A Vietnam Vet, who has never used his VA benefits up until a few days ago,awoke to excruciating pain in his lower back. He called a friend, who transported him to a VA hospital in Alabama. When they arrived, the friend asked the facility's ER nurse to bring a stretcher out to the car, because the man couldn't stand or sit. The nurse told the friend that a wheelchair would do. He was rolled into the ER, screaming in pain, until he was given an injection of pain killers. He was then told by this facility that because of his injuries, they only prepped patients and prepared them for transport to a more comprehensive facility. So, the friend has to put this poor man back into his truck and transport him to the VA hospital in Atlanta. When he arrived, he again asked this facility's ER nurse for a stretcher...and was refused. After waiting for two hours, our VET was given another injection of painkillers...then had to wait another 2-1/2 hours, before he was finally seen by a doctor, who asked him what was wrong. The VET replied that he had back pain and couldn't walk. The doctor just asked: "What do you want us to do?"...and walked off, not even bothering to provide an examination. Of course the VET and his friend were stunned, and before they could react, they were told by a nurse that he had been discharged and would have to leave.
By the next morning, all the pain killers had worn off, and our VET is once again in agony. His friend contacted the office of our local congressman, who stated that he called the Atlanta VA facility and was told that if the VET was brought back, he would receive proper care. With the help of some friends, a stretcher was built out of some scaffolding support, and he was once again transported back to Atlanta. Lo and behold, when they arrived, they were able to get a stretcher, and our VET was wheeled inside the ER. He waited for FOUR hours, before he was finally given any pain medication. An X-Ray showed that he had a "problem" with his disc at L-5. He told his friend to go home, for he was confident that he would be admitted.
He was wrong. After his friend had left, a doctor gave him a prescription for NSAIDS and painkillers and left. It was now 2 AM, and a nurse showed up and told him: "Get your clothes, you've been discharged". He was able to get on his jeans and t-shirt, but was unable to bend over, to get his socks on. He asked if he could stay in the hospital's main waiting room until 8AM, when the Pharmacy opened and he could get his prescriptions filled and get a ride home. The nurse told him that he couldn't, and told him to get in a wheelchair. He did so, and was wheeled to the door of the E.R. and was told: "You have to leave the premises". He again asked the nurse if he could stay, but she called a security guard, who came and told him that if he didn't leave, the police would be called. Our VET told the guard to go ahead and call the cops, for he thought he would get "more help from them, than the VA". Instead, the guard rolled this man out to the bus stop and left him there. It was now 2:30 AM, and no bus was due until 7:30 AM. He used his cell phone to call his friend, who returned and picked him up. They went back to the ER, demanded answers...and got none.
While this travesty is supposedly being "investigated" by the VA and congressional officials, our VET is languishing on a sofa in his home...with a bedpan at his side, and he says (and WHO can blame him?): "...No way I am going back there. I wouldn't treat a dog the way they treated me....they send you to Vietnam to kill people and then they put you out on the street".
