I remember hearing through the '90's that the Tampa VA SCI was the best of top five SCI units in the U.S. followed by other VA SCI units. Mine in San Diego was great when it opened but the when Staff Head took over his thinking is not patient orientated which the negligence shows. I've even had my pension increased due to their negligence. Well I lost my prostate also. The VA SCIU in Palo Alto was wonderful so I did not mean a bad wrap against all VA hospitals.
You also have Physicians Mutual insurance? I have their two policies which helps hugely in keeping out of debt in my poverty income. Do you know of another good policy or company? Thank you. Merrill _____ From: Quadius [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Monday, April 14, 2008 6:27 PM To: Merrill Burghardt Cc: [email protected] Subject: Re: [QUAD-L] PAIN I have received all of my care at the VA here in Tampa and while I did have a similar incident (Lori's DVT problem) I received unbelievable care. Don't get me wrong, when I first went to the VA in 95, it was not nearly as good as it is now. Sure, there are still problems, but I think there are problems in every hospital. As for hospital insurance through physicians mutual, I only pay around $230 a year which equates to less than $20 a month. It pays me $75 a day if I become hospitalized. I have had the insurance since 1996 though, so it might cost more now. I haven't checked in a while. On 4/14/08, Merrill Burghardt <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: Your medical care sounds similar as the Veterans Hospital. I am poverty income also which is exactly why having hospitalization insurance is necessary. Do the math! My monthly payment is $46.00 which I am sure you can manage. Once hospitalized it pays out $80.00 a day. Two or three days in will pay the annual premium which puts all other days paid into clear pocket money. How can you afford not to look into insurance if you know you will be hospitalized? Merrill _____ From: Lori Michaelson [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Monday, April 14, 2008 3:13 PM To: Merrill Burghardt; [email protected] Subject: Re: [QUAD-L] PAIN When using the acronym VA ... I am only familiar with it being Veterans Affairs. If your question is to me... I am a little bit confused. Just confused today anyway. LOL. If you ARE talking to me and asking me if I am using something for circulation, etc. since my DVT ... just a baby aspirin a day. I was on Coumadin for 10 years only because I was afraid to go off of it... because I am immobile, etc.. But that arsenic can build up in your bones and I finally called it quits about three years ago and have been fine with just a baby aspirin a day. Lori Michaelson Age - 43 C4/5 complete quad, 28 years post Tucson, AZ On Sun, Apr 13, 2008 at 7:20 PM, Merrill Burghardt <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: Tell me about it. Are you using the VA system? Merrill _____ From: Lori Michaelson [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Sunday, April 13, 2008 12:38 PM To: NICHOLE ROHLING; [email protected] Subject: Re: [QUAD-L] PAIN I had a DVT (deep vein clot/thrombosis) in 1995 that was encouraged by surgeries. I was also very, very, very lucky to have survived it because I was telling doctors (my neurosurgeon and his staff hours away) my symptoms and they were ignoring them even though they were classic symptoms of a DVT! Hitherto ... I was not familiar with clots of any type so I was in the dark. It was the Internet that saved my life essentially. With what I described... they should have wanted to at the very least eliminate the possibility of a clot since I just had two surgeries with that doctor and that is a primary thing to worry about after surgery. But noooooo... I thought it was probably just swelling and I should wear some of those tight hose. QUACK, QUACK I went around for about a month with my left lower leg very swollen and very hard. I finally read an article on the net (I was very new to the Internet back then and only knew how to look things up) and one doctor in Washington state had an article about spinal cord injuries and folks with MS. A sentence said "If one leg is significantly larger than the other... it could indicate a clot." All I knew was that "a clot" was not good but I had no idea that I had a DVT whereby all I had to do was move a certain way to have it move directly to my lungs to kill me. The very next morning I called my primary care physician and I went to see him. He looked at it and said "I don't know... I don't think it could be a clot but I will send you over to the hospital to have an ultrasound done." Needless to say... I never left the hospital because it was a lengthy clot and I was in immediate danger. DOCTORS! QUACK, QUACK! I think I'm on my 95th life because of so many negligent doctors. Lori Michaelson Age - 43 C4/5 complete quad, 28 years post Tucson, AZ On Sat, Apr 12, 2008 at 4:55 PM, NICHOLE ROHLING <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: YES, CLOTS TAKE 4-6 WEEKS TO DISSOLVE SO I'M ON COUMADIN (?) TO THIN MY BLOOD. MY INR LEVEL NEEDS TO STAY BETWEEN 2.0 AND 3.0 MR DR SAID THEY DO HAVE MEDS TO BUST CLOTS BUT THE RISKS FOR ME OUTWEIGHED THE BENEFITS. I'M JUST THANKFUL TO BE ALIVE. NICKI Quadius <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: Thank goodness you made it through it. They send you home with blood clots? Quadius On 4/12/08, NICHOLE ROHLING <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: I HAVEN'T READ ALL THE RESPONSES BUT IT WAS I HAD A DR AISEVERAL BLOOD CLOTS IN MY RIGHT LUNG. I HAD DR APPT TUES AT 1PM BUT CALLED THE AMBULANCE AT 5AM. THE ER DOC IMMEDIATELY ORDERED A CAT SCAN WHICH SHOWED SEVERAL CLOTS IN MY RIGHT LUNG AND A FEW IN MY LEFT. I WAS ADMITTED TO THE HOSPITAL AND MY DR HAD ULTRASOUND DONE ON MY LEGS AND SURE ENOUGH I HAD A CLOT IN MY LFT LEFT BEHIND MY KNEE - NO SWELLING REDNESS OR HEAT. HE SAID THE SMALL CLOTS IN MY LUNGS WERE MOST LIKELY FLOATERS WHICH BROKE OFF OF THE MAIN CLOT. I JUST GOT HOME AND AM FEELING REAL LUCKY TO BE ALIVE NICKI __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com <http://mail.yahoo.com/> __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com <http://mail.yahoo.com/> -- Lori C4/5 complete quad, 27 years post Tucson, AZ -- Lori C4/5 complete quad, 27 years post Tucson, AZ
