November 8, 2010

Respect

Written by: Letitia Freed, Tribal Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor Associate, Employment & Training Services Department

From as far back as I can remember I have always wanted to come to Alaska. Therefore, making the move to Alaska was not difficult for me. It was more like the awakening of destiny for me. I would only come to learn how much. The minute we learned that the military was about to reassign us to the State of Alaska we began making plans for our new life. We knew that this would be our last military assignment and we would probably retire in this new location. We imagined how we would gaze at the beautiful snow capped mountains and partake in a variety of winter related activities. This assignment would represent a dream come true for us.

Shortly after the military issued us this new assignment to Alaska, I received a rather unpleasant medical diagnosis by my doctor, who only had limited knowledge of this somewhat rare medical condition and its’ affects on my quality of life. After arriving at my new base, I was immediately assigned to a doctor who happened to have a little more knowledge about this medical condition than the previous doctor. I began to ask this doctor about the necessary lifestyle changes I could make to prevent any further damage and better manage this condition. The Dr.’s response was, “Eliminate meats from your diet altogether, drink lots of water and eat wild Alaskan Salmon. These changes should help prevent any further damage.” I was initially skeptical, but complied nonetheless.

Three years later, my insurance company finally approved me for a visit to see a specialist for my condition. During the visit, the specialist compared my initial lab results to the present. He said, “Your medical condition is actually improving according to these lab results. What happened? What did you do?’ I began to explain to him about the lifestyle changes I had made at the advice of the other doctor (which included regular salmon consumption). With this news, I was grateful not just because my health was improving, but also because I was lead to a land that was not only beautiful, but also, by virtue of its essence would now offer me the subsistence I needed in my life.

Through this experience, I developed an even greater respect for the land.