Being a Veteran

[Vinnart]

I thought the words in this summed up what it means to be a Veteran very well, and wanted to share it this Veteran's Day. I've spent more time in the VA hospital this year than I would certainly like due to a perforated colon that must be surgically removed soon to get well again. I can say it's not a fun experience being there especially sharing the bathroom with 4 other men. They only give you socks so you do the math . I learned after my first stay there to bring sandals or slippers, and to bring your own toilet paper. The stuff there is worse than the packets in an MRE (my booty only takes Charmin ). My last stay there I had a roommate who was a 75 yr old with colon cancer who was a medic in Vietnam. The best thing about being there is a feeling of brotherhood with each other just like being back in the military. When the nurses would come in to do their thing he would always say "Take care of my buddy first" referring to me a man 20 yrs his jr. I would insist the nurse take care of him first which luckily they listened to me because he really needed priority, but how beautiful and unselfish is that that this 75 yr old man would try to put me first when he was in worse shape than me? That's brotherhood.

To all my fellow Veteran's I thank you for your service because we did not all take the same oath to only serve the civilians in our nation, but each other. I'm proud to be one of you. I'm proud to be a Veteran. Happy Veteran's Day!

Edited November 11, 2021 by Vinnart

[Erwin]

Hopefully things at the VA have improved in the last few years.  Horrible to have longterm illnesses or injuries.

[Ultradave]

17 hours ago, Erwin said:

Hopefully things at the VA have improved in the last few years.  Horrible to have longterm illnesses or injuries.

From my experience the biggest problems with the VA have been with getting INTO the system. But once there, the care is generally good. The percentage of people who are satisfied with their care in the VA system is quite a bit higher than those with private insurance (a bit of a low bar, but still). I used to volunteer at a large VA medical center and I found the staff there extremely caring and it was well staffed. The patients I dealt with had chronic conditions and were happy with their care.

BUT, it could be better. As much as we spend on the VA system, it's not enough. The aging population of veterans, especially Vietnam War age vets, has stressed the system. For example, during the Obama administration, funding for the VA approximately doubled. The number of patient visits also doubled, HOWEVER, the cost incurred per visit doubled. That math doesn't work. And it has a lot more to do with age related issues than serious injuries that years ago would have been fatal but with today's battlefield treatment and medivac are no longer.

Anyway, better, but could be better still.

Dave

[Erwin]

How we treat our vets is a direct reflection of a nation's ethics and priorities... rather than all the politically correct BS PR virtue signaling that is often used instead of action.

[Ultradave]

2 hours ago, Erwin said:

How we treat our vets is a direct reflection of a nation's ethics and priorities... rather than all the politically correct BS PR virtue signaling that is often used instead of action.

The VA needs more funding, more facilities, more doctors. I worked on the dialysis ward. Some patients were there because of wounds, some because of disease. One young strapping Marine had a reaction to an antibiotic that shut down his kidneys, probably permanently. The card they received was great. A couple of the techs were were veterans, as am I. But these people sometimes had to drive 2 hours one way, spend 3-5 hours hooked up to dialysis, drive home 2 hours, 3-4 times a week. Imagine how much of their life they could reclaim if there was a second VA hospital in the other end of the state. Just one anecdotal example.

on the good side, without exception that I saw, the staff are incredibly caring, and respectful of the veterans. This was Durham, NC which has a good reputation. 
 

more regional clinics are needed for veterans to just make doctor appointments or get labs done. You can get those things outside of VA if locally not available, but why should they have to. Staff at VA facilities much better understand issues faced by veterans, which can be unique. Not always of course. Many reasons are the same as anyone would have. 
 

Just some thoughts. It’s better than it was. It still needs to be better, and better includes expanded access and facilities. 

[Vinnart]

I can say that the care at least at my hospital has gone form a 9 to a 4 from my first stay end of May to may last stay last month. Lots of people have left due to mandate which i don't blame them.  I can say from first hand experience it has hurt not help the quality of care there no matter how you stand on that issue. The ER were never overrun and rather empty too all seen with my own eyes. Stay out of the hospitals these days if you can!

[danfrodo]

I'm with you, Vinnart.  If I were a veteran needing health care, I definitely don't want to go to a facility that mandates vaccines.  Especially since I would probably be a sick, vulnerable, elderly male -- COVID's favorite menu item.  I wish there were some VA facilities that didn't have mandates on vaccines & testing, that's totally where I would want to go.  And hopefully they also don't mandate masks for any of the care givers or staff.  That'd be the hospital for me.

[Erwin]

That's the spirit!  

[Vinnart]

Things were a little better there this hopefully last time there. Little bit more staff, but all new FNG types. Little better response times. The room was the best so far as I had to have my own room because of a secondary infection called C-DIFF. They put in new much needed improved beds with a Usb port, and the plus that nobody may not have died in already like one of the nurses says while she's making it for me

Food service at this particular VA is VERY bad to the point of complete incompetence. I'm not talking quality which I'm sure is not the best. Wouldn't know because I lived on broth and ensure there. The incompetency of putting foods on there that could actually put someone in emergency surgery or cause fatality. This is even after meeting with dietitian. I have lots of stuff can't eat now, and one brother there could have died from having something cold served to him, but they kept binging over and over and over. Broken comms system with incompetent workers and system in place.

Edited November 25, 2021 by Vinnart

[Erwin]

4 hours ago, Vinnart said:

Broken comms system with incompetent workers and system in place.

It all sounds like my experience with the UK's NHS.  I know about an disabled bedridden person - her doctor would regularly send e-mails scheduling appointments (she doesn't have e-mail or a computer), then they'd try to visit for flu or Covid shots ignoring the fact they had been repeatedly told that they have to coordinate with her carers to get access into her house since she is disabled and immobile in bed. 

When taken to hospital she's been left in a bed in the corridor for hours b4 any attention, and then she has carers and nurses who don't speak sufficient English or have such heavy accents that they can't understand each other.  Once they sent her home only to find that the equipment delivered to her home wasn't correct so back to hospital she went.  

(This was Ealing hospital btw - supposedly the worst hospital in the UK NHS system.  Hope to gawd that others are better.  Otherwise...)

"Ealing is ranked the lowest out of a total of 165 NHS hospital trusts, followed by Homerton, Mayday, Barking and North Middlesex."

https://www.standard.co.uk/hp/front/five-london-hospitals-rated-worst-in-country-6664691.html

 

Edited November 25, 2021 by Erwin

[Sgt.Squarehead]

Reckon we'll respond to that bollocks with some tunes:

 

[chuckdyke]

I was in San Diego, Los Angeles area some years ago. The navy base there must be seen to be believed. Their shopping mall can be compared with the duty free of Singapore Airport. I just hope their medical facilities matches this. Oh yes the hospital ship was berthed too at the time. It seems think twice before you decide to be a civilian again. 

Edited November 25, 2021 by chuckdyke
spelling

[Ultradave]

On 11/25/2021 at 6:56 PM, chuckdyke said:

I was in San Diego, Los Angeles area some years ago. The navy base there must be seen to be believed. Their shopping mall can be compared with the duty free of Singapore Airport. I just hope their medical facilities matches this. Oh yes the hospital ship was berthed too at the time. It seems think twice before you decide to be a civilian again. 

That's different. There is a HUGE difference between medical facilities at military bases, and the VA system that cares for veterans. They are not connected to each other. My brother was stationed at the naval hospital in at the San Diego Navy Base. It's quite a place (or was when he was there - I'm sure it still is). I was stationed at Fort Bragg, NC, and that hospital was pretty impressive too, with a top-notch orthopedics section with visiting residents from Duke Univ and UNC medical schools.

Usually there is one large VA hospital in each state. Some states may have more than one. Some may have one big hospital and some satellite facilities. Depends on the size of the state, both geographically and population (which don't always correlate). The VA is chronically understaffed and underfunded and even though more money has been appropriated each year, that appropriation has lagged badly in terms of what is required to keep up with increasing demand. In general the active duty military facilities are pretty well resourced. 

Dave