New Problem For Me....has Anybody Had

[Pete53]

That is what William Mercer had. Stretch good luck and if you have other Medical Insurance you should get a second opinion.

[carlie]

Stretch,

Besides this how is your health in general.

May I ask your age, it's OK is you say no.

carlie

[john999]

A friend of mine had the surgery. It is major surgery. I believe they cut through your belly making a large incision. It is not something you have on Monday and the next Monday you are walking around the park. My friend was in his mid sixties when he had it done. He was soon retired. The thing is that if the aneuryism breaks you are dead. I would go to the best heart surgeon in my city and get a second opinion. Have the best surgeon follow you on this and don't trust the VA. You don't want a resident at the VAMC to be doing this because it is very major surgery.

[Vync]

John's right. Definitely find the best cardiologist, even if you have to go to another state. Most hospitals have a rating on their cardiology centers. There are a couple of five star centers near where I live. You want to go to one of those. Definitely make sure it is in-network with whatever health insurance you have. Depending on exactly what the problem is, they could do the procedure openly or laproscopically. Lapro tends heal faster, be less painful, and have lower risk of infection, but sometimes they have to open you up anyway. For some surgeries, they may use a robot. No kidding.

[Berta]

GEEEEZ= it would have been good if they told you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Have you considered getting a second opinion Stretch?

I think the worse thing you can do is worry a lot until you have more info on this-

A vet rep I know had some problems and ended up in hosp and they had removed an aneurism-I dont know where it was in him and he was back to work after short period of time with no ill affects.

Still- how could the VA be aware of this all this time and finally they just let you know?????????

I dont think they have caused basis for any 1151 claim or FTCA action yet but a second opinion would show if they have harmed you -by failure to diagnose and treat in time-maybe this has added to your other disabilites -I dont know.

still this could be nothing majorly serious either -

but that would be good to hear if it came from a real doctor.

Sounds like the VA is waiting for it to get bigger before they do anything.That makes no sense to me but maybe they are right. Maybe. I dont have much faith in most VA doctors.

[Stretch]

Thanks to my buddies who have replied.

I am 60 years old. I am an open book for Vets. My lifestyle is sitting in a chair, playing guitar, couch potato. Guess I will have to change a few things and move around like MH Psych. told me.

The PCP just called me again. I asked him if it was AAA (abdominal aortic aneurysm..Jbasser* Carlie*), and he told me yes it was. I told him that this is why I have been having these breathing and fainting attacks for the last six years.

He remarked that there are so many other problems so it would be hard to tell.. I have read the list of symptoms of an AAA, and I have every one of them. It all makes sense for me now. Guess I have caught up with some of my Navy buddies that have stints. I kind of thought I was exempt.

PCP is scheduling a sonogram? and an appointment with radiologist to see if some other problems could be related.

Getting news late, like this, is caused because of non-diagnosis or delayed diagnosis. Sort of seems the PCP just dismisses a vets symptoms because the vet has MH problems. It also seems like they wait for the tires to blow out before they even look at them. Yep a second opinion will be necessary. I am thankful that I was even told.

Cholesterol and finally smoking has to go. Smoking has been the number one relief and medicine for PTSD, all these years. It will be interesting to see what happens now.

Every time I go to the hay barn, for the last four years, to move hay around, I have a breathing problem and pain in the chess, and I think of what Berta said about her husband, several years ago. This has caused me to be more cautious and not to over do things like lifting too much.

It is wonderful to have knowledgeable friends at your back, even if I can't see them.