VA chief offers family apology

Mrs. Fitzgerald, I am so deeply sorry to read of your loss. I can only understand your heartache with this injustice. Simple words can not be enough to describe my sorrow that the VA has killed another vet. I also lost my companion of 19 years June 30 at the hands of the VA. After 3 weeks of a run around, I met with the VA and they apologized for not admitting Richard back in April. If they had his death would have been preventable. They also apologized for the condition that he was left in after a Barium test that punctured his colon and a 45 minute wait in their Emergency Room. I have not had an answer from Secretary Peake about my concerns nor have I had an apology from the man. I guess he is too busy figuring out how to get rid of the "older-age guys in his work force" than answer a letter from a veterans companion why the VA killed her life companion. The VA answered inquiries from two FL. Congressmen and their replies where all mis truths. They have since apologized to the Congressmen in a typical government CYA way and did not address the mis truths in the first letter. Some thing has to be done to protect our veterans and future veterans who deserve and earned no less than the best our tax payer money can buy. These men and woman are much more than their last four digits. I have started a web site in memory of my Richard. www.donttreadonvets.com I want to get the truth about the VA out to all our veterans so that they can be aware of how our men & woman are being used as Guinea Pigs, mis diagnosed and mistreated by the VA.

Dear Ms Marezlee, I know a little bit about the VA and a bit more about medicine. This obvioiusly makes me an authority on nothing, but I think I'm still several steps ahead of you. Did you not read the story and the letter? The man died of CJD (the human variant of Mad Cow Disease). It's a terrible disease that mimics Alzheimers in many ways, except for the fact that it is alarmingly quick once it sets in. The VA did not "kill him" or even contribte to this death. So let's at least get your facts straight. According to the stories and the letter from Mr. Peake, the medical center in question could not diagnos him immediately b/c it is a very rare disease, generally diagnosed only AFTER a patient dies and his brain is biopsied. They offered him the chance to participate in a observational study (no medical intervention) and his widow said no. That was the end of the research portion of this story. Though in the mind of the widow and the reporter working together; the story goes on and on. What medical center in existence wouldn't do tests? Is it plausible to suggest that the whole hospital staff (nurses, doctors, administrators, etc.) all conspired to kick a needy patient to the curb because he didnt agree to be "watched" in a nationwide observational study?!! I mean, really, how plausible is that? I think it is reasonable to assume that the medical center ran tests, found nothing definitive and sent him home pending further tests. For God's sake, you don't just run off taking random slices of a person's brain when they start showing signs of alzheimers or something. You look for tumors, do xrays, etc and when you find nothing you do more tests. My father had Alzheimers for almost 20 years. It was painful watching him slowly go. But patients with his disorder don't stay in hospitals, they go home or they go to nursing homes. They don't belong in acute care settings where infections, bacteria and viruses of the truly sick are everywhere. Come on now. I use VA healthcare and it's pretty darn good. It's not perfect, but what medicine is? Have you waited in a private hospital emergency room lately? Have you ever heard of a doctor missing a diagnosis? As taxpayers and as veterans we have invested a lot in our VA hospitals. I'm not saying we should give them a free ride, but we shouldn't go tearing them to pieces on the basis of a factually misleading statement, either. It's too easy to get caught up in fear mongering. Let's do something constructive. That's it for me...DaveB.