Who here goes to the VA?

[bluehawk2000]

Just wanting to know, as I have been going for the past couple years as I am a vet, I have been having major issues with my back. I go yesturday to the VA hospital which I was supposed to get xray's and MRI'S on my back well needless to say just like the army there is no documentation of me supposed to be getting such actions. All I walked out with was two sore ass cheeks(from two shots steroids/anti inflammatory, and a scrip for advil)WTF!! So just wondering if anybody else has been having problems such as myself, because mine is getting taken care of right now as I know some people pretty high up.

But the question is what have you done to help yourself get the care you deserve?

[JonB]

I personally don't go but my grandfather does. I have taken him many many times for appointments, visits after surgery ect I have spent countless hours in that place. IMO the VA is a total disaster and pain in the ass. Your story does not surprise me in the least. The biggest problem IMO is you never see the same doctor you just keep getting sent to a different one or another specialist meanwhile your file gets lost in the mix. Each doctor has no idea why the fuck they are seeing you or why are you one this medication or that medication then you go back for a follow up a few weeks later and you get yet another doctor and the whole thing starts all over again.

There is always a wait and i'm not talking 30min wait at a normal doctors office I mean clear your whole f'in day because you will likely be there all damn day just for a check up. I really really hate going to the VA its a royal pain. With all that being said they do the best they can with what they have and the little staff they have. It has gotten better in the last few years since they expanded but they are still over capacity even after the expansion. My grandfather would easily be dead or in debt for millions of dollars if it was not for the VA. There is no way on social security my grandparents could pay for everything he has had done and all the medicine he has to take.

[bluehawk2000]

I understand everything you are saying, it is the simple fact that they are over capacity compared the a normal civilian hospital anywhere in the world, and they are way under staffed. I notice it more being with older vets than younger ones since I am one of the younger guys that goes, but with that said even with my problems I would hate to see the problems the wwII vets korean vets or nam vets have, cause honestly from what I have heard they are trying to put the newer vets first which is wrong cause I believe the older vets get first in line.

I think there needs to be a reform to this process, the VA hospital I goto is freakin enormous but way over crowded. The clinic I goto is brand new and not so bad I get in get out, but the hospitals seems to be way worse than the clinics. I understand our goverment is trying to work out these problems but why can us vets not get what we ask for a full check up, and if I want a specialist to check out my major issues then why can I not atleast set up an appointment at a later day to get this taken care of. Instead of no your fine it's just aches and pains and here is some motrin or Ibprofren, or whatever else over the counter pain pills you can buy. If I wanted that I would have walked into wal mart and asked the nearest 16 year old that works there where there headache medicine was. So these doctors telling me that these aches and pains that is normal is fine, even tho I am 22 and cannot get out of bed for in the morning cause the pain is so horrific that it puts me on my knees when I walk. I don't think me being 22 should have pains like this, which is documented in my records from Iraq, which would state exactly why I would be having these problems from combat related issues.

[SMWS6TA]

I want to say it depends on what VA hospital/clinic you go to & Dr. I've had several over the last 7 yrs. some good, some bad, some down right scary. The problem I see is that there a ton of Vietnam Vets, Some Korean vets and then our generation. It's a huge gap in age difference. Current combat vets that range between 20's to 40's. The thing is that most of these VA docs haven't seen or dealt with combat injuries since the mid to late 70's. And even those docs are few and far between. I see a bunch of old military docs that just move from that system into the VA system.

Besides a jump in combat injuries you have guys like me that were injured in the line of duty but they can't figure out what to do with me. I'll be damned before I let them amputate my legs just because it's some protocol in their book.


In your case without some type of records it's damn near impossible to get anything done. I have an example - I was in 101st in 03. We jumped to Mosul before everyone. When we got there there was a sulfur mine burning. It lasted for 30 days before we could close it. Everything smelled and tasted like sulfur. A year later I started having bad asthma and get bronchitis and pneumonia every yr since. I find out a month ago that those of us at that time & place may have lung damage. Now I have to go and find anything that can show that I was there and that I was tested while on active duty. All my combat medical records never made it to my permanent records. So now I'm screwed till I can dig something up.

The other problem I have is that no one knows what to do with my disability. Look up Acute Compartment Syndrome (hope you're not weak in the stomach) Primary care docs know jack shit about it & Ortho wants to amputate if I have another episode. KMA!!! I refuse to submit to a wheelchair as long as I can get around with my "Jimmy" crutches.




For you the next time you have an episode have them take you to their VA ER. Raise holy hell and don't stop complaining till you get a MRI or CT Scan. I fought for 2 yrs with them about me having nerve damage in both legs. I went to my private care Dr and he sent me to have a nerve conduction test. I took the results and filed another compensation packet with it. This time they agreed and up my rating.



I feel your pain.

[bluehawk2000]

I know exactly what you are talking about man, the problem is all my problems is documented from what I have done in combat(which I do not wanna talk about on here). Even my mental health doctor knows what I have been threw, but the doctors choose to do nothing, so what I am doing is going back to the clinic tomorrow again after being out of work for this past week which I cannot afford. My mental health doctor is pushing for me to get every check possible done that is out there to help me.

I just cannot stand that they look at people that hasn't had something documented on paper and even documented and lost cause anybody that is military understands how the military works with paper work everything gets lost. If it wasn't for having military ID the military wouldn't even know you were military, it is just rediculous, I am just tired of being 22 years old and having problems getting out of bed every morning. So I have got in touch with a 2 star general that I was a body guard for, so he is pressing the issue greatly right now. Along with my mental health doctor cause she has been pushing it for awhile, which I didn't want her to up until yesturday which my pain was so bad they had to come from ER by ambulance and take me to the VA hospital. Makes me feel like a weak ass since I am so young and rolling in the hospital with an oxygen mask on and IV'S in my arms while all these vietnam vets are staring at me. To which I get told this is nothing but normal pains while my buddy who took me in is a paramedic telling them doctors they are retarded, that is why I got in touch with the general and told him what was going on.