Vietnam veterans....

[Ken Fitzgerald]

About a year ago I was reading and found that Vietnam veterans qualified for VA medical benefits. About the same time, I was talking with a neighbor who came over to ask me about hearing aids. I have bimodal hearing; I have a cochlear implant (CI) on one ear and a hearing aid (Ha)on the other ear which doesn't help a lot. He had researched HAs and he was shocked by their costs. This was prior to the FDA changing the regulations requiring prescriptions to purchase HAs. Later that evening I remembered that he was a Vietnam veteran. I walked over to his house and suggested that he check with the local VA office. I knew a local guy who was a Korean vet who asked me about CIs and later got implanted at the VA's expense. My neighbor went to the local VA office and registered. He came over to thank me as he was transferring his medications and his medical records to the VA eliminating the need for health insurance and it was saving him hundreds of dollars monthly.

This afternoon he came over to tell me he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer. The VA not only was paying for his treatment but also giving him full disability until the cancer was no longer an issue. This added up to thousands of dollars a month. He said the VA was all over his situation and he was pleased.

I served 8 years and 9 days of active duty during Vietnam but never served in Vietnam thus I don't qualify for benefits.

My reason for posting this is to encourage Vietnam veterans to check with the VA as there are a lot of medical issues due to the Agent Orange settlement that can help them receive benefits during those times of need.

[Mike Henderson]

Yep, I get my hearing aids through the VA. For years, I never applied to the VA because I felt there were people who deserved it a lot more than me. But my wife kept bugging me and I finally did it.

Mike

[I'm a Vietnam vet.]

[Jerome Stanek]

BIL got hearing aids from the VA and he never served in Nam but did server in that time frame. He was stationed at Fort Bragg for most of his service.

[Dave Anderson NH]

Since I retired I get all of my medical care through the VA and I volunteer at the Manchester NH VA medical center one day a week. I have had nothing but positive experiences and the best of care. As an example, just over 3 years ago I was assigned a new primary care physician who decided to do a complete workup on me as a patient new to her. This included among other things a CAT scan. The very day the test was run she called saying they found a 25mm probable cancer in the top lobe of my right lung. After an MRI and a PET scan they scheduled me for surgery at the W. Roxbury VA medical center in Mass. The top lobe of my right lung was removed by an assistant professor of surgery at Harvard Medical School and his 2 residents. It was done laparoscopically on a Thursday and I was sent home on Sunday.

Years ago I got a copy of a VA benefits book and after reading about the financial means test figured I made too much money to qualify for care. My wife and I were having dinner one night with one of her distant relatives and her husband who was a city veteran's service officer in Mass. He asked me if I had gotten set up in the system. I told him I made too much money to qualify. After calling me an idiot, he said I could make a million a year and still qualify. As a combat wounded Vietnam veteran with 2 Purple Heart I was exempt from the means test. My point is simple, if you were wounded in action you qualify for free medical care at the VA. You might still have to pay for prescriptions but the co-pays are low and hearing aids, C-PAP machines, and glasses are no charge. Note also that because of age, as Vietnam veteran or Vietnam era veteran you might very well still qualify. DO IT NOW!!!

[Maurice Mcmurry]

My dads former farm hand is a Veteran of the Korean Conflict. He would have most likely died homeless if my dad had not found kind and clever ways to get him to the VA hospital. He is alive and fairly well, living close by in Oak Tower. I learned a whole lot from this guy. He seldom spoke and could fix anything including his own dads hearing aid.

[Jim Becker]

Although my dad's service was well before Viet Nam, the cost of his HA's were covered by the VA. I encourage anyone who served in the US military to ascertain what benefits are available to them and use them when necessary...they were earned for sure.

[Thomas L Carpenter]

I was Navy from 66-70 but never served in Viet Nam. Matter of fact I was a sidewalk sailor that spent my 4 years in onshore communications and as a result I have tinnitus 24/7 and receive a small disability from the VA. Long story short my hearing had degraded to the point I felt I needed hearing aids so I thought I'd apply. Got my aids three days ago even though I didn't meet what I thought were the requirements for VA help. I received my hearing aids this week. Took about 1 month total and two or three phone calls. I have to say the people at the VA are very easy to deal with. I found I'm eligible for everything but dental although meds will have a copay of some sort. If you are a vet I recommend you give it a try.

[Patty Hann]

I'm glad for all of you that have had postive experiences with the VA doctors and/or hospitals.
You try to use the VA here in Phoenix (and maybe the rest of AZ but not sure about that)....you'll probably die, waiting to get treated, especially for any diabeteic, cardiac, neuro, or cancer related ills.
Heck you will probably die just waiting to get an appointment.
I would never, ever consider using the VA in Phoenix.
VA in Phoenix has well documented (and so well publicized) "shortcomings".

[Bruce Page]

I was almost a Vietnam vet. I blew my left knee out in AIT carrying an M60 up a steep hill in Nov. 1970. I was given a medical discharge “for the Convenience of the Army” I was “in” for a little less than 6 months so did not qualify for VA benefits. That same knee is problematic to this day..

[Dave Anderson NH]

Bruce, you can order a copy of both your service record and all your medical records through Kansas City. If you present the treatment records from your Army medical records the VA will treat it as service connected and cover you. For assistance your best bet for competent help through the process is through the DAV. You don't have to be a member for them to help.

[Bruce Page]

Thanks for the info Dave. That knee has a prior history of torn ligaments when I crashed a minibike on a gravel road as a kid. I’m probably looking at a knee replacement at some point, but it will have to get a lot worse before I sign up for that. Right now I’s just irritating if I push it too hard.

[Jim Becker]

Thanks for the info Dave. That knee has a prior history of torn ligaments when I crashed a minibike on a gravel road as a kid. I’m probably looking at a knee replacement at some point, but it will have to get a lot worse before I sign up for that. Right now I’s just irritating if I push it too hard.

Bruce, current generation knee replacements are "the bee's knees", pardon the expression. They are less traumatic as only deceased material and material between the bones is removed while CT and computer technology are used to custom tailor the replacement to the specific individual. The surgery to do the replacement is also less traumatic, is generally robotic assisted because of the scans and engineering and recovery is quick. It's nothing like when my mother had hers done many years ago. Our older daughter had to have one done last year (at age 27 due to injury as a teen and her excessive weight) and that leg is like brand new.

[Sam Force]

On knee replacement I had 1 replaced last October and 1 replaced in January. The 1 from October was a breeze, very little pain after the first week and no issues at all. The 2nd replacement was rougher, not as much range of motion in it but Dr says it will slowly improve. I can't tell you it a piece of cake but it is doable and pain is manageable

[Edwin Santos]

Slightly off topic, but just to throw out some hope for those with hearing loss - some of the academic research institutions are making astounding progress with the application of stem cell therapy to the inner ear.
This is the area of regenerative medicine where stem cells from other parts of the body (in this case the small intestine) are used to regenerate the hair cells and auditory neurons.
Apparently the research is in initial trials, but the point is we are not far away from some exciting solutions.

[Bruce Page]

Jim, I have two friends that have had knee replacements in the last six months. Both of them have said that it was not as big a deal as they were expecting, you just have to faithfully do the post-surgery physical therapy. Both of them were experiencing significant discomfort pre-surgery. I’m not there..yet.