Trip to the VA and another adventure in Government Healthcare.
Today is a Doctor visit day. What that means is that I have go into the city and visit the VA. I hate going there. The first experience is to drive around until I find a parking spot. No easy task. Then it goes downhill from there.
The first question the doctor will ask is "What is your issue that brings you here today?"
Here we go because this question is right up my ally of expertise. What you have just told me with that question is that you have no idea of who I am or more importantly no idea of my condition. And you failed to even look at my file before seeing me. Now lets see if my assumption is correct. So I will plainly state,
" I have been coming here for the last 20 years and now you are asking me for my diagnosis, if I have to tell you we are in deep shit here".
He or she will then turn to their computer and look up my record. Then I will be sent to give a quart of blood for every test. Only problem is that some of the test should be fasting tested which was a failure on their part because that should have been done when they called me for the appointment. I did mention it when they required me to make the appointment. I will make a point of this at and if the appropriate time comes up.
They tested me for TB once. Now that was an adventure. If you look at my record it says in bold red letters do not test for TB. But they sent me anyway, I didn't say anything and complied. A couple days I went back for my follow up appointment.
When the nurse looked at my arm I watched her eyes get the size of watermelons. I ducked because I didn't want them to pop out and hit me. She ran out of the room leaving me sitting there for a bout a half hour.
A group of them came back in in full dress disease prevention protocol. They ask me if I traveled and who I came in contact with along with a slew of question. They drew lines around the reaction on my arm. When I asked what was the purpose of it I found out that it was part of the reporting for the CDC. I asked if they already gave a preliminary reported it. They said yes so it was time to stop this BS and embarrass some people. As I was leaving a environmental containment bed was being wheeled to the clinic area. made me laugh
I don't get upset over these things because its routine. I am at the VA hospital 1-2 days a week. I am on a first name basis with some of the Doctors and we do have a laugh over a cup of coffee in the cafeteria.
I cannot understand why people in their right mind would want Government Healthcare.
wolfhart
Minnow III
The VA is notorious for inefficiencies and bad care. It's unfortunate that it's the only option some people have.
the best thing would be the ability to go where you want, but that will never happen. It would decrease their power
Haha that TB test. Funny shit. When I had pleurisy and couldn't breathe this last winter it would have been a 7 hour drive to the nearest VA emergency room so we had to go to a civilian hospital. Which I was pretty damn happy for cause I was blue by the time we got there and not to go shitting on the VA, but I probably would have been purple by the time I got the necessary interventions had I been at a VA hospital/clinic with how slow they are. Luckily the VA still covered the emergency room bill. Thank god for that.
I got an 11k bill from an non VA E.R. for the same thing. the refused to pay it until they were served with a subpoena, then they paid it real quick before it hit a trail. Things are easier nowadays then years ago.
I got a kick out of the TB thing until the CDC got involved then I put a stop to it. Dumbasses who think they know everything when all it takes is to read the file.
I still laugh about it.
Damn man. I know this was meant to be funny, but it is frightening the incompetence you face at the VA. I am thinking here I am angry enough I took up your slack. I am sorry you have to deal with this. We need to force all "elected" buffoons to use the VA since they are exempt from the unaffordable care.
I find no difference with the VA compared to any Government run healthcare system. A Government bureaucracy is the same no matter what label you put on it.
Sounds a bit like the Canadian healthcare system :)
It really makes me sick though that vets are not given what they deserve; I guess everyone deserves proper health care, don't they?! That is the good thing about ours, it's available to everyone, but that's not saying it's perfect, that's for sure!
Sorry what you have to go through. You remind me of my dad; he often says things like this to his doctors : "if you plan on sticking that thing in me, you best be prepared for the same" haha
Government run anything is never going to work out. It's been proven over and over it doesn't work.
I have fun most of the time their .
Yes, you're right about that @wolfhart! There doesn't seem to be too much common sense when it's government run, that's for sure.
The wast, abuse and corruption that goes on would be enough to bring down any major corporation. But agencies have unlimited funds and shielded for corruption charges.
Just imagine if a "regular" person could run it @wolfhart! Like you. But you're not totally regular now are you? 😎
It would take someone who is not regular or they would be like everyone else and get "caught up" just like the others. then you put a manager in after its working better.
I like that you were able to keep your sense of humour and laugh about it.
You have to laugh. and I find stupidity to be funny in some cases. It makes no sense to be verbally abusive when you can hit them with common sense with one sentence and a little fun in the process. Most of them just do what they are told. Its a job nothing more.
Everything the VA does is on paper. Whether its a police or a regulation. No different then when I was in the military or any Gov organization. They are powerful tools when on your side and can not be denied no matter how hard they would want to
Sounds like an unpleasant adventure. Well, pleasant company if you are friendly with the doctors! Unfortunately, medicine is not really an easy science, too many complicating factors. My brother is a doctor, and he is always complaining about how hard it is to accurately diagnose things that don't fit easily in a differential diagnosis. Plus, the replication crisis that is bubbling through the medical field doesn't help things either....
Hope it isn't too serious, and at least you can keep a light hearted take on the situation. Which country are you in by the way?
This is so true and glad that he acknowledges it. I am one who does not fit in the box. The doctors that discuss these things make up the best doctors. I have meet a few and know some of them.
All I ask of a doctor is honesty. I don't care if they make a mistake. Stand up to it and correct it. It's not hard.
What gets me is when they have superior attitude syndrome.
a very interesting story .., thanks for making me laugh
Now that I am done with it today, I had some laughs too today.
You got a 28.70% upvote from @ocdb courtesy of @wolfhart!
Good Luck. I hope it's an uneventful day :D With VA as a standard, nobody in their right mind would. I just wish it weren't so freaking expensive.
Health very important