50-Year-Old Former US Marine Seeks Better Veteran Treatment
by Anonymous
(Ohio, USA)
I am 50 and I served honorably as a US Marine. Now a veteran, I'm looking up and around for help to raise me from the depths of despair.
During my military career, I fell 70 feet from a helicopter due to faulty equipment. I had a con-gren (congressional investigation) on the incident but no help.
The day before the end of my contract, and an honorable discharge, I made the bad choice of getting someone a drug. This resulted in me being court-martialed. I have no medical care now.
I cleaned up my act after that incident of 30 years ago, but since then, I was in an accident that injured me. I have been on SSDI for six years and hate it. I cannot afford anything and make barely enough to live.
I paid into Social Security for years, but it goes against me that I have been disabled for this many years and no employer wants to hire me with my medical history.
I went back to school to become a teacher and would love to have something positive happen. I am dedicated to the end. I always look up for guidance, but am growing weary down here on earth.
I make too much money on SSDI for any help in OHIO. If the people who write the guidelines were ever subject to these laws, they might have a different view. It is absurd to base these standards on my gross pay.
Remove the cost of food, housing, utilities and insurance, all which are necessities, THEN base what is left to live on, as my income! It is around $350 a month, maybe.
I have been diagnosed with lung cancer and I cannot get Medicare to accept the treatment my Doctor prescribes. I have no chance to survive.
Comments for
50-Year-Old Former US Marine Seeks Better Veteran Treatment
First of all VA is a teaching Hospital, For them to deny you benefits over an incident 30 years ago is absurd!! Contact your congressman, local and your representative. Write a letter to you governor.
I am serious. My uncle recently had adenocarcinoma of the colon. He is my deceased father's baby brother. What a ride we had at the local hospital!
I could tell you that I am a nurse (disabled myself) and it took me from 2005 to the beginning of 2009 to get my disability. It was a nightmare, with no back pay to speak of, as I had to refile in 2008. Even disabled I still had no proper medical care.
Our experience with his surgery and post op was indeed a nightmare. If he did not have me as his advocate, he would either have died or many other procedures would have been done on him.
He was told no chemo then they called him three weeks postop to come to oncology. We met with a "case worker" who scheduled him for a chemo and surgical consult, etc.
He was almost in tears when we heard them tell us that they biopsied nine lymph nodes and they were negative. We finally worked our way to the oncologist, seeing a resident first.
So 20 to 30 minutes after I had my say with the resident, and how my uncle was not given a diagnosis prior to leaving and felt he went home to die. He was readmitted and so dehydrated that they had to hydrate him for over 24 hours.
He is 63 and also has a bad heart. His wound was infected. I could go on and on. When the oncologist said I'd like to see them do 12 nodes. You can take chemo or pass either oral or IV. I said, "Let me ask you what you would do if you were in his shoes."
She replied she would not do chemo. I said, "Okay, that is all we need to know." He was so grateful that they will do blood work every three months and another colonoscopy next year as well as a CAT Scan.
He could not stop thanking me. Even though we have not been that close he is still my father's baby brother and I love him. I was happy to do this for him. I give you this info because we are a family of nurses.
You must take the action with your local congressman as we had something similar not exact. This is how it was handled. GOOD LUCK, AND MAY GOD BLESS YOU!
