Posted on Jun 17, 2017
What are the most difficult things about going back to school at a later age?
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I am about to start going back to school here in August. I will be 28 When the semester starts and depending on how my military experience and training translates into credits I may or may not be a sophomore. What are some of the more difficult things that everyone has been through as you began going back to school, especially if you were 10+ years older than the other students?
NOTE: THIS QUESTION IS YEARS OLD AT THIS POINT. I GRADUATED IN MAY 2019 AND SUBSEQUENTLY MOVED ON TO GRADUATE SCHOOL.
NEWER NOTE: I FINISHED MY MASTER'S IN 2020.
NOTE: THIS QUESTION IS YEARS OLD AT THIS POINT. I GRADUATED IN MAY 2019 AND SUBSEQUENTLY MOVED ON TO GRADUATE SCHOOL.
NEWER NOTE: I FINISHED MY MASTER'S IN 2020.
Education
College
Edited >1 y ago
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 52
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Hello SGT Gunderson,
While serving on active duty in the United States Air Force, I am now embarrassed to share I waited over 13 years to finally work up the nerve to attend my first college class. I enlisted straight out of high school and, in my head, I easily justified why I couldn’t take classes; busy with family, work, and social commitments. But the plain and simple truth was “I was afraid to fail.”
The biggest challenge prospective students face –in my opinion-when beginning their off duty education is lacking self-confidence in their ability to succeed. Many schools provide an introductory course to ensure you are a good fit to become a successful college student, whether it be online or in a classroom.
As I now explain to those cautious prospective students, it’s like joining any branch of the military where they don’t immediately send you to your specialized training to learn your job skill. You must first transition from the being a civilian, to a military member at Basic Training and “learning the ropes.”
Congratulations on your decision to pursue your educational goals. You can also check out this site for additional information about the school: http://www.amuonline.com/rallypoint
While serving on active duty in the United States Air Force, I am now embarrassed to share I waited over 13 years to finally work up the nerve to attend my first college class. I enlisted straight out of high school and, in my head, I easily justified why I couldn’t take classes; busy with family, work, and social commitments. But the plain and simple truth was “I was afraid to fail.”
The biggest challenge prospective students face –in my opinion-when beginning their off duty education is lacking self-confidence in their ability to succeed. Many schools provide an introductory course to ensure you are a good fit to become a successful college student, whether it be online or in a classroom.
As I now explain to those cautious prospective students, it’s like joining any branch of the military where they don’t immediately send you to your specialized training to learn your job skill. You must first transition from the being a civilian, to a military member at Basic Training and “learning the ropes.”
Congratulations on your decision to pursue your educational goals. You can also check out this site for additional information about the school: http://www.amuonline.com/rallypoint
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I say I'm a perpetual student, always taking classes, sometimes a break, and then taking some other classes. There are a lot of non-traditional students these days. You're likely to be more serious about your educational goals than those that went into college right after high school. You'll find you may associate or have some things in common, but you'll have your world and they have theirs. Be social but be yourself and don't feel the need to fit in. Some are people you'll only have that one class with and never see again. Anyone who is in the same degree path as you, you may see and have a few classes with, and have study groups or more interaction and socialization with. May you have a successful educational experience.
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... Well Done, SGT Joseph...But Had I Seen Your Post Much Earlier I'd Have Said...
"First Off, If You Even Spend 10 Years More Getting Your Education, You'll Be 38 Years Of Age Upon Completion;
But If You DON'T Go Back To School, You'll STILL Be 38 In 10 Years ...... Your Call.
Take Advantage Of Your Educational Benefits While IN The Service; They're Plentiful. And, If Things Haven't Changed Since MY Days, You Can Take College Courses, Fully Paid, From The Colleges You Plan To Attend In The Future ; Which Are, Of Course, Fully Accredited Towards Your Degree...
BTW, I'm About As Close To 100 % SELF-EDUCATED As Anyone You'll Ever Know. I Left The Public Schools Mid 9th Grade And Used USAFI,& NAVPERS To Get A REAL Education:
....Educated Well Enough To Become Director Of Purchasing For FMC In Indiana... Then Self Employed In The Printing Field For 27 Years And Fully Retired At 56.....
Don't Just Attend College. While You're There Taking Programs, Try Getting An Education....
While Purchasing Director I Had To Fire A Couple College Boys Whom Forgot To Do That...
Degrees Have Never Impressed Me; But Performance Always Has.".
Congrats On Your Achievements
"First Off, If You Even Spend 10 Years More Getting Your Education, You'll Be 38 Years Of Age Upon Completion;
But If You DON'T Go Back To School, You'll STILL Be 38 In 10 Years ...... Your Call.
Take Advantage Of Your Educational Benefits While IN The Service; They're Plentiful. And, If Things Haven't Changed Since MY Days, You Can Take College Courses, Fully Paid, From The Colleges You Plan To Attend In The Future ; Which Are, Of Course, Fully Accredited Towards Your Degree...
BTW, I'm About As Close To 100 % SELF-EDUCATED As Anyone You'll Ever Know. I Left The Public Schools Mid 9th Grade And Used USAFI,& NAVPERS To Get A REAL Education:
....Educated Well Enough To Become Director Of Purchasing For FMC In Indiana... Then Self Employed In The Printing Field For 27 Years And Fully Retired At 56.....
Don't Just Attend College. While You're There Taking Programs, Try Getting An Education....
While Purchasing Director I Had To Fire A Couple College Boys Whom Forgot To Do That...
Degrees Have Never Impressed Me; But Performance Always Has.".
Congrats On Your Achievements
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Personally. I graduated "cum laude" from college at 27. I also worked 30 or more hrs. a week as a truck driver. I could not have done it without my military experience. I was organized, stayed on task, and thought on my feet to get through. I also ignored all the idiot protesters as this was the early '70's and I was a combat vet. I could not have done it straight out of HS, I was too scatterbrained. Thanks to the Army I succeeded.
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Hardest is dealing with VA Vic rehab . 30 of us disabled vets had to fight all the way to sec of va to get benefits . It took 3 yrs . If you have ptsd they tell you no we have to protect society . True story . Then they say your too disabled and on and on . They’re supposed to find you employment you can do physically . They then say your too disabled . Nightmare . Fight back hard . VA is not your friend
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A1C Medrick "Rick" DeVaney
HERE's MY VA Medical Experiences:... LONG STORY But Damned Nearly Laughable Yet Quite Entertaining,,,,,Sent To VA At All Levels, Both Senators, Our Congressman & Anyone I Could Find Whom MIGHT Do Something.....
Months Ago With...... ZERO Responses..
This Is A Copy Of The Letter
These are just a few reasons I feel the need to change my Primary Physician...(NOW DONE) .It's a long & DETAILED list. You MAY wish to take a moment, get a fresh cup of coffee, or a beer, open another pack of cigarettes, get a thicker pad for your chair, and take an OATH to NOT Laugh in disbelief.....(YOU have MY Medical Records to Refer to when you simply can't even believe these things are possible. READY, ......SET, ......GO........!!!
\.Now you're ready to read what you MAY, at times, think to be reading a Fictional Comedy ..... (YOU should have ALL the Medical Records, written by your personnel, in your computer system ,to verify ANYTHING I happen to say,)...
.NOT all of these matters were CAUSED by my Primary Physician, but his lack of diagnostic skills & refusal to investigate my health issues FURTHER, when HE doesn't Personally know the answers, (one in particular) IS, in fact, what DAMNED near DIRECTLY caused my DEATH........ Your Emergency Personnel are completely responsible for, LITERALLY, saving my life.
I'll do my best to go in sequence of events, but you may have access to my health records on your computers, so you can see the actual series of events & time lines, of which, I'm not certain. ,ALL of this information should be verifiable in my Medical Records, at the VA ,in your computers, IF they WERE placed there as I think they should have been
Roughly about 20 years ago (Whenever my FIRST appointment occurred at the VA facility), I was having an unusual thing happen to me. It probably took several MONTHS for me to get around to seeing a Doctor, Anywhere (Because I didn't realize that my condition was anything but a little nervousness or something). My 1st Doctor, non-VA Doctor whom I saw , simply stated that I was having Anxiety attacks, so he sent me to a Counselor, who, in turn, referred me to a Psychiatrist as he couldn't write prescriptions, which he felt I might need.. I don't recall the Psychiatrists name, but it may be in your files. She "Diagnosed " me by asking this: "Does anyone else in your family have problems with Anxiety or are any of them Bi-Polar"? I responded that I had a brother, living in Panama, that had some minor problems with anxiety and was taking a mild medication on a daily basis. My father, however WAS bi-polar... HER response was... 'Oh, Then you're Bi-Polar also then" and put me on medications. THAT was the FULL diagnosis procedure & result And TOTALLY WRONG
KNOWING she was probably wrong, I made an appointment with a V.A. Psychiatrist to reexamine me & I told him what had occurred.... The ONLY thing I recall that Doctor saying was "O.K", after I had explained what had happened, He then, just renewed her prescription & instructions, for MY treatment.... Each time I saw my VA doctor, we went through the EXACT SAME routine.. It was almost like a Comedy Routine......He just kept renewing the same Rx & sent me out.... SEVERAL more physicians replaced each other in sequence & repeated the IDENTICAL process,,....Same Rx, And I was told, at some point, that I would continue feeling WORSE as time passed........ WHICH is exactly what was already happening, to the point of my winding up in the Emergency Room MANY times. EVENTUALLY, That Dr. Also was transferred & Yet ANOTHER doctor took over my case ,.... THIS time, It was Dr SHAW..... BUT.... THIS Doctor, Shaw, ASKED a few questions AND Listened.to my replies. Then, he stated, "You do NOT even sound to be Bi-Polar at all", then he CHANGED my medications..... I I don't recall the exact time line, but somewhere around 3 to 6 months passed & I was, gradually, taken OFF all the medications except for a smaller dosage of CITALOPRAM HYDROBROMIDE, taken at bedtime. Which, by the way, I believe, I may need to return to & take at a slightly higher dose..... IF I can get anyone to actually listen to me & prescribe the medication..,
At one point, I also had a Hernia successfully repaired, with no difficulties, what-so-ever.
At various times,I returned to the VA for routine follow ups & blood tests without any significant problems that I recall. THEN, At one point when, as was routine, , Dr. Kaiser asked how I was feeling & I told him that I could NOT pinpoint my problem, but was not feeling very well & thought I was actually feeling a little worse, all the time, as time passed....He, pretty much, just ignored what I was saying & I continued feeling worse all the time and repeatedly told him so,and HE, repeatedly ignored me... This CONTINUED for YEARS & YEARS, until I had requested, SEVERAL times to have a complete Physical exam while, at the same time, passing more & more time in my bed at home, not feeling well enough to even get OUT of bed... HIS RESPONSE to my Requests?........."I can't justify requesting a Complete Physical Examination, because I can't find anything wrong with you"...........He did notice, however, at one point, that my white blood cell count was rather elevated, but "Nothing to be concerned about", I WAS, however deficient in vitamin "D". My skin & eyes were slightly yellow...But, ALSO,... "Nothing to be concerned about". and returned home.
As I stated, THIS continued for MANY YEARS, Somewhere around 20 years or even more. until one evening, my Ex-wife, whom lives with me, said I was acting strangely and she decided to take me to the V.A.. Emergency.Room ,,,,,Because of how I was doing at THAT time, it took both her AND my sister-in-Law, about a Half an HOUR to get me from my Bed room, INTO her car, about 40 foot distance .. .. I recall NONE of any of this. (Not being put into her car, Not being driven to the Hospital, Not being taken into the Emergency Room, Not checking in, Not Being tended to, Not the surgery, or ANYTHING else,. until I woke up in the hospital with a tube extending out of my stomach area & I.V.s in my arms with SOMEONE standing over me... Whoever it was, asked how I was doing & I asked him where I was. It was then when I was told I was in the V.A. Hospital, on the 2nd floor CANCER WARD..... I then asked if I was dying. To which he replied something to the affect of:.... "We don't know yet, we're running some tests, but we WILL make you as comfortable as possible"....Later that same morning, day, afternoon or evening, someone (male. but was standing at a point in the room where I couldn't see him), entered my room & asked how I was feeling. I told him that I Felt sick as SHIT but, evidently, better than earlier.... He simply stated the he working was in the Emergency Room when I arrived and was part of the team whom had worked on me, He said that he happened to look at the computer records when he returned to work that day & was actually SURPRISED that I was STILL alive.so he asked if he people there if could come to my room to see how I was doing. He also mentioned, had I NOT been taken to the Emergency Room when I was, He was SURE I would have been found deceased in my bed at home by morning, and further stated something like "You were SO Ill when you arrived, that we took you into surgery IMMEDIATELY, Even before your Wife had time to park her car, THEN, He asked: Didn't you ever even FEEL Sick Until Last Night"? (No, I did NOT Laugh, Nor did I tell him HOW Sick I had been OR how LONG I had been sick)... ....THEN he told me what was found & why the tube was in my stomach, He stated that Several large pockets of infection were found on your liver so we had to insert the tube into the largest one, and have drained several milliliters of infection from it & also have you on a very high dosage of antibiotics to assist in helping reduce those infections and the infections in the other pockets as well. At Present,we're still running more tests..
THIS situation, occurred TWICE , but I don't exactly recall when, . (Refer to the Medical records)
During a routine follow up, I mentioned that I was having some rather severe cramps in both my stomach & sides. Doctor Kaiser said he'd send me some Magnesium Oxide & it should take care of it..... I asked if he had any idea why I was having this problem, to which he replied "Sometimes, we don't know" and I went home.... I received the Magnesium Oxide & took the recommended amount. I DID help for a little while, but the pains kept increasing in frequency & severity... At my next routine appointment, I was still continuing to have the exact same problem, So I mentioned it to Dr.Kaiser... He doubled the Rx amount, which ALSO helped...... for awhile.....but Eventually I wound up in the Emergency Room AGAIN.,,,,,,THEIR .Diagnosis?: Diverticulitis ....... I Received antibiotics & that solved the problem.....Same problem happened again, but I just went to the E.R. & they took care of it while, at the same time, , said that I should have come in earlier, because, had I waited MUCH longer, I would probably have had to spend a day or so in the hospital for treatment instead of just taking the antibiotics home,..
During all these YEARS, before the infections were diagnosed, and I had treatment & surgery, one by one, my teeth became loose & LITERALLY fell out..... I was told that my teeth probably became loose & fell out BECAUSE of the sheer volume of infection throughout my entire system over all those years.. One morning I woke up at around 3 or 4 AM, reached to my end stand, pulled out a Kleenex & used it to remove a tooth, which had fallen out during my sleep, & I place it into the trash can, I now ONE tooth remaining in my mouth... (Lower Right,bottom) .This loss of all my teeth, I was also told, was obviously caused BY the infection as it increased in volume over the YEARS which went passed and as the infection CONTINUED to be UN-DIAGNOSED, Had it been diagnosed YEARS ago, when it SHOULD have been, & taken proper care of, ALSO like it should have been, It never would have happened at all, nor would being Hospitalized at all have been necessary.at ANY point
I spent about TWO WEEKS in the VA hospital here & was then transferred to University Medical Center For ANOTHER Two WEEKS _ A FULL ,MONTH....Why?... Well, just before I was wheeled out of my room, towards a waiting Ambulance, I asked exactly THAT... I was then told I was being transferred to U.M.C. because they have more Knowledgeable & Skilled Liver Specialists AND a Helicopter Pad in the event I needed to be rushed to the Kaiser Hospital in Los Angeles.. After spending almost TWO more WEEKS at U.M.C., I was sent home & an RN came to my home 7 days a week for a period of..... (? refer to my medical records)...... to continue with Antibiotic injections.,. It has been YEARS &YEARS since I can recall having felt well for just ONE damned DAY....... ONE!!!!!. I haven't actually felt WELL for about 20 YEARS Or More..
Here's where I have a small problem with a Time Line for THIS situation,. I had a severe itch on,my head & tried several various treatments to see if I could take care of it myself...... After several weeks, I got an appointment to see a Dermatologist at the VA.... When I entered the doctors treatment room, he wasn't there yet. In only a minute or so the physician entered, inspected the problem & stated he had the EXACT same issue. I don't recall the name of the condition or His name, however, but he said the condition was "Treatable, but NOT Curable" & would get a prescription & have to use continually to control the situation... After about 1 month or 2 of treatments & tired of being Greased-up, I contacted someone in Panama, where I use to live and attend school,as a kid.. (1958 - 1961)...And they contacted ......... A JUNGLE Doctor. in the area of a small town of David in their interior..(pronounced Dah- Veed):...(Okay, ,NOW, You can laugh)... After having made radio contact through the general store in the doctors area, the friend of mine was told to get a small container of Noxzema, apply one light coat over night & see how it worked... It may take 2 or 3 treatments,but the results should be rather good.,,, That was about 4 - 5 YEARS ago (My VA records can be consulted for the accuracy of time references)....... I made ONE treatment & have needed nothing since. I was,for some reason, contacted from that Doctors office by a lady so I told her about what the Noxzema had done & to let the Doctor know about it, because he also had the same condition......HER RESPONSE?:something to this respect:...."OH The Doctor must not have diagnosed you properly & the condition just took care of itself. Noxzema couldn't do that or WE would have known about it already."......
I guess her SECRETARIAL skills override the Doctors MEDICAL diagnosis?..... AND we wonder WHY other people in other countries think AMERICANS are Stupid?
Oh, so long as we're still on the skin conditions, The high volume of "pimples"(?) which totally cover my body in all areas, actually cause pain when coming through the skin, CAN & DO, wake me up at night.. THAT is just how painful they actually ARE.. I ALSO have some type of skin problem behind both ears. It's just dry & itchy patches of, what feels like dry skin, running the full length directly behind them.
NEXT::.......I had 3 spots on my neck & several other spots all over my body that had itched, hurt & I had to peel the skin off to relieve the pain.... Called the VA, made an appointment, went to see the Dermatologist... Sat down, he entered the room, ran his hand behind my neck & diagnosed the problem, "Sight Unseen", as Ingrown Hairs, Stood up and, as exiting the room, spoke over his shoulder & said:"I'll send you something to treat that".. He never bothered with looking at it OR any of the other places,...Eventually (consult your records), I made ANOTHER appointment for the SAME thing because his "Treatment" for the "Ingrown Hairs" had no affect what-so-ever,. I told that Doctor about the treatment not working & the fact that no other areas had been looked at.. SHE then said: "That the previous Doctor was correct, they're all ingrown hairs, So, evidently, your body must have a "PROPENSITY" to produce Ingrown hairs..(Stated Without Actually Examining ANYTHING What-So-Ever, And YES, THAT is what she actually said) Then NOT looking at any places OR even the original "Ingrown Hairs"...... EITHER.
OH.. .. 1 more POSSIBLE skin condition..... While speaking to Dr. Kaiser in his office while he was entering information on his computer, I mentioned that I had a blister on the side of my nose & it was rather painful, Without looking away from the computer OR raising his head, he reached into a drawer to his left, removed 2 Band Aids, handed then to me & said "Try this". That blister must have broken open & drained one night while I was sleeping &, evidently, Spread..,,, The skin is now affected with SOMETHING that covers my entire nose, Forehead, under my eyes, on both of my cheeks & on one Eye Lid, close to the left edge of my eye,..and I have SOMETHING on both cheeks, under my left nostril, just above & below my chin,. It's hard & flakes off in pieces and somewhat like dander when scratched.
Now, so Far, I Have been diagnosed with, PTSD. Diabetes with nerve damage to both feet & one hand, COPD, and NO real skin conditions, EXCEPT for a REAL Over Abundance of ingrown Hair.... The Bum Ditch..
HERE is where it REALLY started to interest me..... I, of course have had NO medical training at all, so this is from what Doctors and a Medical Specialists, of some manner, Have told to me, after looking over some of my medical information, So I MAY have some or even ALL,of it wrong.,.. This is According to what I recall. ..
I SHOULD ONLY have the COPD & PTSD and HERE's Why.....MY COPD was caused by MY smoking..... PERIOD. The PTSD is ANYONE'S guess as to Where it came from or Why I have it....
Here's what I was told about what could VERY well actually caused my DIABETES... During the YEARS that the infection was attacking my liver, the Pancreas was putting out sugars to assist in healing the problem....As the infection continued & got worse, the Pancreas INCREASED with putting more and more sugar into my system it felt was needed, AND, of course, I developed full blown Diabetes & is now finally being treated. BUT that was ONLY after I had told Doctor Kaiser that my feet felt cold & were quite painful to even walk on.... The FIRST time, he placed his hands on my feet and said that my feet didn't feel cold at all....
SO, I went Home.... It was only Later when I had my Normal Routine Blood tests taken & it showed the unusually high levels of sugar & I THEN received the diagnosis of Diabetes.
SO, at this time, I STILL have ALL of the SAME remaining conditions as noted.,
I had no idea this information would take so long to prepare for your informational purposes. Sorry if it inconvenienced you in any way or if any of the information was unnecessary. I simply wanted it to be as clear as possible.
Sincerely,
Medrick Charles DeVaney
Months Ago With...... ZERO Responses..
This Is A Copy Of The Letter
These are just a few reasons I feel the need to change my Primary Physician...(NOW DONE) .It's a long & DETAILED list. You MAY wish to take a moment, get a fresh cup of coffee, or a beer, open another pack of cigarettes, get a thicker pad for your chair, and take an OATH to NOT Laugh in disbelief.....(YOU have MY Medical Records to Refer to when you simply can't even believe these things are possible. READY, ......SET, ......GO........!!!
\.Now you're ready to read what you MAY, at times, think to be reading a Fictional Comedy ..... (YOU should have ALL the Medical Records, written by your personnel, in your computer system ,to verify ANYTHING I happen to say,)...
.NOT all of these matters were CAUSED by my Primary Physician, but his lack of diagnostic skills & refusal to investigate my health issues FURTHER, when HE doesn't Personally know the answers, (one in particular) IS, in fact, what DAMNED near DIRECTLY caused my DEATH........ Your Emergency Personnel are completely responsible for, LITERALLY, saving my life.
I'll do my best to go in sequence of events, but you may have access to my health records on your computers, so you can see the actual series of events & time lines, of which, I'm not certain. ,ALL of this information should be verifiable in my Medical Records, at the VA ,in your computers, IF they WERE placed there as I think they should have been
Roughly about 20 years ago (Whenever my FIRST appointment occurred at the VA facility), I was having an unusual thing happen to me. It probably took several MONTHS for me to get around to seeing a Doctor, Anywhere (Because I didn't realize that my condition was anything but a little nervousness or something). My 1st Doctor, non-VA Doctor whom I saw , simply stated that I was having Anxiety attacks, so he sent me to a Counselor, who, in turn, referred me to a Psychiatrist as he couldn't write prescriptions, which he felt I might need.. I don't recall the Psychiatrists name, but it may be in your files. She "Diagnosed " me by asking this: "Does anyone else in your family have problems with Anxiety or are any of them Bi-Polar"? I responded that I had a brother, living in Panama, that had some minor problems with anxiety and was taking a mild medication on a daily basis. My father, however WAS bi-polar... HER response was... 'Oh, Then you're Bi-Polar also then" and put me on medications. THAT was the FULL diagnosis procedure & result And TOTALLY WRONG
KNOWING she was probably wrong, I made an appointment with a V.A. Psychiatrist to reexamine me & I told him what had occurred.... The ONLY thing I recall that Doctor saying was "O.K", after I had explained what had happened, He then, just renewed her prescription & instructions, for MY treatment.... Each time I saw my VA doctor, we went through the EXACT SAME routine.. It was almost like a Comedy Routine......He just kept renewing the same Rx & sent me out.... SEVERAL more physicians replaced each other in sequence & repeated the IDENTICAL process,,....Same Rx, And I was told, at some point, that I would continue feeling WORSE as time passed........ WHICH is exactly what was already happening, to the point of my winding up in the Emergency Room MANY times. EVENTUALLY, That Dr. Also was transferred & Yet ANOTHER doctor took over my case ,.... THIS time, It was Dr SHAW..... BUT.... THIS Doctor, Shaw, ASKED a few questions AND Listened.to my replies. Then, he stated, "You do NOT even sound to be Bi-Polar at all", then he CHANGED my medications..... I I don't recall the exact time line, but somewhere around 3 to 6 months passed & I was, gradually, taken OFF all the medications except for a smaller dosage of CITALOPRAM HYDROBROMIDE, taken at bedtime. Which, by the way, I believe, I may need to return to & take at a slightly higher dose..... IF I can get anyone to actually listen to me & prescribe the medication..,
At one point, I also had a Hernia successfully repaired, with no difficulties, what-so-ever.
At various times,I returned to the VA for routine follow ups & blood tests without any significant problems that I recall. THEN, At one point when, as was routine, , Dr. Kaiser asked how I was feeling & I told him that I could NOT pinpoint my problem, but was not feeling very well & thought I was actually feeling a little worse, all the time, as time passed....He, pretty much, just ignored what I was saying & I continued feeling worse all the time and repeatedly told him so,and HE, repeatedly ignored me... This CONTINUED for YEARS & YEARS, until I had requested, SEVERAL times to have a complete Physical exam while, at the same time, passing more & more time in my bed at home, not feeling well enough to even get OUT of bed... HIS RESPONSE to my Requests?........."I can't justify requesting a Complete Physical Examination, because I can't find anything wrong with you"...........He did notice, however, at one point, that my white blood cell count was rather elevated, but "Nothing to be concerned about", I WAS, however deficient in vitamin "D". My skin & eyes were slightly yellow...But, ALSO,... "Nothing to be concerned about". and returned home.
As I stated, THIS continued for MANY YEARS, Somewhere around 20 years or even more. until one evening, my Ex-wife, whom lives with me, said I was acting strangely and she decided to take me to the V.A.. Emergency.Room ,,,,,Because of how I was doing at THAT time, it took both her AND my sister-in-Law, about a Half an HOUR to get me from my Bed room, INTO her car, about 40 foot distance .. .. I recall NONE of any of this. (Not being put into her car, Not being driven to the Hospital, Not being taken into the Emergency Room, Not checking in, Not Being tended to, Not the surgery, or ANYTHING else,. until I woke up in the hospital with a tube extending out of my stomach area & I.V.s in my arms with SOMEONE standing over me... Whoever it was, asked how I was doing & I asked him where I was. It was then when I was told I was in the V.A. Hospital, on the 2nd floor CANCER WARD..... I then asked if I was dying. To which he replied something to the affect of:.... "We don't know yet, we're running some tests, but we WILL make you as comfortable as possible"....Later that same morning, day, afternoon or evening, someone (male. but was standing at a point in the room where I couldn't see him), entered my room & asked how I was feeling. I told him that I Felt sick as SHIT but, evidently, better than earlier.... He simply stated the he working was in the Emergency Room when I arrived and was part of the team whom had worked on me, He said that he happened to look at the computer records when he returned to work that day & was actually SURPRISED that I was STILL alive.so he asked if he people there if could come to my room to see how I was doing. He also mentioned, had I NOT been taken to the Emergency Room when I was, He was SURE I would have been found deceased in my bed at home by morning, and further stated something like "You were SO Ill when you arrived, that we took you into surgery IMMEDIATELY, Even before your Wife had time to park her car, THEN, He asked: Didn't you ever even FEEL Sick Until Last Night"? (No, I did NOT Laugh, Nor did I tell him HOW Sick I had been OR how LONG I had been sick)... ....THEN he told me what was found & why the tube was in my stomach, He stated that Several large pockets of infection were found on your liver so we had to insert the tube into the largest one, and have drained several milliliters of infection from it & also have you on a very high dosage of antibiotics to assist in helping reduce those infections and the infections in the other pockets as well. At Present,we're still running more tests..
THIS situation, occurred TWICE , but I don't exactly recall when, . (Refer to the Medical records)
During a routine follow up, I mentioned that I was having some rather severe cramps in both my stomach & sides. Doctor Kaiser said he'd send me some Magnesium Oxide & it should take care of it..... I asked if he had any idea why I was having this problem, to which he replied "Sometimes, we don't know" and I went home.... I received the Magnesium Oxide & took the recommended amount. I DID help for a little while, but the pains kept increasing in frequency & severity... At my next routine appointment, I was still continuing to have the exact same problem, So I mentioned it to Dr.Kaiser... He doubled the Rx amount, which ALSO helped...... for awhile.....but Eventually I wound up in the Emergency Room AGAIN.,,,,,,THEIR .Diagnosis?: Diverticulitis ....... I Received antibiotics & that solved the problem.....Same problem happened again, but I just went to the E.R. & they took care of it while, at the same time, , said that I should have come in earlier, because, had I waited MUCH longer, I would probably have had to spend a day or so in the hospital for treatment instead of just taking the antibiotics home,..
During all these YEARS, before the infections were diagnosed, and I had treatment & surgery, one by one, my teeth became loose & LITERALLY fell out..... I was told that my teeth probably became loose & fell out BECAUSE of the sheer volume of infection throughout my entire system over all those years.. One morning I woke up at around 3 or 4 AM, reached to my end stand, pulled out a Kleenex & used it to remove a tooth, which had fallen out during my sleep, & I place it into the trash can, I now ONE tooth remaining in my mouth... (Lower Right,bottom) .This loss of all my teeth, I was also told, was obviously caused BY the infection as it increased in volume over the YEARS which went passed and as the infection CONTINUED to be UN-DIAGNOSED, Had it been diagnosed YEARS ago, when it SHOULD have been, & taken proper care of, ALSO like it should have been, It never would have happened at all, nor would being Hospitalized at all have been necessary.at ANY point
I spent about TWO WEEKS in the VA hospital here & was then transferred to University Medical Center For ANOTHER Two WEEKS _ A FULL ,MONTH....Why?... Well, just before I was wheeled out of my room, towards a waiting Ambulance, I asked exactly THAT... I was then told I was being transferred to U.M.C. because they have more Knowledgeable & Skilled Liver Specialists AND a Helicopter Pad in the event I needed to be rushed to the Kaiser Hospital in Los Angeles.. After spending almost TWO more WEEKS at U.M.C., I was sent home & an RN came to my home 7 days a week for a period of..... (? refer to my medical records)...... to continue with Antibiotic injections.,. It has been YEARS &YEARS since I can recall having felt well for just ONE damned DAY....... ONE!!!!!. I haven't actually felt WELL for about 20 YEARS Or More..
Here's where I have a small problem with a Time Line for THIS situation,. I had a severe itch on,my head & tried several various treatments to see if I could take care of it myself...... After several weeks, I got an appointment to see a Dermatologist at the VA.... When I entered the doctors treatment room, he wasn't there yet. In only a minute or so the physician entered, inspected the problem & stated he had the EXACT same issue. I don't recall the name of the condition or His name, however, but he said the condition was "Treatable, but NOT Curable" & would get a prescription & have to use continually to control the situation... After about 1 month or 2 of treatments & tired of being Greased-up, I contacted someone in Panama, where I use to live and attend school,as a kid.. (1958 - 1961)...And they contacted ......... A JUNGLE Doctor. in the area of a small town of David in their interior..(pronounced Dah- Veed):...(Okay, ,NOW, You can laugh)... After having made radio contact through the general store in the doctors area, the friend of mine was told to get a small container of Noxzema, apply one light coat over night & see how it worked... It may take 2 or 3 treatments,but the results should be rather good.,,, That was about 4 - 5 YEARS ago (My VA records can be consulted for the accuracy of time references)....... I made ONE treatment & have needed nothing since. I was,for some reason, contacted from that Doctors office by a lady so I told her about what the Noxzema had done & to let the Doctor know about it, because he also had the same condition......HER RESPONSE?:something to this respect:...."OH The Doctor must not have diagnosed you properly & the condition just took care of itself. Noxzema couldn't do that or WE would have known about it already."......
I guess her SECRETARIAL skills override the Doctors MEDICAL diagnosis?..... AND we wonder WHY other people in other countries think AMERICANS are Stupid?
Oh, so long as we're still on the skin conditions, The high volume of "pimples"(?) which totally cover my body in all areas, actually cause pain when coming through the skin, CAN & DO, wake me up at night.. THAT is just how painful they actually ARE.. I ALSO have some type of skin problem behind both ears. It's just dry & itchy patches of, what feels like dry skin, running the full length directly behind them.
NEXT::.......I had 3 spots on my neck & several other spots all over my body that had itched, hurt & I had to peel the skin off to relieve the pain.... Called the VA, made an appointment, went to see the Dermatologist... Sat down, he entered the room, ran his hand behind my neck & diagnosed the problem, "Sight Unseen", as Ingrown Hairs, Stood up and, as exiting the room, spoke over his shoulder & said:"I'll send you something to treat that".. He never bothered with looking at it OR any of the other places,...Eventually (consult your records), I made ANOTHER appointment for the SAME thing because his "Treatment" for the "Ingrown Hairs" had no affect what-so-ever,. I told that Doctor about the treatment not working & the fact that no other areas had been looked at.. SHE then said: "That the previous Doctor was correct, they're all ingrown hairs, So, evidently, your body must have a "PROPENSITY" to produce Ingrown hairs..(Stated Without Actually Examining ANYTHING What-So-Ever, And YES, THAT is what she actually said) Then NOT looking at any places OR even the original "Ingrown Hairs"...... EITHER.
OH.. .. 1 more POSSIBLE skin condition..... While speaking to Dr. Kaiser in his office while he was entering information on his computer, I mentioned that I had a blister on the side of my nose & it was rather painful, Without looking away from the computer OR raising his head, he reached into a drawer to his left, removed 2 Band Aids, handed then to me & said "Try this". That blister must have broken open & drained one night while I was sleeping &, evidently, Spread..,,, The skin is now affected with SOMETHING that covers my entire nose, Forehead, under my eyes, on both of my cheeks & on one Eye Lid, close to the left edge of my eye,..and I have SOMETHING on both cheeks, under my left nostril, just above & below my chin,. It's hard & flakes off in pieces and somewhat like dander when scratched.
Now, so Far, I Have been diagnosed with, PTSD. Diabetes with nerve damage to both feet & one hand, COPD, and NO real skin conditions, EXCEPT for a REAL Over Abundance of ingrown Hair.... The Bum Ditch..
HERE is where it REALLY started to interest me..... I, of course have had NO medical training at all, so this is from what Doctors and a Medical Specialists, of some manner, Have told to me, after looking over some of my medical information, So I MAY have some or even ALL,of it wrong.,.. This is According to what I recall. ..
I SHOULD ONLY have the COPD & PTSD and HERE's Why.....MY COPD was caused by MY smoking..... PERIOD. The PTSD is ANYONE'S guess as to Where it came from or Why I have it....
Here's what I was told about what could VERY well actually caused my DIABETES... During the YEARS that the infection was attacking my liver, the Pancreas was putting out sugars to assist in healing the problem....As the infection continued & got worse, the Pancreas INCREASED with putting more and more sugar into my system it felt was needed, AND, of course, I developed full blown Diabetes & is now finally being treated. BUT that was ONLY after I had told Doctor Kaiser that my feet felt cold & were quite painful to even walk on.... The FIRST time, he placed his hands on my feet and said that my feet didn't feel cold at all....
SO, I went Home.... It was only Later when I had my Normal Routine Blood tests taken & it showed the unusually high levels of sugar & I THEN received the diagnosis of Diabetes.
SO, at this time, I STILL have ALL of the SAME remaining conditions as noted.,
I had no idea this information would take so long to prepare for your informational purposes. Sorry if it inconvenienced you in any way or if any of the information was unnecessary. I simply wanted it to be as clear as possible.
Sincerely,
Medrick Charles DeVaney
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I'm not that good with math but anything else I will challenge it head on.
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Cpl Ken Stevenson
Some math will be a requirement regardless. Just don't approach any courses with fear - open mind and willing to learn. I "passed" high school with grade of D in Algebra. I failed calculus (but it wasn't required to graduate) and it really was primarily because I didn't get it. I passed college with grade of A in Algebra, B+ in Calculus, and THEN a B in Trig. The strange thing was...I passed because I "got it". Older, more concerned with learning, more interested in what the teachers were saying...all the "growing up" stuff. *smile* You'll do fine!
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A1C Medrick "Rick" DeVaney
PFC Christopher?.. Many Math Subjects Are Only Required By Others If You Wish To Study Certain Subjects Or Go Into Fields Where They're Used...Other Than That, They're A Total Waste Of Time & Money As They're Very Seldom Used...And Those Whom Took Them Are Lucky If They Even Remember Anything About Them.....
Welcome To Our American Lack-Of-Education Systems...
Welcome To Our American Lack-Of-Education Systems...
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SMSgt Lawrence McCarter
One school I had attended one of the Admissions staff had said that most people are either mathematically or Literary minded, if they are strong in one usually the other is weal. There are people that are exceptions and good at everything. Math was My weakness even trying to keep a passing grade, especially Algebra and Geometry. Anything written or read was always easy and took very little effort to receive an excellent grade.
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THE HARDEST THING FOR ME WAS FEAR OF FAILURE..ONCE I GOT MY FIRST DEGREE ALL THE REST WERE A PIECE OF CAKE...I STARTED WITH 68 CREDIT HOURS OF MILITARY EXPERIENCE FOR COLLEGE..
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I was 26 and had eight years in when I did it. The Bad: The shock of having to take remedial classes. Taking months before students find out you're really not staff or undercover. If you go to work for campus police part time just live with it. lol If you were super social in high school get ready to find out what it was like to be a geek. Now the good part. If you are there to really learn it is so awesome it's beyond description. Now that I think about it, it is a lot like the military with out a lof of the support. The traditions et.. You have parents there with the freshmen who a lot of them are in shock of leaving home and you spend days doing all the paperwork and taking tests. The downside instead of just maybe a few months of having to pass tests and school you have a few years but I was so glad to be accepted and escape the military I wasn't going to let anything stop me except my academic abilities.
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I am approximately to start going again to high school here in August. I will be 28 When the semester starts offevolved and relying on how my army experience and training translates into credits I may or may not be a sophomore. We want to pardon those who are worthy of the harshest life and avoid all kinds of troubles, while others are foreseeing it. He hates https://www.hubofstudy.com/ her from any pain. It's easy to blame yourself for no annoyances. Or criticize with resilience. And when I get them said, I'm gonna blame the architect.
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you will be fine. here is a job for you part-time. [login to see] . Thomas King is his name. Pass it on.
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