DVIDS – News – Get vulnerable, accept help and get well

FALLS CHURCH, Va. – Retired Army Capt. Alissa Sheiness knew she wanted to work in medicine. She started in the Army 10 and a half years ago as a combat medic, then commissioned in November 2017 and trained to become a surgical nurse. Her passion was to continue working in psychiatry and she had a plan until it took a drastic turn. “I always wanted to be an Army psychiatric nurse. I was scheduled to go to Walter Reed in January 2023 for a six-month program. It was my passion and that’s what I wanted to do. Instead, I flew 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 undergo an emergency cesarean section and, due to complications, underwent surgery in December 2022 to remove scar tissue that was causing her great pain. “It was same-day surgery so I went home but knew something was wrong.”

The next day she was in the emergency room. “I was septic and they performed surgery to remove fluid from my stomach. They also thought my kidneys were failing,” said Sheiness, who said she looked like she was eight months pregnant again.
It turned out she needed a third surgery to repair her kidney and bladder. “It took about three months for my bladder to function properly again.” After months of recovery with her mother and boyfriend caring for her, she went to Fort Belvoir SRU in March 2023.

As a combat medic, Sheiness was familiar with the Army Recovery Care Program, but wasn’t sure what was expected of her now that she was in an SRU. “I remember asking at the beginning: What should I do? What is my job? I’m told it’s your job to get better! I thought: Is this real? Is there a place in the army that does this? I couldn’t believe it.”

She says the programs offered to Sheiness were amazing, and now that she’s been in an SRU, she sees the value of the Army Recovery Care Program. She wants other soldiers to understand, let their guard down and get the help they need. “You don’t have to look for anything at the SRU because it’s right there for you. Just open your eyes. Become vulnerable, accept help and heal.”

She completely sympathizes with soldiers in distress who sometimes resist the SRU because they do not want to be separated from their families. However, in the long run, she sees it as a benefit for herself and her family. “It’s pretty incredible. The ability to stay in the military and get the health care I needed, focus on myself mentally, emotionally and physically, and be able to focus on my family blew me away.”

Recovering with like-minded Soldiers is a crucial insight for Sheiness, something she says she wouldn’t have experienced had she been recovering at home. “Emotionally and mentally it made me feel a lot 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 came from all parts of the country. We had active duty, National Guard and Reserve with the SRU.”

During her recovery, she received occupational and physical therapy and worked on many adaptive reconditioning events, from equine therapy to art. “Something I never thought would help me was equine therapy. I’ve done this quite often and I love horses, but from a distance. I learned a lot and it was an emotional experience for me. Just being near a horse was calming for me. I can’t draw a stick figure, but I’ve learned so much from art therapy and I look forward to it every week! I did things for my son and it was so fulfilling.”

Sheiness medically retired on September 19, 2024 and is pursuing her dream in the medical world with the help of SRU. At the beginning of the fall, she began studying for a nursing degree at Franklin University. “It was fantastic. The Army supported me by purchasing my books, laptop, and more. I’m thrilled!”

She hopes to one day open her own practice and work with children, but first she has a plan. “I definitely want to give something back. I want to work with soldiers and veterans. I want to be there for the people who are going through what I went through.”

Sheiness is grateful for the help the Army has given her and her family and wants to be a role model for 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 for you to 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.”