Doonesbury by Garry Trudeau for July 20, 2009

Is Toggle sleeping with Alex?

having nightmares with her, at any rate.

Trudeau is illustrating the horrors of war through poor Toggle’s PTSD and all people can talk about is whether Alex put out or not.

Very bittersweet…

“Trudeau is illustrating the horrors of war through poor Toggle’s PTSD and all people can talk about is whether Alex put out or not. ”

I have a sneaky feeling that’s the reaction Trudeau wanted from us ….

“Maybe she wasn’t a virgin after all.”

According to the Sunday strip from 7/13/08, she’s not. But I agree, it’s kind of sad that people are more concerned with Alex and Toggle’s sex life than his adjustment difficulties.

I think there’s a little bit of both here, and I suspect that’s not a bad thing. I admit the first thing I noticed was that they’re sleeping together, which was a surprise. It says a lot about how their relationship is progressing, which could be seen as a hopeful sign. At the same time, it also shows the tragedy of PTSD. I have a friend whose late husband fought in WWII. They finally had to get separate bedrooms after he woke up strangling her one night. He said he was dreaming he was being attacked by a Nazi. So this scene is very real.

cdward, in the 50’s my mom had a neighbor who would wake her up a whole house away screaming and howling at 3am almost every night like clockwork. He was a Jew who had been in the camps.

Thanks for that link, wtfallnamestaken.

Can’t tell if Alex means it’s true or if she just wanted to shock Dad.

Yes - the situation is real and probably occurs more than you think. Alex is certainly aware of at least some of the problems BD and Boopsie have had. I know 2 couples, that I know of, that have been through this - from Vietnam. Luckily my husband(Navy) did not actually see combat, and he sleeps like a rock. Anyway - I think Alex and Toggle are very sweet together, his mother is no prude and is probably happy her son is getting back to a more normal life for a guy his age. Alex may a super geek, with x -number of patents and a math, engineering, programming genius, but Toggle is not without ambition and talent and besides, he’s a sweet guy.

Once again Doonesbury is addressing the real life problems of many Vets. Thank you

gg0

Now will someone just explain to me why Toggle would wear the eyepatch to sleep?

Just a reminder, sleeping together does always mean sex, sometimes it just means comfort. Or sleep. don

In four short panels we experience both the sadness and joy of life.

Terrible nightmaraaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh!

( I had to change different word instead of H*ll with e in between H and l HUH! Same thing with Darnit! too. Crazily weird! ) :-/

Trudeau is that rare genius who can make the tragic pain of our vets funny; I’ve loved this story arc since BD was called up for Iraq. Toggle wears the eyepatch to sleep for a simple reason: so we can tell who he is. BD wore a football helmet for most of his time in the strip for the same reason.

There’s a similar relationship in Grey’s Anatomy. My sympathies to anyone suffering from this and their partners. Must be horrible.

Mom’s cousin had his ship sunk out from under him in WWII (he was one of the few survivors) and although he never talked about it, I now wonder what it was like to sleep with him.

I’m 100% disabled from ‘Nam-50% is PTSD. My wife can definitely relate to Alex’s “position”. My son’s now dealing with the same thing after Bosnia and Iraq. What Alex is offering is a loving, understanding relationship–Thank YOU, Gary for the support and awareness.

A friend of mine served during “peacetime” and wound up accepting a special assignment on top of his role as a tanker (meaning he was also a special ops sniper). He’s been left with two major bits. A fixation on drinking substances that purge heavy metal salts from your body so the depleted uranium he was surrounded with might not kill him and 3 AM wakeup nightmares. His wife is a gem about them.

We are, all of us, both far more fragile than we realize or want to know, and far more enduring than we understand or dare to hope.

My heartfelt thanks to everyone who has gone into harm’s way for my country.

Oh, and take good care of him, Alex.

I have read quite a lot about PTSD, and as far as I can tell, in the last 5 - 10 years there has been amazing progress in treating it. There are ways to change the traumatic memories from feeling like “it feels like it’s always happening RIGHT NOW” to “yes, it happened, it was horrible, but I did survive it, it’s over, and now I can get on with my life”.

It involves new research about the different functions of different parts of the brain. It does NOT involve trying to convince yourself that it was less important than you thought it was.

The memories can come back no matter how long ago it happened.

My Dad was a Seabee in WWII and landed on Iwo Jima with the Marines. It was brutal, to say the least.

When he came finally came home, he would have nightmares (they called it “combat fatigue” in those days). He would go downstairs and scrub and wax the kitchen floor to work through the stress. That floor was so clean, you could eat off of it. It took several years for him to finally get through the nightmares. My Mom was his rock and safe haven through it all.

Can PTSD be contagious? I live in a town that’s had a lot of retired military from every war since WWI. I’ve had those dreams for so long that they’ve lost their kick, like war movies with better special effects, “& you are there” (voice over by Walter Cronkite). My service was technically peacetime, though I was in the Persian Gulf when the hostages were in Iran, playing war games with real live unfriendly Soviets, jerry rigging a state-of-the-art warship because Jimmy Carter’s budget didn’t support spare parts. Hey, BD, can I get that bald guy’s number?

Remember, in any war since there has been artillery, the “safe areas in the rear” have been a fiction. After returning from DaNang (hill 327) in July ‘70, my little daughters would run into the apartment and slam the screen door; I’d be behind the couch. Sounded just like a 122mm rocket arriving (maybe from 20 miles out). I like to think I’m over it by now… Thanks, Gerry! And for those who didn’t come home, Semper Fi!

4deerinmyyard said, about 11 hours ago

We are, all of us, both far more fragile than we realize or want to know, and far more enduring than we understand or dare to hope. My heartfelt thanks to everyone who has gone into harm’s way for my country………..

I’ve tried to keep my mouth shut on this round and just absorb others comments but 4deer you are a true gem, one in billions. I nearly 40 years dealing with the first half of your observation, and now in the last 2 or so with some very good,help, am realizing the 2nd part.

remember what a Big Deal it was when he showed Joanie in bed with Rick?

Um Everyone, Alex has been a important, Lovable, and adorable character on the Doonesbury strip for years, much longer than Toggle, So I don’t really find it surprising at all that people are paying more attention to the fact that she’s finally sleeping with someone!