Today I received a phone call from the Phoenix VA. I was told that my medication was being deactivated because I haven’t been doing my monthly INR. I receive a letter earlier in the mail that stated that I was being negligent in my medical care because I was’t coming in to do my INR.
Yesterday I went in and had my INR completed. In the last year of being on this medication they have adjusted it so much I couldn’t even tell the Nurse on the phone what dosage I was taking. She also asked if I had stopped taking them or if I had a stock pile of medicine. Here was my reply:
“Ma’am….It takes me an hour to get to the VA Hospital, the only time that I have to do this is early in the morning before work. That means I have to wake up around 430am to get to the VA and then to work on time. I cannot afford to be late for work. I cannot do this during the day or after work. As it is I only get around 4 hours of sleep and my job is an hour drive the other direction.” She said she was sorry that I had to drive that far but the test are very important.
“I understand it very important. I also understand that my condition that I take them for isn’t important to the VA as they have told me there is nothing more they can do for me. The VA has made it clear that they only thing they care about with my conditions is sending me to physical therapy and then taking me off of it as I was getting better.” She said she understood my frustrations.
” I then explained to her that I did not have a stock pile of medication because the VA was charging me for the medication. Medication that is for a service connected disability. Medication that I otherwise wouldn’t be taking or need if it wasn’t for my military service.” She said she would look into that.
I then told her that if the VA cared so much about my condition then why is it that I am only rated 10% for a condition that is life threatening and could kill me if I am not on the medication. Furthermore, If the doctors say there is nothing else they can do – why do I keep getting denied for an increase.
So now I am back on my medicine and they again have increased my dosage and will allow me to get more medicine. Medicine that is supposed to keep me alive, but can kill me – medicine that I have no idea is actually working or not.
Well in the end I am glad they at least called (90 days later). That means their systems are working, but are they?
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