Trish: US Not Doing Right By Veterans

My brother, Joe, a decorated Vietnam War veteran, got this cold that’s going around and it turned into bronchitis. He went to the VA in Spokane, where the bronchitis was diagnosed, but nothing was said about why he was passing out when he coughed. He called the VA after passing out and busting his head open on the living room coffee table. They said he was likely weak and dehydrated. He drove to the VA on (Wednesday? Thursday? I can’t remember which) to talk to them about these occassional bouts of passing out. They sent him home, told him to come in next week for some tests. He passed out while driving home. Luckily, he wasn’t killed, and no one else was killed. My children and I have since taken turns being his ‘driver’ when he needs to go out. I witnessed his blackouts twice last night, and they’re very frightening. I read just a month ago about an Iraq war veteran who went to the VA because he was suicidal. They told him to come back the next week, too… but, of course, he killed himself before they could make time to see him. Please let our legislators know that our veterans need and deserve a VA that has the means and the instructions to be responsive to the medical and emotional needs of our veterans.

Trish Gannon /Wading Through The River Journal