Why does the VA not carry women sized braces?

2020-07-02T00:02:01-04:00

I would like to know, why the VA does not carry women sized braces? I had a broken toe earlier this year. The smallest size of a surgical boot Loma Linda had was a men's medium, which was 1 1/2" too long. While talking to an Army medic about it, he remarked that another female of his aquaintence had called him earlier in the day, trying to obtain a leg brace in Oklahoma, because the VA there did not have women's sizes either. Also, when registering with RallyPoint, it does not have the designator for most female officer from my era, 1100-General Unrestricted Officer (GURL). Way to go, having a forum for women vets that doesn't recognize a significant segment of the women veterans! I fudged with 111x, which I am NOT.

Response by Sgt Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 2 at 2020 12:48 AM

2020-07-02T00:48:35-04:00

LT Robin McPeters One of our RallyPoint Administrators may have a solution for your 1100 designator.

LTC Kevin B., SSG Carlos Madden

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 2 at 2020 1:02 AM

2020-07-02T01:02:19-04:00

Wow... So you’re angry at the VA, the first 80% of your story, then you blame “us” the RP community for it. Then, rather than contacting the admins to get your rating recognized, you accuse them of systemically shutting out women because they don’t have every rank and rating from every era of every service?

This is not the VA, and if you’re angry with them, you should address that with them. This is a non governmental website run by volunteer service members and veterans. They’re not making money off of moderating or helping connect people with questions to people with answers. If there is something you see that could be made better, then be the change you want to see and make things better.

Response by SSG(P) Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 2 at 2020 3:27 AM

2020-07-02T03:27:22-04:00

What significant portion of women vets are they not recognizing and how would you make changes?

Response by CSM Darieus ZaGara made Jul 2 at 2020 6:19 AM

2020-07-02T06:19:40-04:00

Did you ask them to order one? I am sure that like life all VAs are a little different because people are different. I would ask them to prefer and go see the COS. When I first moved to the area I am in I had two issues, seemingly unresolveable. The COS listened and got the situations righted.

Response by COL John McClellan made Jul 2 at 2020 8:53 AM

2020-07-02T08:53:50-04:00

We still have a long, long way to go...

Response by SPC Brian Mason made Jul 2 at 2020 12:30 PM

2020-07-02T12:30:42-04:00

It's not the VA's fault, LT.
We come in such a wide variety of physical characteristics there's no way to make custom-fit gear for everyone who needs it.
I'm guessing you are on the shorter leg length for women? The average woman likely fits into a Medium so that is what is produced. It also has to do with that vendor. Gear in medicine has to meet standards. I'm not putting you off. It can be frustrating.
I had my own issue. Last early November I tore the distal brachial tendon in my R arm. That's inside your inner elbow and responsible for most of your arm strength, thumb movement, wrist turning, and pulling motions with your arm.
I was in a half-cast for a month with cotton and an Ace wrap. Uncomfortable but had to be rigid for at least that long. The only brace I had did NOT fit my lower arm well at all. After 3 weeks of constantly adjusting and even loosening and cradling it in a pillow, they bent back the metal piece that was the problem.
https://imgur.com/GgSdMBy - Picture of the brace after it was 'fixed'.
There are no sizes that fit me for this. The blue part is one of 3 metal pieces that keep the arm in a very limited position. I suggest you try and work with the VA or get a paid referral to an outside source that can help. IMO, it would be best to measure both legs, feet, circumference, etc. The normal unaffected leg vs the affected one. It's not fun being in these situations.

Imgur

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Response by SPC Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 2 at 2020 1:41 PM

2020-07-02T13:41:19-04:00

This sounds like someone bitching and complaining, purely for the sake of shouldering your own personal victimization. You fall into what would now be considered a minority and do not encapsulate current relevance, despite what you feel, nor how important you were during your time served. When filling out a census form or tax information, do you find things like "Maori" "Samoan" or "Tungan"? No. You find "Pacific Islander." Now why is that? Could it be possible that catering speciality to a minority not bearing relevance to the current issue, nor require appropriate identification based upon an irrelevant criteria, could be time consuming and negatively impact the experience and capabilities of the network on which you're currently complaining? Or do they just want to oppress women for the sake of them being women? I'll let you ponder on that for a moment.

Now, all vitriol aside, I truly hold a glimmer of hope that this is merely satirical trolling, and not you actually being offended that they didnt include a commission rate that no longer exists on current MOS calls. Because if it is the latter, then the internet is probably not the best place for you.

Response by SSgt Christophe Murphy made Jul 2 at 2020 2:00 PM

2020-07-02T14:00:31-04:00

I have run into similar issues at the VA needing a knee brace. Were they able to order it and provide it at a later time. What was their workaround?

As for your gripe with RP I would just reach out to RP Admin for an assist. I am sure they can add whatever you are looking for if you talk to them about it.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 2 at 2020 2:55 PM

2020-07-02T14:55:38-04:00

Because for decades the VA wasn't used to the influx of female veterans that it's had in the last 19 years - that's the bottom line.

Look at the equipment we get issued like body armor and for years it wasn't built for the female body. A lot of things in society ignore that females are built differently.

I don't know about the Rally Point thing but that's something you need to take up with the admins. It may be that they just aren't aware of that designator when they built the page. A simple polite request to see if they can add it would have likely sufficed. They likely didn't do it on purpose.

Response by SGT Herbert Bollum made Jul 2 at 2020 4:43 PM

2020-07-02T16:43:04-04:00

I read recently that the military is finally getting armor sized specifically for women...it takes a long time to get everything done and sizes are always a problem.

Response by PO2 Lorraine Corso made Jul 2 at 2020 9:50 PM

2020-07-02T21:50:47-04:00

The VA is a teaching hospital and my guess it's about cost and the fact that there are more men than women in the military.

Response by SGT Tzena Scarborough made Jul 2 at 2020 9:58 PM

2020-07-02T21:58:29-04:00

Lt, they are NOT shutting out women veterans.... I have had GREAT VA care since 1986 at the Spokane WA VAMC. they have more and more services and recognition for women veterans then way back then.....Just because they didn't have a small sized boot for you doesn't constitute not helping women veterans....
What era did you serve? with the issue of 1100 designator???

Response by PO3 Patricia Miner made Jul 4 at 2020 9:17 AM

2020-07-04T09:17:50-04:00

There seems to be a problem dealing with women's needs in general. I've dealt with it within the VA but at non VA hospitals and with non VA doctors. It's about time they stop treating us as second class citizens when it comes to healthcare. It took me 29 years to find a doctor who acknowledged I have significant neurological deficits and I had been to Mass General and UCONN Health Center. I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia fir years but have systemic central nervous system poisoning. It's unacceptable.

Response by SPC Richard Zacke made Jul 5 at 2020 12:33 PM

2020-07-05T12:33:00-04:00

LT Robin McPeters Did you ask the tech to open the catalog and order your size? It would be at your door step in about 2 days...not bad for free!! Your friend in Oklahoma could have done the same thing I know because I've done it for a knee brace and back brace and a cervical brace. I really don't think the VA is purposely witholding womens sizes. As for Rally Point I'm sure that they would appriciate you letting them know how to make their site better for women. The "YOU TOO" movement has flamed out please don't start it back up before trying to fix the problem first. God bless ya and thank you for your service.

Response by Lt Col Jim Coe made Jan 13 at 2021 10:01 AM

2021-01-13T10:01:54-05:00

I’ll bet the VA supply system works a lot like DoD. They will order and ship things like splints that fit the 80th percentile patients. If you are small or large, then the thing you need may not be on the shelf. It’s probably available in the supply system, but has to be ordered. Had this problem with aircrew equipment in the Air Force. If you’re a big person or a small person, there weren’t always flight suits or oxygen masks readily available. We modified our ordering to account fo the people outside the 80th percentile. Maybe the VA needs to consider this approach.