Guest guest Posted May 16, 2006 Report Share Posted May 16, 2006 Lately, the President and other leaders of this great country are having to answer some questions about the treatment of amputees from Iraq. News sources tried to hit on problems from the Gulf War, all the way back to the VietNam Conflict. We came home to jeers, protests, and riots becuse we weren't suposed to have been in Vietnam at all. Hanoi Jane is still a great celebrity, but should have been punished as a traitor. The VA should have treated our fighters better but were not supervised or required to help the many fighters that needed help that wasn't offered and couldn't be afforded in the federal budgets. Dreamer, we all have problems, but you are right there at the top of the pile of strong, dedicated family leaders. I wasn't aware of the extent of your problems, but that's a lot to carry on your shoulders. If e can help in any way, say something. I'm sure most of us will at least offer encouragement; even that makes it better in most cases. Bless you, and keep trying to cut down on smoking. I'd also suggest you find a Rheumy but that's out of the question right now. At least they could be more supportive to you and your family. I hope I've made some sense, I'm not sure with my present level of meds... Dennis [ ] Re: dreamer... > Ok, lets see, my husband has delayed onset combat PTSD from Nam that > causes him to have catatonic fugue states, profound depression, passive > suicide tendancies, psychosis, dementia. He also has Agent Orange related > cancer- brain, lungs, kidneys, stomach. He also has a spine problem, his > spine is deterorating..and he has heart disease, poor circulation and > emphysema. SO he was told to have an angio and we took him for that. He > is allergic to pcn and they went to start pcn IV before the procedure. I > said wait, he has anaphylactic reaction, you cannot give him that. They > said that allergy was not listed in his chart. I said well, he is > allergice, you have to find out, do not give him that. SO.they stopped, > but they did not call his primary, they held him in pre op doing nothing > for hours (like 12 hours?) everyone thinking, I guess, that someone else > would find out what to do. None bothered, so after 12 hours they sent him > up to a room. They withheld his trays becuz eveyrone thought they would > be taking him back to do the angio-- so- he was in this holding pattern > for 4 days and in the end noone ever did get the info needed, but the 2nd > day the staff could not even figure out why he was there. But they > refused to talk to me and his primary would not return phone calls. On > the 5th day, since I had our kids with me, had them out of school (The VA > hosp doing the angio is not our home VA hosp, and we had to travel to get > there) SO I talked to hosp staff who would not discharge him, but also > would not try harder to find out why he was still inpatient- they told me > to go. No sooner did I get home (It was a several hour trip) than they > called and said come back and get him. Noone ever has yet determined WHY > they never finished. And now he is back on the 2 yr wait list to get his > angio. > > SPerately at our home VA, he had a procedure done on prostrtae and > bladder - he got sepsis as a complication. (a couple months ago) AT the > time I was hours away with my mother who had brain cancer surgery. My > oldest child is 17 and is mentally challenged, my middle child is VERY > active in community service, and school and my youngest child is 10 with a > seizure disorder and cerebal palsy. My older kids and dh were supposed to > sort of take care of each other hwile I was with my mom. But dh got > extremely ill from the procedure he had, and went into respiratory > distress from the sepsis. I tried calling his uro and primary as soon as > my kids told me somethng was " wong with dad " Sadly at the same time, Ihad > sole responsibility in her home of my invalid mother (who has since > passed) and I was seveeral hours from home. I got home, the docs never > returned my calls, and transported my dh to the VA becuz he was near > death. > They took hours arguing with me there before they admitted him...Finally > they did admit him and then argued with me wanting to know why I did not > get him there sooner. BUT they also could not rech his uro or primary. > Problem was, the same time, my youngest child had an accident and poked > out his eye. I had to leave my very confused, non oriented, non alert dh > to go get my son, and our ER sent our son 5 hours opposite direction from > hosp where my husband was. WHere my son underwent 9 hours of intense > surgery to try to rebuild and salvage his eye. Meanwhile by phone I was > trying depserately to find someone to supervise my oconfused brain surgery > mother.and my other 2 kids. > SO, I called the VA hosp and tried to talk to the staff there to make them > aware a medical crisis was also going on with our son, and to give them my > cell so they could keep me up to date on my DH. > I also continued to try to call dh primary doc, and uro...but never did > get them on the phone. > I was still with my son so far away, and tried to talk tomy dh on phone > but he was so demented, so out of touch with reality, he did not know > where he was or why or anything. I tried to talk to his nursing > supervisor, but she refused to speak to me. > Next thing I know, I called home to check on things at home and found out > the VA hosp had arranged with some other ptient being discharged, that > patient drove my dh home- in winter- in a hospital gown-----some stranger > we did not know- and eleft my confused, non alert dh heere at our house. > He did not even have eys, and sat on porch till kids got home from school > to let him in. His meds had been totally re-worked and dh had no idea > what meds he was to take or why, - no presence of mind for > anything.....and I was still at the other hosp with our son, unaware my dh > was not still in ICU where he had been just hours before. > My older kids called me..to notify me. I called VA to try to find out > what was going on, discharge instructions, med schedule, follow up care, > but-- again I got nowhere. I got voicemails to leave messages, no return > calls, nothing. > Becuz I am a nurse, my sons surgeon permitted me to bring my son home > early- so I could check on my dh...... > this was this year, very recently- here and now. > > ANd yes, while awaiting my dh benefits to start up viz VA, I was sick with > my RA, and our family had no medical coverage at all, 2 disabled kids.... > We could ntot get Medicaide becuz the VA benefits when they kicked in, the > cash compensation, it bumped us $20 per year up over the income cutoff > guiideline for Medicaide eligibility. I tried to get something called > CHIPS, catastrophic coverage thru the state for uninsurable persons, but, > the premiums were going to be $600 for my dtr per month, $500 for myself > and $400 for my son, plus my middle child did not qualify as she is not > uninsurable. Worse, the coverage for neurological disorders was very > minimal, and would have left us with more co pays than would even be > possible even if there were not an emergency. Plus, well the premiums > were more than our income. > My Medicare finally kicked in, but it still left our kids uninsured. > It took quite a battle to FINALLY get what my dh had been due, ALL his VA > benefits. We fought for almost 15 years to get them, and it was a hard > hard battle. > It is recently in the media, IL has not been doing their veterans > disbility claims properly for years. > Ours was made worse by our having 2 disabled kids and by my disability. > Even once my Medicare did kick in, it was little help for meds, as I am > sure you know. > ANd more sad, there is rumors that my 2 kids disabilities might possibly > also be related to dh exposure to Agent Orange, but VA is not yet formally > accepting responsibility for it. And my kids disabilities make it > impossible for them to even get insurance privately. > > ANd I have NO idea why it takes 2 years to reschedule his new angio...or > why they sent him home when he was so connfused, electrolyttes dangerously > out of balance etc or what they thought they were doing sending a person > in such frail condition anywhere with a total stranger- in a hosp gown in > winter to a home where noone responsible was even home at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 16, 2006 Report Share Posted May 16, 2006 Aw Dennis, I am just like everyone else here. Living my life.doing the best I can. :-) I just got a little self pity going this afternoon.... Thak you for your kind words, tho. Hopefully just noone will be angry with me for all my self pity today, and I hope I did not offend anyone. Cuz I love to come here and read and learn. All of you a great with sharing what know and learn and discover. I know I pop in and out infrequntly, (I just get busy gone to a doc for one of the kids etc) But when I DO make it here, I always learn SOMETHING good. THank YOU< all of you. :-) (I just got home from a concert for my middle dtr and it was so awesome!, she is in chorus, and my lil guy had a band concert last nite, and it was awesome, too, LOL- of course they were, I am the mom, :-) ) - In , <betnden@...> wrote: > > Lately, the President and other leaders of this great country are having to > answer some questions about the treatment of amputees from Iraq. News > sources tried to hit on problems from the Gulf War, all the way back to the > VietNam Conflict. We came home to jeers, protests, and riots becuse we > weren't suposed to have been in Vietnam at all. Hanoi Jane is still a great > celebrity, but should have been punished as a traitor. The VA should have > treated our fighters better but were not supervised or required to help the > many fighters that needed help that wasn't offered and couldn't be afforded > in the federal budgets. > > Dreamer, we all have problems, but you are right there at the top of the > pile of strong, dedicated family leaders. I wasn't aware of the extent of > your problems, but that's a lot to carry on your shoulders. If e can help in > any way, say something. I'm sure most of us will at least offer > encouragement; even that makes it better in most cases. Bless you, and keep > trying to cut down on smoking. I'd also suggest you find a Rheumy but that's > out of the question right now. At least they could be more supportive to you > and your family. I hope I've made some sense, I'm not sure with my present > level of meds... > > Dennis > > [ ] Re: dreamer... > > > > Ok, lets see, my husband has delayed onset combat PTSD from Nam that > > causes him to have catatonic fugue states, profound depression, passive > > suicide tendancies, psychosis, dementia. He also has Agent Orange related > > cancer- brain, lungs, kidneys, stomach. He also has a spine problem, his > > spine is deterorating..and he has heart disease, poor circulation and > > emphysema. SO he was told to have an angio and we took him for that. He > > is allergic to pcn and they went to start pcn IV before the procedure. I > > said wait, he has anaphylactic reaction, you cannot give him that. They > > said that allergy was not listed in his chart. I said well, he is > > allergice, you have to find out, do not give him that. SO.they stopped, > > but they did not call his primary, they held him in pre op doing nothing > > for hours (like 12 hours?) everyone thinking, I guess, that someone else > > would find out what to do. None bothered, so after 12 hours they sent him > > up to a room. They withheld his trays becuz eveyrone thought they would > > be taking him back to do the angio-- so- he was in this holding pattern > > for 4 days and in the end noone ever did get the info needed, but the 2nd > > day the staff could not even figure out why he was there. But they > > refused to talk to me and his primary would not return phone calls. On > > the 5th day, since I had our kids with me, had them out of school (The VA > > hosp doing the angio is not our home VA hosp, and we had to travel to get > > there) SO I talked to hosp staff who would not discharge him, but also > > would not try harder to find out why he was still inpatient- they told me > > to go. No sooner did I get home (It was a several hour trip) than they > > called and said come back and get him. Noone ever has yet determined WHY > > they never finished. And now he is back on the 2 yr wait list to get his > > angio. > > > > SPerately at our home VA, he had a procedure done on prostrtae and > > bladder - he got sepsis as a complication. (a couple months ago) AT the > > time I was hours away with my mother who had brain cancer surgery. My > > oldest child is 17 and is mentally challenged, my middle child is VERY > > active in community service, and school and my youngest child is 10 with a > > seizure disorder and cerebal palsy. My older kids and dh were supposed to > > sort of take care of each other hwile I was with my mom. But dh got > > extremely ill from the procedure he had, and went into respiratory > > distress from the sepsis. I tried calling his uro and primary as soon as > > my kids told me somethng was " wong with dad " Sadly at the same time, Ihad > > sole responsibility in her home of my invalid mother (who has since > > passed) and I was seveeral hours from home. I got home, the docs never > > returned my calls, and transported my dh to the VA becuz he was near > > death. > > They took hours arguing with me there before they admitted him...Finally > > they did admit him and then argued with me wanting to know why I did not > > get him there sooner. BUT they also could not rech his uro or primary. > > Problem was, the same time, my youngest child had an accident and poked > > out his eye. I had to leave my very confused, non oriented, non alert dh > > to go get my son, and our ER sent our son 5 hours opposite direction from > > hosp where my husband was. WHere my son underwent 9 hours of intense > > surgery to try to rebuild and salvage his eye. Meanwhile by phone I was > > trying depserately to find someone to supervise my oconfused brain surgery > > mother.and my other 2 kids. > > SO, I called the VA hosp and tried to talk to the staff there to make them > > aware a medical crisis was also going on with our son, and to give them my > > cell so they could keep me up to date on my DH. > > I also continued to try to call dh primary doc, and uro...but never did > > get them on the phone. > > I was still with my son so far away, and tried to talk tomy dh on phone > > but he was so demented, so out of touch with reality, he did not know > > where he was or why or anything. I tried to talk to his nursing > > supervisor, but she refused to speak to me. > > Next thing I know, I called home to check on things at home and found out > > the VA hosp had arranged with some other ptient being discharged, that > > patient drove my dh home- in winter- in a hospital gown-----some stranger > > we did not know- and eleft my confused, non alert dh heere at our house. > > He did not even have eys, and sat on porch till kids got home from school > > to let him in. His meds had been totally re-worked and dh had no idea > > what meds he was to take or why, - no presence of mind for > > anything.....and I was still at the other hosp with our son, unaware my dh > > was not still in ICU where he had been just hours before. > > My older kids called me..to notify me. I called VA to try to find out > > what was going on, discharge instructions, med schedule, follow up care, > > but-- again I got nowhere. I got voicemails to leave messages, no return > > calls, nothing. > > Becuz I am a nurse, my sons surgeon permitted me to bring my son home > > early- so I could check on my dh...... > > this was this year, very recently- here and now. > > > > ANd yes, while awaiting my dh benefits to start up viz VA, I was sick with > > my RA, and our family had no medical coverage at all, 2 disabled kids.... > > We could ntot get Medicaide becuz the VA benefits when they kicked in, the > > cash compensation, it bumped us $20 per year up over the income cutoff > > guiideline for Medicaide eligibility. I tried to get something called > > CHIPS, catastrophic coverage thru the state for uninsurable persons, but, > > the premiums were going to be $600 for my dtr per month, $500 for myself > > and $400 for my son, plus my middle child did not qualify as she is not > > uninsurable. Worse, the coverage for neurological disorders was very > > minimal, and would have left us with more co pays than would even be > > possible even if there were not an emergency. Plus, well the premiums > > were more than our income. > > My Medicare finally kicked in, but it still left our kids uninsured. > > It took quite a battle to FINALLY get what my dh had been due, ALL his VA > > benefits. We fought for almost 15 years to get them, and it was a hard > > hard battle. > > It is recently in the media, IL has not been doing their veterans > > disbility claims properly for years. > > Ours was made worse by our having 2 disabled kids and by my disability. > > Even once my Medicare did kick in, it was little help for meds, as I am > > sure you know. > > ANd more sad, there is rumors that my 2 kids disabilities might possibly > > also be related to dh exposure to Agent Orange, but VA is not yet formally > > accepting responsibility for it. And my kids disabilities make it > > impossible for them to even get insurance privately. > > > > ANd I have NO idea why it takes 2 years to reschedule his new angio...or > > why they sent him home when he was so connfused, electrolyttes dangerously > > out of balance etc or what they thought they were doing sending a person > > in such frail condition anywhere with a total stranger- in a hosp gown in > > winter to a home where noone responsible was even home at all. > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 17, 2006 Report Share Posted May 17, 2006 mmmmmm, I punt, pray and delude myself that I will be back up and handling thing the same way I did when I was 25, LOL. Sadly I went from extreme immaculate with home to .well, I think, literally, we need a bobcat or mini bulldozer here these days. Actually, mowing is no longer a concern, the grass kinda.died from too many weeds, not enough TLC.so most of it is dead. When I cannot walk thru the house, I stay in my bedroom....It used to bother me more than it does now, I have, for self preservation, become a mster of ignoring things. Now I mostly just focus on who needs to be where when. That keeps me plenty busy, and being creative about how to accomlish it. I know I prolly came out today sounding more down than I really am. every once in awhile it gets to me, but most of the time I am busy being busy or silly. I have been on my own and self reliant since I was 12 and most of the time I do manage to be content and happy. It just seems like when I get to this group here is the " bad days " Thank you for your kind thoughts. :-) (it was a hard morning around here) ---------------------------------------- Dreamer, I think you are a wonderful person. Don't worry about sounding down. It's understandable. I think a lot of the times we come here to the boards on our bad days because we need a little pick me up and too socialize with other who understand and believe me if anybody understands how it is, we do. Hope today turns out to be a good day for you. take it easy, Ebony --------------------------------- Sneak preview the all-new .com. It's not radically different. Just radically better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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