Amy Jackson, above, is seen working at her desk in the basement of the Fayette County Government Building where she has spent several years as a County Veteran Service Officer helping veterans receive healthcare benefits. Now she finds herself crying out for help to the local Veteran Affairs healthcare system asking why a medical diagnosis was kept secret from her for nearly two years. ADVOCATE PHOTO/DEREK MYERS
Derek Myers, Editor-in-chief
A Fayette County Veteran is claiming that the Veterans’ Medical Center in Chillicothe failed to reveal a serious medical condition to her, and now, she has to seek medical treatment elsewhere.
Amy Jackson, a service connected Iraqi Veteran, wife, and mother of four, has spent several years as a County Veteran Service Officer working in the basement of the Fayette County Government Building helping veterans receive healthcare benefits.
Now she finds herself crying out for help to the local Veteran Affairs (V.A.) healthcare system asking why a medical diagnosis was kept secret from her for nearly two years.
“On March 21, I was feeling seriously ill and suffering from a migraine, so my husband took me to the Urgent Care at the V.A.,” said Jackson. “When we arrived there, the Doctor looked at us and told us that he knew exactly what was wrong with me.”
Jackson said that she and her husband broke down and were both dumbfounded that the Doctor was able to take one look at her and know what the issue was.
“I said, ‘you know what’s wrong with me?’” she said. “He said, ‘yes, you have Chiari Malformation.”
As one would suspect, Chiari Malformation is a medical condition that Jackson had never heard of before.
“The Doctor pulled up the information on the internet and explained it to us.”
According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Chiari Malformations (CMs) are structural defects in the cerebellum, the part of the brain that controls balance. It causes a part of the brain to push down onto the spinal cord.
If it goes untreated, fluid build up could occur that could cause a stroke, paralyze a person, or even death.
“After receiving my initial diagnosis through a cat-scan, I was ordered an MRI. I was told the results of the MRI didn’t show the CMs. I requested the report, and when I read it, I noticed on page two that it stated I did suffer from CMs.”
Jackson says the neurologist at the V.A. wouldn’t recognize that she suffered from CMs, and that he wouldn’t treat her for the condition. Therefore, she started seeking treatment elsewhere.
“I contacted a specialist on my own, who feels that I should have an MRI Cine to determine if I have a blockage of fluids,” Jackson said. “If there is blockage, I would need surgery to prevent further nerve damage, or possible stroke. If there isn’t blockage of fluids, a non-surgical approach would be appropriate.”
She said that the V.A. in Chillicothe refuses to give her an MRI Cine and that her military insurance will not cover the scan in full with an outside medical provider, so she’ll be forced to pay nearly $1,200 out-of-pocket.
“There is a huge difference between an educated guess and a proper, knowledgeable medical evaluation with the appropriate tests and treatment plan in place. At this point, all I’ve been given is an educated guess and a lot of run around, and the VA is treating me like I’m the problem when I’m just seeking help with my medical diagnosis. It is imperative that I receive the proper tests and treatment plan as soon as possible and just as imperative that other veterans who are suffering from migraines check their CT scans and MRIs to make sure they don’t have this condition before it’s too late.”
Fayette Advocate reached out to the Chillicothe V.A. Medical Center who released the following statement:
“The VA is entrusted with tax dollars to care for Veterans. Congress and the National Office of the Veterans Affairs (VACO) provide VA Medical Centers with rules and regulations by which they are to spend those dollars. First, services are provided within the VA. If there are specialty services required that the VA cannot provide, or if the VA cannot provide services timely, and for some other specialized reasons, the VA is authorized to spend the dollars on non-VA providers. There is a process for approval of non-VA care that is well defined. Ms. Jackson has chosen to go outside of the process for obtaining VA care. This is her choice; she can obtain her healthcare wherever she wants to. However, the VA is not authorized to pay for care that is not approved through the appropriate channels.” – Dr. Deborah M. Meesig, Chief of Staff
Jackson said that the V.A. still refuses to grant her the MRI Cine, the only way to prove if she has blockage. She said that one doctor at the V.A. has gone as far as telling her that she needs to seek psychiatric help to assist her in accepting what the V.A. has told her.
“I am extremely saddened by the lack of care provided at the CAMC in Chillicothe. When I came home from deployment in Iraq, I thought my part in the battle was over. I didn’t realize that the real battle had just begun.”