I am sorry for the long post, but if you support our vets and our troops please check out the site I have to try and make some changes in the VA Health care system. www.donttreadonvets.com
On June 25 I took my hubby to the VA hospital in Tampa, FL. The surgeon wanted to see him home to prepare for a Barium test the next day. It was too far to drive back & be back at the hospital by 7am so we went to the hotel they have an account with for their vets. The room smelled, stained rug, lipstick on the coffee mug and no hot water at 4am! I complained & they refunded my money.
I took my hubby to the hospital and left him in the "capable" hands of the Colonoscopy's tech. He came out and said I could help my husband get dressed, a blind man could see he was in no condition to do it himself. Rich had Parkinson's and had lost over 50 lbs and had a huge belly. I walked in and there was my honey, naked, with tears running down his face with his behind and legs dripping with feces! I had to ask for a towel to clean him up. He was so humiliated.
I took him upstairs to a Physician Assistant I had met and he wrote a note to the ER that said "patient has possible "volvulus" (twisted intestines) he needs decompression or emergency surgery STAT!!" The woman looked at the note, flipped it back to me and said to sign in , have a seat and wait. I waited 35 minutes, called the PA and he came running down to the ER. He said to her "Didn't you read my note? I wanted this man admitted immediately!"
She pointed with her arm and said "There's the Emergency Room". He took my husband in, the nurses took one look at him and called a surgeon, she called for an operating room STAT. By now my honey couldn't respond to us and he didn't even didn't know he was going to surgery.
The surgeon removed 2 pieces of his small intestine and 1 piece of his large intestine. Apparently Rich's intestines had ruptured poisoning his whole body. Rich coded on the table, they bought him back and he was on life support for 3 more days until I had to let him go on June 30. His body just couldn't fight the massive infection and his blood pressure wouldn't go up.
I have been fighting with the VA since then for changes in their system so that no other vet or service man/woman has to be humiliated or kept waiting in a VA Emergency Room for 45 minutes.
Please forward the link to all your email addys & buddy list so that the word gets out and maybe just the right person that can help will read it. www.donttreadonvets.com

The McGuire VAMC in Richmond, Virginia has a system that tells white vets that they do not have the same rights as blacks. Patient advocates refuse to assist white vets with problems getting medical care and harassment.THe black advocate points and shows the vet the door and tells him to leave.

Too often coward minority medical staff who cater to blacks jerk white vets around and refused us medical care while catering to blacks. In clinics, staff call black patients first while they make white vets wait all day no metter how early white vets check into the clinics.

The black police at this hospital refuses to take my complaint when I had waited 1 week to complain about a black male outside neazr a clinic who threatened to shoot me. This is a threat of terrorism and hate speech, but the racist black pig refused to grant my rights.

All vets regardless of race or gender should be treated with the utmost respect and have equal access to medical care and VA services.It is your right and mine to complain when our rights are violated. Obama is changing all of that though in order to force us out of the VA system. His racism prevails so far, but we can help remedy that problem soon. Get out and vote!

I'm so sorry for your loss. I'm also a patient at the Tampa VA. I know how they are there and I do battle with them all the time.

As a woman, it's particularly difficult at the Tampa VA. They show very little regard for women vets there. I can't even begin to count the times they call my name and address me as "Mister." Most times I ignore them and wait for them to realize I am a woman before I respond. One time I stood up, pointed to my ample chest and said (to the woman who was calling me), "Do you see these forty two double D's? Do I look like a man to you? You need to pay closer attention to the names you are calling out. Women are veterans, too."

I've had to deal with techs who barely speak English, men walking into rooms when I'm changing clothes, and doctors who are combative.

My heart goes out to you and to your husband. I'm so sorry he had to deal and endure that.

Wendi

I know this is off topic and I am not a veteran, but wanted to thank each and every one of you for all you have done, and continue to do for me, my family, and the whole country. You are what makes America the great land that it is! Thanks!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMhGhBgvMCM

Thank you Betty. We too where from NJ & Rich VA clinic was in Brick & his hospital was up in the Oranges. You had to go through a getto war zone to get to it. It's very hard when I think that Rich did not have to die and the ones involved are going on with their lives.

I WAS VERY SAD ,TO READ ABOUT YOUR HUSBAND,MY HUSBAND WAS IN THE VA SYSTER,FOR A FEW MONTHS,HE WILL NOT GO BACK,OUR VARO IS NEWARK NJ, ONE OF THE WORST IN THE COUNTHY.WE DID HAVE OUR FILES TRANSFIRED TO TAMPA,FOR THE FEW MONTHS WE ARE IN FLORIDA,SO WE COULD LOOK AT RECORDS LOCAL IF NEEDED, ONCE WE LEFT FLORIDA, WE TRANSFIRED BACK TO NJ. NOW NO ONE KNOWS WHERE THE RECORDS ARE, FLORIDA CLAIMS THEM AS OF NOW,BUT I HAVE A COMFIRMED FAX, TO FLA AS WELL AS NJ ,TO SEND THEM BACK TO NJ. MY HEART REALLY GOES OUT TO YOU.I HOPE YOU CAN FIND PEACE, THE VA HOSPITALS, ARE LIKE A BUTCHER SHOP I REALLY FEEL VERY SORRY FOR ANY VETERAN WHO NEEDS MEDICAL HELP FROM VA, I WILL PASS YOUR STORY ON , AND WILL REMENBER YOUR PAIN, AND THE SHAME THE VA HOSPITAL PUT YOUR HUSBAND THROUGH, THIS IS A VERY SAD POST, MAY GOD BLESS YOU , BETTTY PRIAM

Sorry for yourfamilies loss, he was our brother. I would go to every channel there is to fight this injustice, including the news paper and Washington etc. Again I'm so sorry.

Hi Marezlee,
My condolences for you and your family’s loss; God speed Rich.

I have commented on a lot of things here on this website, and one of the things that I have commented the most on is; we as veterans must take action in order to bring about change in the VA, and in other areas of the Government.

What happened to Rich should not have happened, but every day veterans are put at risk by Incompetent PA'S, MD'S,and their staff.

Once again Marezlee my condolences.