Bill Gets His Legs Treated

Bill's doctor treating his legs

Bill got his legs treated today.  What a relief!

Bill said he never in his life got so much attention from a medical staff.  Seeing this attention to Bill's medical condition almost brought tears to my eyes.  

Bill is not one to complain about his health. He just plows through. But his legs got so bad that he couldn't sleep at night because of the pain.  He finally asked me to check into getting some care for him. 

Bill getting the full attention - eventually five workers were tending to Bill's legs (I tried not to be too disruptive taking these photos)

Bill has been under VA care for thirty-four years, since he was 55 years old (he's now 89). We've been lucky over those years that Bill hasn't had to use the VA for much of his medical needs other than medication. There was an emergency in 2001 where he had to have his gall bladder removed.  I almost lost him then.  He was in intensive care at the Philadelphia VA Hospital for a week. But he made it though. 

Bill is at the age now where his need of medical care will increase.  We are both so thankful for the VA Choice program that he can now use outside providers for his medical needs. 

Today went very well.  Bill's legs are getting cared for at the wound care center of a local hospital.  The folks there couldn't have been nicer more caring for Bill.  

Tomorrow we see Bill's new VA doctor for a followup. 

We are both very fortunate to have Bill's medical condition cared for.  And yes, his legs are getting better. But this will be a continuing care procedure. Bill has edema, on of the many afflictions of old age. Hopefully we can manage this condition so Bill can have many more years. I need someone to mow the grass.

Bill leaving the medical care center after his treatment

Medical Bills

Last night when I came in from work at the hotel, I always dread seeing what came in the mail.  Bill's medical emergency was last November. Ever since then we've been bombarded (an exaggeration but that's what it feels like) with medical bills for literally thousands of dollars. Seriously, the cost of his emergency (hemorrhaged ulcers) are now approaching $25,000.  

Bill receives his care from the VA (Veterans' Administration.)  We've been lucky because Bill has been very healthy for his eighty-nine years on this earth.  Healthier than I have been for sure. But last year his luck started to run out when I found him almost unconscious at the bottom of the stairs to the basement, vomiting blood. When I saw Bill on the floor, moaning in pain I knew our luck had run out.  Thus we triggered the medical billing nightmare that all of us fear in our old age.

Through a lot of phone calls and research I was able to get Bill into the VA's new Choice program which provides medical coverage for veterans who are too far away from the nearest VA medical facility (we're 90 miles from the Wilmington VA). And when I say a lot of phone calls I mean a LOT.  What a maze one has to go through but I will say one thing, just like the VA medical care once you get in everything works fine.  It's just getting in that is the problem.  A lot of bureaucracy. Part of the problem is the Choice program is run by an outside company.  

Not to bore my readers with all the details, I thought I had all the billing straightened out.  From Bill's emergency room care, to his hospital stay to his visit and procedure with his gastroenterologist. Even the ambulance service, I straightened it all out.  And while I'm doing that I wonder what do veterans who live by themselves handle all these intricacies?  I'm glad I'm here to navigate these treacherous waters for Bill.  I hope someone will do the same for me when I'm 89 years old.

So I make my phone calls this morning about this $3,363.50 bill I received from the hospital yesterday for Bill's endoscopy procedure on July 17th.  Yes, $3,363.50.  That's a chunk out of the Tipton-Kelly household budget.  

First I called the Choice program. I got someone one the first ring. That's one good thing about the Choice program. I don't have to go through a whole menu of options then put on hold only to get someone back on the phone with a foreign accent reading from a script and not actually listening to what I'm saying. I got a real person who listened, and cared and researched.  The phone call took about five minutes, mostly due to there fully researching on her computer rather than taking my name and calling me back later. She told me the bill was paid August 28th for the Medicare approved amount of $719.37. That's another thing that gets me, the hospital bills you for a huge amount and settles for the Medicare approved amount. What do people do who don't have Medicare or insurance?  No wonder we have one of the worst medical systems in the industrialized world. But I digress.

I then called the hospital billing center. They checked and said his account now had a "zero balance."  She said the "check crossed in the mail."  Whatever.  Thank goodness that we dodged this bullet. We may seem rich here what with all my trips (I leave Thursday for Canada) and all my Apple toys, but we're not. Far from it folks. I work at the hotel for $12.00 an hour (a good job for sure) just so I can indulge in some things that I find make life worth living.

Now that I know this bill has been paid I can relax now and get ready for my latest adventure with my Travel Buddy Pat at his new condo in downtown Hamilton. Last night while working at the hotel I went on the Internet and checked Trip Advisor for the ten best restaurants in Hamilton. We'll check them all out as well as enjoy some of the other local pleasures of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, a former steel town undergoing a transformation into an urban delight for the 21st century folks.

Life is good folks. A few speed bumps here and there but overall, we're very lucky, Bill and I.  Unlike many of those poor folks who were in the path of hurricanes Harvey and Irma. 

Today's Drama

On my way to the other side of the hospital this afternoon to the "labs" to get my blood work done

No, "today's drama" is not about the terrorist who is hiding out in a boat, bleeding, in a suburban backyard as I type this latest post.  No, "today's drama" is about a phone call I received this morning.  

As regular followers of my blog know, I am scheduled for brachytherapy on May 2nd.  Translated that means I am undergoing a ninety minute surgery where they put me out (the fun part) and insert 80 to 90 radioactive seeds in my scrotum (ouch) to treat my localized prostate cancer.  Prior to the surgery I am to have blood work done.  Okay.  I thought I had that all resolved last week.  I was told I could get the blood work the day Bill and I return from our road trip vacation down south (we leave tomorrow) on April 29th.  Oh no, "Cathy" tells me.  "I can't order the seeds until you get your blood work."  I told her that I'm leaving tomorrow for vacation.  She repeats that she can't order the seeds (I thought they had already ordered the seeds but hey, what do I know, that's what I was told) until I get my blood work.

She asked if I had eaten today.  Well....yes.  I did have breakfast.  Corn Chex with 2% milk and a banana, no sugar.  She said I could get the blood work today but I would have to fast the rest of the day.  Oh joy, just how I want to spend the day I'm in a quandary over what and how many shirts to pack for our week long vacation and I'm fasting.  She told me to go to the lab at Beebe at 5:30.  I asked her what do I have to do. She said "Just go there and tell them you need blood work."  Uh huh.  Why did I think this wasn't going to be this easy?  

I called the number of the lab she gave me and told the woman that I had to have blood work today.  She asked "Are you fasting?"  I said "Yes."  She said "Come on down at 5:30 and get your blood work done."  Why did I think this wasn't going to be this easy?

So I fasted all day.  Let me tell you, fasting during the day is a LOT harder than fasting overnight.

Five o'clock rolls around.  I get in my trust Subaru Forester, Bill in tow.  On the way down I tell Bill "I bet I run into a problem.  I just know it."  

Bill waits in the car.  I go into the hospital.  I get directions to the "labs" which is, of course, at the total other end of the building, next to the Emergency Room.

No one is at the window.  Figures.  I wander around until I find someone who looks like they work there.  I tell them I'm here to get "my blood done."  She motions me to a window where there is NO ONE.  I amble myself over to the window and viola!  Someone shows up.  I tell her I'm there for my blood work.  She said "Where is your order?  I can't do anything without an order."  

OKAY.....HERE WE GO.  I knew it.  A classic Catch-22.  I'm supposed to get my blood work but I can't get it because I don't have an ORDER but I can't the ORDER because the woman from the surgical unit who told me that I needed the blood work before she could order the seeds was gone for the day.  I knew it, I knew it and I KNEW IT.

Rather than bore you with all the flaming hoops I had to jump through I will sum it up this way, I got her to call my doctor's office (which was closed of course).  She got the "back-up" doctor.  After much back and forth on the phone, he okayed me for a "verbal order."  I got my blood work done, albeit an hour later.  Time I got out of there and to my car in the hospital parking lot where Bill was waiting for me the time was 7 pm.  I had not eaten since 6 am.  Man, was I hungry.  

So here I am now, the lone surviving Boston Marathon terrorist is still holed up in that boat in a suburban back yard and I am exhausted.  I am exhausted from watching the overkill of that situation. Just a thought here folks, we can't spend five minutes on a background check for a gun but we can close down a whole neighborhood of 300,000 people to hunt for one 19 year old terrorist who makes pressure cooker bombs? My pre-trip packing routine was thoroughly destabilized by my medical SNAFU (look it up) today.  I just KNOW I'm going to forget something on this trip tomorrow.  Oh, I'll remember what I forgot by the time we hit Virginia.  

Me at the Delaware State Legislature prior to my testimony Wednesday.  Is that my T-shirt showing?  My God.

Colonoscopies and Other Invasive Medical Procedures

Today's subject is about the importance of getting a regular colonoscopy once you are over fifty years of age.

I was having a hard time coming up with a subject for today's blog post until I read my friend Dr. Spo's blog today. He will be undergoing his first colonoscopy in a couple of days.  I left two comments on his blog on the importance of getting regular colonoscopies.  

I was going to write about my upcoming procedure for my prostate cancer. My first appointment is tomorrow at the radiation oncology  unit at the Tunnel Cancer Center in Rehoboth Beach, DE.  Of course I am dreading this, the precursor to yet another invasive procedure to my body but a necessary one if I am to survive cancer free for a few more years.  Tomorrow I won't be poke or jabbed or suffer humiliation, pain and discomfort.  Tomorrow is a "get to know you" meeting which will take about two hours.  After going through all my options, I have decided to have radioactive seed implants.  More about that in another post.  This post is about the importance of colonoscopies.

I have had three colonoscopies.  The worst part about the colonoscopy procedure is what they innocently call "the prep."  That is the night before the procedure in this you have to cleanse your bowel tract of any fecal matter.  I won't sugar coat this, it is rough.  You have to drink 8 oz glasses of 4 liters of a liquid that taste like a mixture of toilet bowl cleaner and lime juice.  Gag?  After drinking the first few glasses you can call yourself "Lady Gag.....a".  God, it is AWFUL.  During my last "prep", I had Bill take a video of me drinking it and I posted it to You Tube.  It wasn't funny while I was taking it but I knew it would be funny someday.  I sort of see the humor in it now, I didn't then.  Dave Barry has a very funny article about his own "prep".  Hilarious but so true.  To read his colonoscopy article click here.

The actual procedure itself the next day is nothing.  In fact, it's sort of fun.  You don't even remember going out.  My last colonoscopy was in April of 2011.  It was a breeze.  I remember right before I was administered my "flight" medicine, my physicians' assistant asked me "Are you ready for your trip?"  I responded "I am sir".  The photos below were taken after my procedure.  As you can see I was still a little high and just returning to earth.  Now you can see why you need a driver.

Afterwards I was STARVING.  Hey, a little chicken broth the day before doesn't do it for me.  So what did I do?  I had Bill take me straight away to the Rehoboth Diner and I ordered my fav:  Eggplant Parmesan with fries!  This was 10:30 in the morning.  Best eggplant parm I've ever had in my life and I ate ALL OF IT.  

Let me emphasize the importance of having a regular colonoscopy after age fifty.  My Uncle Sam Tipton and my cousin Jeffrey Tipton never had colonoscopies.  Uncle Sam was 67 and cousin Jeffrey was 43. They always refused to have the procedure.  They both died of colon cancer.  My friend Ron B. never would have a colonoscopy. He died last year of colon cancer.  He was my age.  
My good friend and former boss Bill P. discovered he had colon cancer five years ago during a routine annual medical exam.  He had an operation that lasted eight hours.  He was given a one in four chance of survival. He sold his house and moved into a development so his wife wouldn't have to worry about mowing the grass and house maintenance.  He survived his operation only to have the colon cancer return six months later.  He had another operation which was successful.  He has now been a cancer survivor for over five years.  His doctor told him that if waited until the symptoms of colon cancer (usually blood in the toilet which is what both my uncle and cousin experienced), then it is usually too late.  

I know a colonoscopy is a very invasive procedure.  I recently had a prostate biopsy which was also a very invasive (and painful) procedure.  There are always risks involved in invasive procedures but when you weigh the odds, they're just not in your favor when you are over fifty and there is a history of colon cancer in your family.  

I wish my friend Dr. Spo well during his colonoscopy and also want to emphasize that he is doing exactly the right thing.  

My brother John laughing after I told him about my colonscopy "prep" night when I told him of my travails on iPhone FaceTime - brothers - never any sympathy

A Day at the VA

The Wilmington Veterans Administration Center

Yesterday morning my alarm went off at 4:30 am.  I had an 8:30 dermatology appointment at the Wilmington VAMC (Veterans' Administration Medical Center.)

I have to get up so early in order to get ready to catch the American Legion Post 28 van at 6 am that hauls us old vets all the way to Wilmington so we don't have to fight the early morning traffic ourselves.

The way I look early yesterday morning - not my usual perky self

The van picked me up at Rts. 1 and 5 by the liquor store.  In addition to Tim driver, there were four of us old grizzled vets that would be transported to the gleaming VA in Wilmington this morning.

Traffic was heavy as we rolled onto I-95 then Rt. 141 before we made the final turn on Kirkwood Highway and entered the VA at about 7:15 am.  Construction work was going on outside the entrance to the VA (the VA is building an extension to their emergency room facilities) so Tim took the van around the back of the VA and we entered through the basement past the coffee shop.

Since my appointment wasn't until 8:30, I thought it was a good time to take some random pictures of this medical facility which has taken such good care of me since 2001.

The main elevators at the Wilmington VAMC

All years I had this wonderful insurance at the banks were I've worked I never used their insurance once.  However, wouldn't you know it that once I lost my job at the bank I had some medical problems.  That's when I had no other choice than to take advantage of the promise made to me when I joined the Army way back in January of 1960.  The promise made to me if I joined active duty for three years was that I the Army would pay for my college education (which they did after I got out) and lifetime medical care "if I needed it."  Well, I needed it back in 2001.  Of course I was reluctant to use the VA because I heard all those horror stories about how badly they cared for the veterans who used their facilities.  Well, that may have been in the past but it has not been my experience.  Since I started using the VA, I have received the best medical care in my life.

After taking a few pictures around the VA premises, including on of the pictures of President Barack Obama and General Eric Shineski (the administrator of the VA), that were prominently hanging on the wall in the lobby (what a pleasure not to see the smirking face of our former president George W. Bush whose administration tried every trick in the book to minimize and eventually take away veterans benefits), I took the elevator to the sixth floor and awaited the team of dermatologists to arrive from Thomas Jefferson University of Philadelphia.  As I said, we receive the BEST medical care.

A welcome sight after having to look at George W. Bush's picture for the past eight years

Back in 1992 when I first discovered I had the precancerous condition known as keratosis, I was working at Fidelity Bank at Broad and Sansom Streets in Philadelphia.   The place where I went for my treatment was just a few blocks away from the bank......Thomas Jefferson University Hospital!  A Dr. Uy an his team of interns (he asked my permission if they could look on while he treated me) looked on, he determined that I had a bad case of keratosis which needed topical chemo therapy treatment.  He also told me that for the rest of my life I would have my skin checked by a dermatologist to prevent skin cancer.  This was my reward for all those years of baking on the beach.  The warnings are true!  Early exposure to the sun WILL result in skin problems later in life.  How ironic that I now live in a beach resort area but I never go to the beach because of my skin condition.

The dermatologist who saw me yesterday was Courtney.  She is the same dermatologist who saw me six months ago.  We're becoming friends.  She checked me out and only found a few small spots of keratosis which she quickly burned off (didn't hurt at all.)  She told me I looked good (something I already knew.)  She suggested that since I "looked so good", it probably wouldn't be necessary for me to make a return visit every six months, but instead return annually.  I agreed with her suggestion and made an appointment to return next year.

Courtney, my dermatologist at the VA

I left the dermatology department and returned to the first floor lobby area of the VA to meet up with our driver Tim and await the other veterans who came up in the van to return from their appointments.  We were lucky today because everyone was finished at 10:30 am and we were on our way back to LSD (Lower Slower Delaware.)

The waiting area in the lobby of the VAMC - this is what socialized medical care looks like

Ah yes, a good day.  But my day wasn't over.  Yesterday afternoon I had scheduled for my PC Guy to come over to the house and configure my three PC's.  More about that in a future blog posting.  This morning I have to get ready for my refinancing settlement scheduled for 2 this afternoon.

Tim, our van driver awaits me. This is what socialized medical care looks like. We vets care for one another.  

There always seems to be something going on around the Tipton/Kelly household.  As I postulated before in a previous blog posting.....what did I do before retirement?

Brush with Pneumonia

Thursday, April 9th is when the symptoms of my first major cold since 2001 began showing up. The usual suspects; chest congestion, clogged sinuses, coughing, runny nose, and body aches all over. Ironically just days before I was bragging I never get colds. Well, I can no longer make that brag. This time I got the worst cold I ever had in my life. In fact, it was so bad that, for the first time in my life, I went to the doctor.

After four days of trying to sleep the cold off and only seeing it get progressively worse, I called my doctor and made an emergency appointment. Of course the day I decided to go out it is cold, windy and rainy. Then I go to my doctor’s office, which is called The Clinic by the Sea and I find it has moved. Thus I had to wander around in the wind, rain and cold trying to figure out how to get in her new office. I find her office and await the good doctor.

She asked me my symptoms. Then, as if on cue, I cough up a hunk of green phlegm. She looks on with horror at the ugly mucus and says “You’re seriously ill. I commend you for walking into my office instead of waiting to go to the emergency room.” She examines me and suspects that I have pneumonia in my left lung. She writes out a prescription for Levaquin 500 mg tablets, which is an antibiotic for pneumonia. She then tells me to get a chest x-ray to determine if, in fact, I do have pneumonia.

I go back out in the wind, rain and cold. Thank goodness Bill was driving. I could not have driven myself. I was too lightheaded (more so than usual.) Bill takes me to the Beebe Medical Campus off of Rt. 24. They take several chest x-ray pictures. I then go to Wal-Mart to fill my prescription. The Wal-Mart in Rehoboth doesn’t have a pharmacy department. Only the super Wal-Marts have a pharmacy. I forgot I do live in Lower Slower. Back out in the wind, rain, and cold. I stumble over to Eckerd’s to get my prescription filled. The doctor had warned me that it would be expensive. For 10 tablets, the cost would be $154.75. Okay. That’s expensive. I normally get my prescriptions filled through the Wilmington Veterans Administration but there was no way I could wait three days while my prescription request traveled through that bureaucratic maze.

I called my doctor for a less expensive alternative. She said that the Beebe Medical campus had called and said that I didn’t have pneumonia……yet. Thus I wouldn’t need the Levaquin. The doctor instead prescribed Augmentin. For 10 tablets, the cost was $41.98. I purchased the Augmentin and was on my way.

When I got home I took the first of my two tablets a day. Before I went to bed last night I took my second tablet. Last night about 2:30 am I woke up in a cold sweat. My T-shirt was soaked. But, this was good. For the first time in a week I felt normal. I could breath. I had an appetite. My head didn’t feel like I was walking underwater. I was going to live another day to stir the Pot of Life. I changed T-shirts and went back to bed, thankful that I had my health back.

Since I’ve been sick I haven’t been on my computer. That’s how you know I am really sick when I’m not on my computer. This morning I got on for the first time in two days. I updated my Face book account, checked my e-mails, and checked my on line banking. Ironically, I noticed that the Census Bureau has made the deposit for my one week’s employment with them to my checking account. This made me think of what a mess I would have been in if I had continued to work for the Census Bureau. The Census Bureau told us that we were not to let bad weather deter us from working. What with the rain, wind and cold of the past two weeks and my march towards pneumonia I’m just thankful that this story appears to have a happy ending. My only concern now is that I think I’ve used up the last of my nine lives.

My Trip to the VA

Four-thirty a.m. came around early this morning. I knew I had to get up early so, of course, I was awake at 3:10 a.m. I slept in fits and starts until my radio alarm clock sounded the alarm, “BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!” I rolled out of bed, wash, shaved, did my morning exercises (to get my blood flowing), and ate my breakfast. By this time 5:25 a.m. had arrived and Bill was ready to drive me to liquor store at Rts. 1 and 5, where the American Legion Post 28 van would pick me up. Out of the house into the dark cold air, I climbed into Bill’s ancient Jeep. Ten minutes later we were at the pick up point. Another veteran was waiting there in his car. About 20 minutes later the van arrives. Only the driver and a World War II submarine veteran who was riding shotgun were in the van. Usually the van is full. But, this morning three vets cancelled and one was a no show. The other vet and I climbed in behind the driver and the submarine vet. Right away I made a mistake. I was behind the driver and he had his seat all the way back. I have long legs. The ride to Wilmington is a good hour away. My long legs would be cramped. They were. Plus, I didn’t have an arm rest. My ride to the V A Medical Center in Wilmington was very uncomfortable. I tried to take nap on the way up, to make up for lost sleep time. All I accomplished was more fitful sleep. Arriving at the VA building in Wilmington, it was now daylight. The air was still cold. I made my way up to Room 2115 for my 9 a.m. appointment for my CAT-RAD scan. I checked in at the desk. The receptionist told me to take a seat. First I had to drink five full glasses of water. One hour prior to the CAT-RAD scan I was given instructions to drink all this water. I knew this would be a problem. I just don’t drink that much water. That is why I have kidney stones, which is why I was getting a CAT-RAD scan today. I brought my own plastic glass with me. I went out in the hallway and positioned my glass under the water fountain. One glass I gulped down. Already I had enough. I drank another glass of water. I’m bloated now. Three more glasses to go. I turned the fountain on again and filled my glass. Gulp! Now I’m getting nauseous. I walked up and down the hall, sloshing all the way. The time was only 7:45 a.m. so I had a while to go. I waited about 15 minutes then took another gulp of water. Oh my God. I’m about to float away. I only had one more to go. I steeled myself and filled my plastic glass up again and chug a lugged it down. Now I’m sick. I wobbled into the waiting room. As I passed the receptionist, she told me I had to go downstairs to get my “labs.” That’s VA talk for a blood test. Lightheaded, I headed for the elevator, got on, and got off the first floor. Checking in with that receptionist, I scanned my VA identification card. The VA is very organized. All a vet has to do is scan their card and their name comes up on the monitor and appointment information. So much better than private medical practice where it seems as if the front desk is run by bored clerical staff. My appointments at the VA are ALWAYS on time. There is none of the practice of making appointments for all patients at 10 a.m. in the morning or 2 p.m. in the afternoon. “Tipton?” My name was called. Rising, I follow the pleasant young lady around the corner and take a seat in a barber type chair and roll up my right sleeve. We exchanged pleasantries. She checks my arm for a vein. Pleased, she said “You have nice veins.” Thank you. She swabs my vein and takes the needle out, aiming for my vein. I look away. I can’t stand the sight of my own blood. If I see it, I’ll be on the floor. It’s happened before. I don’t want a repeat. “There! That’s done.” It was painless. I complimented her on her skill in not hurting me. Rolling down my sleeve, I left. Back to Room 2115 and the waiting room. Nine o’clock rolled around. The technician came out and called my name. I go into a room off to the side. He tells me to take off my shirt and lie down on a bed type contraption protruding out of the CAT Scan tube. I get on the bed (I’ll call it a “bed” for lack of a better word.) He puts a sheet over me and asks me to pull my pants down around my knees. He goes for my right arm again. I’m going to get an IV. Oh uh. He gets this BIG needle out and compliments me on my vein. “Nice veins” he says. Then he punctures it. OUCH! Damn. That hurt. He says “You have tough skin.” Funny, I thought I was thin skinned. Oh well. He tries again. WOW! THAT HURT! He says this time “Your vein rolled.” What’s that? My vein rolled? I've been rolled before but I don't recall ever having my vein rolled. Then he punctures me again. It is really hurting now. What is this guy, a sadist? I’m beginning to feel like a pin cushion. I noticed that he didn’t swab my skin with an anesthetic. What’s this? Was he bored? He didn’t seem too happy. Finally he got the IV in my vein. It was about time. And or course, it hurt the whole time it was in. Then we went through taking the CAT-RAD scan. In the tube, hold my breath, exit the tube, let my breath out. Three times I did this. Now it was time to take out the IV tube. Oh boy. More hurt. I probably sound like a baby don’t I? I think I have a pretty high pain threshold. But, I don’t know. I was punctured quite a few times this morning. I wouldn’t be good under torture. I would probably be the first to spill the beans then some. Finally, it was over. I pulled my pants up, took the sheet off, and left. I thanked the technician but on reflection, I wonder why. I’m not sure if he was all that good at administering needles. I expected my arm to be bruised. Looking at it now all I see is four puncture marks. It looks like I had a run in with Dracula and I put up my arm to ward him off and he missed and got my arm instead. Well, it’s all done now. The ride back was uneventful. About an hour after I returned home, I heard a knock at my door. It was the UPS man. He arrived with my new Dell computer. I’m working tomorrow at the Inn (still no guests) so I will have to wait until Friday to assemble all the parts. Damn, that needle hurt.

Veteran's Care

A short time ago, I returned from the Veterans Medical Center in Wilmington, Delaware. My appointment today was with the urologist. This was a followup to my kidney stone problem. Again, I was very impressed with the quality of care that I receive from the Veterans Administration. About ten years ago, I applied for my Veterans Administration card as insurance in case I was left without medical insurance. At that time I didn't that it was likely that I would ever find the need to use the Veterans Administration for my medical care. Little did I know. In 2001 I changed my job where I was covered with full medical care to a consultant job with no medical care insurance. Fortunately for me I had medical care with the VA which enabled me to work as a consultant. Also, lucky for me that I applied to the VA for medical care, because when the Bush administration took office, one of their first actions was instruct the VA to stop advertising medical benefits that was available for veterans. Subsequent actions by the Bush administration was to erect a series of roadblocks and hurdles to discourage veterans from applying for benefits. However, the Bush administration overplayed its hand when they proposed an annual $2,000 "membership" fee to apply for medical care. Of course this was patently unfair because one of the promises made to me when I joined the Army in January 27, 1960 was that I would have "lifetime medical care if necessary." The Bush administration was putting into practice the "starve the beast" theory. Basically the "starve the beast" theory is to cut taxes so much that then the government would have the excuse that their isn't enough money to support government programs like VA medical care. The political outcry was so great, that the Bush administration had to retreat from this proposal. However, they did lower the income eligibility of veterans applying for benefits. Thus, even less veterans could apply for benefits. My two brothers and several friends of mine who are veterans could not apply for benefits. Since I had already applied for benefits before the the Bush administration came into office, I was grandfathered into the system. I've had my share of bad breaks in my life but this is one of my good breaks. Not only do I have medical care but I have received the best medical care in my life. Ironically, all the years I had great medical coverage when I worked at my various banks, I only used it once. However, once I had my VA coverage, I had several medical issues. I had to have two operations. Various tests. I was worried about the quality of medical care. My worries were in vain. I have always received the absolute best medical care. Today was another example. As a followup to my kidney stone emergency this past January, the VA scheduled me for several tests. They have put me on medication to help avoid future kidney stones. They have tested me for my current condition. One of the things I really like about VA medical care is their preventive measures. Rather than waiting for something to happen, they take preventive measures. Also, their record keeping is excellent. My appointment this morning was at 9 A.M. The doctor saw me at 9 A.M. I didn't have to wait in a cubicle for an hour or more before the doctor quickly came in, looked at papers and mumbled something and leaving without even looking at me in the face or even talking to me. The doctor who saw me this morning sat down with me, looked at me and talked to me without being rushed. He carefully went over my records and shared this information with me. He gave me his sound and reasoned advice. I think the difference in doctors (VA versus private practice) is that the doctors in the VA don't operate on how many people they get in and out. In other words, they don't operate on volume. Of course the downside is that the VA is short of doctors. Many times I have been treated my nurse practitioners. Their care was also good but lacked the experience of a doctor. Another thing I enjoy about using the VA medical facilities is that I share a ride in the American Legion (Post 28) van with other veterans like myself. That makes a big difference. Instead of being shuttled off to a side office (like I was in private medical practice), which the doctor attended Mom and the Kids, I'm with a bunch of old geezers like myself. That means something to me. In fact, it means a lot to me. As a result of my tests this morning, the VA has scheduled me for a CT SCAN-RAD next month. I just hope I don't have to have my prostrate check again.

Appointment Made

Good news today. The Wilmington VA called to arrange an appointment for me to see their dermatology department. My appointment will be in August, much earlier than the dates available to me from the two local dermatology offices that would make appointments for me. The other two local dermatology offices told me there weren't accepting new patients. The woman who talked to me today from the VA cared and listened to me. That's why I like using the VA. Once you get past the Bush Administration imposed roadblocks and hurdles to using the VA, I actually have gotten the best medical care in my life from the VA system. The people who work for the VA are not motivated by money as is most of the private medical sector. With the VA I receive preventive medical care. I feel relieved that my problem will be looked at by caring people. I felt myself slipping into depression. The phone call from the VA today reversed that slide. Today turned out to be a good day.