{"id":609162,"date":"2025-08-25T14:30:00","date_gmt":"2025-08-25T14:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/?p=609162"},"modified":"2025-08-25T14:32:10","modified_gmt":"2025-08-25T14:32:10","slug":"an-army-veterans-contrasting-er-experiences","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/?p=609162","title":{"rendered":"An Army Veteran\u2019s contrasting ER experiences"},"content":{"rendered":"

Army Veteran Izzy Abbass recently shared his contrasting experiences between VA and community emergency room <\/a>(ER) visits following a severe flare-up of multiple sclerosis (MS).<\/p>\n

It began during a gala for a local nonprofit. During the event, Abbass started to feel unwell. His condition rapidly worsened, forcing him to leave early. By morning, he could neither get out of bed nor walk. His wife called an ambulance, which transported him to the emergency room at the local community hospital.<\/p>\n

Having received care there before, Abbass didn\u2019t expect any problems. However, this visit was different. He spent several hours waiting, received one antibiotic and was sent home without a diagnosis. Over that evening and the next day, his condition remained poor. Then his wife Nataliya took him to the Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center.<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2018VA did a great job\u2019<\/h2>\n
\n
<\/a>
Abass and his wife Nataliya. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

The difference was night and day, according to Abbass. While the community hospital staff had treated his symptoms, VA staff conducted a thorough investigation and got to the root of the problem.<\/p>\n

\u201cVA did 15 to 20 total tests compared to just four at the community ER,\u201d he said. VA staff quickly diagnosed pneumonia, a common condition in MS patients and treated him promptly. \u201cVA did a great job. They communicated clearly about my treatment and what to expect.\u201d He was sent home with a course of antibiotics. When his cough persisted after six or seven days, VA immediately adjusted his treatment.<\/p>\n

Abbass emphasized that his experience with the community hospital was unusual, noting that his past visits had generally been positive. However, in this critical situation, it was VA\u2019s detailed and Veteran-focused care that made the difference.<\/p>\n

\u2018The best care I\u2019ve ever had\u2019<\/h2>\n

Abbass urges other Veterans to seek care from VA. \u201cIt\u2019s the best care I\u2019ve ever had,\u201d he said. \u201cWhat I love most about VA is they speak Veteran. If you\u2019re a Veteran, you get it. You understand.\u201d He appreciates that many VA employees are prior service members who can relate to the unique experiences and needs of Veterans.<\/p>\n

Since being diagnosed with MS, Abbass has been deeply involved in his community, serving as the national director and co-chair of the National MS Committee for his state chapter of Paralyzed Veterans of America. He frequently lends a hand at his local VA and connects fellow Veterans to valuable resources.<\/p>\n

With VA\u2019s support, Abbass continues to thrive and remains a vital part of the Veteran community. He encourages other Veterans to take advantage of the comprehensive Veteran-centered care that has made such a difference in his life.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Army Veteran Izzy Abbass recently shared his contrasting experiences between VA and community emergency room (ER) visits following a severe flare-up of multiple sclerosis (MS). It began during a gala for a local nonprofit. During the event, Abbass started to feel unwell. His condition rapidly worsened, forcing him to leave early. By morning, he could […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":609164,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[588,5,386,1312],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-609162","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-er","category-health","category-multiple-sclerosis","category-visn-19"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/609162","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=609162"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/609162\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":609172,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/609162\/revisions\/609172"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/609164"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=609162"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=609162"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=609162"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}