Fox 4 gets results for veteran in pain
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Four In Your Corner's Colleen Hogan has the story. Video by fox4now.com
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SOUTHWEST FLORIDA - Less than 24 hours after turning to Fox 4 in staggering pain and frustration, a wounded veteran is getting hope of relief Friday night.
Four In Your Corner's Colleen Hogan explains.
Veteran John Tauberman clutched his cain in pain Thursday, he explained how a back injury in the military years ago still haunts him.
"Over the years it progressed to arthritius. I have nerve problems going down my right leg, which now I have a bone spur on my right heel which is creating a lot of pain," Tauberman said.
He relies on powerful pain meds and the V.A. to manage his agony. So you can imagine his frustration, when he made the two hour trip to a V.A. clinic in St. Pete Thursday, only to have them cancel on him.
"It was a six-month wait to be seen by the pain management doctor," he said. "I've been waiting that long for this apt."
He said it was the second time that happened, wasting his time and money. He wanted the V.A. to step up.
"Be reimbursed," he said.
Fox 4 took his request to the V.A. and now they're taking action. Instead of making him wait months for another appointment, they'll see him a week from Friday. He told us by phone, that's the kind of relief he needs.
"Less pressure on me to worry about waiting around for another four months," he said.
And that's not all.
"They're gonna reimburse me for travel for yesterday," he said.
He says they're also increasing his disability, from 20 percent to 30 percent, giving him hope for a less painful future.
Colleen Hogan, reporter
chogan@fox4now.com
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