I would like to talk
about Chris's C&P exams through the Milwaukee VA. The doctors said he doesn't have any lasting
effects from the TBI, which they admitted he received, so he was denied that
claim, and also denied a rating for his migraines since there is 'no service
connection.’ They, of course, would not let me accompany him during the exams
despite him saying he wanted me there, so they didn't get the information that
he had been going to speech therapy for the TBI, been followed by neurology,
and seen in the TBI clinic and such. DAV was very upset when they saw the denial
since they could see all the paperwork from North Chicago VA (NCVA) showing his
disabilities. We are currently trying to get this fixed.
One of the issues we
have had at the North Chicago VA (NCVA) has been with Ophthalmology. Chris has
PTSD and TBI. He had a field vision test due to the migraines. It showed he
does not see in the lower right hand bottom half of that quarter (if that makes
any sense). The doctor was not sure what was wrong and wanted to follow up in 6
months to see if it got better/worse/changed. When we followed up we had
another doctor who tried to tell me (after having a 2nd field vision test with
results identical to the first) that there was a mistake in how the test was
performed. I explained it was the same as the last test, so could not be an
error. She reviewed the first one, said 'uhhhh...it's ok.’ When I asked about
the plan of action she told me there wasn't one. She didn't feel he needed any
follow up either. I walked out of that appointment with the doctor still
talking I was so angry.
Another issue is how
the VA handles sleep studies on site. The room is a tiny room in the middle of
the hospital, nothing on the walls, a tiny hospital bed with a flat pillow. I
work at a sleep clinic where there are rooms similar to a hotel room. There are
TVs, a bathroom, chairs, and full-sized SleepNumber and Tempurpedic beds. We
offer four pillows right off the bat and have extras. When he was issued his
CPAP by the VA he had a 13 min appointment start to finish, never received any
follow up calls or training reviews. Our clinic conducts an hour long
appointment and follows up at one day, one week, one month and every three
months after that, more so if needed.
As far as the rest of
his doctors, I love them. His neurologist (Dr. N. Anderson) is amazing, is
willing to explain everything, doesn't just throw medications at hubs and
really listens to me. He knows I take care of Chris, and sees value in that.
Chris's psych doctor
is Dr. Vadya. I LOVE her! She was excited to see me at his appointments and
asked if I would be going to all of them. She encourages Chris to do the PTSD
group without being pushy and putting him off. She always asks him how he is
doing and what is going on, then asks me if I have anything to add to what he
said or if I agree. At one point he was overmedicated (not her fault- totally
his since he was minimizing how he was feeling) and when I told her he was an
emotional zombie she worked quickly to fix the problem. She does not prescribe
unnecessary medication, she slowly changes medications and doses until she
feels they are appropriate.
Chris's TBI doctor
(Dr. SWAMINATHAN) and caseworker are wonderful and they meet with psychiatry
and neurology to discuss cases. Dr.
Anderson almost always consults with psychiatry when changing medications so as
not to 'give you a blue pill that will interfere with the red one you're taking
that makes us have to give you the green one.’
Another doctor I value
greatly is his endocrinologist Dr. Barsano. He sees past the numbers of the tests
and bases treatment on how the patient feels (with low T).
Megan in Audiology is
awesome. He 'finished' his round of speech therapy with her and after 3 months
of not attending I asked for services to resume since he was declining. She now sees him once a month to keep things
'fresh.’
His OIF/OEF Caseworker
Raydene Edenhofer calls to check in on us and to make sure we are doing well.
My CSC Pam Rosentreter is amazing as well.
She checks in on us and encourages me to 'stop by' whenever I am around.
She put in a Caregiver Corner in the VA. It's a room caregivers can hang out in
while the spouse is in an appointment. It has a massaging chair, snacks, TV,
computer, a fake fireplace, coffee, tea, water, and is just a great place to
relax. (I think it is a HUGE VA DO) She also has yoga for caregivers every
other Friday. Megan is awesome and
schedules his speech therapy during that time so I can attend yoga without
making an extra trip.
I feel we are
extremely lucky to have his doctors and to have a fairly easy time working with
them. I never want to think about any of the leaving the VA for ANY reason!
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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