I don't know how many of you have been following Vetwife's story, but her life has been nothing but a rollercoaster.
Her husband just came home for the hospital, again. The good news is that this time, he was actually treated. Probably because he was sent to the hospital mid-heart attack and they actually realized something was wrong.
After finding a 90% blockage that went undiagnosed by both the VA at Gainesville and the first private care facility where he was sent and stayed for two weeks, the local hospital has sent him home after a stent and cardiac procedure. It's a hospital he never should have had to visit in the first place. The VA at Gainesville should have diagnosed the man's symptoms in the first place. Instead, they focused on his desire to unplug Fox news, turned a waiting room difference-of-opinion into a near scene of double arrests, and then sent him off to a private care facility for mental patients. No one seemed to care that his feet were black and blue, a clear sign of poor circulation. No one seemed to care that the man was in pain. Other than changing some medications, without the consultation from his primary care physician (who seemed not to care either), the private care facility just watched him and then released him two weeks later.
Vetwife has complained to the Gainesville VA and to the Veteran's Integrated Service Network in Florida. Several of you called the Inspector General when the first emergency room visit occurred. But nothing is changing. Nothing.
Now we find out the VA has lost important paperwork that gives Vetwife's husband his 100% disability rating and there are rumblings that he might not be qualified for some of the care he has received. Fortunately, she has copies of everything they have lost.
Basically, Gainesville VA sounds like a place that needs to be investigated. Through Vetwife, I am hearing stories of other vets who have received less than quality care and even one situation that may be a case of wrongful death.
I am just a simple military wife getting ready her family to move for the tenth time. I am like a ping pong ball on the table but there aren't just two sides playing. It's some strange game of multidimenional ping-pong and I am smashed back and forth across the table, unable to figure out if I am an actual player in the game or just that damn ball. I want to focus on helping Vetwife, on getting Rush Limbaugh off the air on AFN, of getting our troops out of Afghanistan, of getting our veterans the most basic and decent care they deserve, and of just holding my own family together through our own move. We are dealing with our own bureaucratic nightmares that overseas moves, out of cycle, can bring.
Vetwife and I were discussing this last night - the people who help veterans are generally people from the military community itself. And, often, our own lives are stressed as well.
The day before yesterday, Vetwife was interviewed by a friend of mine, Hal Donahue on What Vets Need To Know out of Scranton, PA. The podcast is now available through their website. Please listen. Please share this story. If you know anyone who is interested in investigating further these issues with Gainesville VA, please, please put them in contact with Vetwife and let's see if we can start to fix the problems at the Gainesville VA.
Past diaries that explain this situation:
I Won't Back Down Listen 3PM EDT Monday
I am going public....VA ISSUES
Surrounded Veteran and Vetwife's Request - Update from Vetwife!
Veteran gets surrounded by cops over FOX news