For several months, while I’ve been able to get Veterans Affairs appointments at the mental health clinic, getting to see an actual medical physician for a check-up or screening, or whatever that call it now, has been difficult. And while it seems like I’m about to rant about the VA health system, I’m not.
Then I began having worsening dizzy spells, spells I’ve been living with for the last couple of months. On top of that, I have been battling some of the meanest headaches I have ever experienced in my life. Add to this forgetfulness, fatigue, and myriads of other things, all noticeable differences in my life, and I figured something had gone wrong with my health.
The last time I went to the VA in mid-December, I stopped again in the appointment area to see if I could see a medical doctor. The woman behind the plexiglass screen told me not until July or August.
About three weeks later, my cellphone rang while I was at work. I answered, and the woman on the other end asked if I could make it to a VA medical appointment at 9 a.m. because they had a cancellation.
I said that I could, and I did.
The nurse weighed me, took my temperature, and checked my blood pressure. It was a whopping 201/100 — a deadly range.
That became the focus of Dr. Phillips, who prescribed Losartan to help relax the walls of my blood vessels. Since starting it, my systolic number has dropped by 30 points, and just that tiny change has made a difference, as I am feeling much better.
This health scare placed me back in the combat zone, where death is a possibility and becomes acceptable at a certain point, which is oddly calming in such stress. Between learning I could stroke out at any time and receiving my prescription, I moved into that sedate zone, knowing that if it happened, I could do nothing about it.
Finally, the VA medical system instituted a call list on January 1 for vets waiting to see a medical doctor, a policy I knew nothing about. Dr. Phillips said I was one of the first people called via the new program.
Thus, two more God things.
The Old Blog in the Desert 