on line discussion and introduction to burn survivors and their support group

This is a new blog site, lets call it a think tank and see how it goes. I am opening this forum to burn survivors who want to reach out. I am also opening this forum to families or support system of the burn survivors.
I am the sister of a burn survivor.
Six years after this tragedy I have to say that unknowingly I carried latent stress that affected me emotionally and physically.
Running on adrenaline caught up to me. Sound familiar? Last year I was diagnosed with PTSD and panic attacks. After having stayed away from doctors for almost a decade, I thought I was having a heart attack. I was genuinly embarressed to learn that I was having a panic attack! Sound familiar? Having spoken with family of burn survivors I found everything from 'survivors guilt' to anxiety and depression.

Even more interesting I found that there are no forums that I have found that even entertain such conversations. It is a 'heavy' topic, I agree.

Our entire family was tipped on its ear when my sister suffered this accident. No one was prepared or even trained for the level of home care this accident would entail. No one was prepared to change gauzes on open wounds, administer pick lines, learn sterilization. All this because it was a requirement due to limitations and red-tape with the health insurance company. We were one of the fortunate ones. My sister was at least able to stay in the hospital becasue her health insurance was pretty good. A bed mate at Jackson trauma medical center was put out on the street becasue her insurance ran out.
Still another wound up as a double amputee.

Still more sad was the young man who was an illegal alien. We met him during the painful physical therapy at the hospital. A few weeks later, his arm was amputated. A few months later we found out he took his own life.

I can never tell my sister I know how you feel, because I can only begin to imagine tha pain she suffered as her body shook, even after the morphine drip. But like so many others that are called to walk along side of our loved ones, we can pray for them, and for ourselves.

This kind of stuff changes you, forever.
Lets consider it a place to post our thoughts, give a word of encouragement or even share coping mechanisms.

In consideration of every age group that may be signing in, I have to stress that language be kept clean and that the integrity of the posts be considered before pressing your 'send' button.