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I avoided VA medical care for decades believing I should save it for combat-injured vets.
Age, no insurance, minimal retirement savings depleting quickly paying for medical care and worsening health led to my applying to the VA.
Several symptoms causing never-ending pain.
I am very grateful to USA taxpayers for the care I have received but....
Well, I feel as if I have been shunted to the side.
Not once has the doctor touched me to try and determine what is causing my several problems.
Several tests have proven nothing.
I was also reminded repeatedly how expensive those tests were.
The last visit with the doc, the 3rd one in a year, he recommended counseling... he did not directly say it but it was obvious... negative test results must obviously mean that the never-ending pain and other symptoms must be my imagination.
My experiences may not be yours.
My experiences reminds me of the old truism; QUESTION: what do you call the person graduating last in his medical school class with a barely-passing grade and took several attempts to pass the state medical license test and barely passed that test? ANSWER: Doctor
I am 62 and am currently making a fairly good living. My wife just went on SS disability and won't qualify for medicare for another 20 months(2 years on disabilty). We were using her medical coverage, but had to switch to mine which is terrible in comparison.
I spent 4 years in the AF in the 70's, during which time I got a hole in one eardrum, while swimming. They tried to patch it but it didn't hold up. I got out of the service without getting it fixed, because I didn't want to be bothered with the surgery again. I have had some hearing loss since, but nothing major and I cannot swim more than a foot under water without great pain.
When my wife qualifies for Medicare, would it be worth my time to look into the VA, and would I possibly qualify for a slight disability regarding the ear? Should I?