[Voc Rehab Question]

Speaking of my Congresswoman's office, a problem I have encountered is that there seems to be a lot of "information sharing" going on even BEFORE signing a privacy release form. I knew that because of what my Congresswoman's office was telling me. Albeit, the information is VA slander and libel. I had to remind my Congresswoman's office that I have not appointed or designated anybody at the VA as my spokesperson. If they want to know what I feel, think, and believe, they should ask me. Pursuant to the VA's ledger that it has created on me, you would believe that I am a raging violent psychotic who is incapable of articulating a single coherent thought. Yet, I have never even been in a fight. By the time the VA gets done slandering me, I stand little chance of getting any help from anybody.

So my Congresswoman's office wasn't helping me. And then my Congresswoman's office wanted me to come in and sign a privacy release form....AFTER the information sharing had begun. As I look back on this, I think they wanted to cover their own arses. So my Congresswoman's office began to flirt with the idea they were going to help me, even telling me about things they had discovered which prove that what I was saying was correct, which tells me that somebody inside the VA did leak some truth about what was happening to me--e.g., how I, as a 40% SC veteran for my shoulder (see picture of what it looks like here: http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/29685...054090710lSGyou ), was literally being turned away by the VA, unable to even get appointments (Las Vegas VAMC).

So my Congresswoman's office acted like they were going to help me. My Congresswoman's office even said to me, "We have to get your benefits back." This means that it wasn't only in my mind, but I, as a 40% SC veteran, have been so targeted by the VA that, objectively, my benefits are being withheld. But as soon as I would bring up any objective issues to get resolved, I would immediately be interrupted and told that I should go to the VA for an appointment. In other words: they didn't want to actually resolve any issues, they just wanted me to go BACK to the VA. For what? I can only imagine so that the VA could get me into a clinical setting in order to "finish me off," by giving some kind of diagnosis that could potentially cause me to lose my right to vote, etc. So, while my own Congresswoman's office admitted there is a problem here, my Congresswoman's office seemed to be playing the role of gatekeeper.

[Voc Rehab Question]

See, my problem is the VA uses what it says are NSC issues as the excuse to withhold education benefits from me. In short, here is what I have been through: I got the anthrax shots shortly before getting out of the Marine Corps. I have had health problems (real health problems, which are verified when lab tests and scans are actually done) ever since getting the anthrax shots. I went to the VA and said I believe my health problems are secondary to my anthrax shots. The VA medical side then began to write derogatory notes about me into my medical record literally because I dared mention the anthrax vaccine. In fact, I have a copy of a memo that the VA wrote about me which literally stated that the VA employees had to start a "psycho-social" profile because I spoke about the anthrax vaccine. Thus I can't get SC for those health problems. The benefits side of the VA, thanks to the medical side, says that I am "too disabled" to go to college because of......."mental illness." Where does the "mental illness" come from? The fact that when I dared mention the anthrax vaccine, the VA would chart into my medical record "delusional thinking."

It is so bad that if I go to the VA medical system and say how depressed I feel about not getting help for school, the VA will chart: "delusions of a persecutory nature." Albeit, they won't bother to state what these delusions are. You see? I am "delusional" for telling the VA about what the VA itself is doing. Thus the benefits side can take those notes and further use those to....withhold education benefits.

I am now stuck in a trap in terms of dealing with the VA. If I even attempt to try to explain anything, no matter how polite I am, that also gets labeled as "anger." What is interesting is that I was literally flagged by the VA for asking for help for my depression. Think I am embellishing, I am not. My Congresswoman's office even found that one out. It was explained to me that I am flagged FOREVER. If I make it into old age and I am in a wheelchair, I will still be flagged by the VA. This proves that it has NOTHING to do with behavior. I have one speeding ticket from 1997 as the only offense of any kind. I have never threatened anybody, nor have I ever harmed anybody. In fact, I have never raised my voice at anybody except for over the phone many years ago. I am by nature a very timid person, especially in person. My step dad who is a disabled veteran actually kicked a VA nurse and was flagged for one year. I, on the other hand, have been told that I am flagged FOREVER.

That said, the VA has referred to things like me writing a WELL-WRITTEN, POLITE letter giving a play-by-play of how the VA is withholding my education benefits as THREATENING. No vulgarity, no profanity. I even signed the letter cordially at the end. The VA didn't even bother to respond to my letter. No. They just call it "threatening." In fact, I chose to correspond through a letter precisely so that the VA would not be able to morph what I said into a "delusion" or something worse. What do they do? They ignore the substance, and call it a "threatening" letter.

I bring all of this up because I think I know what is going on. The VA sees me as a "political" opponent--so-to-speak. I have empirical evidence of VA misfeasance. I have cognitive skills. Just see my website www.NoAnthraxVaccine.net I can write clearly and proficiently. The VA is more concerned about political opponents than they are real security threats. If the VA has engaged in misfeasance against a veteran, the VA must do EVERYTHING in its power to keep that veteran discredited. I guess I should take the VA's behavior as a positive sign that I must have a pretty good case against the VA.

Cordially,

Mark Anderson

If you are 31 and have a less than 100% or TDIU then I think you should be able to get voc rehab. What I was saying is that for guys who are near to retirement age and have severe disabilities the VA is probably not going to want to do voc rehab on them. It is possible to force them with enough persistence. The thing is you face age discrimination inside and outside the system. It is illegal to discriminate because of age but employers do it all the time. If I was 31 and not too disabled that I could not work I would try voc rehab. If the rehab people said I was not a good candidate I would put in for TDIU. If you can't be rehabilitated then how can you work and support yourself? I had trouble getting voc rehab when I was 30% because I had a job at the post office. I hated the work and wanted something better but at age 50 what could I do. You know the door sort of slams shut on you after a certain age in many careers. I also had some on the job injuries and this was the kiss of death.

[I Wonder If Congress Knows About This Va Directive On Veterans Medical Records?]

I am thoroughly convinced, based upon things that have said to me by VA employees, that teams of lawyers instruct the VA medical side how to chart things in such a way that curtails the ability of veterans to substantiate a claim, even if the health of the veteran be damned.

[Mistreatment At Va Hospital]

Mare, sorry to hear about your story. Tragically, your complaints pale in comparison to some of the real problems. Every time I see discussion of things like Walter Reed, I cringe. The usual parlance conceals the true nature of the problem, which is misfeasance, by morphing it into things like mold in the room, leaky faucets, long waiting times, and so forth. In reality, there is misfeasance going: e.g., veterans being told that their real health problems are in their heads, and then the VA constructs a fake medical record on that veteran. By the time the veteran gets done, the only thing they can get from the VA is a bottle of prozac and other toxic psyche meds. This is a scandal.

In short: be thankful your only complaint is waiting for an hour in an emergency room. Try complaining about the wait time and see what the VA does: they will "flag" your husband, follow him around with security, and he won't even be able to get an appointment and/or healthcare through the VA at all.

I am sorry for the long post, but I know you support our vets and our troops. Please check out the site I have online to try and make some changes in the VA Health care system.

www.donttreadonvets.com

On June 25 I took my hubby, a Coast Guard vet to the VA hospital in Tampa, FL. The surgeon wanted to send 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. Their attitude was, "If you wanted a better room you should have paid for a suite"

I took my hubby to the VA 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 vet forums, email addys & buddy lists so that the word gets out and maybe just the right person that can help or vets and service men/women will read it. www.donttreadonvets.com

[Voc Rehab Question]

I have had this problem where I haven't been able to GET INTO the Voc Rehab program. I am now 31, and all the VA has to do is keep wasting time, and then they will use my age against me? This seems to be just like the VA.

[Newbie Here]

Just wanted to say hello to everybody. I have been through a nightmare in dealing with the VA and I hope to communicate with some people on this forum who can steer me in the right direction. I have somewhat of a unique situation regarding my health problems which started just after getting the anthrax shots. It is unique in that my unit--i.e., 3rd Bn, 5th Marines--decided to make us take the shots even though we were about to get off of active duty. I got three anthrax shots between February and March of 1999, and my EAS date was June 11, 1999. I saved up 46 days of leave, so I was home in April. Because I got the shots in such close proximity to my EAS date, there is nothing in my military medical records about health problems. What gets me is that the VA has even used against me in my claims the fact that I never complained about any health problems from the anthrax vaccine during my final physical. One little problem: two of the three shots I received were administered to me AFTER my final physical! The VA knows this, as I have sent them copies of my shot records.

So, I received the anthrax shots literally right before I got out of the Marine Corps. Even if I have been lucky enough to get a diagnosis, since it is AFTER my military service, it matters not. Pursuant to the government's official story, the anthrax vaccine is safe. There has been no legislation dealing with the anthrax vaccine in the same manner as agent orange.

Another problem I have: I can't claim "Gulf War" Syndrome, even though I have something that seems to be just like it. Why? I was in all the wrong places: Okinawa, Thailand, and Korea. When the government claims to be investigating the anthrax vaccine, I know it is a lie. The government focuses exclusively on the theater of operations, which includes people who didn't necessarily even receive the anthrax vaccine.

But I have been lucky if I have been able to get a diagnosis for anything. Despite having empirically verifiable health problems, the VA would dismiss my problems, not even bothering to chart them, saying that everything was in my head. When I began going to the VA shortly after my EAS, I was going into the VA literally with eczema from my head to my toes. The VA somehow managed to miss this, not even chart it, but then say that it was all in my head. I had to walk around for weeks like that, not even being able to shower. I finally went outside the VA where I received my diagnosis for eczema, was given cortisone injections, and then it would clear up.

I served my entire time honorably, didn't get a medical discharge, got my Good Conduct Medal, and the nicest letter of recommendation I have ever received came from my Company First Sgt. If one believed the VA, they would believe that I went from being a good Marine to a crazy civilian within a matter of days.

Because of this, I have ended up with depression. One little problem: if I were to go talk to a VA practitioner and explain why I feel so depressed (i.e., the health problems that started shortly after I got the anthrax shots, coupled with not receiving treatment), without bothering to say what my "delusions" are, it would simply be charted into my record that I suffer from "delusional" thinking.

It is now my contention that my VA medical record is a work of fiction. There is scarcely a true summary in it. The VA has lied about me. The VA has created this fictitious ledger on me, making me appear to be "delusional" and "psychotic." I have one speeding ticket from 1997, I write commentaries that get by the editors of four different fairly big political news sites that are syndicated through Google News. I ran for a city council seat in 2002 as a Libertarian-endorsed candidate, in which I garnered 3,077 votes, while the Democrat-endorsed candidate garnered 3,096 votes. And that was in a heavily Democratic city. But if you believed the VA, I can't string together a single coherent thought.

Because of this piss-poor--downright scandalous, I should say--charting of notes on me, it has became virtually impossible to ever prevail on a claim with the benefits side of the VA. It makes believe that might be exactly why the VA does this. The VA medical side has said such off the wall the things that nobody would ever believe if I told them, that I had to start finding ways to prove what the VA was telling me. I really get the feeling the targeted me in a nasty way. Let me just say that I have empirical evidence of VA employee misconduct. I did manage to obtain a VA memo through FOIA request. This memo was written about, and it was a VA employee instructing other VA employees to start a psycho-social profile me because of my "heresy" of saying that I believe the anthrax vaccine caused my health problems. You see that? When the ONLY way I can get service-connected is to get a doctor to draw a nexus between my health problems and the anthrax vaccine, it is apparently thought crime to mention the anthrax vaccine.

Cordially,

Mark Anderson

www.NoAnthraxVaccine.net

[I Wonder If Congress Knows About This Va Directive On Veterans Medical Records?]

I am not sure what that directive has to do with--i.e., C&P exams or in general. If it is in general, it seems designed to curtail VA doctors from lurching into anything that might actually help a veteran service-connect a problem. Just talk about the problem without getting into the cause.

One thing I am sure veterans are well aware of, if they don't have good documentation showing a nexus to military service, a diagnosis is meaningless as far as the VA is concerned.