In the first episode of the second season, podcast hosts Levi Sowers and Brandon Rea overview the guests and topics featured in the seasons and offer some of their retrospective thoughts. The season will interview doctors, experts, private organizations and Veterans covering topics regarding blind Veterans, PTSD, addiction and mental health.
Some guests include Veteran Trever Siver, Dr. Erik Won, Keith Queen, and Dr. Caroline Turvey. These episodes can be downloaded now at https://news.va.gov/va-podcast-network/vets-first/. For those who have not had a chance to listen to any of the episodes from season one, the above link points to those episodes as well.
Levi and Brandon discuss hosting a podcast during the Covid-19 pandemic. The hosts recorded many of the episodes via Zoom from their basements. Both Levi and Brandon’s research jobs moved remotely, similarly to many other individuals during the pandemic.
Levi and Brandon give a glimpse into the future of the podcast which they plan to continue for many seasons. The hosts thank VA for their support, the guests joining to speak on their experiences and knowledge, and the listeners for downloading and taking the time to listen to the episodes. They would also like to give a special thanks to Olivia Gaul. They said she’s a very talented undergraduate who aided in writing the blogs this season. She is going on to do bigger and better things in graduate school where she will be studying social work.
Finally, they want to thank everyone who has supported the podcast over the past year. This was an undertaking that has moved Levi and Brandon out of their comfort zone of the laboratory and into the lives of Veterans and their stories. They hope this season is even better than the first and look forward to many great things to come! In season three, listeners can look forward to a season dedicated to Veterans with vision problems.
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The VA is supposed to serve veterans not give them citations for being honest I’ve been on lorazepam and clonazepam for 28 years and now the VA is trying to take me off in less than one there are no studies that even come close to this the closest they got is 3 years or less of using these medications I reached out to Joni Ernst and they confirmed that even if the VA had any information they probably wouldn’t have kept it now they’re mad at me because I took it up a quarter milligram so I could remember what I was doing 5 minutes ago and drive without having to have someone help me in the front seat to deal with my PTSD I help other veterans well totally refusing any compensation for what I do for them
In Viera, Florida VA, there are employees wearing Black lives matter mask, a flag burning organization, what a disgrace to all veterans. Employees in the VA should are be wearing plain everything, scrubs and plain mask. It was a lady in audiology, I said something to her and got a $280 citation for being loud and beligerent.