Iraq War Veteran's Wisdom: Derek McGinnis

Please join Rick Allen and Lauren Monroe for a riveting and enlightening interview with Derek McGinnis, Iraq war veteran and author of Exit Wounds: A Survival Guide To Pain Management for Returning Veterans & Their Families. Derek's inspirational story and wisdom of resiliency touches people from all walks of life.

McGinnis, who sustained a traumatic brain injury, extensive shrapnel wounds, damage to his eye, and amputation of his left leg above the knee from an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) while serving in the U.S. Navy in Iraq, said, “I wrote Exit Wounds because when I was struggling with horrific pain caused by my injuries, there was no guide, no map, no mentor to steer me through the minefield I was navigating.  Exit Wounds contains the information my family and I desperately needed back in 2004.”

In addition to working for the VA, McGinnis previously served as the Military/Veterans Initiative Amputee Outreach Advocate with American Pain Foundation and continues to advocate for the pain management needs of veterans, military personnel, and their caregivers. He has spoken to many groups and individuals within the Department of Defense, Veterans Affairs, Veterans Service Organizations, and Congress to bring military and veterans’ pain issues to the forefront. McGinnis provides education, outreach, support, and resources to those who are affected by pain.