I never know how these computer links work…or if they do,but we try:
http://www.startribune.com/nation/99169974.html
If this article will appear when one clicks the link-the better the impact of what I am going to say will be!
The article was in most of the major newspapers. My own city-a home of a Veterans Administration Medical Center did not carry it,but…Huffington Post,The Washington Post,and Reuters run Los Angeles Times along with the above linked Star Tribune,Minneapolis – St.Paul,home of a VA Medical Center,are among many across AMERICA that did!
The Veterans Administration is to permit ‘medical marijuana’ use at any VA Medical located in the 14 states that have legal-medical marijuana.
I’m not making this up! I revere the use of marijuana as a medicine-and would be pleased to be treated in a holistic fashion in preference to a chemical prescribed.
You would think I am jumping with joy! Well-yes I am,kind of.
I have been in pain for going 8 years or so…but because I smoke marijuana-my VA Medical Center cannot,and will not treat my pain. Hey…I am OKAY with that-my dears…I have too much problem with drug abuse as it is to be needing 60 percocetes each month,which is what the VA allotted me for five years until I wrote and said no. Somehow-we got around my use of marijuana! But let me ask-how fair is this to those who understand the comfort marijuana gives who are also veterans-who are also in pain…and,in order to be able to have pain med’s from the VA must go through a period of not smoking in order to pass a test so to qualify for pain med’s! Let me add that these would include many who suffer severe pain. I do! I know! And funny odd ball thing-me…that will dis the chemicals from a pharmacy in exchange for those found ‘elsewhere’,I know it won’t make sense to some.
My point is….what about everyone else? What if there are…and there are-those in other regions where marijuana as a medicine is not legal,but you can count that under the cover marijuana use is happening…what about those veterans? Because we don’t live in a ‘legal’ state-no??
I know this decision will expand eventually…but come on!
I had a phone call last night-from a friend who is a combat veteran from Viet Nam. He remarked that I have never said anything about the good things the VA does. I am certain there are…there are sections of the VA many of us never see-the dental clinic is one place…never ever has a dental appointment been made for me and many others. Different level-IT IS!
My friend is not my only combat vet friend. I have known a family over in Micanopy for as long as I’ve been in Florida. The step-dad was in Viet Nam for 28 days when a bullet ripped through his leg and tore out a huge chunk of bone. A poor man-had to work nights at an orange crate factory,a thankless job if ever one was! Every three months the old boy had to put away his pot stash and get ready for pain pill test at the VA. This was not some hippie-no. He was a man in pain who found the ease of marijuana to comfort much. This is a man in pain.
I want to say much is good about the VA-and there is good,usually it is found in the person…the human-but not the system.
My friend fought for years for medical compensation-only receiving it just a few years before my VA claim was passed. Years way to late…and in my heart makes it so unfair to me. I can go to my friend’s house anytime and hear the details of how the mistrust of the VA system is enough shatter your nerves.
The man I am telling you about is crippled-and has to ride a cart everywhere…and to make ends meet-sit on that cart from dusk to dawn protecting orange crates!
I have another friend-he stepped on a land mine which blew his left thigh into shreds and gouged his stomach and sent his left heel flying. Somehow all of that healed for a while-and my friend went on to retire from the US Marines after 25 years service. Everytime I visit him it never misses-he makes me read the award framed and hanging on his wall-written by President Nixon,my friend was a part of a long battle for some crummy hill-and was also a hero,but 34 were killed on our side and….the rest of the dead.
This guy won’t set foot in a VA…but he loved the Marines-his home should be a monument to the Marine Corps by the way it is adorned by the flags and mascots and brass work,but you bring up the VA and he proudly states he is on private care-and screams about the abuse from the VA.
My one friend called me last night and said I do nothing but dis the VA…this by reading my blogs-and I am sorry to individuals there that do try to make the experience of medical care better.
Hey…my friend is one of those who has the better care-he knows his doctor by first name,so the experience must be varied. My doctor never told her first name-she never has phoned me ‘just to check up’
I try to trust the place….this last week I requested outside therapy for my PTSD…in particular-for the MST.
The VA claims we MST survivors are eligible for full-time permanent care-if permanent is what it takes. The VA rules say-if we do not like the therapist we can request another!
I requested a therapist-on the outside!
I’ve been told that fee approval was denied.
Here’s the stick in the road….I pay nearly 100 dollars each month for Medicare. I have paid nearly 100 dollars each month for 12 years plus. Here where I live I cannot use it. I must be refered by the VA to been seen elsewhere. I have checked this to be sure…even Social Security was stumped.
The VA hospital here in Gainesville Florida is connected to the University of Florida Medical Center by a tunnel. The students from the medical college are the consulting physicians in most cases (at the VA) and in many they are not qualified doctors. Why do I say this? Because it is true!
I received results of the ‘CAT’scan and it so states it at the bottom of the page “The TEACHING physician has read the results…”
I am thankful somebody read it…by the way-it says that 1) my non-calcified nodules are in the inferior segment of the lingula,and RML and LLL.
2)that I have Atherosclerotic disease of the LAD and RCA with evidence of prior myocardial infarction in the vascular distribution of the LAD 3) Diverticilosis without diverticulitis 4) and a stable left renal cortical defect….all of which makes clear sense to someone,but not me!
I copied that word for word….definintions,anybody?
And I need to note that three or so years ago a letter came from the VA saying that an MRI had shown an aneurism…and during the consult the student doctor admonished me in lingo similar to a DELL tech almost suggesting I broke in the VA and did the MRI myself-punching a hole in it with a pin to make it look like it was an aneurism. I still wonder when that bubble will burst-hoping it is eventful when it does! I still wonder why someone would think of someone doing something like that??
It is my hope to be classified fully disabled! Did you know once so you can be free of the reaches of the VA? I sure can’t make any sense of the ‘medical care’…my son and I still talk about a year ago January when rushed by 911 to the ER at the VA. He wrote them a letter saying he did not approve at all of how his father was treated. I was put out…literally put on the curb. Later that evening-another 911 truck came to my house! The driver said “Man…if we take you back to the VA you will again be put out!”
They took me to a local hospital-they were forced to see me-but treated me kindly and with respect- with my Medicare card…the EMT told me that secret-telling me if an EMT wagon brings you in to a hospital ER with that card,no matter what…you must be seen. No referal !!
I was taken in-given many studies and told what was wrong (a diagnosis of the pain,and 8 year ordeal)…why while I was there (novel approach)-THEY TREATED ME and kept me overnight!!. The info was forwarded to the VA. Never-ever-once have they (the VA) answered my question “what…”?? What are you going to do? What about the test results the other hospital sent you?
Could it be my LAD with my RCA?? Is that part of the brain? Or am I choked from the other side of the sage weed?
Yes…a thrilling experience the VA hospital-it is the reason why we got sent to boot camp anyway! To learn how to wait-and to remember to be stupid-only respond when our name is called!
Sure…I dis the VA. One-I’ve NEVER felt right about being a patient,my military service was void of anything real.
But you can count on this…I believe in the Military! That is why I enlisted-I believed! And I still believe!
Peace
a males life after rape 