by 5 men in the superdome after the storm when she was there as an RN helping people. The national guard was shooting people and thowing them off of the roof of the superdome into the flood waters.

In July of 2006, a client who lived in sonoma called me and asked me how I was doing. I was on the verge of a nervous breakdown and was drinking heavily with my neighbor to cope. My client sent me a plane ticket to visit and when I got here, I knew I wanted to move here. I was going to move to Dallas for lack of another place to move but I knew if I stayed in New Orleans I would die. Either from a heart attack, a gunshot wound or drinking myself to death. I moved to CA in September of 06 with money that my best friend left me when he passed away in may of 06. On his deathbed he told me that he wanted me to think long and hard about starting my life again somewhere else. I had no idea he would leave me money. Enough money to relocate. I know now that was the point.

I am sorry to have gone on and on. It still affects me a lot. When I have flashbacks and memories or dreams, they are not in color. They are like a muted green and black and white. I am in therapy and am working thru a lot of this. My therapist is wonderful. I don't want to handle the pain with alcohol but sometimes I do. I know the consequences but the thought of escaping and numbing is so appealing when I deal with Katrina issues.

Thanks for reading. Sorry if I bored anyone. I guess I just needed to get it out.

love

[startingover]

Army Thread 31 December

Oney about now I would probably have been in the depths of depression. I have found slome parts very dificult this Christmas as usual but nothing like previous years

[startingover]

Army Thread 31 December

Nowandzen u have been through so much I hope u can find some peace now. Thank u for sharing your story I can't have been easy. I am glad you r here with us

[startingover]

Army Thread 31 December

Good on yer oney one

[LookingToGrow]

Army Thread 31 December

Okay, just got back up with new monitor. Husbo has gone to get Hanna. I have asked him to photo me and Hanna.

[A Work in Progress]

Army Thread 31 December

Yeah, NZ.... I have friends from New Orleans... they have been through similar things... I've been back only once since Katrina. It was a nightmare, but I felt I had to go and see for myself, and touch base. Like visiting a loved one who was very, very ill... Although I never lived in NOLA, I have been there many times, and the storm, the aftermath, the way the people and the city were abandoned... they all affected me very deeply. I'm glad you managed to relocate, and that you are putting your life back together.

[startingover]

Army Thread 31 December

U r right. I have spent so long being scared of what might happen in the future I have ended up nearly strangling myself. No more

[A Work in Progress]

Army Thread 31 December

This one was written for/about 9/11 but it brings to mind Katrina, too:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dcya8uKNWn4[/video]]YouTube - Bruce Springsteen - Lonesome Day

[A Work in Progress]

Army Thread 31 December

and this is a beautiful version of "Louisiana 1927"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hbtKpnpHig[/video]]YouTube - Hurricane Katrina Benefit Concert - Louisiana 1927

[cymru]

Army Thread 31 December

Hi all. 4 minutes to go.....

[startingover]

Army Thread 31 December

My battery is nearly running out!!!

[cymru]

Army Thread 31 December

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!

[startingover]

Army Thread 31 December

Happy new year my wonderful mwo family. May this year give you all the best life has to offer. Love you guys xxx

[A Work in Progress]

Army Thread 31 December

Oney, I'd be proud to be banned w' you... Should auld acquaintance (never) be forgot!!!

Happy New Year!!!!