FIGHTING THE BEAST: Surviving Domestic Violence, Emotional/Mental Abuse, And Living A Lifetime Of Depression.

By SANDRA C EATON

About the Book:

About myself. it is my autobiography, true life events, Living a lifetime of depression, domestic/mental/emotional abuse, I am divorced, and work as

• Language: English
• Publisher: Book Marketeers
• Release date: Nov 14, 2023
• ISBN: 9798869000569

Book preview

FIGHTING THE BEAST

Surviving Domestic Violence, Emotional/Mental Abuse, And Living A Lifetime Of Depression.

By

Sandra c Eaton

Copyright © 2023 by

Sandra C Eaton

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. NO part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, except as may be expressly permitted in writing from the author.

ISBN: 978-1-962905-03-9

Printed in the United States of America

Published by Book Marketeers.com

Acknowledgment

Lee Roy McElhaney SP4. U.S Army.

6-7-1947- 9-26-1968.

Ten Mile Tennessee.

A special thank you, big brother, Lee Roy McElhaney; Lee was just one of the artillerymen, serving with a Battery, 3rd, Battalion, 34th Artillery, 9th Infantry Division, part of the mobile Riverine Force. A joint U.S. Army and U.S. Navy Force in Vietnam’s Southern Mekong Deltas, at 0140 am, September- 26th -1968, the artillery barge he was on at FSPB David in Kien Hao Province, RVN, was hit by a water mine, Lee and two other artillerymen were killed, with eight others wounded, the explosion blew an 8x10 foot hole through the deck of the personal department on the barge.

I was just five years old when Lee was killed; many think because I was so young, I couldn’t remember, but I do, like it was yesterday, I can to this day walk you through this, Lee was 17 years older than I, but I was his baby girl.

My fondest memory of Lee, I didn’t want to eat my breakfast, so to get me to eat, he brought his plate to my little child’s dining table I had, sat at the table with me, we both sat and had breakfast together, Lee purchased me a child’s organ in 1967 before he left for military training, he told me when I get home I want you to know how to play this, this organ still sits in my bedroom today.

Lots of hugs and kisses to you in heaven.

We give thanks to God always for all of you, making mention of you in our Prayers, constantly bearing in mind your work of faith and labor of love.

(1 Thessalonians 1:2-3)

Dr. Thomas F DOC Boduch M.D.

June -1971, Graduated Classical High School, Springfield, MA.

August 1974, BA Springfield College summa cum laude (a 4-year program he completed in 3).

May 1974. Certified as a Private Pilot.

May 1975, Certified as a Commercial Pilot.

May 1979, M.D. University of Vermont College of Medicine.

June-June 1979-1980, Internship Wilford Hall USAF Medical Center.

July 1980-June 1984, Family Physician and Chief of Clinic Services USAF Hancock, Hancock Field, NY.

1984-1990, Emergency Room Physician in various East Tennessee Hospitals.

1989- Present Solo Family practice, Kingston, TN.

2000- Received Community Quarterback Award from Tennessee Titans.

1991-2002, Volunteer Roane County TN, Habitat for Humanity, 1997-2002 Board Chairman and Construction Supervisor.

1991- Become Master Mason.

1995-1996, Worshipful Master Union Lodge #38, Kingston, TN.

2010 Grand Master of Tennessee Masons.

Nov-2014- Present, Roane County TN, Medical Examiner.

2013- Present, Released 5 albums of original Solo classical piano music.

This man has learned and forgotten more knowledge than I will ever have. I wouldn’t miss this work journey with him for the world.

I started working with Dr. Boduch, Doc, in 2008; it has been a journey, and still is; when he became Medical Examiner for our county in 2014, he needed help with that as well while continuing to run a full-time family practice, I was sent for training and became one of his Medicolegal Death Investigators, I must say the two of us have been in some sticky situations together.

Whatever the situation, we have always come out standing up, having each other’s back, we have good days and bad, but in all the years I have worked for him, I don’t think we have ever had a bad word; we have an excellent work relationship because we say what needs to be said to each other and move on.

I am sure there are days when he would love to pinch my head off or just fire me; when you work in close sittings as he and I do, you can almost determine what the other's next move will be; he knows by just looking at me when I am about to explode, our jobs are not for the faint of heart.

We have shared many things through our years of working together, joy, sadness, and death with family and friends; he has had my back more times than I can count. Doc is not just my employer or boss, he is my Trainer, mentor, and friend, but most of all, Doc and his wife, Betty are family; this is one journey I wouldn’t miss for the world.

Thank You.

But when Jesus heard this, he said, It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick.

(Matthew 9:12)

Table Of Contents

Prologue

1 The Journey Begins

2 Woman On The Run

3 Waiting. Tell Me Why

4 A World Without Scars

5 Reflection

6 Where Friends Don’t Grow

7 Once Upon A Memory

8 The Road Not Taken

9 Another Place, Another Time.

10 Little Things.

11 The River Runs Deep.

12 Lost in words.

Epilogue

Prologue

Fighting the Beast is a walk-through real-life events and stories not only for myself but others I have encountered, family, friends, co-workers, and even strangers, walking a lifelong path of depression, mental/emotional abuse, domestic violence, and physical abuse. What a journey it has been. This is not a book for the weak at heart; it doesn’t start with, once upon a time, and have a princess happily ever after. It is filled with true events, sorrows, and tragedies.

I have only given brief statements of my life journey, and I just do not have enough time to go into detail. Names and dates have been changed to protect victims and families, and detailed events would just be too graphic. These are real-life events and why I started writing. Had I not started putting this on paper to let go of anger, fear, and much more, I would have left this world a long time ago.

This spiritual poetry book is the only thing that saved my life through many difficult life situations. Many nights I walked through the darkness, rain, and snow, screaming for God to take me so I would not take myself from this tattered world. It is hard for some to understand what this journey is like; you cannot give advice on how to cope; it is truly something you must experience before anyone can begin to understand.

Sleepless nights, meaningless thoughts, numbness that never leaves, rage, and anger fill every part of you, dying inside, wanting to be held, hugged, and feeling the comfort of knowing everything is ok, and just for a moment, the world and you are at peace. Fighting the Beast is such a fitting name because it is truly a beast to fight, not for one day, one month, or even once a year; it is a lifelong battle. When I sit down to write, this keyboard is my friend; the rage, anger, and frustration come pouring out. I have spent most of my life working in the medical field. I needed to have a place in this world; I wanted to feel and be needed, not the inconvenience to others I have always felt for just being in the world. I started working as a nursing assistant at the age of seventeen; over the years, I have learned much-needed advice and lessons from my patients. This was a hard-thought-out decision before I actually sat down to put it on paper. I had always written poetry to help fight depression, but putting the truth out for the world to see was something I had to find peace with.

The day came I had to put away the scared little girl and women. If I was going to survive this world, I had no choice; I had to learn how to walk, talk, and fight like a man when I finally did get divorced; I had to learn what living in the world was like. This was a life and world I had no clue how to function in. I have heard family, friends, and even strangers making the statement, oh, yes, I know her, No you don’t. I had to learn self-respect and discipline. With the depression, and anger inside me, something had to give, I signed myself up for martial art classes to defend myself, if need be, and for the military type of discipline it gave me; I liked it so much, twice a week for the next 4 years was my training, and I did receive my black belt.

Never again would I put myself in the position not to have control over my own life, my own well-being. When I got free from the captive marriage I was in, I just couldn’t get enough knowledge; I was taking any and every kind of class I could get and still work; I even put myself through truck driving school for my commercial driving license, that was an adventure. I was making sure I would always be able to support myself. I managed to get licensed or certified for at least six different jobs; if one didn’t work out, I had another one in my back pocket, with a few odd jobs on the side. This was a life and position I would never be in again.

Today I work as an EMT/ Medicolegal Death Investigator with our local medical examiner’s office. I have had so many people come to me and ask how I could work such a job. One answer, it’s my calling, not my passion, but my calling. If just one person can take this book, be blessed, and realize you are not fighting this alone, then I know God has used me to help others, and that means I am one blessed woman.

Sandy Eaton.

1

The Journey Begins

My mother was a small woman with a quiet demeanor, she gave birth to thirteen children with two sets of twins, but only seven of us survived. Her red hair and green eyes could really put a switch on you if you didn’t mind your manners. What a cook she was; she could make something bad taste good. Her father was a strict Southern Baptist Preacher, and my father was a big man with black hair and deep brown eyes, the oldest of fifteen children. He worked his life as a farmer and concrete finisher. I don’t think you will find a bridge in Tennessee my father didn’t work on; he was an extreme disciplinary; we were the yes Sir, yes Ma’am kids. We grew most of our food and wore hand-me-downs or something Mother had made. Summertime was canning fruits and vegetables to get us through the winter. We were raised poor and on demanding work; being raised in the small community of Ten Mile Tennessee was the way of life. We always had food on the table and a warm place to sleep, a warm place if we didn’t let the fire go out.

I was just 5 years old when we lost big