My week...

[Mary Kay]

His tests have been pushed back to take place over the next few weeks. He is just biding his time right now. he did say he was going to give e-cigs another chance. That's good news, a bit late but still. It would be nice to be able to have a smoke free house in tampa. Another good thing is that there are 2 V.A. hospitals nearer to us once we get home. he got his medicare card this week. It takes effect Oct.1st. Getting old is for the birds!

 

[jj2]

Well let me tell you dealing with the VA stinks royally at times and it's getting worse because they are cutting back---and this just ticks me off more.
Then I also feel thankful for what they do--no way could we afford to pay for the meds RW takes.

It got to the point that they have flat out told him they will not do more than prescribe more meds until his condition pretty much paralyzes him.
Then I've told him use his medicare and go see another doctor but for some reason he just won't do it.

The whole thing drives me nuts.

 

[Mary Kay]

Mike has recieved great care at the Orlando V.A. Sometimes he has to go to the Tampa V.A...it's good, but so big and so old we feel lost there. They are begining to open smaller clinics around town. That will good for him. His meds that are for problems service connected are free. The rest are not (still cheaper but...well not free!) Thank goodness his Medicare kicks in soon.
It has always tee'd me off that the promises made back when he joined the Military are eroding bit by bit. Much more and people will have to pay the Military to be shot at! I refused to let my kids join and will fight my grands if they want to join ( as a career). I am over it.

 

[jj2]

They are building a new clinic in Peoria which is about a 30 minute drive. As for the hospital, it's in Danville which takes about 1 1/2 to 2 hours to get there (that counts stopping to give RW a break---car vibration kills him).
The big thing in Peoria is they are so understaffed. Danville is the same and just old and over crowded.
Around here, it's hard to believe the people going from one to the other just to have a roof over their heads. That is what they do because they are only allowed to stay so long if something major isn't wrong with them. I imagine you get the same thing there because these travelers travel all over.

RW's only hope is the bionic (what I call them anyway) disk replacement and they won't even think about it. And that is why I wish he'd go see a doctor using his medicare.
Frankly he has lived with pain levels that pain killers only take the edge off of maybe 50% of the time for 15 or more years. Lately, it's not even that. I just don't know how much longer he can take it mentally and physically.