Courtesy Photo | (Photo courtesy Ret. Army Capt. Alissa Sheiness) Then Sgt. Alissa Sheiness, May 2016...... read more read more
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FALLS CHURCH, Va.- Retired Army Capt. Alissa Sheiness knew she wanted to work in medicine. She started ten and a half years ago in the Army as a combat medic, then commissioned in November 2017 and became a surgical registered nurse. Her passion was to continue working in psychiatry, and she had a plan until it took a drastic turn. “I’ve always wanted to be an Army psych nurse. I was scheduled to go to Walter Reed in January 2023 for a six-month program. It was my passion, and I wanted to do that. Instead, I went to Walter Reed by helicopter in an emergency situation.”
A year and a half earlier, Sheiness gave birth to her son at Fort Belvoir Community Hospital, where she worked. She had to have an emergency C-section and, due to complications, ended up having surgery in December of 2022 to remove scar tissue that was causing her a great deal of pain. “It was same-day surgery, so I went home but knew something was wrong.”
The next day, she was in the ER. “I was going septic, and they did surgery to remove fluid from my abdomen. They thought my kidneys were shutting down too,” said Sheiness, who said she looked eight months pregnant again.
It turns out she needed a third surgery where they repaired her kidney and bladder. “It took about three months for my bladder to start working properly again.” After months of recovery, with her mom and boyfriend there to take care of her, she went to the Fort Belvoir SRU in March of 2023.
As a combat medic, Sheiness was familiar with the Army Recovery Care Program but was unsure what was expected of her now that she was in an SRU. “I remember asking at the beginning, so what do I do? What is my job? I was told your job is to get better! I was like, Is this for real? There’s a place in the Army that does this? I couldn’t believe it.”
The programs offered to Sheiness, she says, were astounding, and now that she has been in an SRU, she sees the value of the Army Recovery Care Program. She wants other Soldiers to understand, let down their guard, and get the help they need. “In the SRU, you don’t have to look for anything because it’s right there for you. Just open your eyes. Become vulnerable, accept help, and get well.”
She completely understands Soldiers in need who sometimes resist the SRU because they don’t want to be away from their families. However, she sees it as a win for her and her family in the long run. “It's pretty incredible. For me to have the opportunity to stay in the military and get all of the healthcare that I needed, focus on myself mentally, emotionally, and physically, and be able to focus on my family, I was blown away.”
Recovering with like-minded Soldiers is a crucial takeaway for Sheiness, something she says she would not have experienced if she had convalesced at home. “Emotionally and mentally, it made me feel so much better. I felt like I wasn’t the only one going through something. We all had different stories, but we were all in the same place doing the same thing and from all parts of the country. We had active duty, National Huard, and Reserves at the SRU.”
While in recovery, she received occupational and physical therapy and worked in many adaptive reconditioning events, from horse therapy to art. “Something I never would have thought would help me was horse therapy. I did that quite a bit, and I love horses, but from afar. I learned a lot, and it was an emotional experience for me. Just being around a horse was soothing for me. I can't draw a stick figure, but I learned so much in art therapy, and I look forward to that every week! I made things for my son, and it was so fulfilling.”
Sheiness medically retired on September 19, 2024, and is furthering her dream in the medical world with help from the SRU. She started working toward a Nurse Practitioner degree at Franklin University earlier in the fall. “It’s been fantastic. The Army has supported me by buying my books, laptop, and more. I’m excited!”
She hopes to open her own practice and work with kids one day, but before that, she has a plan. “I definitely want to give back. I want to work with Soldiers and veterans. I want to be there for people going through what I went through.”
Grateful for the assistance the Army gave her and her family, Sheiness wants to be an example to other Soldiers to take care of themselves first so they can be there to help others. “Don’t be afraid to ask for help. As Soldiers, we push and push, and it's okay if you stop and help yourself. It doesn’t make you weak; it doesn’t make you less than. Listen to your heart and mind and take care of yourself.”
| Date Taken: | 11.26.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 12.02.2024 11:54 |
| Story ID: | 486176 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 18 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Become vulnerable, accept help, and get well, by MaryTherese Griffin, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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