Wednesday, January 18, 2012

A Day Away and a Day at the VA

I started writing a blog post yesterday while we were in the waiting room at the VA, but then they called us back. I saved it as a draft, and then I got caught up in other stuff when we got home and never completed it. So I'll post it and then continue on:

I seldom spend a day away from my husband. I still get my hair done in my hometown, so I often make that trip alone. I get there just in time for my appointment, visit with my family for a short bit, and then head back so I can be home in time to feed Tim supper. Yesterday was my appointment, but I stayed after to eat with my family and shop with my momma... and it felt so good!

I love my husband and I love spending time with him, but getting a day with my momma was perfect! It's funny how we want to be with our mom every second as a child, then we go through the teenage phase where we want our mom to stay hidden, and then we eventually come back around to the point where spending time with mom makes everything better. My mom is such a source of strength for me. I tend to be very independent, but it feels good to know that mom is always there.

...And now to continue...

Yesterday we had two appointments at the VA, and we weren't really sure what to expect. We had one in the compensation and pension unit on some claims we had filed. The other was in the spinal cord institute. My husband had a spinal cord injury in 2006, spent over a month in the spinal cord rehab unit in Memphis after his release from the hospital, and never was introduced to the spinal cord unit in North Little Rock. He had one follow-up appointment in Memphis in 2007, and he has not heard from them since. Then in comes Whitney. There is absolutely no reason for him to slip through the cracks like that simply because he didn't have a wife at the time to advocate for him, but it happened. I have been pushing all of these doctors, and the VA has been more than willing to help. Yes, we've had a few snags and troubles. As a whole, though, the VA has been incredible. It's just sad that it takes the warrior having someone to advocate for them before they get help. It makes me wonder what happens to warriors that don't have a spouse or parent to help them and never do. NONE of this stuff happened for Tim until 4 years after his injury, and I'm going to bet it wouldn't happen if I wasn't here to push it. These men are taught to do as they're told and not ask questions, so they don't. They take what they get, and that's it. I wonder how many wounded warriors are getting done wrong every day because of this. It's so sad.

The two doctors, all the nurses, and the entire support staff with which we dealt yesterday were INCREDIBLE!!! We were very pleased, and we feel very confident about the future of Tim's injuries because of these people. They were all amazed looking at Tim's medical history that he is where he is today. They attributed it to his drive and determination to never give up. I couldn't agree more. The doctor in the SCI even said that he thought the reports he read had typos when he saw Tim walking in with no more assistance than a cane. He was shocked that he even walks at all. He was so positive and willing to help in any and every way possible. The doctor in the C&P has a daughter with an injury at the T10 level (Tim's is T12), so he understands much of what Tim experiences. He told us all about the most recent research and really gave us a ton of hope for the future. After we finished with the whole process the C&P doctor came back up to us to make sure everything went well for us.

Some people have constant complaints with the VA. I have trouble getting things processed with them, but I cannot speak highly enough of just about every individual we have encountered as far as medical staff at the VA at NLR. We truly feel blessed!

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