Follow up from the KY fishing page

[BigPoppy]

Here it is Thanksgiving, another year where young Americans will stand a lonely watch some where overseas and wishing he or she was home for dinner. I had nine of those and would have eleven more if fate and a tank trap had not decided to change my plans. like the man said if you want to make god laugh just tell him you plans. But the real reason for my post is that there is stioll not a budget pased by Washington! Congress sends their version and the President waves it off. Our soldiers, children, and our veterans are being used as checkers in a sick and twisted game. I was at the Nashville VA medical center for 2, 30 minute appointments just the other day it, both were set for before 1000 hours I got out around 1500 hrs. I have to drive 210 miles when I have an appointment for this they allocate 13 dollars .
The pharmacy is having to slow down filling prescriptions due to funds some of the more expensive drugs ar being despinsed to inpatients only. This happening accross the board. Folks please get a hold of your `congressman and senators and let them know that our veterans and sick and children are not toys or barging chips or tading cards this and will cost lives in the long run. for I do not know what I would do with out my meds that the VA gives me but twice this last month I have had to buy my meds out of my pocket they ran me four hundred dollars even with medicare helping out. Every one yells support our troops and yes by God's Greatest Blessing we live in this great country but supporting the troops is not just a catch phrase, and it also means that those who served. These guys are coming home and now they are in line for medical treatment that is being used as black mail device by both parties to get what they want. I know I m sick of hearing the term red state blue state. Last I checked I was O D green and my blood ran red white and blue I do not want a news company telling me what I just heard! I do not want a politician to say well for thirty years the other guys did wrong so whats the big deal if I do it wrong now. The big deal is if you point your finger and tell the world how wrong the other party has been then you had better be man enought not to do the same thing and say oops! Please let the DC beltway know we are not paying them for the fun of it they are there to work for us and if they can not complete their duties we can hire some one who can!

[Dave Stewart]

I assume the meds you are getting is for a service related problem. There is absolutely no excuse for not taking care of you for something that happened to you while in the service. The VA system is broke (and I don't mean just financially). I agree that everyone should contact their elected representatives. I also think it is time the Veterans organizations of this country need to make plans to bring the veterans of this country to our nations Capitol in mass as a show of force to protest the lack of response to the needs of our veterans.

[DJD]

I assume the meds you are getting is for a service related problem. There is absolutely no excuse for not taking care of you for something that happened to you while in the service. The VA system is broke (and I don't mean just financially). I agree that everyone should contact their elected representatives. I also think it is time the Veterans organizations of this country need to make plans to bring the veterans of this country to our nations Capitol in mass as a show of force to protest the lack of response to the needs of our veterans.

BigPoppy,
I feel for you but as Dave posted about the Veterans getting together. Who do you contact for that? Is there a group that rallies when called upon? Locally? Nationally? That seems like the ticket.

[BigPoppy]

Yes Dave they were for service related injuries, but I won't lie and say that I do not get some meds that are not service related. But with the three injuries I had while I was in the sevice finaly took their final toll about 13 years after I was discharged on a Medical. While in I suffered a heat stoke in july of 78 we were in full mop my 113 busted an idler arm and I changed it out in an open prarie while the temp was 105 with out a wet bulb. I had to be taken in on a dust off. A month later I was struck in the head by the foam plug from a hofman device that was set off about 10 meters from us by a tanker who was to lazy to clear his lane before he fired it I was blinded for about 2 hours. 6 weeks later I started getting migrains, After two years they found a bone spur growing behind my right eye I had surgy to repair it instead of stopping the headaches they got worse due to the way they went in through my upper jaw to get to the spur, now they know that the operation like that makes pain worse instead of better as it exposes more nerve tissue than before making cold weather a real beast to deal with. Then in 1983 we were training to go to Ft Irwin and my PC ran off into a camoflauged tank trap once again while we were in full mop gear my driver did not see the secondary obstcale we dropped 12 feet my crew fell on me and I ended up snapping off the radio racks I fractured my sacroiliac. The new Doctor at Fort Polk a young captian told me I was born with an extra vertebra and gave me a ton of motrin to help witht he sore muscles. so now you have a short version of what all is wrong with me that is service connected. The medicine that cost so much is for migrains a single tablet after insurance is 42 dollars each they come in 3 pacs when I have to have them filled and the VA is out or the pharmacy has to have a send in a special meds form due to the high cost it cost me 504 dollars if I get a whole months supply.normaly I can get away with only buying 2 weeks worth before the VA sends my new meds. Even what I go through is nothing to what some of the vets go through. Catching buses from out of states when there is no DAV, or VFW to help them. They remodle the hospital every 6 weeks and patients are left wanting. DJD there are several groups out there DAV, Disabled American Veterans. VFW, Veterans of foreign Wars, the Marine Corp league. the problem with that plan is money, a trip to DC would not be easy for a great deal of the Veterans. So if we could start a snow storm of mail they might just hear us one day.

[DJD]

Yes Dave they were for service related injuries, but I won't lie and say that I do not get some meds that are not service related. But with the three injuries I had while I was in the sevice finaly took their final toll about 13 years after I was discharged on a Medical. While in I suffered a heat stoke in july of 78 we were in full mop my 113 busted an idler arm and I changed it out in an open prarie while the temp was 105 with out a wet bulb. I had to be taken in on a dust off. A month later I was struck in the head by the foam plug from a hofman device that was set off about 10 meters from us by a tanker who was to lazy to clear his lane before he fired it I was blinded for about 2 hours. 6 weeks later I started getting migrains, After two years they found a bone spur growing behind my right eye I had surgy to repair it instead of stopping the headaches they got worse due to the way they went in through my upper jaw to get to the spur, now they know that the operation like that makes pain worse instead of better as it exposes more nerve tissue than before making cold weather a real beast to deal with. Then in 1983 we were training to go to Ft Irwin and my PC ran off into a camoflauged tank trap once again while we were in full mop gear my driver did not see the secondary obstcale we dropped 12 feet my crew fell on me and I ended up snapping off the radio racks I fractured my sacroiliac. The new Doctor at Fort Polk a young captian told me I was born with an extra vertebra and gave me a ton of motrin to help witht he sore muscles. so now you have a short version of what all is wrong with me that is service connected. The medicine that cost so much is for migrains a single tablet after insurance is 42 dollars each they come in 3 pacs when I have to have them filled and the VA is out or the pharmacy has to have a send in a special meds form due to the high cost it cost me 504 dollars if I get a whole months supply.normaly I can get away with only buying 2 weeks worth before the VA sends my new meds. Even what I go through is nothing to what some of the vets go through. Catching buses from out of states when there is no DAV, or VFW to help them. They remodle the hospital every 6 weeks and patients are left wanting. DJD there are several groups out there DAV, Disabled American Veterans. VFW, Veterans of foreign Wars, the Marine Corp league. the problem with that plan is money, a trip to DC would not be easy for a great deal of the Veterans. So if we could start a snow storm of mail they might just hear us one day.

I was in the Army for 4 years as a Tanker (82'-86') and I am familiar with the Hoffman charges and of course 113's. I was in a tank and recovery vehicle accident that injured my back and other than an occasional bad back I feel ok.
I know that has little to nothing to do with your medical conditions but after reading some of your details I jusy wanted to share that with you. I wish you well in all you do. God Bless

[Dave Stewart]

Like I said...the system is broke. There is no reason you should have to go to a VA hospital to get meds that they are prescribing for you on a regular basis for an injury received in the line of duty. That type of thing should be done completely by mail and in advance of your supply running low.