Good Morning,
I was working and just saw this on KUSI, which is our local independent news channel here in San Diego. I went to their website and listened to this http://www.kusi.com/... video.
It WILL bring you tears and SHOULD...
This diary is short, sweet and to the point.
There is a conference in San Diego tomorrow, apparently Bob Dole will 'lead' it.
They are going to investigate the VA Hospital here (they need to look into Balboa, Camp Pendleton Naval, the VA Center in LaJolla, etc., as far as I'm concerned.
I am planning to go to this, I feel it's too important NOT to, even though it means jackin' around my entire schedule...but oh well.
I went through a childhood with a father who fought in WWII (apparently the Battle of the Bulge) and whom was medicated by the VA for over 40 years until his death. We are NOT talking a handleful of meds, we are talking HUNDREDS of vials of drugs that I found after he passed away..around 500 comes to mind.
For years the VA ignored my father and his complaints...instead of FIXING him, they medicated him, he drank, he died 20 years too young from all the meds.
Today I have a friend, more then a friend, but let's call him a friend.
He is an alcoholic in denial that he is an alcoholic...add to that he's been diagnosed with PTSD (2 1/2 years ago), so he drinks and TRAINED DOCTORS AT THE NAVAL HOSPITAL know he's an alcoholic and STILL give him multiple anti-depressants, sleeping pills and all the GOOD stuff that mixed with the alcohol will KILL HIM.
This has been going on within the VA system for over 40 years, I've seen it since I was a child with my father, this is NOTHING new, but with the number of injured vets coming back from Iraq and Afganistan and with the lack of funding to the VA and lack of training of the healthcare providers...this is going to have horrific consequences.
I could go on and on, but I said 'short'....
ANYONE here who lives near San Diego, please email me and let's meet up and tape this meeting, take notes and get the story out of what is REALLY being said.
Thank you to everyone who reads this, thank you to everyone who RECOMMENDS this....
In Peace
Barbara