I posted this about my brother. It's not only healthcare workers who are forced to get the vaccine!
My brother got a call from his doctor at the VA yesterday. He said they will not start interferon therapy for hep C until my brother has had the H1N1 vaccine and has time to build up immunity.
The VA does not have any of the vaccine so he has to wait! If they don't kill him with lack of treatment (2+ years now), they'll kill him with the vaccine. He's close to needing dialyisis and his liver is in very bad shape. I'm very worried about the effect of this vaccine on him.
Terry
Pinelady responded: Terry that is preposterous. I think I would find
another VA doc. Sounds like to me they just don't
want to treat him where he is and I would find
another one. There is more than one VA.Thanks for
posting this. I wonder if Fox news will carry it? LOL
TinCup responded: This is so sad Terry.
I wish him well and if we can do anything to help, please let us know.
DARN that vaccine!
Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr..........
Truthfinder responded: Oh, how awful, Terry. I'd be looking around for another source of H1N1 vacccine and to heck with the VA. Just furnish them with proof of vaccination from the _________ Health Department (or wherever). Is that do-able?
TerryK
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 8552
posted
Pinelady (love that name),
I raised heck with them several years ago and got another doctor for him and his current doctor is even worse than his last one.
The VA doesn't take kindly to anyone raising a fuss and they seemed to take it out on my brother. They are outrageous. The stories I could tell about how they operate. We have no other VA hospitals in our State.
My sister and I are thinking of writing to our elected officials if they don't stop putting off treatment. Every month or 2 they come up with another reason that it has to be put off.
The last one was because 20 years ago he had a drinking problem. He doesn't drink anymore and hasn't for decades. He has lyme (numerous bullseye rashes) and it makes him very sick to drink. He lost all desire to drink when he became diabetic and his lyme became active.
The VA forced him to go through a series of counseling for his supposed drinking problem before they would approve interferon therapy. That is complete and he is approved but they keep finding other reasons.
They want him to join a support group for alcoholics and get weekly testing for drinking and drugs and see a counselor every week. He has agreed even though we both think it is insane since he hasn't had anything to drink in over 20 years. We also don't know how he will physcically manage all this activity.
They don't understand why he doesn't have friends or go out and do things. He tries to tell them that he can barely go to the grocery store. Sometimes he goes and before he can finish his trip he gets so sick (vomiting, coughing, dizzy etc.) that he has to leave the cart 1/2 full and go home.
Of course they don't treat his lyme because his ELISA was Equiv (same as mine). They refused to do a WB because he is negative according to their experts.
Eventually they will tell him that he is too sick to be treated. They told him that for several years until we finally got his health up enough to proceed but that was over 2 years ago that they said he was well enough to get treatment. It's so upsetting.
TC - Thanks so much!
Truthfinder - I found a source of the vaccine yesterday and called him. It was even single vial which I'm sure will not be available at the VA. Told him I'd take him to get the shot. The vaccine was $30 which he said he can't afford. I told him I'd pay for it but he said no. He is afraid that they will not be happy if he gets the shot anywhere else. They really are just looking for an excuse to put off treatment so his fear is not unfounded.
I hate the VA. That said, he did find a doctor on his last trip to the emergency room who has made a cause of Mark (my brother). She was appalled at the way his doctor had ignored his condition for so long and she is largely responsible for trying to move things along.
I have been urging my brother to consider Dr. Z's protocol which covers lyme and hep C. I've told him I'll pay for it. He keeps putting it off because the VA dangles the old stick of treatment every month or 2. I'll have to try harder to strong arm him if this goes on much longer.
Thanks to anyone who reads this long vent and thanks for all your support.
Terry
Posts: 6286 | From Oregon | Registered: Jan 2006
| IP: Logged |
bettyg
Unregistered
posted
terry,
i feel so bad for your brother and you 2 sisters FIGHTING the system constantly.
this came to my mind, CONTACT COLLEEN NICKOLSON, who worked with dr. burrascano and is the military rep for lyme patients.
found this much in my files, but no more:
Medical Air Transport for Wounded Warriors, Veterans and Active Military
TerryK
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 8552
posted
Great idea Betty! I did a search and came up with this.
Colleen Nicholson, is the founder of Military Lyme Support, an organization devoted to helping Lyme patients in the US Military. Ms. Nicholson is also a supporter of LDA, and volunteers as moderator of these online groups: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MilitaryLyme
I joined the group. Thanks Betty!!
Terry
Posts: 6286 | From Oregon | Registered: Jan 2006
| IP: Logged |
posted
That stinks. And just think.. if the VA can't do any better than this, what do you think the gov run health care will be like? I shudder to think.
"Truthfinder responded: Oh, how awful, Terry. I'd be looking around for another source of H1N1 vacccine and to heck with the VA. Just furnish them with proof of vaccination from the _________ Health Department (or wherever). Is that do-able?"
I don't understand how that would help???? I wouldn't want the shot from ANY source. I don't get it.
-------------------- --Lymetutu-- Opinions, not medical advice! Posts: 96222 | From Texas | Registered: Feb 2001
| IP: Logged |
TerryK
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 8552
posted
Yes, I agree tutu, it's frightening. I have never seen such an awful place to deal with as the VA.
One example, thier emergency room physicians treat you while you are in the hospital. Your own doctor is not involved AT ALL!! No consultation, no input, nothing! It's like you don't have a doctor that knows your case. A terrible situation if you have a complex case.
The emergency room doctors prescribe meds (sometimes many meds) but they aren't available once you leave the hospital. Then you must deal with your regular doctor who hasn't bought into the new meds.
This has happened to my brother numerous times. It's insane. They did assign him a kidney doctor last time he was in the emergency room because his kidney's are failing and his regular doctor was not paying attention at all. The kidney doctor is the one who is trying to get the interferon for Mark.
As far as getting the H1N1 vaccine somewhere else - they are forcing him to get the vaccine or they will not allow him to get the interferon for his hep C which is killing his liver. He has no choice but to take the vaccine. If he got the vaccine faster, he could get hep C treatment faster. Now he has to wait for the VA to get the vaccine and schedule an apointment. They are slow.
The whole thing makes me crazy.
Terry
Posts: 6286 | From Oregon | Registered: Jan 2006
| IP: Logged |
Pinelady
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 18524
posted
What about going the SS route?
If you have medical problems like him is he not
eligible? Is there a rule you have to go to VA
with SS? If I were him I believe I would try to
find a lawyer to get him the help he needs. There
are many who work for payment after approval.
-------------------- Suspected Lyme 07 Test neg One band migrating in IgG region unable to identify.Igenex Jan.09IFA titer 1:40 IND IgM neg pos 31 +++ 34 IND 39 IND 41 IND 83-93 + DX:Neuroborreliosis Posts: 5850 | From Kentucky | Registered: Dec 2008
| IP: Logged |
RDaywillcome
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 21454
posted
What happened to Freedom of Choice? My son also has had to get vaccinations that he didn't want.
How many soldiers are getting ill from the vaccines? Sure makes me wonder!
Posts: 1738 | From over the rainbow | Registered: Jul 2009
| IP: Logged |
bettyg
Unregistered
posted
terry,
thrilled you found more info on colleen nicholson & a web site; i copied that info to my own links.
please copy the link also to treepatrol's newbie links so other veterans may come across this much needed contact info; thx my friend
IP: Logged |
TerryK
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 8552
posted
Betty - apparently you must be IN the military to belong to that group. From what I can tell, I was denied access.
Pinelady - That's a good idea on the face of it. My husband and I helped him get SS a couple of years ago. We looked into medicare coverage then but he has very little monthly income and paying $120+ per month for the insurance + another $50-100+ for prescription coverage + all the co-pays and the huge gap of thousands of dollars with no prescription coverage, especially with all the prescriptions he needs, would be way out of his price range.
I don't know how senior citizens and disabled citizens who have no other source of income manage to live if they have to buy very many medications.
Terry
Posts: 6286 | From Oregon | Registered: Jan 2006
| IP: Logged |
TerryK
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 8552
posted
Rdaywillcome - sorry to hear about your son being forced to get vaccines.
I can at least partially understand the thinking with Mark. IF he were to get the H1N1 virus, AND be on interferon, it may be too much for his already very sick body. That's the only thing I can come up with that makes any sense.
I do know that many WW1 soldiers died of the Spanish influenza which is very much like the current H1N1 virus genetically. I would think living in close quarters makes it more likely that soldiers might spread the virus.
It's all so confusing as to what is the right thing to do.
Terry
Posts: 6286 | From Oregon | Registered: Jan 2006
| IP: Logged |
bettyg
Unregistered
posted
terry,
sorry to hear colleen is a deadend since you must be currently in service.
we've got several members who are in this group; they haven't posted in many months this year.
proudtobemom if i remember right and her daughter
IP: Logged |
bettyg
Unregistered
posted
terry, your PM box is full;
i'll try sending something by regular email if i can remember your name!! lol
IP: Logged |
TerryK
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 8552
posted
Sorry Betty, I'll try to clean it out today.
I just got a message that I've been accepted into the military group. Very confusing based on the first e-mail I got.
I'm just glad that I was accepted. Maybe I can find some things here that will help my brother.
Terry
Posts: 6286 | From Oregon | Registered: Jan 2006
| IP: Logged |
bettyg
Unregistered
posted
terry, i did send you what i had in mind and got your reply today
IP: Logged |
The Lyme Disease Network is a non-profit organization funded by individual donations. If you would like to support the Network and the LymeNet system of Web services, please send your donations to:
The
Lyme Disease Network of New Jersey 907 Pebble Creek Court,
Pennington,
NJ08534USA http://www.lymenet.org/
UBBFriend: Email this page to someone!
![[group hug]](graemlins/grouphug.gif)
![[kiss]](graemlins/kissing.gif)
to you all.... betty
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
![[Frown]](frown.gif)
Printer-friendly view of this topic