Posted on 08/04/2009 7:51:15 AM PDT by AJKauf
I joined the Navy to serve my country. Period.
I didn’t join to get the great college money. I didn’t join to see the world. Those were perks, but not the reason. Naval service is a tradition in my family, predating the Revolutionary War. So when I was finally old enough, I raised my hand and signed the dotted line with pride in myself, in my country, and in those who came before me. The pride in my father’s eyes and his handshake were worth more to me than the meager paycheck, the fun, the travel, or the nautical experience.
I served in Desert Storm. I got injured.
I was on a physical therapy regime for three years while on active duty, treated with pain meds, electrical stimulation, muscle relaxers, and shore duty behind a desk. When the Navy finally decided that I was too broken to fix, they gave me an honorable discharge for seven years of service and told me the VA would take care of me for the rest of my life.
Ha.
The result of my injury was seven degenerative disks in my spinal column. The VA decided that as young as I was, surgery wasn’t an option. This of course was after spending over a year shuttling from my home in way-south Alabama up to Birmingham for appointments with first an orthopedist who couldn’t understand why I had been sent to him in the first place since I was obviously a neuro patient, then a pain management clinic that just said to keep doing my physical therapy, and finally a neurosurgeon who gave me the news.
Over a year, just to tell me they wouldn’t do anything for me....
(Excerpt) Read more at pajamasmedia.com ...
‘I was on a physical therapy regime for three years while on active duty, treated with pain meds, electrical stimulation, muscle relaxers, and shore duty behind a desk. When the Navy finally decided that I was too broken to fix, they gave me an honorable discharge for seven years of service and told me the VA would take care of me for the rest of my life.’
This has always been the case with the VA. It’s not like Repubs have fixed it.
The VA is beyond fixing. It has become a politicized agency designed to ration care, not provide care to veterans.
With 8 years on parachute status and over 100 jumps, I had a couple injuries. When I left the Army and got a VA physical, I had 0% disability. I gave up on the VA after that, and have relied on my private health care ever since. F**% government funded health care.
RLTW.
True, but that’s not the point. The point is that zero and the democrat socialists want to expand this level of “care” to everyone (except themselves, of course).
A friend of mine’s husband was shot in Iraq about 3 years ago.. it was a back wound that was painful. He would have periods where he couldn’t move and the VA system did very little to help him, even stating that his injury couldn’t have been that serious.. it wasn’t until he left the military and got a teaching job w/ the very good health policy that he finally found some help. He could finally see a doctor of his choosing that really helped him recover. This man served for a while and even did 2 tours, injured on the 2nd tour. This saddens me because of all they deserve top of the line care, not the minimal. They deserve the insurance that our idiot congress receive.
His watch was stolen right out of his room. When I planned on complaining to the higher ups he begged me not to do so. He had been warned by the other vets if he complained his bedpan would not be changed, he might not get his meds, etc.
I ran into vets who were lost and roaming around the hospital not sure where they were or how to get back to their rooms. The place was filthy.
I found a wheelchair bound vet at the bottom of a steep hill who did not have the strength to get back to the entrance of the hospital. This was the dead of winter and the man had no coat on. He had been trying to wheel himself up the hill for an hour.
I have no idea what type of treatment my friend Bradford received. But after he came home he refused to go back to the VA. Even in great pain he would not go. Only on the night he died did he end up back there.
No special privileges, no head of the line, just take a number and wait your turn, but we, as voters, don't demand it and are too willing to accept what our “betters” determine we really need.
What we will end up with is our “health care” and THEIR HEALTH CARE....akin to our social security and their $$$$ RETIREMENTS $$$$$.
I am a combat disabled vet, and had to pay for treatment and meds at the VA here in Alabama. I’ll NEVER go to the VA for healthcare again, even though I qualify because of my disablility.
They kept me on pain pills and muscle relaxers telling me that they could not do surgery. After I became paralyzed and could not walk anymore they tried surgery. The Doctor who did the surgery put the hardware in upside down, backwards and used they wrong screws.
After six months flat on my back and getting worse they sent me to the Memphis VA Spinal Hospital. I was told by them that if I had been sent there sometime during the last twenty five years they could have fixed me up good as new. They fixed the problems caused by the other Doctor's but could not give me back the ability to walk.
I have been a Disabled Vet now for thirty years and have seen all kinds of horror stories from the Govt. run medical care.
NO ONE WANTS THE CARE WE VET'S HAVE!
There are a few good people in the system but they are overwhelmed by the number of over scheduled patients and just plain incompetents that the Civil Service promotes. Since they can't be fired they just keep on doing damage to everyone they meet.
My story is similar. Almost 7 years Infantry, injured teaching rock climbing and rated at 0%. I did get a knee scope done but once I could switch to private health care, did so in an instant and have never looked back.
Am also a vet and 30 yr Navy wife - there’s a great video of a town hall with a Long Island congressman, Bishop, I think (on YouTube) where a vet nails this SOB to the wall when he sites VA care as an example of “great fed care”...classic and the vet deserves another medal!
Had to have a heart cath in 1991.
No pre procedure sedative, as I’ve since found out is customary.
No local for the incinsion.
During the afternoon recovery period my IV stopped and backlowed with blood. Twice.
And that was just the beginning of my trek with an eventual medical discharge and VA “care”.
And I know there are others who have had it much much worse!
ATW
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