How Veterans Live

 
Sirs; Edgar Tucker and you Chief of Staff…V.A. Hospital Houston, Texas

You cannot ‘fix’ this as it is past that point.  Still I would like this not to happen to another vet.

After going through your ‘protocol’ it took a year of x-rays and test to get to the point of surgery for a torn rotary cuff;  Understand, Charles R. Metcalf USMC #6672, is TOUGH, but no man is THAT tough.  He was in constant and unrelenting pain.  For which he was given NSAIDS and ULTRAM…nothing touched it and as far and you number system to rate the pain that is a joke.  I know I have personal experience. 

On December 8^th, 2008 he was at the V.A. at 5:30 a.m.  We live in Palacios, Texas so it is 2 and ½ hours drive there.  I am handicapped so our Son in Law took off work and was our driver.  We waited with all the other ‘out’ patients for surgery.  He was called back…oh about 10:00 a.m., and then prepped at 11.00 a.m., he was in surgery by 11:30 a.m. FIVE hours from when he was told to show up and that he was the first to have surgery …A LIE…one of many from you and yours.  He was in 5 hours not 2.  His surgery was much more serious.  In his neck x-ray he had been asking for from Dr. Alleggari (his 1^st PC who let this all linger to the breaking point and a change to Dr. Johnson.) the nerves were very compressed, so they were worried that the brace he was in for surgery would cause nerve damage.  They mentioned he must have been in great pain…YES he was and is.  Also, the surgeon asked why did we WAIT so long.  I was very tired and stressed; we had been at the Hospital since 5:30 AM!  It is now 5:30 p.m.  I told him he did NOT wait.  He had been asking for help for a year since he first injured his arm.  He had to follow PRODICAL! So it took him a year to get to the operating room…I got an oh, sorry from the surgeon.  So iced up and packed up here we go with a small bottle of vicoden for pain, on our long trip home.  The ride was excruciating.  We got him to bed at 11:00 p.m.