Step Aside Pride

It's been a little bit since I've posted...but I've struggled with how I wanted to put my thoughts into complete sentences.  My last post (aside from the blog hop post) was me venting about our experience with the Army's medical board process (MEB) and the VA.  Well I was directed to Operation Homefront by Cheryl over at "Wife of A Wounded Soldier" (you can click her name for a direct link to her blog).  After doing an application and talking with an individual by phone a couple times, we are getting some help.  Operation Homefront is helping us to pay some of our past due rent and they also sent us some gift cards to get some groceries.  No joke, I was on the verge of tears as I spoke with the guy from OH.  It's an extremely humbling experience to have to ask someone for help and admit that you can't afford to buy groceries or pay rent, etc.  The guy was extremely nice and empathetic about us needing help.  Plus he is a social worker, who completely understood my situation with grad school...and made me feel better because I didn't need to explain why I'm not able to work during grad school.  So we are getting some help in that area...which I can't ever say thank you enough for.  Kyle and I decided that when we finally get stable and are not struggling so much, we are going to donate back to OH just so they can help other wounded warriors and their families. 

Oh and I must also say thank you to my grandma, who took me grocery shopping on Saturday.  She bought me around $100 worth of groceries (she bought some stuff for my mom and also for a family BBQ we are having for memorial day) and was trying to get me to get more things.  I just told her what we had was fine, which I'm glad I did because she used her credit card.  I'm sure she was only using it for the bonus points she gets on her credit card, but I didn't want to put her in a financial bind too...especially since we owe her so much money in rent.  So we are eternally thankful for the people who have helped us this last week!

Oh and I didn't mention in my last post...but we are having a significant problem with the VA.  Kyle's neurologist does not like to give us his test results.  He had an EEG in November/December and did not give us the results until Kyle's case manager sent an email out to the team (goes to everyone that treats Kyle, as well as the administrator) wanting to know why he documented that he called us but never did.  Kyle gets random medications for seizures...extremely high doses of this medication...but nobody explains to us what the medication is for or anything about it.  After he gets this email, the Dr. called, left a voicemail saying "EEG bad.  Take seizure medication."  We go for another neurology appointment and the guy simply tells Kyle to read the computer screen and doesn't tell us anything useful other than "you read".  ***Side note, the Dr. is from somewhere in South America and has HORRIBLE English.  He truly does speak like this.***  So fast forward to March.  We go for another useless appointment with Dr. Jerkoff (he he) and he tells Kyle that his brain waves show seizure activity and he shouldn't drive, blah, blah, blah.  He tells Kyle that he is going to have to stop Voc Rehab because he believes Kyle may have seizures sometime in his lifetime.  We argue with him a bit b/c Kyle is doing a CDL program for voc rehab.  Dr. Jerkoff says "ok, we do another EEG and MRI".  So beginning of April we do another EEG and a MRI.  We hear nothing back from Dr. Jerkoff.  The last week of April Kyle's case manager calls and wants an update on things.  We explain everything going on, so she goes through the process of the email to the team again demanding answers.  We hear nothing.  After about a week passes, Kyle calls the VA to talk to Dr. Jerkoff.  Nobody has seen him in 2 weeks and the system says he is not on vacation.  Nobody can give him the results of the EEG.  Yesterday I made Kyle call his case manager again.  She was not happy about everything that's going on and sent another email out to the team and specifically to Dr. Jerkoff.  She calls Kyle back this morning wanting to know if he's heard anything.  Nope...sure haven't.  So finally a little before noon the Dr. calls.  He says "EEG still show bad."  After several phone calls with the case manager, primary care nurse, patient representative, and several other people....the hospital is looking into the matter and Kyle is being referred for a second opinion from the other neurologist.  Now hopefully things can get moving on this process.  Ugh I hate people who like to pretend they don't have responsibilities and don't have to give their patients results of serious tests.  Stupid doctor. 

On a completely different thought.  I have 15 friends that are pregnant...not including my friends here on blogger.  15 f'n people who are pregnant...and like 4 that have recently had a baby.  What the hell is in the water...or air for that matter.  No I'm not trying to get pregnant...although I do sometimes wonder if I'm being left behind.  I'm going to be the only person who isn't pregnant or has kids....and I live the life of an old lady...so I don't even have anything fun to show for it.  Oh well though, another day another dollar.