[Charity/non Service Connection]

B) I am considered 100% non service connect disabled due to complications from being in VA weight loss study-have been trying to switch to tort or service connect? Want to sell my home to move closer to VA hospital.Will lose non service connect for year because I will have money from sale of house-even if I put it into another house.Also just inherited $5,000 from 107 year old great aunt-will take that money,deduct it from my pension so I get no benefit.Talk about feeling like a charity case,I might as well mail the VA the check!! Can't figure out 1 reason to cash check-will only get penalized.Tomorrow I ride the DAV van for 4 hours for a DR's appt.Guess I don't move and check can sit in a drawer.Arrgh-gotta love the system.

[Medical Records]

I have moved 3 times since I had long term medical care at KCMO vet hospital.I attempted to locate my hematologist DR Agarwal who has moved away and hospital has no idea where he went.I need to find certain things in chart-his handwriten notes are illegible,I'm a nurse and use to this,his are really bad.Part of my claim rests on non treatment of problems.I was also treated by IV team and there seems to be no record of this.I thought I could get around this by requesting pharmacy records for the time-they show nothing about IV solutions administered by IV team.I know exactly what records I want-where would they be now (8years) and how do I get them?

[Lap Band Or Gastric Surgery For Weight Loss]

Two things they don't discuss enough.Do not get a hernia at the incision site,if they do a full incision,you better wear a binder for months.Loose skin,you may wind up with an unpleasant abdominal dewlap that will not go away without surgery.This is considered cosmetic surgery and tough to get sanctioned-a psychiatrist normally has to document it as having serious "body image" issues to get it under insurance or VA radar.I never had it done but I have known some who did.The older you are.the tougher it is to get loose skin to go away.The bassett hound look can dealt with by exercise and time normally.I'm on my 3rd hernia repair,grr.

[Depakote/bipolar]

Let's see,I worked in a state psych ward and most of my bi-polars had drug issues,there was no way they were getting a valium prescription.Mania seems to be like childbirth-after a while,you forget the pain and want boundless energy,a perpetual smile,a feeling of euphoria,be able to ignore anything negative in your life,to get skinny and buff again,never mind the rest of the overspending,never sleeping,high anxiety drama queen lifestyle,etc. People who are use to being "revved up" complain that "normal" feels flat,tired and emotionless.Besides drug treatment, bi-polars need an achievable,organized plan of living,goals,and structured exercise.Bi polars are normally high achievers and NEED to continue to do so.Exercise and daily interaction with positive people,try to go "out" to eat at least once a week and actually talk to the person you are eating with. Define and promote a "sense of well being" + medication can make a huge difference in the life of a bipolar.People who quit taking their meds because they say "they aren't working anymore" usually have some type of mental sabatoge going on. They start taling medication with the attitude of wanting to get better,they stop taking it with the attitude of wanting to be differant. The medication doesn't need to change,the person needs to change. Need to qualify, this is my opinion.

[Lap Band Or Gastric Surgery For Weight Loss]

VA has been doing them for years-just have to be at the right VA.They are doing them in Portland,OR-I see the head of that surgical department. I have been at other VA's who are astounded that the VA does them.I'm sorry to say,recent research is that they do not last.I put a lot of my weight back on.

[Depakote/bipolar]

I worked as a medication nurse (LPN) for a state psych hospital,Depacote worked very well,main complaint/side effect was weight gain,bothered the women far more then the men.What bothers most bi polars is when the medication works and they begin missing the mania and forgetting about the depression.Mania is addictive.Glad you are getting treatment and good results.

[Moving Or To Ok/hospitals]

We are both non service connected vets (non married),we need to live in a cheaper state to stretch our money and we need to live closer to a VA hospital.I have learned about being sent from one VA hospital to another because they don't have the specialist (hematology normally).I'd like to center around Muskogee but am afraid they will just send me off to OKC.We jointly own a house and they say as soon as we sell,the proceeds are income and we lose our pensions for a year,even if we use the money to buy another one.We are caught in a catch 22.Anybody know anything about Oklahoma hospitals and also about non service connection? George and I met in a VA hospital 6 years ago and have been together ever since-love at 1st sight type.We are clean and sober,pretty happy and well adjusted,we have been remodeling a little house now for 5 years,very slowly.He builds,I gofer and hold things and garden.George is a 5'8",125 lb cranky New York cabinetmaker and I am a 6' Amazon Queen,x psych nurse and numerous construction trades.We both have really formidable personalities.Consider us introduced.

[Peripheral Neuropathy]

Yes,can be caused by b12 deficiency-they can test you to see if you have b12 but they need to do additional test to see if you uptake it.Doesn't do you any good to have it if the body doesn't use it.Would indicate problem in intestine where b12 is converted.I take neurotin/gabapenten for it-it is a drug you either love or really hate.They can test for vitamin deficiencies.Make them do both b12 tests-the second one has to be handled carefully and sent out-the va lab does not do it.