I am a former marine and viet nam vet.  CH's began in early 1984 and I first sought treatment at the VA in 1986.
After several visits to triage I was told that they had done all they could do and would refer me to Neurology.  A week later I got a notice from them saying that my appointment had been scheduled....in a year!!! 

I immediately got on the phone to Senator Phil Grahams office, told them when I was told in 1966 to go to Viet Nam, I didn't say "OK, I'll be there in a year", and I didn't feel like I should have to wait a year to get some help.

Long story short, they intervened, I got to go to neurology the next day, and they more or less refused to help me cause I didn't have a service connected disability, (and because I went around their little system).

Fast forward to late 1997;  A terrible cycle started shortly after Christmas and on Jan 15th of 1998 I decided I had had enough and swallowed enough pills to kill 3 people but my wife came home unexpectedly and found me unconsicous, called 911, and I spent several days in ICU, another few on suicide watch and was then released to my wifes custody on Feb 4th.

On Feb 6th I checked into a motel room with a 6 pack, 3 vicodin, and a razor blade.  Drank a couple of the beers, downed the vicodins, and remember slicing my wrists with the razor.  Came to around 6 PM still very much alive but in quite a bit of pain.

Ended up in the Psych ward at the Dallas VA where they decided that since I drank beer and used pot I should be sent to their domicillary substance abuse program at the Bonham, Texas facility.  They absolutley refused to accept the fact that I tried to kill myself to escape the CH',s and told me I was just depressed from being an alcholic/addict but here is where it gets really crazy.

Because I was incarcerated in this DSAP program, my case worker could bypass normal chanels, and when I told him about the CH's I was sent to the same neurology department in Dallas where I was given varapamil and imitrex injection scripts (8   2 shot kits a month). I recieved those 16 shots a month for the whole year that I was in the program plus almost a year after I returned to the Dallas VA for a Compensated Work Therapy program.  Keep in mind that like most sufferers, I have periods of remission so I wasn't using all those shots as I got them.  At the end of the 2 years I was discharged from those programs and almost immediately thereafter, neurology refused to treat me any further and DC'd the scripts.

Now, after almost 4 years in remission, the beast has reared its ugly head and I'm down to the last 14 shots of all those that I hoarded (they still work despite being almost 4 years past the expiration date).

I don't have another suicide attempt in me and an now wondering how I'm going to get through all the VA bullchit to get another script when these are gone.

Thanks for lettin me rant and I'm open to suggestions if anyone has experience with greasin the wheels of the VA system.

Thanks Joe.  I do have oxygen and it helps alot.  After reading the oxy page this morning I called my supplier about a rebreather mask and am picking up one of those today.

What Bejeeber just said.........for oxygen to work it's magic the FASTEST, it's critical your lungs get ONLY pure oxygen. No outside air, no exhaled air. That's best accomplished using the NON RE BREATHER  mask at a high flow rate, at least 15 LPM. If you drain the bag and then some on every breath, you need a higher flow. If you're not completely deflating the bag with every breath, your flow rate is probably okay.

Joe

Dallas Denny 62 wrote on Sep 29^th, 2009 at 7:18pm:

yep same shit from the place I got my masks.  check your pm box.

    potter

Yeah, at one point my 02 prescription had expired, they wouldn't even repair the damned pressure guage on my regulator until I got a new 02 prescription. Covering their own heinies I'm sure.

Joe

Denny - Off topic: I thought you only became a former Marine once you were pushing up daisies.