Wet Vet

I saw a veteran the other day. He shuffled into the room. Parkinsons. He had a rash on his rear-- dry hypertrophied skin with a small amount of ulceration and dried blood. When I asked him to drop his trousers to examine him he wet himself.  All over the floor. Then, we biopsied his ass rash.

This man likely served in Korea or WWII. He served his country. Now he has trouble walking, has trouble controlling his bladder, and has a chunk missing from his backside. Dignity is a fickle thing.

I think when I was younger I had a fixed view of what a "veteran" was. Young people often have fixed views, you know. My view was, shamefully, one of superiority, perhaps even one of scorn, for those who chose the military life. But these men and women deserve honor and respect, not merely because they donned the uniform, but because these are men and women.