VA Health Care and US

I’ve spent a lot of time recently at the VAMC WLA, the largest veterans facility in the country. I’m both studying the facility and dealing with my own arthritis, high blood pressure and other advanced age symptoms. In the case of my own symptoms, many have minimized due to my loss of almost thirty pounds in the last six months (my doctor told me in September that I was overweight). My knee pain and blood pressure is down and even my prostate seems improved. Which brings me to an important observation relevant to all of us who use the VA health care system, and, indeed to everyone. The VA is overwhelmed with veterans like I was, overweight and neglecting their health. My weight was aggravating my arthritis and causing me to take so much NSAIDs that my blood pressure was high and I had to take more drugs for it and GI distress from the NSAIDs. I cannot explain why my prostate gives me less problem now but think it associated. Note that being overweight was causing me to take three drugs with all their side affects. How can we older veterans say we want the returning vets to get the care they deserve when we neglect our health and overwhelm the system with our own care? If we would just take some responsibility for our own health and keep our weight down, it would do more to take pressure of the VA health care system than all the complaining and protesting would. This, of course, also applies to the larger health care system…if everyone stayed as fit as Barack Obama and George W. Bush, we would not have the health care problems we have. (see, I’m bi partisan too)