BackThe Veterans Administration Medical System
Article Submitted by Thad Anderson, Book Owner of The Seniors Resource Guide of Southeast Mississippi.
It seems that we hear nothing but complaints about the Veterans Administration medical system. As I was waiting for appointments, that's what I heard from other veterans in the waiting room. I held my tongue, however, since that wasn't the time or place for rebuttals to this unsolicited aimless talk. My thoughts were how lucky we veterans are to have such good healthcare.
By lucky, I mean we have access to the greatest healthcare system in the world, staffed by the most caring professionals in the medical arts. We are charged according to our income, and some of us with total disability are not charged at all. Some of our ailments are chronic, some transitory. Some require constant attention without the possibility of healing; others can be cured with medicine or surgery. The VA tends to any of these needs.
Surgery? No one likes to go through that, much less if one has doubts about the ability of the surgeon. You know how people say, " I want the best specialty surgeon from the best clinic in the nation," or " I don't trust those doctors at this hospital." Well, take another look at the VA. Don't think for a minute these doctors or staff members are just in it for the money, the retirement, or the regular hours, and don't think they care less about you or anything to do with your health. Here's a short story that should be told to all veterans.
Spinal stenosis is a "creepy " ailment. It takes years to get to the point where you just can't get about your life any longer. Bone spurs grow in the vertebrae and touch your spinal cord and nerve roots, causing pain and numbness in parts of your body, such as your legs if the stenosis is in the lumbar (lower back) area.
For years you try different treatments, but the problem does not go away - it just gets worse.
Having mild hypertension, I visit my VA physician semi-annually. This involves blood work and a physical exam. They monitor changes as I age, watching for the "big C" or cholesterol, the prostate specific antigen (PSA) level, and of course blood pressure. They always ask if I have pain, and if so, on what scale from 1 to 10, with "10" being most debilitating and causing everything else in life to come to a screeching halt. They cover everything, and as I came to realize after a few years in the system, they're right on target with their diagnosis and prescription medication.
Back to the stenosis and my experience with the VA: I finally got to the pain level of 8 to 10. The pain and associated disability was preventing me from working, relaxing, and enjoying life. Everything was centered around my back and my left leg.
My physician listened to me, looked back at my increasing pain level over the past 4 years, and immediately ordered a CAT scan at the VA Medical Center. Within 2 weeks I was called for an evaluation with the doctor. She told me she could not see on the scan what was causing such pain, so she ordered a MRI. The MRI had to be done at a local private hospital since the VA hospital had no MRI equipment. Thank goodness for the VA. Within two weeks I had an MRI (Do you know what these things cost?). The radiologist at the local hospital interpreted the MRI, and with this diagnosis the VA set up an appointment with Neurosurgery.
Neurosurgery! That's a scary word. Your nerves in that lumbar region control lots of bodily functions in addition to your legs. One slip of the knife and you can say goodbye to walking, bladder and bowel control, and any feeling below your waist. So, with some apprehension I met with a neurosurgeon.
Now let's realize that it takes a few weeks to get an appointment. That's OK. We veterans should expect to wait a while for such services. The main point here is that the VA was there when I needed them, and they took the best course of action for me. Those who complain about waiting at the VA should remember they're waiting at the VA, not for the VA.
The neurosurgeon appeared to be about 85 years old, walked very slowly, and I wondered what's going on here. Is this guy really a neurosurgeon? Well, I waited while he accessed my records on the computer - he slowly spoke and said he would be a few minutes getting my records, and apologized for the "wait."
He read everything in my records, and turned around to me and asked several questions. Then he gave me a neurological exam, asking me to walk back and forth on my heels and toes, then sitting me down and moving my legs while I resisted. He looked somewhat indecisive, then said he could not identify by the exam what was the exact cause of my disability. Before I could respond he asked me to put-on my shoes while he looked at my MRI films.
Slowly, he placed the MRI's on the backlit screen and studied each of the four films for about a minute. He turned and asked if anyone had shown the MRI's to me. "No," I said. He waived me over with his hand, telling me he wanted me to see this.
For the next five minutes I got an education on spinal anatomy, the spinal cord and its nerve roots, and what's wrong with me. He showed me a normal vertebrae and its normal opening for the spinal cord. And then he showed me the bone growth into the spinal cord, bulging discs, and what was causing me so much pain.
He said I needed surgery and he could fix it. He told me I would not have a "new" back, but I'd get relief. He said he'd call me tomorrow with a surgery date. He did, and a week later I was in the VA Hospital, New Orleans. His team was made of two Tulane University Med School physicians and himself. From the moment I checked-in to the Hospital at 5:45 AM everything went like clockwork.
The pre-op people were waiting for me. I was prepped and had a visit from the anesthesiologist and the surgeon, rolled into the OR, and was attended by someone every couple of minutes while the OR was readied for me. It was a smooth, seamless process where I was well cared for all the way.
When I woke-up I was in a hospital room and immediately knew the problem was fixed. Part of the relief I felt was knowing first hand that the VA is an exceptional place for a sick veteran. I had great confidence in the staff, and no reason to complain about anything. The nurse assigned to me was courteous and assured me she had everything under control. They made sure I took prescribed medications and explained what each pill was for. You couldn't ask for better service. Even the food was good!
Before you think "yeah, but..." as you read this, remember that we all can find something to complain about it we really think it's important to complain. Look at the big picture: You get great medical care when you need it, and you get the best available. The surgeons who work on you generally are training others. You get a team on your side, not just a doctor. So what if the staff gets noisy at 2AM, and so what if they wake you up every hour to administer medicine; that comes with the territory. Also, could you afford to have this treatment in a private hospital? Would your HMO approve of such a remedy? Would you just have to take pain medication until you die?
Remember, everyone you see in the VA made the same commitment as you did, making the needs of our Country more important than your personal needs. The VA honors us by providing needed healthcare. Let's respect the VA despite of its shortcomings; be thankful and realize what a great service they provide.
The Veteran's Administration can be reached at 800-827-1000. Or visit their website which contains information on health,
compensation, home loans, education, life insurance, vocational rehab, burial and appeals. They have convenient online application
forms available on the website.
www.va.gov