Our Story: Working as a Team

My veteran suffers from degenerative disc disease (DDD), herniated discs, radiculopathy, and intense chronic pain.  In May of 2012 my veteran bent over to put the toilet seat down and experienced shooting pain in his back that was worse than normal.  He immediately called his PCP.  The PCP was so concerned he asked my veteran to come in that day so that he could be sure nothing serious happened.  The PCP worked through his lunch to care for my veteran and have him admitted in order to get his pain levels down.  He continued to check on my veteran until he had a bed in the hospital. 

Going above and beyond was not something new for this PCP.  He would constantly stay in contact with my veteran in order to ensure his pain levels were at a manageable level, his medication was doing what it was supposed to with no adverse effects, and he personally returned telephone calls.  He was careful with my veterans care, often referencing books or calling departments while we were in his office.  He was also very reassuring that my veteran mattered and that he should not feel bad for getting treatment for his pain (or mental health).  He was genuine and sincere, patient and caring, and put my veteran first.  This made managing my veteran’s care easier and we felt like we were part of a team.  Not once did we ever feel like the VA was working against us, but rather always felt as if the VA was working with us and with my veteran’s best interests in mind.

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