My Brother Mike The Rest Of The Story

[Pete53]

Re: My Brother Mike passed on Christmas Day

The story behind the Story. Mike was my best friend since we were toddlers. We pretty much thought the same way, liked the same food, the same sports and took pretty much the same meds. He was 6'5 and I thought that he would live a long time more than me.

In September Mike called me and said he was in Hospital and he thought he was going to be diagnosed with cancer. After one week in Hospital an Army Hospital used by VA for emergencies. It turned out he had something called psoratic arthritis and was very anemic one of the symptoms. He also had high white count in blood and the VA gave him anti biotics that caused major problems.

Over the next four months he made quite a few visits to er mostly to get morphine for pain. By my count he went to hospital or er probably a dozen times. All the time they kept juggling medicine and their diagnosis. One day he would have kidney stones and shortly he would not have them.

Mike kept telling me that he could not tolerate the pain. Just beofre my birthday he called and told me that he had been in an ambulance for over 11 hours while VA and Army fought about who was going to take care of him. I begged him to go to any place but VA as he had regular insurance.

By Christmas Day Mike had given up on any kind of proper care or relief and shot himself in the head when his wife went to Kitchen to make breakfast. She found him and called me.

I have been devastated and so has his family. I swear if it is the last thing I ever do I will help his wife sue the VA.

My advice to anyone who uses the VA is to be careful.

[free_spirit_etc]

You have a great idea for the IMO problems vets have- it is absurd that these IMOs can be so costly for those who can least afford them

I wish the major vet orgs would fire their dead weight vet reps who do lousy work and put this mo9ney into an IMO fund for anyone on their POA.

IMos are often the only way to succeed on many claims and the DAV,AL, VVA's annual rates of awards would surely go up with this kind of evidence.

The veteran or widow could sign an agreement to refund the IMO money if their claim succeeds.

Still it would become a pick and choose situation as not every vet's claim might warrant an IMO-because some IMOs might not help a claim at all.

That's an excellent idea!

Free

[Berta]

http://www.vawatchdog.org/10/nf10/nfjan10/nf010710-1.htm

Great- The same problem I mentioned in a post here the other day ---I have been griping about the lack of VA reporting FTCA settlements to the NPDB to the OGC and now I have more meat and potatoes for my gripes!

If the VA reported ALL FTCA payments as well as if Sec 1151 claims had some sort of accountability when the veteran or widow succeeds in proving negligence-then it would mean that any vet damaged or dead due to VA health care (by medical proof)would not have suffered in vain-as those doctors would be disciplined in some way and that would hopefully prevent further malpractice.

[Josephine]

Pete,

I am so sorry. My prayers are with you and your family.

God Bless,

Betty

[halos2]

Berta, not to take away from Pete's post just wanted to add. http://www.whig.com/search/Swango--THUR

Worked at this hosp. I knew some of the EMT's involved with this case of poisoning. This guy was head of his class in high school and also Quincy College, and SIU medical school. Many thought him to be of superior intelligence. Stories here said he probably killed at least 60+PEOPLE.

(Esp in Africa)

Yes Pete - as I understand the NPDB agreement too-any $$$ settlement triggers a report to them.

God knows how many VA health care providers were found guilty of negligence and medical errors in Sec 1151 awards over the years but they all went on scot free to malpractice on more veterans.

No VA medical professional ever gets up on the AM determined to harm a veteran with lousy care.

I think the biggest problem is that doctors need to keep up on the latest medical info available and often probably need to be re-trained and take more courses in medicine.

Then again there are VA doctors like Michael Swango who killed at least 3 VA veterans and possibly as many as 30 or more private hospital patients before he was caught up with years ago.

The VA never properly vetted his credentials and he lied on his VA application form for employment anyhow.

It was due to his VA application's lies as to his background and forsenic work by Dr. Michael Baden and also VA lawyers who got him put where he deserves to be.

Robb Graham Medical Malpractice attorney has the full story on Swango here:

http://www.vamalpractice.info/dr_swango1.htm

Robb's email is at this site I believe for anyone to contact regarding tort claims .Last time I talked with him he said he was very very busy with malpractice claims.

He will still answer questions in general about FTCA torts I am sure.

[halos2]

Pete, The pain never stops, but with time, sometimes coping becomes managable. Talking about Mike keeps him present, if only in memories. Continuing to offer peace to you and entire family. halos2

[Pete53]

Friends are still calling and last week a couple of friends took me out to lunch. Mike's best friend from High School called yesterday and we plan to meet next week.

Every day new stuff comes up. Sometimes I feel like I am punch drunk and being hit over and over again.

I am back to making to do lists my mind has a hard time focusing.

Thanks to all who have been so kind. I feel so bad for my sister in law and my nephews.

I also am angry with my brother. I had worked almost every day on a claim for him with VA that would have seen him get at least 60% and probably TDIU when he was forced to retire.