Appointment at the VA-OKC yesterday, 2 hours up, got there 45 minutes early, soooo… I went to where I ‘thought’ the appointment was, and of course it had moved. The only problem is, they are upgrading/remodeling the VA hospital in OKC. Sigh…
Twenty minutes and thanks to an assistant director, I FINALLY found the right ‘module’ and checked in. I was called 10 minutes before the scheduled time. Same little Vietnamese Doc as last year, she looked me over, grumbled at me, checked two skin spots and kicked me out the door in 20 minutes, and a 2 hour drive home…
I’m actually very happy with the care I’ve gotten at OKC. They keep the appointments running on time, they are courteous, they listen, and actually answer my questions.
And now, a little video to brighten your weekend. A Clydesdale foal’s first time out of the barn! 🙂
Foal cam is almost as much fun as Puppy cam. Nice!
I wonder: were those kicks the equivalent of “Mama, wookidat! Wookidat!”
Or maybe it was a slap-yo-Mama experience: “Mama, why didn’t you take me here BEFORE!”
Regardless, that was beautiful.
Don’t you love the drive? The last VA appointment I had was in Kansas City at the hospital, an hour’s drive into a crappy part of town. There’s a clinic in Paola, 12 miles away. Why things could not have been accomplished there, I don’t know.
I go to Paola too. I live 5 miles south of Spring Hill.I truly appreciate the hospital in KC.
So, to avoid that drive, could you have gone private practice?
I don’t use VA (yet), but I had the impression Trump had done something to that effect for vets not near a VA.
PK- Yep! 🙂
Pat- Probably… LOL
Jim- Depends on how they are set up. I see the local clinic for the simple stuff, go to OKC for the bigger stuff.
Ed- I’ve been using the same doc at OKC for three years. I’m happy with her, and this is a once a year thing, so I don’t mind. Plus I get paid mileage for the trip. Could I do it locally? Probably…
Glad to hear it continues to go well. There’s a new VA facility in Anchorage, which I’m going to have to visit soon: my back injury continues to grow worse, and needs to be re-evaluated. My hope is that it goes as well as yours.
A good doctor is worth the drive and annoyance of ever-shifting locations.
Very glad to know that things at your VA are not the horror story that we unfortunately hear so much about.
Same with the Fresno facility. On time, good service, friendly,
and valet parking…heh.
After two+ years of fighting the VA yielded. My last appointment was 1.3 miles away.
Rev- Good luck!
Beans- All of my interactions at OKC have been positive, and for that I’m thankful!
Skip- That’s good news, we don’t have valet… sigh
WSF- Yay!!!
Love horses. As a coincidence, my kids got to go for pony/horse rides today. I can’t help but think that little foal needed a nip from mom to tell him to mind his manners and not kick. Too cute to see the baby horse zoomies, though. He’s like, “oh, this is what my long legs are for!!!”.
Back in the day when I was in A&P school at NAS Norman OK we used to take the bus to Dallas for weekend liberty. What a beautiful ride. Being from Boston I thought scenery like that was only in Roy Rogers’ Western movies. Good your VA experience was positive, maybe they’re squaring away.
If you have gone to OKC one must assume you have been to the Cowboy Hall of Fame. It had kind of a commercial feel to it when I was there.
If you have the time and inclination Ft. Sill used to use the original stone fort built by the Buffalo Soldiers for administrative offices.
Geronimo’ cell was still available for viewing.
The museum housed in the old fort had a well-polished Gatling gun in .30-40 Kraig fed by dumping crates of loose rounds into a hopper on the top IIRC.
Quanna Parker’s grave is nearby the fort.
The wildlife refuge has a herd of longhorns and buffalo that is contingent to the fort.
Lots of history in that area. My family, included, three generations ago.
Grandad was born in The Indian Territory.
Oh, and back then if you went to The Saddle Club in Chickashay (sp?) on Saturday night it was BYOB and no hats.
One local OK establishment requested that you check your shooters at the door.
IIRC a place in Texas countered by giving you a shooter if you didn’t have one when you came in.
Times have changed.
A side trip during your next trip to OKC might be counted as research for more books. (hint, hint, taps foot, counts money)
At the VA annual physical:
Me: I recently got this bleeding growth on my back, doc.
Doc: Uh-huh. We’ll look at that last.
Me: Did I mention it’s bleeding?
Doc: Uh-huh.
Me: A lot.
Doc: Uh-huh.
Me: Soaks through the bandage…
Doc: Uh-huh. Let’s look at your numbers.
(20 minutes later)
Doc: OK, what’s under your banda- OH! You’re going straight to the ER.
Me: Told ya.
glad things went OK at the VA – and the foal video was really cute – it looked to me like it was literally scared of its shadow when it was heading out of the barn the first time – like, “What’s this thing on the ground that’s following me??”