The car belongs to my niece Madeleine and she was kind enough to loan it to me for a while while I try to get my health straightened out through the VA. The Jeep is about ready for the junk yard and taking it on long distance trips to the VA facilities is a crap shoot at the least. Mater of fact I've been pretty well Exiled to Terlingua (name of a song I wrote some time back.) Anyway I've been pretty well stuck down here for well over a year and a half because of worrying about breakdowns even just going to Alpine and back for supplies. There aren't any VA facilities there anyway and taking it to Odessa was not a fun idea at all!
Not to worry Madaleine isn't having to ride a bicycle or anything like that. She has a newer one now and isn't ready to sell the loaner yet.
Not being able to get to the VA for appointments has taken its toll on me and truth be known I'm about ready for the human junk yard to. Not sure if its too late to get my health back or not, but I'd guess it is.
So there you have it.
Now the big problem will be getting the VA to do anything for me!
With the new rulings out of Washington, an' since you live more than 40 miles from a VA facility, you can go to a "real" doctor an' VA will pay for it. You may want to look into that.
ReplyDeleteGood on the niece look'n out for ya. I could drive a Caddy.....buy me a big ol' ceegar.
So much for that. When I brought it up to some of the VA staff they said they had never heard anything about the law.
DeleteBB, the VA did pay for what Medicare didn't pay last year when I had the bad leg infection, but that took some doing getting them to do it and it was a drop in the bucket on top of that. I hadn't heard about the new ruling so will check in to that. I wonder how long that will last?
ReplyDeleteIf I had bought a new vehicle it wouldn't have been a Caddy it would have been a 4x4 pickup or another jeep more suited for down here. The Caddy is awful nice though and the AC and cruse control make it even better.
It seemed a bit out of character, but I figured you hit the lottery. Didn't occurr to me to think anything rumor worthy.
ReplyDeleteShadowmoss, Wouldn't mind willing the lottery, but they say you've got to buy a ticket shich I seldom do.
DeleteThis place is probably the rumor capital of the world.
Apparently the VA can already send a veteran to private care if they want to. The Congress is trying to pass a more comprehensive bill that would add doctors, locations and access. Access is usually defined as within 30 days.
ReplyDeleteOne site says "Veterans who live over 40 miles away from the nearest VA health clinic or who are unable to get an appointment in a reasonable time frame would be able to receive "choice cards" allowing them to seek treatment from a non-VA facility.[1] This would be a pilot program lasting for two years.[18] Veterans would be allowed to go to other providers that accept Medicare, the military's health program TRICARE, or at facilities run by the United States Department of Defense.[18]"
rj, I've known that they can send you to non VA doctors, but they have never done it to me before no matter how bad off I was.
DeleteI figure if they do come up with a workable plan they will figure out some other way to screw it up later.
Glad to hear that your niece, Madeleine, came through for you. Thanks Madeleine :)
ReplyDeleteBut NOT good news to hear that you're not well. Please, tffnguy, take care of yourself!
Nice to think though that you'll be cruising to the VA with the help of aircon and cruise control.
Looking forward to reading that you are getting the care you need from the VA and that you're on the mend .
Dani, I'm up to breathing treatments from 3 to 5 times a day, my knees and hips are going out, hearing is going south and I hate to say it, but I figure glasses are in my future. The VA stopped sending my medication so that's the number 1 priority getting that started again.
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ReplyDeleteHaving problems posting, will try again tomorrow. On a Kindlenow, will try from a PC tomorrow.Best wishes!
ReplyDeleteI do not know you very well even though I have been reading your blog since you started it. The Cadillac did not seem like a vehicle I would picture you buying...figured you would get some kind of a pick-up truck.
ReplyDeleteI thought perhaps you got a good deal that you could not pass up or some great financing. It was very nice of your niece to lend you her Caddy...then again you strike me as a real nice person and of course you must be a swell uncle. Kudos to Madaleine !!!
Well MsB, I guess you can say I got a deal I couldn't turn down, but I almost did. If I don't get back in the VA loop though I probably won't be around much longer though so took her up on the offer after a lot of thinking about it. I've got swell nieces and nephews, but never considered myself to be a swell uncle.
DeleteThat's ok, we know better!
ReplyDeleteSwell...ed head.
DeleteDavid,
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry to hear about your health problems. I just found your blog yesterday and went back to start reading it from the beginning, including all the comments. I stayed up late reading, and yes drinking too! I've made it through 2009, and can't wait to get caught up on your desert adventure. You are truly an inspiration to me!
I visited Big Bend NP in 1981 when I was 20. I've never been back but think of it often. I'm trapped in the city and dream about getting out and building a homestead. Recently I started looking at property in Terlingua on the web; that is how I came across your blog. Many of the blogs, websites, books, that I've come across about people who left the city with a fat wallet and bought there way to the land. I know that will not be the case for me. I'm working on getting out of debt, and will have a meager pension and little savings. You showed me it is possible with little money but lots of determination to get the job done!
Right now I'm in the daydreaming planning stage, but my goal is to get some land there to move on when I retire in 8 years. I will be 62. In the mean time, I will be planning and building a skill set. My plan is to convert a van to live in while I build on the land.
I wish you a speedy recovery and hope you are back to the homestead soon!
Leslie H, Glad you like the blog. I guess by now it would make a small book. A couple of pieces of advise though. Don't buy land down here sight unseen and don't start building until you know for sure you are in your property lines and not someone else's!
ReplyDeleteWelcome to the blog. Hope it helps you out.
I only met you once a few years ago when I got to shake your hand when you were going to the mailboxes. That was back when the grub shack was still in business. You don't look any different in your pictures as you did then, so you must not be aging any, at least you still look young.
ReplyDeleteWill be 67 in November DD, I may not look old, but I sure as hell feel that way.
DeleteGet well fast. I thought people moved to the desert to help problems like that. (grin).
ReplyDeleteBig mistake if they do.
DeleteI am glad to see that you have changed your tune and are not as "stubborn" as you were last year. I think your women blog readers...I include myself in that group...were ready to take you over our knee and give you a good spanking :)
ReplyDeleteI am glad you are putting your health in the forefront as it should be. Now thanks to your niece's generosity you can make those VA appointments and get yourself well so you can live to a ripe old age in Terlingua and give the local rumor mill lots to talk about :D
MsB, I'm a dirty old man, but haven't gotten to the spanking thing yet. ;) Guess I better loose my stubbornness.
ReplyDeleteI'm already way past ripe (age wise). :(
jajajajaja :D
DeleteMust clarify...I am laughing at the dirty old man comment...not the ripe old age one :)
DeleteI figured as much. ;)
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