To the Huntington WV VAMC: Another Day in the Life of a Transgender Terrorist/Veteran

Date: Thursday, 18 September 2025

Location: Hardy, KY & Huntington, WV

Subject: Cassandra

Log Entry:

4:00 AM: 

The alarm doesn't need to go off; the responsibility is its own alarm. Woke up. The first order of business is preparing for the day: washed my face, put my face on, got dressed. The day's armor.

4:30 AM - 6:00 AM: 

The quiet rounds begin. I checked on my mom (86), my brother, and my sister. I am their caregiver. Poured a cup of coffee, making it palatable with a generous amount of French Vanilla creamer. The weather check confirmed the dress I chose will work. My sister, who is physically disabled but navigates her world in a wheelchair, got her morning medicines, some Pepto Bismol for her stomach, a Pepsi, and a lunchable for later. Before the house truly wakes, I tackled the remnants of yesterday—washed last night's dishes, cleaned the kitchen, and folded a full, dry load of laundry.

6:00 AM: 

Checked in on my brother. "How are you doing?" The question is never casual. With his severe COPD, a legacy from a life spent in the Eastern Kentucky coal mines, every day is a question. I need to know he's well enough to be the anchor here for Mom and my sister while I'm gone for my VA appointments. I worry about him.

7:30 AM: 

It's time to wake Mom. She's 86 and, as of two days ago, on oxygen. The morning ritual is precise: get her medicines and a glass of water. Check her vitals—blood sugar, blood pressure, O2 saturation. Get her some breakfast. Assess her mobility for the morning; will she need my help getting to the bathroom? Every step is a calculation of care.

8:00 AM: 

With the household settled for now, I will leave from Hardy, Kentucky. The two-hour drive to the Hershel 'Woody' Williams VA Medical Center in Huntington, West Virginia, is my commute to healthcare.

11:00 AM: 

First appointment at the VAMC: Occupational Therapy. Working on maintaining the ability to function, to continue providing care for others.

12:00 PM (Approx.): 

Lunch at the VA, followed by my live stream, "Midday with Cassandra." Broadcasting directly from the heart of the system I served and now rely on.

1:00 PM: 

A different battleground. A drive to the VA's Regional Benefits Office in downtown Huntington for a scheduled appointment. Navigating the bureaucracy is its own full-time job.

3:00 PM (Approx.): 

The two-hour drive back home to Hardy begins.

5:00 PM - 6:00 PM: 

Arrive home. The day's work isn't over. Start preparing supper for the family.

6:00 PM: 

Go live again for my evening show, "The Path Forward."

7:00 PM - 8:00 PM: 

The final, critical tasks of the day. The evening round of medicines for the family, including insulin. The day is bookended by care.

This is my day. A 16-hour marathon of caregiving, household chores, medical appointments, advocacy, and navigating nearly 200 miles of road.

And through it all, according to some, I'm a dangerous transgender American terrorist/veteran.

Cassandra Williamson

admin@cassandra-llc.com

205.394.6017