I am writing regarding VA medical services. Although my
husband has only been retired for six months, we have had the occasion to use
the Auburn, CA (Reno, NV) VA health system on several occasions. There are many
areas that can use some serious attention, and also things that are done quite
well.
Recently, my husband pulled his back on a Monday. By Tuesday
morning he was unable to move or walk, and in severe pain. He has an existing
back injury for which he has a VA rating. He called early Tuesday morning for
an appointment to see his PCM. He was not called back until 4:30 that afternoon
and was told to take ibuprofen every six hours, which he had already been doing
since Monday night. He called again on Wednesday morning, still unable to
tolerate the pain he was in, at which time they advised they would call back to
get him scheduled for x-rays. Again he did not hear back until late in the
afternoon, and was told to take Tramadol and that it would be mailed from Reno,
NV. He did not receive his Tramadol until Tuesday of the next week and was in
pain all weekend. This is not how to treat our war-torn heroes. The Friday before receiving the Tramadol I
sent a secure message to the office begging for them to help him, to relieve
the pain, and also to get a case manager so that he would get proper medical
treatment. I was informed by the primary care nurse that she was our case
manager and she followed what the doctor told her to do. The PCM did not feel
it was bad enough to warrant seeing him or getting his medications to him
sooner. We asked for a new PCM and she said it would have to go to her manager
and that she would have to have her call us back. This was over a week ago and
even though we have left two messages, we still have not heard back.
My husband sees a psychiatrist for his severe PTSD,
Asperger’s, TBI, anxiety disorder, and major depressive disorder. His doctor
has not been helpful at all with his meds. We have already gone through one
intentional overdose because his meds were not correct. We went to see Dr. Lee
in the Auburn, CA clinic and asked him to please review his medications as his
anxiety is so bad that he cannot tolerate social situations anymore. He is also
having many more PTSD episodes than he usually does, not sleeping well, and
feels like he is going on a downward spiral.
The doctor flat out refused to review his medications and told him to
stop taking the Strattera, which he takes for his Asperger’s, and to increase
his Risperidone that is used as an anti-psychotic My husband has already made
it clear to the doctor that the anti-psychotic is not working and that of the
nine mind altering drugs he is taking Strattera is the only thing that seems to
offer some benefit. His prescription was not changed, but the doctor advised
him to just change it on his own and to come back in two months for follow
up. This is completely unacceptable
medical practice. Had this been a civilian doctor they would be facing a
lawsuit, but because he is a VA doctor he gets away with the bad treatment of
his patients. It might be noted that this doctor (as well as his PCM) did not
speak English very well, they were obviously much more fluent in their own
Asian language. This caused a language barrier with my husband and further
frustrated his already stressful day.
Not all of the doctors at the Auburn VA are bad. My husband
has just begun seeing a new psychologist who is new to the VA. His name is Dr.
Edwards, and he really, truly seems to care. He is a retired service member and
my husband feels comfortable around him and believes that this doctor truly has
his best interests in mind. He takes time each visit to make sure that my
husband is stable and gives him tools to help with his breathing and coping
skills. He even made sure to explain the mileage program so that we could get
paid for the miles we travel to the appointments. He referred him to a special program out of
the Reno office that is given through telecare to help with intensive PTSD
therapy for my husband. I respect this doctor and of all the doctors we have dealt
with so far he seems to be the only one that is there for the right reasons, to
help our vets.
I understand that it may be difficult to hire doctors in
smaller cities, but time should be taken to ensure that the doctors understand
who their patients are and that they have special needs. The difference between
a vet getting help for his medical issues or PTSD and giving up on his life may
depend on the attitude of the doctor who provides his care. I understand there
is a huge backlog within the VA, but we are losing 22 heroes a day to suicide,
many of whom I believe could be saved if the VA would provide more care and
show more concern in a timely matter.
To learn more about the State of Heroes and Families
project, please visit our main site or visit any of the following direct
project links -
Why This Started:
www.familyofavet.com/state_of_veterans_families-why.html
The Statistics:
www.familyofavet.com/state_of_veterans_families-statistics.html
Our Stories:
www.familyofavet.com/state_of_veterans_families-stories.html
What We Hope For: www.familyofavet.com/state_of_veterans_families-hopes.html
FAQ About the Project:
www.familyofavet.com/state_of_veterans_families-faq.html
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