PART TWO- NOW THAT HIGH LEVEL CALLS HAVE BEEN MADE

The mess is a lot bigger than I have already outlined.  

But some context:  On my way back from the VA with my insulin, I got a call from Mr. Cooper who manages my mortgage for the Texas Veteran's Land Board.  They get a big fat "F."  Every year they totally mess up my escrow account. This is the account wherein money is held for the property insurance.

It is not hard, but every year I have to explain to them if I have a deficiency, I owe them money and they should not be refunding money to me.  GEICO this year doubled my homeowner's insurance because all of the claims they paid last year in Florida and elsewhere.  I changed to another company and saved over a $1,000 under GEICO.

So, for a month I have fought with Mr. Cooper such as I do every year.  If I have a deficiency, I owe them money.   They sent me a $1,500, refund and then added it into my mortgage over the next 12 months.

So, I am in the car, and they called me. I was ready with the numbers, and without confrontation we got everything fixed.  This is after a month of endless conversations trying to get them to understand if I owe them money. I do not have a surplus.  No argument, no confrontation.

I get back to Brownsville and go for my first infusion therapy.  It was like walking into Heaven.  I am looking forward to my hour and a half session every morning from 10-11:30 for the next 5 weeks.  I will finally get to reread Moby Dick. 

They sent me home with the 8-hour infusion therapy.  I am hooked up with a portable IV drip.  Doing all this from home is going to be so easy.  They made it easy.

My point is if people want to be professionals, they can be professionals.

Now, I left the VA with the insulin with zero knowledge on how to use it.  I am told it is a pen wherein I have to put the needle on myself.  I found a nurse outside the VA to show me how to use it.

I still cannot test my blood sugar.  I have never seen a system like the one the VA uses.

Then there is a medicine I need for the neuropathic pain. They want me to wait ten days.  I woke up at 2 a.m. in horrific pain. 

I made it clear I would call an ambulance the next time it happens.  

WELL, ENOUGH PEOPLE WERE CALLED INTO THIS COMPLETE MESS, THAT THINGS ARE NOW MOVING. 

The problem is my case manager had no interest in listening about the issues with transition from the hospital to home.  Home will work very well.  I could not be happier.  The VA transition team should have made sure they could meet my medication needs or have a prescription ready for filling at Walgreens.

The staff charged with having a nurse coming to my home for three days as part of the transition failed.  The regulation provides for no discretion.  When she could not find an outside service, she should have requested a VA nurse.  She did not.  

Between the case manager and community care their failure was epic. 

SO NOW, I AM SETTLED IN

Tomorrow a nurse will walk me through the blood sugar test system used by the VA.  I will get a prescription for Lyrica. I have to pay for it.  The VA insurance does not cover it. GoodRX has a reasonable price for me at Walmart.  In my mind it is not possible the VA does not cover essential medications with no substitute.  You cannot wait 10 days for a medicine which is essential to treatment and pain management. But there you go, that is the VA.