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United States News Title: For Veterans, family and friends of veterans only. For Veterans, family and friends of veterans only. The Good, The VA Hospital and medical staff Albuquerque, NM I wasn't going to talk about this, but since the truth is starting to come out about the mid level and upper level management of the VA, I think this is the time to open a forum for Vets to talk about their experiences in the VA system, to tell us about the good, the bad and the throughly detestable. My Account, by Rev. Robert M. Celeste, USN 6/61 thru 6/62, USMC 6/62 thru 6/65. On October 5th, my wife and I left Maine to come to Rio Ranchi, NM to help our son and daughter-in-law with their three girls. Well we got there on the 23 and everything was wonderful. Then on November 17th Dan and my wife rushed me to the VA Emergency Room, I thought I was constipated, it took the VA staff less than an hour to not only get me into the ER but get the first X-rays done, finding that I had a seriously blocked colon that would require emergency surgery, in under 30 hours I was being operated on, a foot of colon was removed and an colostomy bag installed. The Doctors, nurses, techs, etc were excellent, I was alive and every member of the medical team and support staffs were doing everything they could to keep me that way. On November 27th, I went home, weak but alive, my Surgeon, Dr. Reuben Last, one of the nicest guys God has ever created, spent a lot of time with me, and finally told me that while he had removed the cancer in my Colon, it was in my blood and elsewhere, that I was a stage three cancer patient and that the VA was offering me Chemotherapy. It was then that Dr. Last and I had a long talk about my not wanting to have chemo and instead would be using massive amounts of raw, bitter Apricot Kernels, Apricots and prayer. His reply was simple, he said "Bob, this is the VA, here you are the ultimate decider of your care." On February 6th I was once again rushed to the VA ER, this time with a Saddle Blood Clot blocking the main artery coming into the lungs from the heart, this was much more life threatening than my first visit. This time I got one of the dark blue, almost black under sheets made out of a rubberized canvas, used for patients not expected to live. And pain beyond belief. Once again the Doctors and Nurses, the Technical people and all others, in the medical staff were superb, Six days later I was again able to leave. The Bad: On the second to last day, on the tenth of February, I had the misfortune of meeting a mid level manager. My wife and I were talking a little walk, as we went by a room, there was a voice, weak but clear calling out for help, it was to low for anyone not standing right outside the door to hear it, so only Cec and I could hear it, we immediately called for help, my wife louder than me. Within seconds Nurses and a doctor responded and were in the mans room, in getting there, a nurse bumped into this mid level bureaucrat, a woman who, told me she was from Massachusetts. In my conversation with her, she obviously was not happy that she ahd been bumped into, told me she did not like it in Albuquerque and wished she was in Boston, probably the only thing she and I would agree on. The Throughly Detestable: Two things fall into this category; First: Dr. Vaughn The doctor who was suppose to be my Primary Care Physician for the time I am in New Mexico, this guy needs to be avoided by vets. Had he taken the time to read the results of the PET scan he would ahve known I was cancer free, but, during our initioal visit he mentioned the Chemo I was offered, when I told him I had turned it down and was using B17, he said "Well there is nothing else I can do for you." And that ended our visit. I am a diabetic, there is a lot more to me than cancer, cancer, that had he taken the time to look, if he had taken the time to prepare for my visit with him by reading my charts, the test and the other doctors and nurses notes, he would have known that the PET scan done on January 12th showed no signs of cancer. The second is even worse. The city of Rio Ranchio. Vets, you need ot avoid driving through the City of Rio Ranchio, NM at all cost, they ahd Red Light Cameras and SUV's parked on the side of the road that take pictures and issue tickets, and because theses tickets, they start at one hundred dollars, are not criminal, like those issued by the real police, but are civil, you do not have the right to demand to see the calibration dates, who calibrated them or ask for any other evidence that they don't want to give you. Fellow Vets, let me tell you, the media lies, all of the medical staff I came in contact with at the Albuquerque VA are top drawer, it is the mid level managers and above that needs to be horse whipped along with their apologist in the media and body politic. Let me just add this, I am now cancer free and had I been using Chemo when the Embolism hit, I would have been to weak to survive. Only one member of the medical staff, only one, a doctor, Dr. Vaughn, turned a deaf ear to my needs because I rejected Chemo, every other member of the medical staff was supportive and some even curious. Post Comment Private Reply Ignore Thread Top • Page Up • Full Thread • Page Down • Bottom/Latest Begin Trace Mode for Comment # 22.
#3. To: BobCeleste (#0)
My local experiences with the VA have been overall positive. Both the VA clinic and the VA hospital. I got into the system about 5 years ago when I decided it was time to get checkups, etc as some of my older colleagues were dying from cancers and things like that. I go for routine things such as checkups and eyeglasses. I did have a procedure in January where I went under the knife for a routine thing. Again, no complaints at all.
Fred, be more specific if you can, which VA do you use? Which clinic, are you happy enough with your doc to mention his or her name? use mine, without the misspelling, as an example, I am real happy with Dr. Last, I would avoid Dr. Vaughn.
I'm in Kentucky and I'll leave it at that. I am on my third doctor (primary care) at the nearby VA clinic - after 5 years. I liked #1 and #3 (now), although I had no major complaints about #2 - he just seemed mediocre and slow. He may have ridden the short bus to medical school.
I have never applied for va medical benefits and was wondering how hard is it and do they handle just getting old. I had no injuries while in the military: 1964-69, honorable discharge and two years in vietnam. Any advice would be very helpful.
I took in my ID card and sat down for about 15-20 minutes when I decided to put myself in the system. I'm pretty sure you have to have an appointment for that, but I'm not certain. They will categorize you in one of 9 or so priorities for health care. They ask you a bunch of standard questions and input the answers in the system. They want to know your income and I'm sure that might have a major effect on how you'll be categorized. Believe it or not, poor people like me get treated well. Wealthy individuals such as yourself might have some obstacles. Oh yeah, they don't like pot heads. I remember Badeye admitting to entering the VA system a number of years ago when his medical insurance costs grew higher. Spend an hour of your busy time and find out. You earned it.
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