My Va Experience

[Big]

I have had back problems for many years.(non service)and had back surgery a few years ago(non Va. hospital.)

I started using Va. medical treatment 21/2 years ago with my bad back being the main subject. Over a two year period I finally got to the MRI stage and was seen by a neurologist

.

He told me there was nothing he could do. I asked my primary doc. for a second opinion and was told I could'nt get one at the Va. and I was sent to pain management.

I went to an outside neurologist and was in surgery within three weeks.

That was just two months ago and now the pain is gone other than the soreness from surgery.

Thank God I have ins. because i will not use Va. medical anymore.

Big

[Testvet]

sounds like a normal VA response to a non emergency medical problem in my case I have 3 herniated disks but due to the severity of my heart disease no surgeon will touch me for any reason medicate only glad to hear your back is doing better

[Pete53]

Fact is the VA is not to concerned with pain. They also operate on the cheap and pretty much defer anything that is elective. Hopefully one day soon we will all be eligible for Universal Health Care.

I have said more than once I would opt out of VA if they offered me ChampVA like my wife gets.

[john999]

This is the world class medical treatment they talk about on TV. I went to a podiatrist at the VA. They could not even get me decent orthotics. The newer treatments they had not even heard about because they are expensive. I go for pain management to the VA. All it means is percoset or morphine or methodone or back to morphine. Doctors here in my state are afraid to prescribe much of anything since the DEA is all over them.

Something like oxycontin is out of the question.

[Big]

The only reason i went to the Va. is because there is always the possibility I could loose my health ins.

The pain management they sent me to was a joke. Young incompetent doctors that had to leave the room to talk to a supervisor before a decision could be made. B)

They would give me shots in my back that did absolutely no good, then schedule another appointment in two months.

Meanwhile i was on a steady diet of morphine and oxydone.

I hope all vets get more competent treatment than I did.

BTW my surgery consisted of fusing two vertabra with scews and rods.

[cloudcroft]

"Young incompetent doctors that had to leave the room to talk to a supervisor before a decision could be made."

Maybe the young doctors were Interns (the lowest doctor pecking-order) and had to check with a higher up due to "controleld substances" being involved, to get a signing-off on it?

Remember "Scrubs" the TV sitcom?

-- John D.

[Chuck75]

There are back institutes in Florida that do micro surgery for disks, etc. that may be able to help you, even with serious heart problems.

http://www.microspine.com/AboutUs_java.htm

Is one of several in Florida. I do not recommend any particuliar one, or not recommend one.

sounds like a normal VA response to a non emergency medical problem in my case I have 3 herniated disks but due to the severity of my heart disease no surgeon will touch me for any reason medicate only glad to hear your back is doing better