Hello all. 

Well there is a new president in the oval office.  Hope he does a good job.  On a personal note; I am a bit miffed.

Don\'t get me wrong, being able to go to the VA is good in some ways and in other ways so so.  I recently got a letter in the mail from the VA stating that my next doctor appointment had been moved up a month.  For crying out loud.  It would have been nice if they had at least called me and asked me for input.  But as it stands blind letter it is. 

It could be worse I suppose.  However, at this time, I am tempted to ask to see a regular HIV doctor.  Or at least one who actually cares at this point.  I\'ve seen this Doctor twice so far, and on both occasions I felt degraded, and more like a statistic to be examined in a college laboratory than a human being. 

However, at this time I don\'t have any heath insurance.  So only time will tell.  I am hoping that progress will be made and my doctor will come around to the idea that I am after all a human with real things called emotions and the need to communicate rather than medicate.  lol.  I swear.  But all in all the VA for the most part has been decent to me. 

Perhaps I\'ve set the bar too high in my expectations for medical care now that I\'m a civillian.  On that same note I do believe there is such a thing called a US level of care.  Perhaps when I was a corpsman in the US Navy Ethics, and professional guidelines were the norm of the day.  Out here in the civillian community I am finding that it is not the case.  This, in many aspects, I have found is a normal part of being a patient in a faulty health care system that is full of cracks and mis-management as a general rule.

I have heard it said that when you see an error; it is on you to fix, correct, or ameliorate the situation.  While in the Service this was possible.  However, I have found that as a civillian( alebiet a patient) that few providers or Chief of Staff at medical facilities actually care for input that could make a difference.  It is indeed sad that instead of treating patients most medical facillities would rather treat the dollars being provided to their coffers. 

This being said it is my hope that the new President is indeed a catalyst for much needed change in the current U.S. Health care system.  Thank you for listening. 

-Doogie