Well here it is as promised

[Sailorsong]

Only saw 1 deer on the way to the VA today.  It was just slightly bigger than you would expect for a fawn, but didn't have any of the fawn markings. This makes the second time I have seen small deer on my trips to the VA. Makes you wonder why they are so small now?

My first stop was at optical to find out why I hadn't gotten my glasses yet that were suppose to have been ordered in January. I got there at 12:30 and there was a sign saying they were at lunch until 1:15. So I headed up to Prosthetics for my appointment which was for 1:30 as I knew I could not get up there in time if I waited until the person from Optical got back.

Since Prosthetics is the department that actually sends out the Purchase orders I decided to see what I could find out while there since I was early. Turns out that they never ordered my glasses as it was canceled with no explanation indicated. Of course as par for the VA they never informed me of this either. So I have been waiting 4 months for glasses that were never going to come. The woman in Prosthetics said she would talk to Optical about getting the order reopened and she would order them today under priority. She also took my phone number to let me know, but of course the day has ended at the VA and no call to me. Again Par for the VA.

Shortly after that the Tech called me back to the exam room and while walking back there my left toe caught on a shadow and I almost went down. Maybe if I hadn't caught myself with my cane I would have gotten better results.

First off he starts in with there is no way my AFO could be causing pain or numbness in my toe. I had to tell the guy a dozen times that the only time I get the pain in my toe is after I had been wearing the AFO for a while and it is very excruciating ( 9 out of 10) . So finally he said he was going to trim back the AFO so that it only extends to the ball of my foot to see if that will help. When I bought up the Bioness foot drop system he said I'm not qualified as it is only for Traumatic Brain Injury and not for Neuropathy like I have. At this point I just shut up as he was getting my blood boiling. He knows I have MS not Neuropathy but is just going to say anything he want to justify things.  Oh and he said he was going to order an AFO for my left foot. OK so they know what size AFO I need, and that it is for my left foot. So why didn't they order it before this appointment instead of making me make another trip up there gain in a month? Oh when I talked to the Physical therapist about the toe pain she told me that it was caused by pressure on the nerve in my calf by the brace. So needless to say I expect to be in a lot of toe pain tonight since I have been wearing the brace all day. I hate it when a tech thinks he knows more than a doctor! Wonder if he is going to Neuro School to learn that he is alway right no matter what? LOL

Next I brought up that my PC wants me to have a cooling vest since they are the ones that also order these. He tells me that the orders have to be given by the Neurology Department so I have to contact them to see a doctor in order get one the doctor to issue an order. So I headed for Neurology to see about getting a message sent to my Neuro about a cooling vest. There I am told I have to talk to the Neurology Secretary to see if she can do anything. Head up one floor and across the hospital to find the Secretary has already left ( it was 2:15).  It must be nice to have those kind of hours? :)

Right now I am so frustrated by this VA I am tempted to just abandon my home and move out to Oregon to stay with my brother as I have heard the VA in Portland is good and they actually have MS Neuros.

Dennis

[Sailorsong]

I'm not sure of the answer either. But I suspect that you can't since you would have thought my VA would have sent me to the Memphis VA were they do have a MS clinic for evaluation. Plus when looking up information on the VA site it seems to me saying that you apply for benefits at the VA you will be going to.

I do know that KY doesn't have MS Neuros. And NC and GA VA's are way to far for me to travel ( 12 - 14 hrs each way). Even the Memphis one is a little bit too far at 6 hours each way. The next closest VA is in AL but I have heard that it is even worse than my VA.

Dave would do fine without me as he has other friends in the area. It is just that I am the closest in distance so I get the calls.

Dennis

[Lulu54]

Portland is tempting, I know, but what would your friend, DAve,  do without you and vice versa?  You two have certainly been through a lot together over these past few years.

This is a question I don't know the answer to  - would you be eligible to go to a different VA center for evaluation while still living in TN? I'm wondering if you could slide over the border to NC or GA or even up to KY if it would make a difference for getting some of this entered correctly into your medical record.

I haven't seen deer around here lately,so I guess I'll see one within the next few days.  Wildlife spotting  seems to go in cycles.

hugs,
L

[debgen]

Hi Dennis,
I am so sorry that the VA is putting you through all this :(  It is truly outrageous to wait so long for glasses. I am not surprised they are giving you such a hard time with theBioness. They want to say that an AFO does the same thing as a prosthetic device. This I not true because the AFO only helps foot drop whereas the Bioness or walkAide stimulate your nerves and strengthen te muscles and reduc spasticity in the hamstrings. Of course I had any success getting my insurance company either. I have appealed their denial with letters from my neuro, my PT and myself discussing th benifits of the WalkAide they declined me again due to lack of scientific proof. I reallydon't give a crap about scientific evidence when my doctor and PT have
noticed a big improvement (as well as myself!)
I too am so frustrated, as I know you are. I really wish yo the very best of luck and get more positive results in Oregon. Please keep us posted
(((hugs)))
Deb

[SarahL2491]

Oh Dennis, i am so sorry to hear how your day went with the famous VA.
And to think I was in tears over the dingbat at Biogen wanting to go over every detail of my insurance instead of helping me with my appt for my infusion, finally crying, I hung up on her......

I did give you a wildlife update but for some reason it wound up under Jason's mom's query about neurophysiology posting........I'll try and cut/paste it for you and PM

Sarah, hoping the moose and the deer and the fox show up soon but not the black flies.