Veterans going through breast cancer treatment at the VA

ParakeetsRule

Anybody else out there?

Kicks

Yup! Me for one.

Well, actually my care was done through VA as I was immediately outsourced to a local surgeon and the local Cancer Center. Our local VA is not one of the larger ones but they are building on to it now - still won't be large.

For me, there was no 'lag' time in getting into TX but then I'm IBC so time is of the essence. I saw my VA PA at 11 that Thurs morn. She had me in at the local Radiologists at 1 that afternoon for a new mammo which immediately turned into an US and biopsies - I left there about 3:30. The next morning (Fri) the Radiologist called me at 8 with the path. report - as expected - IBC. Then Mon I saw my Surgeon, Wed my Rads Dr and Thurs my Chemo Dr. There were CT and MRI Scans with Contrast, Bone Scan, PET Scan (which resulted in an area along my jaw being biopsied but nothing there), an EKG and a port implant in the 17 days between DX and starting neoadjuvant A/C. This coming Aug will be 8 yrs since DX.

As I've chosen to keep my port in, I do go to VA for my every 8 week flush.(I sometimes visualize 'things' as a child might which I do with my port. It's my little soldier standing guard with rifle at ready so that Nasty IBC Monster will not try to attack again. But IF Monster does, Little Soldier is ready for the battle if needed.)

I've always gotten great, prompt care at my Facility.

ParakeetsRule

Yay! I found another one! My VA hospital is large so other than my MRI (private hospital) and egg harvesting process (at a nearby military hospital) everything else has been done by the VA. The surgeon isn't there full-time but she works at another well-known, highly-respected local hospital so I'm feeling good about that. Not feeling so great about my VA hospital showing up in the news lately and people being fired for incompetence. The nice thing (if you can call it that) is that my mom and aunt have both also had breast cancer and so we've been able to compare what the VA is saying with what treatment they've had, and even pose general questions to their doctors. So far no discrepancies or weird stuff has come up, so overall I'm feeling comfortable with doing all this at the VA hospital, despite various friends and family freaking out a little bit because of the VA's not-so-great reputation!

Kicks

Actually - I'd much rather hear of ones being fired for incompetancy as (to me) a good sign that they have (finally) been weeded out. I've only run into one RN that I had a problem with. He was in ORTHO doing intake. I deal with LE (LymphEdema) and he insisted that he HAD to use my LE arm for BP because he 'had his office set up to always use right arm' and if I wanted to see my Dr that's what had to be done. WRONG! I got up to walk out and just as my hand touched the door handle his Supervisor was coming in. He was told in no uncertain terms he would use my left arm (non LE arm) and also he would do it manually - not machine. She stood there and when I left stayed in his office. 2 weeks later, he was no longer there.

Tomorrow, I'll be seeing my LET guy {LymphEdema Therapist - an OT) to get my new garment sections for my FlexiTouch (MLD machine) and then my Derm. PA for 6 mth check (BCC and SCC). Then next week, my Ortho PA for 6 mth check.

The sad part is that I saw my PA of 20+ yrs for my 6 month check on Fri and found out she is retiring, this was the last time I see her . She has gotten me through a lot in those years.

My Hubby also gets his care at our local VA and has been very pleased with it.

Kicks

It looks like you'll be doing neoadjuvant Chemo from what's in your Profile.

ChiSandy

IllinoisLady is another veteran who got and still gets her treatment from the V.A., even though she is of Medicare age.

Bellapam

My fellow Lady Vets!

I am glad to find this thread because when I researched VA BC care, I got nothing but a page at the VA.gov site that says the VA is beginning to get more female vets. Yes, only now. In 2017 . My 66 year-old mother is also a vet, so I was very troubled to see that statement on a website only last night.

Anyway, I am not even close to being diagnosed yet, but I am limited to the VA if I end up having cancer. I am 90% service-connected for disability, and right now I am in grad school, so no other insurance. Luckily I am near Fayetteville, NC, which has 2 large VA hospitals. I go there next week for the imaging tests. I thought I would revive this thread in case some other military members have joined this community since April. I would like to pass on any information I find concerning VA and BC treatments even if I have a b9 result.

Best wishes,

Pam

Kicks

I am a Woman Veteran (Army) also. i have excelent care tbroigh VA and was immediatently out sourced to the local Cancer Care Center for all my IBC TX. My VA Center is one of the smaller ones. For me it has been fantastic (For Hubby who is retired Navy, too.).

As far as I am concerned, this new supposedly great Veteran Choice is a crock.

Quiltingnut

Just wondering if anyone here has had their mastectomy done at the Houston VA in the last year. I am scheduled for surgery there on the 26th. I just feel nervous about it.

carmstr835

I am also a Vet. My cancer was found through a VA ppointment with choices at the local hospital. It was my yearly mammogram that was positive. The call back took 2 weeks, not sure if it was choices related or not, but it held up my treatment. I also wanted a second opinion and that proved almost impossible because a VA Dr can not request an outside 2nd opinion and getting a 2nd opinion in this area proved very difficult without a referral from the original dr. That was how I ended up at CTCA, they did not require a referral. But dealing with choices, I could not not even get a biopsy without a surgeon and that appointment as over 2 more weeks out. So my mammogram of February 17, 2017 was suspicious was not going to even see a surgeon until March 14 then she would have ordered a needle core biopsy so 6 weeks after my mammogram before even a biopsy with a biRad score of 5. I still have a VA Dr as my primary care, but I have very little confidence in the VA. I just hope my Blue Cross holds out, I am getting close to the million dollar cap and then all I will be able to use is VA. I hope our Detroit VA improves. CUrrently it is listed as the worst reviews in the country

ParakeetsRule

I just rediscovered this post! Anybody still around or anybody new here? I'm being treated again at the same VA hospital by the same oncologist as before. So far everything's been going great! (relatively speaking)