Hi Terry and Jo,

Us again! We're not fulltime yet, but Johnny has been traveling for work the past 5 years. He is 100% service connected disabled, has rhuematoid arthritis and gets all his medical care / medication through the VA.

The biggest thing we would recommend for them is if they have very good primary care doctor, talk to the him/her and explain the situation. Johnny's has been able to get him 3 month refills, schedule checkups when he's back home in Austin and generally make things work. That being said, he had real problems before he transferred his home to Austin and got this primary care doctor. So that doctor and their nurse/staff is really key.

If your relatives are going to be someplace for a month or so, they can temporarily change their mailing address and have meds sent to where they are. Different regions handle this better than others. In a pinch they can also get a refill at the local clinic where they are. It helps if their primary care doctor makes sure they have refills available. Then they can just walk-in, get registered, they will have to see the local doctor and they should be able to get a refill. If we're someplace new, we try to never do this on a Monday or Friday and go in the morning, expecting that it will be an all day affair. That way if it is quicker we're pleasantly surprised.

It takes some planning, but it's doable. Oh and if the current primary care doctor isn't helpful, keep asking for a new one until they get a good one. They are out there.

It seems every local VA has different requirements.  Best advice is really totalk to your primary care doctor and local VA office.

We can call to change the mailing address -- so far the only problem has been that they will not deliver some meds to a PO Box.  We've run into the issue with narcotic meds and things that need refridgeration.

Don't the let the VA issue slow you down.  It can be dealt with -- it just might take some efffort!

My DH gets medication from the VA also.  It is mailed to us and I order refills over the web.  We don't expect it to be a problem once we're traveling.  We'll just have to get the one that they will only give him 30 days at a time coordinated so it can reach us in time.   We had a neighbor across the street in the campground this summer who was on insulin.  Their insulin was shipped to them overnight wherever they were.  But, I don't think it was VA.  But hopefully if the VA won't do it, then maybe you can have it sent to a relative who can then overnight to you.

Although not on the road yet, we are fulltiming and have been since June 10th.  Of course not being on  the road yet, we have not had to deal with the problems.  However, we're going and my husband has to have blood work every 4 weeks and he has to call in an Internal Cardiac Defibilator/pacemaker report every month on a land line phone which we will not have.  We believe it's workable.  We're still sitting because we're still dealing with a house in this market.  However will be leaving NLT March 21, 2011.  Have made the decision to turn it over to a property management company for leasing if it doesn't sell by the 1st of the year.  Need the money, but then too, it's workable.  Been waiting long enough.  Don't let your health hold you back.  We feel like "health" will improve once we have less stress in our lives.

Judy

-- Edited by Dreamers on Monday 29th of November 2010 09:10:10 AM