PTSD

PTSD has been noted in people diagnosed with cancer. But unfortunately the main group of people who are diagnosed with PTSD are the soldiers who see and experience horrible things while serving our country. I know what I went through emotionally with two cancer diagnoses. I got myself lots of support to help me cope.

I can't imagine the veterans who come back after fighting overseas who are waiting for a diagnosis, never mind treatment. We are letting them down as individuals and as a country.

What if you were diagnosed with cancer and then couldn't get an appointment to see your doctor or anyone for months after? You were stuck in  limbo with a horrible diagnosis and could do nothing for your treatment. The emotional roller coaster would be unimaginable. And add to that if you were already physically ill at the time of the diagnosis and couldn't get any care?

This is how I feel we treat our veterans. They come home from serving their country and can't get the care they need once discharged. They are stuck with a bureaucratic nightmare called the Veterans Administration which treats them horribly, has too small a budget, and not enough medical providers.

Today is Veteran's Day. Take a moment or ten or more, to thank a veteran and do something to help one or many. We owe it to them.

The VA scandal

I usually limit my posts to topics related to cancer and other health issues but I cannot resist commenting on the VA scandal. It absolutely appalls me that:

• employees were told to fake data and hide deaths
• soldiers who were injured serving their country receive substandard health care
• how wide spread this problem - its not just limited to Arizona.

This is unacceptable behavior for anyone. Why would anyone want to play God and select two gets care? For those of you who were concerned about the 'Death Panels' (remember that idea?) as part of the Healthcare Reform Act should rethink that. Those VA employees who were creating the secret lists and hiding data were playing God with the soldiers.

The whistle-blower in this case should be applauded for coming out and telling the truth about what happened. But there also should be a note made that while she did come clean in the end, shouldn't she have questioned her superiors or gone to another part of the VA - superiors, HR, etc - and asked about being told to lie? Unethical behavior, or even criminal behavior, should not be tolerated by anyone.The claim of 'following orders' does not excuse this at all. If worried about job security, I wouldn't want to work for an organization that wanted me to break the law or work unethically.

I hope that there is substantial reform in the VA healthcare system and our vets are not mistreated like this again in the future. And I hope that criminal charges of negligent death are filed against those responsible.

Finally, it also leads me hope that there are internal audits at all medical care facilities so that this type of behavior can never happen again.