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2007-06-17 Home Front: WoT

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Posted by Bobby 2007-06-17 08:28|| || Front Page|| [4 views ] Top

#1 By the way, my wife visited a doctor recently who worked at Walter Reed. He told me the hospital was the finest in the world, but the number of troops served caused the hospital to buy adjacent properties, which just happened to be surrounded by some of the not-too-nice areas surrounding (a.k.a. slum). I didn't see that in the WaPo. That makes me suspicious about Jesse's story, too - unfortunately.

Posted by Bobby 2007-06-17 08:38|| 2007-06-17 08:38|| Front Page Top

#2 Related story this past week about the Seattle VA hospital: conflicting rules about mental ward patient safety ( suicide prevention) and ADA compliance had Senator Patty Murray (D-tennis shoe gramma) all a twitter. you can bet that if the ADA assistive devices were not in place and a patient fell down, her song would be a bit different. Last line of the story was that in the entire life of the Seattle facility, there have been 2 suicides. how does that stack up with others? that is not mentioned.

Posted by USN, ret. 2007-06-17 12:08|| 2007-06-17 12:08|| Front Page Top

#3 I've been dealing with the VA for about 16 years now, so I know how the system works. Unfortunately, too many VA counsellors DON'T, and hand out some pretty poor advice. Nor am I surprised that this veteran's first application was turned down - I think the VA does that to EVERYONE the first time. If you're not serious, or if you're REALLY stressed out, you don't reapply, and they save time, effort, and money having to deal with you. Also, the VA rating system is a fraud. It, too, is weighed heavily against the veteran. You need two things to resolve the problems with the VA in your favor: an excellent doctor that either knows the system, or will listen, and a good attorney specializing in VA compensation cases.

The military in general isn't up to dealing with psychological problems, especially PTSD. That system, too, is weighted against the veteran. I constantly get diagnosed as suffering from "depression" - my real problem is that I have constant, unremitting, unresolved PAIN issues. I've learned to live with that, but the psychologists can't understand that. To them, everyone who has a chronic pain problem is depressed: I have a chronic pain problem, so I also therefore suffer from depression. PTSD is TOTALLY beyond them. The active duty providers are no better than most of the VA or civilian practitioners. Guys like this get caught in the VA paper mill, and end up in deeper trouble because they don't get the help they need. It's a national disgrace.

Posted by Old Patriot">Old Patriot 2007-06-17 13:15|| http://oldpatriot.blogspot.com/]">[http://oldpatriot.blogspot.com/] 2007-06-17 13:15|| Front Page Top

#4 but the psychologists can't understand that. To them, everyone who has a chronic pain problem is depressed: I have a chronic pain problem, so I also therefore suffer from depression.

OP, I hear ya.. but getting old build character! lol

It's also a CONtest too sometimes, pretending you can still kick ass and take names with a dinged up body! LOL..

If you complain about pain to a new Dr. it's a strange thing to watch and listen while they fish trying to winkle out why you are depressed when you are NOT.. this holds true at Ft Miley and UCSF etc. Seems to me that it's endemic to all Drs. in Gubmint or Private settings.

I think, they think us guys are incapable of detecting the symptoms of depression or can't express ourselves adequately.

I find it helps to blame Drs. for my aches and pains and my phantom depression!
;-)

Posted by Red Dawg">Red Dawg 2007-06-17 16:54|| 2007-06-17 16:54|| Front Page Top

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