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Back Pain

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I have had back issue since 1981. Last week Thursday 13 Sept I re-injured my back and had terrible back pain. I finally called the VA Hospital Monday morning to get an appointment with my Primary care doctor and was told I cannot just call and get an appointment anytime I wanted one.  I said what do you expect me to do, they said I would receive a call from the health nurse within two hours. I received a call and the nurse asked me some questions and then said I recommend you go to the Emergency room. I said what for this is not an emergency  I just need to get a pain shot she said to me well my computer program says you should go to the nearest ER. I said you mean to tell me that you don't know what I need to do that you use some generic computer program to ask the questions and made a decision? She answered again yes the computer says you need to go to the emergency room. I said well  this is not an emergency and I would like an appointment with my PC doctor. I was told  the PC nurse would call me in  2 hours, 4 hours later I called again and this time they told me I was told I would get a call within 72 hours... what the hell I said,  what good does that do anyone..... On Tuesday morning I decided to make a trip to the ER. So I arrived at the ER at 6:45 AM. I  was placed in a treatment room until  7:30 when a female doctor came in asked me a few questions and then said we will be giving you too shot, I said I know just like you always do when I have this problem. Funny thing is this Doctor never examined me and was in and out in less than 2 minutes,  15 minutes later the nurse came in I dropped my drawers and she gave me the two shots. I was feeling better in a matter of minutes. This is how you get treated by the Teague VA Medical Center in Temple Texas. I am still waiting for that phone call. What really makes me mad is why can't a veteran call and get an appointment? Why must the doctor be the one to say when they can schedule you an appointment. Its not very often that I call for an issue. In fact its been 23 years since I had been to any emergency room.  And this is the treatment Trump said he fixed my ass he hasn't done anything for veterans....

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Its WAY, WAY better than it used to be!!  Its still not good, but better.  A few years ago, you would have had to wait until you died to get in to see a dr (to declare you dead).  At least you got to see a doc, fairly soon.  

https://www.daytondailynews.com/news/local/staff-treated-soldier-before-killed-himself/axkF8GVcCzDqfyicECdNEL/

This guy was told in the ER, he had to wait 4 months for an appointment.  

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Gee Whiz, what do you think the VA is, a medical hospital?

It is pretty messed up that they actually told you that you couldn't make an appointment.  Did they at least give you a follow up appointment after the visit to the ER?  One of my ER visits at the VA I was semi comatose and they put me on a gurney in the hallway for about two hours before I saw a doctor.  At least they gave me a follow up appointment.  I would push for a follow up if they did not give you one. 

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  • HadIt.com Elder

I don't think its te Dr's that make the scheduled   they will let the clerks know their scheduled so not to scheduled an appointment when the Dr's is off or has scheduled a off day...even though they get off on the weekends  unless its their time to be on call.

Its the clerks that makes the appointment times,  not the Dr  and they are instructed to check the Dr Scheduled. 

so many Appointments can be scheduled daily and  there's just hundreds of veterans that need to be seen  on a Daily Biases and ..I think they take the most serious I'll veterans first  and then scheduled out from there.

Its a lot better than it use to be as for as What president Trump as fixed  we can get an appointment now within 30 days after calling in , with the exception of the specialty clinics and Dental.

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  • HadIt.com Elder

Any time the VA Nurse says go to the E.R. make sure you can go to a private ER not far from your home or its closer than the VAMC...Go ahead and go ...and tel them is is to be charge out to the VA.

The phone call is your proof thatt he VA Nurse mention to you to go ahead to the Private E.R.

I had an emergency  year or two ago and this is what I did..about 6 month later I got a Bill from the private E.R. I used for 2,600.$$ For a couple questions the ON DUTY DR ask me gave me a shot..sent me home I was there in the waiting room about 10 minutes before being seen... then about 2 minutes with the Dr.

I took it to the VA and they had me go see the Manager of the Bill pay...she ask me if I had got the ok from VA TO GO TO THE PRIVATE E.R. and I said well I don't have it in writing but I did call the VA and the Nurse I talk to told me to go ahead to the private E.R.

She said ok goood  let me go verify this..she left the room came back 10 min later and said ok yes I check the calls on that date and the Nurse did tell you to go to the Private E.R.

They paid that ridiculous BILL.

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I was specifically told that the Dr determines when he will see me and in my case he did not want to see me until Feb  which was 6 months from the last time he saw me. I wasn't specifically told what ER to go too. I hate using the ER because of the time it takes to get treatment. I had not been to an ER in  I think 21 years and the last time it was for the same issue. I normally try to wait out the time and get an appointment for pain, but this time I was just in too much pain. I kick myself in the butt now because I just was not thinking.. I live 8 minutes from Fort Hood, and 5 mins from a private hospital. I would not have to pay for care under any condition because I have tricare for life and Medicare. I just was in so much pain I was not thinking, and I had gotten use to getting my meds from the VA. The only times I use the Army hospital was when I could not get an appointment with the va, and ironically this time The Army didn't have a same day appointment either. If it had not been for my wife I am not sure I would have gone anywhere but after 47 years together she knows when I have reached my threshold of pain.  I never got that 72 hour phone call, and I was never offered a return appointment. The pain had subsided considerable with the shots, but this evening its starting to  bother me again. Next time I hope I will be smarter about it and just go to the closest ER . As I am 100%, the va will end up paying  the bills if I end up in a private ER.  I just don't get how they can flat refuse you an appointment because your scheduled to be seen  six months our from the last appointment. I think this also happened to me when I had taken a fall and injured a knee. It took 6 weeks to get treatment dealing with the VA, and honestly at that time the Army Hospital wasn't much better. 

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