calling all Vets for action!

[Michelle-G]

I'm jealous:)  I need to check, but I thought Texas was all one district?  If it is, I may need to call a little higher up if things don't go right to push this through:)

No. I am in the Central Texas district, Houston is another, and I suppose El Paso is in yet another.

FWIW, I have had ZERO issues with Central Texas. Hormones, check. Voice therapy, provided. Mental health, excellent. They have provided all needed letters for surgery, they have done my pre-surgery lab work, and they provide any post-op care needed (I didn't need any, but it was there). No issues changing my name and gender in VA records (did this while I was pre-op). I get called Ma'am all day long by VA staff and doctors.

So, yeah, the VA is not the issue. It's your VA that's not on the ball. You'll have to set them straight.

[Cynobyte]

here is a twist to the story!  I'm very upset and trying to make sure i figure this out before he calls..  patient advocate  called and said the el paso va director told her they do not give any support to transgenders, hormones, therapy, or anything!  wtf!  I told her that the directive 2013-003 is va wide to all the va's.  most of the va's have complied or are in the works.  she asked me if i knew any vas, and i mentioned the va in houston that gave counceling, hormones, and voice therapy at the va!  I can list more if given time, but they just have to look, its mandated?

She then said the director tried to call me a while ago, yea, i got a call, 1 ring.. no voice mail.. she said he tried to call and i have no voicemail, yet ive had the same phone for a couple years and my voicemail works great to all the other people at that va when i dont answer it..  I was expecting their call and tried to get it..  it was only 1 ring, what game is this!

I can already see there may be an issue.. do i have a leg to stand on if he refuses to comply?  do i go over his head or goto the press?  I'm not scared about this, yet i really dont want to go public unless its necessary..   my phone records phone calls when i dont use the bluetooth.. unfortunatly i had my headset on for her call, but if he calls, im recording it..  maybe good ammo to post if he says something wrong.. in new mexico, its legal to record as long as one party knows they are being recorded:)  if he is just the anti lgbt type, this may dispose of him?  but then this will get ugly, im scared of my health, if they can mess with my care because of this.. i can fight him, but my meds and stuff are thousands each month for all the meds and care..  this is besides the tg stuff..  hmm, any ideas? jamie

[Cynobyte]

Ok, 1735 here.  They leave by 530..  I bet this guy is saying he has tried to call me again..  I got til tomorrow to come up with facts as ammo to use to prove my case if he is close minded as I fear..  I contacted the nm lgbt center, but they take a while to respond.  I think I may look for a lawyer to write them a letter demanding they comply with a directive they already have to..  hmm, this sounds familiar   I just don't want my name involved ad the stress.  It makes my lupus flair worse to where pain meds don't help:(  I just cannot let this happen though..  here I was giving praises to this va.  I still do, but just the drs!  After this, I'm pressing everything the va has denied me, yet I deserved..  I just chalked it up to other vets in need,  but if they have  money for bonuses for these people who do not help us vets, then they have money for equipment for vets! 

I'm just hoping it's just their misunderstanding,  but don't see how..  I will post tomorrow on how it goes down..  any help on legally fighting them is appreciated..  I hope I can do it, if more tg vets In my area stepped up, we could push them, but the ones I do know are scared of what can happen.  Esp where they live.. I'll still do it, just if anyone has suggestions, I'm all ears!  I cant wait though, i can live for a decade, i can die tomorrow!  Im 2 years past my expiration date..  because of that, i think i get the right to enjoy my life now.. maybe im wrong, but its my opinion, to live like there maybe no tomorrow..  it's just because of my health issues:)  Jamie

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[Michelle-G]

Well, you already know that Houston, Central Texas (Austin, Waco and Temple) are on the ball, so that's 4 facilities in Texas alone.

If you don't get satisfaction then call your congressperson, but don't tell the VA that you're doing it. Just listen, take notes, thank him for his time and then send a nuclear rocket right up his tailpipe.

[Cynobyte]

Oh, I'll will be nice..  the call will be posted here for all to see if there is something wrong with his logic.  We can devise a plan, and I'll execute him, I mean it:)  but, he has to grow a pair and call me first..  I can send him my nuts, they are in a jar downstairs still:)

Sorry, I just don't like her response today, like he had a choice not to help us!  All I though of was that homeland terrorist Kim davis and her scarecrow looking husband..  if this is the case, I will be down there making sure he is packing his bags..  People can believe anything they want as long as they do not inflict their delusions on anyone else to cause them suffering..  they may suffer that I may get the treatment that they are against, but I'm suffering that their stupidity is wasting my time!  I'm going to bed, took some xanax on top of my pain meds and just going to relax..  can't do anything about this tonight.  Good night all, let's just hope he had some miscommunication with reality and it's fixed tomorrow, or we will have to make his life hell.  J

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[Cynobyte]

Anyone that has legal experience,  can they look up http://www.va.gov/vhapublications/ViewPublication.asp?pub_ID=2885

This I believes says I cannot be descriminated against in any federal building because I'm transgender!  I could use this against him if needed because he failed to implimented directive 2013-003?  Tnx

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[Michelle-G]

Your first directive is the right one. That's the one that tells VA facilities to give us the treatment we need (short of gender affirming surgery). This one is a general non-discrimination memo. There are similar memos in all other federal agencies as well.

Not that these are not worth having. Under Obama all federal facilities were required to provide full access to everyone, regardless of sexual orientation, physical ability, gender identity, etc. The immediate payoff for us is that we can pee in the right restroom.

Sorry, I just don't like her response today, like he had a choice not to help us!

No, he does not have a choice. But rather than assume this is due to some sort of religious bigotry just leave it at incompetence. That is what you know is true, the first one is an unfounded assumption.

Stick with the first directive, and go nail this joker to the wall.

[Cynobyte]

been a bad morning with the weather, not good for lupus:(  nobody has called yet from the va?  I called patient advocate, just to get a voicemail as usual..  I did contact a lgbt rep for the va out of dallas by the name of laura k.  She is rather informative on the lgbt rights.  maybe i can get her to be a poc of vets on here? 

She confirmed that the directive 2013-003 is basically a federal mandate that all va's must comply with..  She also informed me that if i cannot get the director to listen, to goto the visn which is the el paso directors boss:) i have already found a contact number for them.. 

to make sure im fair and dont jump the gun, i called the director for the el paso va and left a number to contact me again!  its odd that the patient advocate said it was a sir, yet the contact i got off the va website for el paso was a gail graham?  I left a message and will give her another day. if no reply(which is usual) I will call the visn in az.. 

now, as usual, its the waiting game!  But, thank you ms laura k. for your time if you read this:)  jamie 

[Cynobyte]

Victory!  It feels like it, but then I feel guilty like I was stepping on toes..  I have a poc for the el paso and las cruces va if you are having issues with them complying with directive 2013-003.  Basically transgender vets will have medical care done by the va (except surgery!)  I'm 100 percent, so it's fully covered, but if you are not 100 percent disabled service connected, I do not know if there is a fee.. 

She told me there will be a memo going out to all drs..  the pharmacy has been contacted to add hormones to their lists for those of us who are diagnosed as transgender..  mental health and screening services shall be available too...

Anyone who has issues with the va about your transgender status, please feel free to contact me if you do not want to confront patient advocate.  I can help you through the process to get your va up to speed:)  I can't promise how long it will take..  but basically it's the law!  They have to conform to regulations and just need a little push.  Either in the right direction, or out of a job so someone can do the right thing..  but it can be done:)  you just cannot give up, you earned these benefits too!

Last, I want to thank all how have emailed and posted during this process:)  if you ever need anything, I hope I can return the favor:) 

To all who are shy to take on this fight to the va, please contact me!  These are your va's too..  once we open it up all the va's to accept you, the drs cannot give out your status or make you uncomfortable..  if you feel shamed or disrespected,  we need to let these drs know.. 

Last, don't give up on this!  Just because I've fixed my va, there are still those that have not complied with the directive and think it's just a suggestion..  fire this forum back up and let's fix their wagon!  Thanx all:)  jamie

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[Michelle-G]

That's great! Good job on your part, and I'm glad that you're getting what you need.

Victory!  It feels like it, but then I feel guilty like I was stepping on toes.. 

no, No, NO, NO!

You need NEVER feel guilty for making people do their jobs!
NEVER feel guilty for standing up for your rights!
NEVER feel guilty for advocating for trans people and helping our country move towards a more equal, just and decent society!

You did good. Now enjoy the victory and go get your meds.

[Cynobyte]

That's great! Good job on your part, and I'm glad that you're getting what you need.

no, No, NO, NO!

You need NEVER feel guilty for making people do their jobs!
NEVER feel guilty for standing up for your rights!
NEVER feel guilty for advocating for trans people and helping our country move towards a more equal, just and decent society!

You did good. Now enjoy the victory and go get your meds.

I'm such a big believer in karma, but yesterday I got this letter on my aid and attendance.  Not only did they still botch the link between my aid and attendance,  but now they say I received seperation pay when I got out in 2001 over 7k?  I voluntarily seperated before Sept 11th after my 2nd term because I was had better opportunities..  my dd214 shows the same..  you don't get seperation pay unless they were doing drawdowns, my afsc was in demand too..  but this was 15 years ago..  I would have remembered such a thing, esp my wife.. 
How do I prove this and why did this pop up after 15 years? Omg, want to take my full pay for next 2 months to repay something I don't know how to prove fake!

Then they also said the DAV was my rep, but I have Chris combs a different vet rep since the DAV botched it last time..  3 things this paper addresses and 3 things botched..  talk about depression..  my wife helped me medicate lastnight because I couldn't quit crying..  I guess better that a fit of rage?  I really don't remember much past 6pm..  I just need to figure how to get on this before the depression gets worse..  it makes my lupus 10x worse!  What did I do to deserve this:(  if I was wrong, I understand,  but my drs are on board, what are these va idiots up to..  they give this bad info, yet leave no names or contacts?  Pretty scummy:(  Jamie

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[Cynobyte]

I'm still working on this, but a line of bad things has happened since the day I got the va to comply with the directive.  I'm sure they are not related, but it hurts to my core what is going on and I just want to explode.  my va rep says not to approach the va with this until after I am awarded my aid and attendance, but I want to see this %$@#@# hang!  I went in for an evaluation for my hearing for aid and attendance by this female Iranian dr.  First she calls my name, but this old guy gets up and goes with her.  I figured if its not him, then they will be back soon.. it took her 15 min to figure out he was not me!  Next issue, she was asking me these questions that didn't make sense, so I looked at her computer screen and found she was putting my info on another vets file!  what an idiot!  after this, I was a little scared, so I quietly grabbed my phone when she stepped out to get something and started to record the interview!

first she writes that I refused an exam, when you can hear in my recording that she examined me and we were talking about a second part that she said didn't need an exam.. 

also she stated I was not taking my immunosuppressant drugs!  on take she asked me if I was taking immuran, which I never had, but I told her I took aziothioprine which was an immunosuppressant drug! 

she then said I do not have fibromyalgia because my dr says I do not have fibromyalgia..  well duh, I told her my dr does not believe in fibromyalgia.  I have lupus, if you have lupus or any other immune type disease and they cannot diagnose it, you have fibromyalgia!

then this quack said I missed no work time and did not goto the er for my disease, when i told her i am bedridder 90% of my time and cannot work!  and i do not goto the local er since i have all my meds and extra since nobody understands my disease.  if it is not under control, i have to rush to the va in el paso and get special help.  so i guess she was right i didn't miss work and goto local er, but that sounds rather bad for me! 

ok, i have this golden ticket to prove she falsified a federal document!  i think every eval should be recorded and the vet has a right to get the tape if he/she wishes..  i want her to hang!!!!!  I'm soo mad, my lupus is flairing so bad and I'm going through pain meds like pez, so I'm using pot and Xanax and its not helping..  i need someone to talk to, but i don't know how to do this..  i am told if the va finds out they can make it hard on me:(  so, my fellow vets, what do i do?  here i want to help all of you, and now i cannot see past my own rage and hate to fix my own issue:( 

I want to call the media, i want to call the police, fbi, who knows..  its legal to record here in nm and texas if that is a concern..

i do say to all of you, record everything from now on!  they are crooks:(  hopefully i can see past this soon, so i can help you guys..  i want to take 3 things before the gov to get fixed for us..  i think we can do it, but i gotta get my head strait first:(  hate gets nowhere..  lost

[Joi]

Sorry to hear about all of your problems.  I know the feeling, I had a Dr. (of real African descent) for several yrs. (& believe me I'm not a racist)  He was not qualified to be a primary care Dr. at the VA, tried to get another prime care Dr. to no avail.  Even the clerical people in the lab would joke about his incompetence when I showed up for blood work and the orders were wrong.  Then, one day, I showed up for my semi-annual check-up and I had a new Dr.  I asked about him & the clerk said he had been transferred to an out patient clinic.  Then the clerk asked me if I wanted to go there for treatment by him.  I politely declined, but in my head I was thinking good  F*****king riddance.  My new Dr. a female and also a foreigner  (Pakistani or Indian) is wonderful by comparison. Not sure what your options are, but if you're being seen in an outpatient clinic, just think about what I said above.  As we know the VA doesn't fire employees - especially Dr.'s.  I hate to use this analogy, but think of the all powerful Bishops in the Catholic, when faced with a priest who was a pedophile.  What happened?  They were transferred away from the scene of their transgressions.  Soon to visit them on victims in there new location.  This is likely what the VA does.  If you can't get another Dr. there you may have to go to El Paso for treatment.
Good Luck!
Joi

[Jamie2.0]

So sorry to hear about the problems your having.
I myself have not had any problems with the V A s that I have been to in ,(Wis &NE)
Stick with it and hopefully things will get better !!

Jamie2

[Cynobyte]

Thanks ladies, this was not my gp, but those drs who evaluate you for service connection,  but in my case "aid and attendance" to get a nurse in when I'm sick!  Ohhh, this dingbat dr really messed up.  And now they dug a deeper hole that I'm do messed up from I can't see anything but revenge somehow.

I took my case to the patient advocate.  Like the dr, she was really nice.  I told her the story and she wrote it down.  This week, I heard nothing, so I called and left a message and said I was going to be fiwn tuesday, do if she needed anything, and I was going to drop off a copy of the exam..  she never replied, so yesterday I stopped by.  She had a patient in her office, and her helper said it would be a while.  I said ok and asked if I could go drop off my med scripts.  It only took 10 minutes!  When I got back, her helper said she had to leave early and she didn't need anything from me right now?

Ok. So I get this call from the claims and pensions office, this drs boss!  She says she got the info from the patient advocate and basically was stating I need to fill out this long form and kiss their butt and they will give my info to this dr who messed it up on purpose and see if she will change her review of my exam?  I was like, I don't need her review, that this is all about how she lied and messed up my entire report on purpose and maliciously!  I do not know why, but if you read her report and hear the actual exam. You would think it was not the same person!  I told her boss that to mess this up so bad, that how many others did she do this to.  She goes "I have to prove her report is wrong!"  I told her just to listen to the recording I made just after she first took 15 minutes to figure out she called the wrong patient, then another 10 to 15 minutes out to finally listen to me that she was working on the wrong patients report!  She even saved some of my data on some other vets report that will mess him up someday..

After all this, her stupid boss told me I was not supposed to be recording in the exam room.  Hmm, I wonder why!  Her damn boss stuck up for her!  It won't matter what I write:(  what's even worse how her lack of caring on the phone.  My phone records every call and has her call and her sticking up for this crook!

So now I have to file a report to her that will take over a year and go into file13..  noooo way!  I need to put these calls and her report online for every vet to see.  This idiot was hung up on the fact I take estrogen and pot!  She then writes I refuse to take my immunosupressive drugs, when you c an hear me tell her what drug I'm taking when she thinks I'm taking something else.  She also states I refused an exam when you can hear her giving me a 5 minute exam!  Then to top it to mess my case up, she states that I state that I have not missed a day of work due to my disease!  I cannot work and have not since 2008! 
This is wrong, immoral, and illegal!  I need to find help and hang this scum before I totally loose it and do something bad.  My pain has doubled from this stress, I'm on more pain meds and xanax just so I dont flip out and drag them to hell with me..  can you imagine how many vets she has done this to, and they have no proof of this fraud!  They need to be in jail, not just fired now!  I just am soo mad I cannot think clearly about this.  I'm paying for help out of my own pocket, and doubt I will get the help I deserve. They think I should have waited until I get the aid from them..  now that just sounds stupid.  I'm sick now, not after they pay me:(   I don't care, but they deserve worse!  This is soo wrong..  if you read this, record everything you do with drs or admin! 
They need to pass a law to put cameras in these exam rooms.  If the recording does not exist, then what the vet claims will exist by law!  These people are not real drs.  They are paid to cut us back to save the va money!  They get bonuses to mess with us..  this lady who did my case, she is from iran and Muslim!  I had nothing against her, but if you read my report and heard the tape, that seems like a new form of terror!

I have to quit now.  I'm upset and crying..  I'm going back to bed..  I've been trying to help all the vets out.  You saw my last act getting the directive at the local va.  I'm a big believer in karma, but too many bad things have happened in one month.  What did I do wrong to anyone?  I can't mentally take this anymore..  I can prove all my actions, all my health.  They don't care and it's like I'm the bad person now!  Trust me, I don't own a gun and don't believe in hurting people, but come on!  My heart is filled with hate, I've been avoiding my wife , my son, and my new help because I want to take it out on someone..  is this how those nut jobs who go postal start out?  I showed my councelor who I actually served with the tape and papers today.  She is sad about it, but lost in what todo either.  But she doesn't even know the level of hate I have inside from this.  Last night I had a dream about this guy who was laughing at me for some reason, I literally put a hatchet in his head and we oke up with a smile!  This is not me, but everyone dismissed it like it's just a dream.  I've never murdered someone in high Def and felt good about it..  this is not normal! 
I'm going to bed..  I just need to find how to bring justice to this.  The right way will just be a failure..  you all know, it's the va..  I believed in them..  yea they have problems,  but I hate the thought of going back now! Knowing my efforts to fix it will be a waste:(

Night all, I just hope you have honest people on your case..  jamie

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[Kara.A.I]

My local VA Center has not seemed to implement it or try to understand it. It's been about four months of waiting because they said they (the specialist) didn't know how to treat me, so they were sending me somewhere else. Which has taken over three months in itself. It's been a mess. They have OBGYN and Endocrinologist.... I'm stuck at what I should do next. Charlie Norwood VA.


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[Kara.A.I]

Three months and I'm still waiting for that outside appointment.**


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[Cynobyte]

It's that stupid contracting they setup!  First call your Dr's nurse and make sure they put in for the consult.  Not sure who you are trying to see (endocrinologist? )  then if consult was put in, within a couple weeks you should get this stupid paper to opt in or out.  These idiots could save time and money just calling the vets directly,  but what do I know:)  call them and opt in to where you pick the endocrinologist..  (I hope it's opt in)..  read the paper, call contracting to make sure.. 

Make sure "you" call around to pick your endocrenologist!  Ask them:
1.  Do you do Transgender hormones
2.  Do you take VA contracts
3.  Do you have patient slots, how soon?
4.  Ask if they do hormone implants (read up on that for future if interested:)

After you pick your dr, contracting should be calling you to ask who do you want, give them the Dr's name and info.. 

If contracting has done none of the above, call them! 

Please find your own endo, those idiots tried to farm me out to an endo who wanted to put me on a 6 month waiting list..  I just happened to ask them the questions I told you only to find out the Dr was some Muslim extremist who's religious crappie would have denied me although I waited for him..  I filed a complaint with contracting so no vet has to deal with him!  You can have your religion as your freedom,  but don't preach that cap to me(that's my freedom!)

Ok, hope this helps..  pm me if you need more help..  some vas can be tricky..  wait til you see what I'm looking at doing..  they will hate me, but I deserve respect and honesty since I do that to them..  you deserve it to, so don't think you are doing them a favor waiting..  your waiting is only a bonus to some scumbag pencil pusher who never served!  We are more than numbers!

Good luck:) jamie



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[Kara.A.I]

I had to personally call and set the appointment up with the outside provider because I STILL haven't received any mail from the VA. I know, using snail-mail instead of catching up with modern technology. It's frustrating. I got so upset that I kept my appointment on October 18th for a  clinic I've been going to since April and started HRT the day after (Oct 18th). $115.00 later I felt pretty stupid, but now I think I made the right decision for me.

Oh no, the VA found that one place and they weren't receptive to looking around elsewhere. My primary care told me I needed to be patient because this is a long process. He said that in response to me telling him my appointment was supposed, by the regulations I read, to be within 30 Days of approval for outside care.  Not 3+ months. That lead to me educating him on the subject and not to suggest that I'm being impatient, but being treated like I don't matter was unacceptable.

I guess I might start shopping around, but since my OBGYN/Endo is November 18th, I might see how that goes since I've waited so long. This might sound dumb, but how do I PM on here? Haha. I've been debating reaching out to the Patient Advocate to inform them of the VA Directives and that their facility and faculty are/is MORE than capable to provide care to transgender patients and that they should start by educating their specialist on diversity in health care. (Oh, and that the VA specifically put out educational pieces for the medical providers.)

Thank you times a million for your response, I look forward to talking with you more.

-Kara A. I.


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[Joelene9]

  We vets do not get a lot of the proper services we are entitled to. I got a good doctor who put me on Medicaid instead. We got a new VA hospital under construction, over budget, way past due and it pisses me off every time I go past it on I-225.

http://extras.denverpost.com/aurora-va-hospital/

  The new Children's Hospital was laid down nearby at the same time. We had my special niece's death vigil at Children's 4 years back. The light rail service next to VA is under construction and will be done next year for service. VA hospital 2018, if we are lucky?

Joelene