The Reno VA tells me . . . .

[old_toys]

my fatherinlaw never drank any kind of alcohol but had a lot of back problems. he wound up with a steel rod on his spine and hurt all the time so he took a lot of Tylenol. he wound up with liver cancer and it took him out. his doctor told us that the Tylenol caused all his liver problems.

 

[Chef Duane]

Yep,
I’ve had both knees replaced and three types of cancer. Wife had a hip and knee replaced and neck surgery. Two weeks ago she had open heart surgery.

I've had my knees done but no other health problems. But since I've had both knees done I can run 30 MPH and jump 20 feet in the air!! Had to pay extra for the upgraded model!! Lost my wife last year but she's in a better place.

 

[DonTom]

You are like the energizer bunny.

Did you hear the Energizer Bunny was arrested?

It was charged with battery.

-Don- Reno, NV

 

[Oldgator73]

I've had my knees done but no other health problems. But since I've had both knees done I can run 30 MPH and jump 20 feet in the air!! Had to pay extra for the upgraded model!! Lost my wife last year but she's in a better place.

I can’t run or jump. I must have gotten the Walmart knees. My wife seems to be going downhill faster than I would like. Fifty one years. I don’t think anybody would have bet on that.

 

[Domo]

The VA does allow for Veteran Administration Community Care (VACC) based on appointment delays, inconvenient travel distance and available treatment options in the local VA facility. With approval, there is no out-of-pocket cost for the Veteran.

I have easily gone to local non-VA facilities local to my home after receiving authorization from my VA.

With hopes that a facility outside of the VA might have ways to help, or confirm, your illness and frustration this could be a way to get a second opinion and perhaps a new treatment plan that is not restricted by the VA's current guidelines.

 

[DonTom]

Here is something we should all think about--which I just discovered during a web search:

" According to the American Liver Foundation, no less than 100 million people in the United States currently have some form of liver disease, of whom only 1.8% are diagnosed."
So less than 2% know they have a liver problem. If it were not for my VA checkups, I would have no clue.

Life expectancy for individuals with cirrhosis of the liver varies depending on the stage and overall health:

• Compensated cirrhosis: 9 to 12 years
• Class A cirrhosis: 15 to 20 years
• Class B cirrhosis: 6 to 10 years
• Decompensated cirrhosis: months to 1-2 years

I am not sure where I am at in the above, but I will ask tomorrow as I then have an appointment with somebody who should know. I kinda assume Class A, because the report last year only said a fatty liver. There will be more liver testing for me in September. I guess to see how progressive it is.

Both of my parents lived the same number of days, were born six months apart, and also died six months apart to the day, and died at the age of 83, I assume that's all the time I should expect at best. So perhaps this chronic liver disease will not knowingly affect me.

But neither one of my parents had liver problems--at least not that they knew of--they could have been in that 98.2%.

-Don- Reno, NV

 

[Tulecreeper]

Here is something we should all think about--which I just discovered during a web search:

" According to the American Liver Foundation, no less than 100 million people in the United States currently have some form of liver disease, of whom only 1.8% are diagnosed."
So less than 2% know they have a liver problem. If it were not for my VA checkups, I would have no clue.

Life expectancy for individuals with cirrhosis of the liver varies depending on the stage and overall health:

• Compensated cirrhosis: 9 to 12 years
• Class A cirrhosis: 15 to 20 years
• Class B cirrhosis: 6 to 10 years
• Decompensated cirrhosis: months to 1-2 years

-Don- Reno, NV

Those numbers mean nothing. If only 1.8% are diagnosed, how would they know how many go undiagnosed? Because, you know, they are undiagnosed so therefore the number remains unknown. There is no way to infer the remainder only from one data point.

Keep us posted. I need to know when you're circling this way again so I can save up to buy that steak.

 

[Onyrlef]

Here is something we should all think about--which I just discovered during a web search:

" According to the American Liver Foundation, no less than 100 million people in the United States currently have some form of liver disease, of whom only 1.8% are diagnosed."
So less than 2% know they have a liver problem. If it were not for my VA checkups, I would have no clue.

Life expectancy for individuals with cirrhosis of the liver varies depending on the stage and overall health:

• Compensated cirrhosis: 9 to 12 years
• Class A cirrhosis: 15 to 20 years
• Class B cirrhosis: 6 to 10 years
• Decompensated cirrhosis: months to 1-2 years

I am not sure where I am at in the above, but I will ask tomorrow as I then have an appointment with somebody who should know. I kinda assume Class A, because the report last year only said a fatty liver. There will be more liver testing for me in September. I guess to see how progressive it is.

Both of my parents lived the same number of days, were born six months apart, and also died six months apart to the day, and died at the age of 83, I assume that's all the time I should expect at best. So perhaps this chronic liver disease will not knowingly affect me.

But neither one of my parents had liver problems--at least not that they knew of--they could have been in that 98.2%.

-Don- Reno, NV

How did they determine cirrohsis? Did you complain of something? Ordinarily the VA isn't going to go much out of the way to make a diagnosis, then they'd have to treat it.

 

[Chef Duane]

I can’t run or jump. I must have gotten the Walmart knees. My wife seems to be going downhill faster than I would like. Fifty one years. I don’t think anybody would have bet on that.

Ask your surgeon. Stryker is the most common total knee replacement. They make all kinds of prosthetics. I have these:

Knee

We offer knee replacement implants for partial and total knee arthroplasty for primary and revision procedures. Our implants feature our flagship cemented and cementless TKA solution, the Triathlon Knee System.

www.stryker.com

 

[Sunnyfalls]

Thing is...no one gets out of here alive... So live everyday as if it is your first and don't give it a second thought. And make great memories with those you love as that is all you will have at the end of your life journey.

 

[Chef Duane]

How did they determine cirrohsis? Did you complain of something? Ordinarily the VA isn't going to go much out of the way to make a diagnosis, then they'd have to treat it.

Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH) or Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD).

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease - Symptoms and causes

www.mayoclinic.org

 

[Oldgator73]

Ask your surgeon. Stryker is the most common total knee replacement. They make all kinds of prosthetics. I have these:

Knee

We offer knee replacement implants for partial and total knee arthroplasty for primary and revision procedures. Our implants feature our flagship cemented and cementless TKA solution, the Triathlon Knee System.

www.stryker.com

Nope. Keeping the discount knees my insurance paid for. No more surgeries for me.

 

[Chef Duane]

Nope. Keeping the discount knees my insurance paid for. No more surgeries for me.

Same w/ my insurance. Prolly would not have done them if I had to pay anything.

 

[DonTom]

How did they determine cirrohsis? Did you complain of something? Ordinarily the VA isn't going to go much out of the way to make a diagnosis, then they'd have to treat it.

I think they get paid back from somewhere.

This reminds me of my Army AIT at FT. Lewis, WA. Nobody (and I mean nobody, AFAIK) ate in the mess halls on Sundays, when we were allowed off base. So every Monday we all had to sign a thing that we got our army meal on Sunday. This is so the army can get more food from wherever it came from. IOW, the more food used in a week, the more they can receive. If true or not makes no difference. The only proof needed is the signatures.

I always had the feeling that the Reno VA gets paid more for the more tests they run.

No, I never complained. But they do very thorough checkups at the Reno VA. I cannot speak for other VAs.

I hear the city has to pay for some of the VA expenses and I think Reno has more money than most cities. So perhaps the more the VA does, the more money they get from the city of Reno.

I am not sure how it works, but everybody I know who has used the Reno VA has been happy with them, and the only complaint I hear is they want to run too many tests.

I can almost say that the Reno VA is too good.

-Don- Reno, NV

 

[DonTom]

Those numbers mean nothing. If only 1.8% are diagnosed, how would they know how many go undiagnosed?

If 1.8% are diagnosed, that leaves 98.2% who have not been diagnosed, right?

The guesswork is in the "no less than 100 million people in the United States currently have some form of liver disease"

I assume they could be off a few million or so, but I assume they are close enough to make a meaningful point.

FWIW, Tommy went undiagnosed for many years until problems became obvious. But since there are no cures, it made little difference. How many years is unknown, but my guess is many. He had Kaiser and I don't recall such thorough checkups as the Reno VA does.

It's a very silent and very slow killer. And I don't think is all that uncommon--and much so for drinkers, which Tom & I were NOT.

-Don- Reno, NV

 

[Onyrlef]

I think they get paid back from somewhere.

This reminds me of my Army AIT at FT. Lewis, WA. Nobody (and I mean nobody, AFAIK) ate in the mess halls on Sundays, when we were allowed off base. So every Monday we all had to sign a thing that we got our army meal on Sunday. This is so the army can get more food from wherever it came from. IOW, the more food used in a week, the more they can receive. If true or not makes no difference. The only proof needed is the signatures.

I always had the feeling that the Reno VA gets paid more for the more tests they run.

No, I never complained. But they do very thorough checkups at the Reno VA. I cannot speak for other VAs.

I hear the city has to pay for some of the VA expenses and I think Reno has more money than most cities. So perhaps the more the VA does, the more money they get from the city of Reno.

I am not sure how it works, but everybody I know who has used the Reno VA has been happy with them, and the only complaint I hear is they want to run too many tests.

I can almost say that the Reno VA is too good.

-Don- Reno, NV

VA services vary by State. You'd never in Texas hear "They run too many tests".

 

[DonTom]

VA services vary by State. You'd never in Texas hear "They run too many tests".

Yes, I have heard the same, but I also hear it varies by city and the VA here in Reno is among the best. I heard that from others many times, so I started to use them. All Vietnam vets automatically qualify, regardless of other issues, such as already having other health services, income too high otherwise, etc.

Here it is divided into several different locations. There is the main VA, Specialty Clinic, the East Campus, and the North Campus. But many things can only be done at the main. Liver issues, such as mine, are done at the Reno Speciality Clinic, a separate building right next to the main.

-Don- Reno, NV

 

[Onyrlef]

Yes, I have heard the same, but I also hear it varies by city and the VA here in Reno is among the best. I heard that from others many times, so I started to use them. All Vietnam vets automatically qualify, regardless of other issues, such as already having other health services, income too high otherwise, etc.

Here it is divided into several different locations. There is the main VA, Specialty Clinic, the East Campus, and the North Campus. But many things can only be done at the main. Liver issues, such as mine, are done at the Reno Speciality Clinic, a separate building right next to the main.

-Don- Reno, NV

The city has no input on VA services, the State to a degree does however. The city clinic may be managed better. All Home Depot Stores are carbon copies of one another, however you can tell after five minutes inside one whether the mgr. is competent or in over his or her head.

 

[DonTom]

The city has no input on VA services, the State to a degree does however.

I have no idea, it was just what I have heard. So perhaps it is the state, besides the federal. I could not find any such info on a quick web search.

-Don- Reno, NV

 

[Onyrlef]

I have no idea, it was just what I have heard. So perhaps it is the state, besides the federal. I could not find any such info on a quick web search.

-Don- Reno, NV

The VA is a Federal Agency but each State operates its VA system with a small degree of autonomy. For example, services like optical and dental can vary by State.