By Matt Scherer  

  Is an appointment for the VA’s toxic exposure worth the effort?  

 As the publisher of www.miltrac.org, I wanted to take a “doubting Thomas” approach to this effort to screen my exposure to these poisonous toxins.  

Let me be honest here.  The VA has come a long way since I retired in 1997.   After my initial VA visits had one phlebotomist probe my arm for blood vessels for five minutes. The VA clinic was using this high school student to use me as a training opportunity.  It wasn’t until I asked for his VA supervisor that I got a successful blood draw. 

 Another time I visited another VA facility, hoping to be first in line when the facility opened at 7:30 a.m.  I waited 30 minutes before the clerk opened his office.  

 Tings have changed within the last few years.  

 Retired Command Sergeant Major E.G. Mais has been a mentor to both our website and our Military Transition Roundtable mission.     

 Through his efforts, my ire over my previous treatment has changed.    

 Okay, I set the stage for my recent experience.  On a scale of one to five, I would give my recent toxic screening a six.  

 I called 833-633-8846 to set up an appointment.  The VA staffer then set up an appointment last week with Nancy Reid, a VA physician assistant.  After I mentioned that Bldg. 349, the headquarters building at Lowry AFB, Colo., had abestos exposure while I served there, Ms. Reid set up an appointment to get a chest X-ray.  

 During our discussion, Nancy also shared how to get a possible disability claim for my Type 2 Diabetes.   As an Air Force public affairs professional assigned to Andersen AFB, Guam, I was exposed to Agent Orange.  Nancy shared how this was a possibly a factor in my diabetes ailment.   She shared how my Medicare doctor could document one medicine that I can now claim with a new VA intent to file.  

 I went into this screening as a skeptic, but I left feeling that the VA had changed considerably from my previous experiences in the 1990s.  

 Veterans, take the time to call the toll-free number to schedule an appointment for this toxic screening.