So the begining to a new year has still been a struggle. Even though we are only 5 days into a new decade, I see many battles ahead of Tony and I. The VA has always been a nightmare for us. Well, for him more than it has been for me. When he needs to be seen for medical reasons he likes to bring me along. They have a nasty habit of telling him, AFTER he gets there, that he never had an appointment to begin with. Or they will schedule him for appointments on their own and never telling him about them, and then they will call him, complaining that he hasn't shown up! So he knows when I go along with him, I will put my foot down and be the spawn of satan if I have to!
Lately, it's a different story. They have taken away his disability! It started in December, and he called the VA to find out what was going on. Tony had taken a couple of online college courses back in 2006 before he deployed. The VA was telling us that they took his disability away because he owed them $3,000 due to them over paying his tuition. The real story is, Tony got a bill from the school for $35. The VA had under paid his tuition. So he paid the $35 out of his own pocket, knowing that it wasn't going to break his bank. But the VA was adament that they over paid it. So Tony had to get in touch with the school which is based out of Texas or somewhere near there, and he had to argue with the two places to get them to talk it out themselves instead of making him a middle man. The school put the VA in their place saying that they never over paid the tuition. So about a month ago Tony called the VA once again to find out why hasn't gotten his disability back. The lady on the other end of the phone told him that there were no debts on his record and that he should've been paid. But he still hadn't been. The woman told him that he would have to wait for a packet of paper work to be delivered to him in the mail. He has to fill out that packet and bring it to the VA in person. Well, that's fine and dandy. He'll do it. The only problem now is.. the packet has yet to show up in our mailbox! And the crazy part about this whole situation is.. even if you DO have a debt with the VA, they are only allowed to take 20% of your disability checks until it's paid off. So why is he not getting any of his money?! I'm so sick of arguing with that place! Lately I've been wondering if it's even worth it to keep fighting with them. Maybe we should just let them have the money if it means so much to them. But then I think of my husband. He earned that monthly check! That's HIS money! He is in so much pain everyday and the nightmares he has of that horrible country! We can't just give up and let them win! We need to keep at it and let them know that what they are doing is wrong! If I could deal with this situation for him I would, but they want him at the VA in person, and they barely give him any information over the phone. I doubt they'll listen to me. I suppose it's time that I start using my resources. They don't realize it, but they are messing with the wrong army wife!