Better News

I have an appointment on Mar 17, 2009 for the relief of pain procedure that my insurance company refused payment. I guess the, “Army does take care of it’s own.”

Walter Reed and President Obama's Speech

Good news. Walter Reed Army Hospital may do the procedure to kill my lower back pain. The Hopkins doctor knows a doctor at Walter Reed who might perform the procedure. I have to call and make an appointment tomorrow.

President Obama’s speech, last night, was magnificent. I only hope we can do him proud and give the support he needs to stand up to the naysayer, corporations and republicans

We must keep our e-mail, letters and phone calls to our representatives in Congress.

More On My Back

Had big disappointment last Monday. That was the day Johns Hopkins Pain Clinic was going to end my horrible lower back pain by killing the nerves in my three broken vertebrae. We were eagerly looking forward to a no pain life. When Linda and I showed up for the procedure we were told my insurance company has denied payment for the procedure. Therefore it would not be done. Linda and I were so disappointed, sad and depressed, we could not decide whether to get drunk or go eat bad greasy salted delicious food. So we did both.

Later we deiced on a course of action:
1. We made an appointment for further consultation on alternate measures.
2. We are exploring to see if the VA will performed the procedure
3. We are researching insurance companies, which will pay for the procedure.

I Loved this

I loved this.

My Back

The saga of my back continues. Last week my Neurologist said the MRI of my spine shows that the spinal column that runs through my Thoracic spine is enflamed and has lesions. His physical exam showed “abnormal brain and CNS functions.” He has ordered more tests before he makes his final diagnoses. These tests include the use of a dye called Gadolinium. However my blood test shows my kidneys are not strong enough to handle Gadolinium. So the tests have been delayed until the Doctors decide the next step.
The effort to eliminate the lumbar spine pain is proceeding as planed. On 2/23/2009 they will kill the nerves causing he pain. It is sort of root canal of the vertebrae. The doctors said the procedure will be very painful but over in 30 minutes and in the long run I will be pain free in that area. He said the pain would only allow them to do three nerves at a time. So I must endure one additional session for the other three. I am concerned but I know I can do it. I have had much worse in my 75 years of life.

Bad Times on the Land

578,000 jobs lost in January alone. Unemployment stands at 7%. Millions of Americans worry if they can save there homes or have enough money to feed their families or how they will manage with no health insurance. And the republicans and moderate Democratic senators are playing politics with Obama’s stimulus package. These nay Sayers are quoted as saying the stimulus bills spend too much money. What are they thinking? In an economic environment like this, Government MUST spend money to create economic activity. Government must not only create jobs but it must also stimulate the entire system to produce, spend and create jobs.
I know there are those that say government should do nothing. We should just sit back and wait for the mystical “free market” to correct itself. Let the automakers go under, let the banks and financial institution go under and in a few years the market will correct itself on and will be good again. In the mean while millions of Americans will starve, be homeless and die unnecessary because of no heath insurance, But not to worry soon everything will the will be ok. Are they so cruel and heartless to let this happen? Maybe they just don’t care about anybody but them themselves and their rich friends.
I am confident our President will not let the “free market” advocates have their way Instead he will give the so called “free market” a good swift kick start. He will get it moving again. It’s not going to happen tomorrow. It will take time but the poor and the jobless will be cared for in the manner befitting the time honored moral American way.

P.S. Today’ newspapers report the senate apparently has reached an agreement and might vote on the stimulus package today. Of course this was after President Obama called the moderate democrats in and got tough with them and reminded them what the people had said on the last election.

Yesterday the Army announced, that in January 24 soldiers committed suicide. That is six times as last January. The army spoke person said they do not why the suicide rate is so high. I don’t have all the answers but I have often thought about this problem. As most of you know suicide thoughts are is my constant companion. I therefore, look at this tragedy from both a personal as well as a professional view and with the experience of a 30-year Army veteran. To help lower the suicide rate should teach our young soldiers that combat is not like Hollywood movies. Not like Rambo or John Wayne. Rather we should tell the truth. That in fact everyone is scared shitless. We should tell them that the battlefield is a place of sheer terror. At the same we time we must tell them that soldiers must overcome the terror by knowing that they must do their job as trained because they  love their fellow soldiers and we can not let their fellow soldiers and nation down. That our strength is in our ability to continue despite the terror. To understand that our mission is more important then our terror that if we die we die, and the only thing we can do to help prevent it is by doing our job as best we can. That it is manly to cry. It is manly to be scared and that even heroes are scared. We must teach them how to live with this fear and to do their job despite the fear. One of the most important aspects we must teach is how to survive with the knowledge that they will or have killed a fellow human being. Make them understand killing is horrible yet necessary to stay alive, complete the mission and most import to prevent a greater evil and further deaths. After the tour of duty we need to teach soldiers how to live with guilt. Teach them how not to let guilt over whelm them. Teach them to seek help when it is too much for them to bear. Make mental health screening and therapy readily available. Teach commanders down to squad level to detect men who seem to be deeply depressed and need help. These suggestions will help but there nothing that will completely eliminate soldier suicide.