Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Veterans News and Info.

Tom's Journal.
http://tomschuckmanjournal.blogspot.com/
tschuckman@aol.com

Newt Heisley, Dead at 88 Sunday, May 17, 2009 COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Newt Heisley, the designer of the POW/MIA flag adopted by Congress in 1990 as a symbol of the nation's concern for those missing during...
****25th Anniversary of the Vietnam Veterans' Moving Wall!!!
http://www.themovingwall.org/
This takes place from July 16 through 19, 2009, in White Pine
Michigan. The American Legion Post 462 is sponsoring the event.
The opening ceremony takes place on July 16, 2009, at 5 pm and the
closing ceremony will be held on July 19, 2009, at 5 pm.
For more detailed information, please contact the American Legion:
(906) 885-5471
****Ill. town posts names of troops along streets
SULLIVAN, Ill. - Residents of Sullivan, Ill. don't have to wonder which
community members are serving Iraq and Afghanistan. All they have to do is drive around town.
Lampposts and telephone poles lining two streets in this central Illinois town are adorned with white signs, each bearing the name of a resident who is serving his or her country.

More than 100 residents of this town of 4,400 have served in the current wars, and dozens are still deployed.

If someone comes home and then is redeployed, their name goes back up. If more than one member of a family is serving, their names are displayed on the same post.

Parents say soldiers enlist out of patriotism but also for opportunities beyond their small town.

****Vet Says VA Must Pay to get Message Out
****Feres Doctrine, Bill Would Allow Military Personnel to Sue for Medical Malpractice

Also see: http://hamptonroads.com/print/509643 and

http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/05/military_feres_doctrine_hinchey_051909w/

. H.R.1478 : To amend chapter 171 of title 28, United States Code, to allow members of the Armed Forces to sue the United States for damages for certain injuries caused by improper medical care, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep Hinchey, Maurice D. [NY-22] (introduced 3/12/2009) Cosponsors (2)
Committees: House Judiciary
Latest Major Action: 5/19/2009 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee (Amended) .

http://tinyurl.com/o9tx9h

Legislation that would enable military service members to sue the government for medical malpractice is moving closer to becoming law. The House Judiciary Subcommittee approved Carmelo Rodriguez Military Medical Accountability Act. The legal precedence barring negligence lawsuits for military service members goes back to a 1950 Supreme Court ruling known as the Feres Doctrine.

The Feres ruling came from the Federal Tort Claims Act of 1946, which waived the common law doctrine of sovereign immunity in certain circumstances to allow lawsuits against the government for negligent acts. The law was initially interpreted to forbid lawsuits by military personnel only for combat-related injuries. The Feres decision extended the law to include any lawsuits for injuries “incident to military service.”

Over the years cases applying the Feres Doctrine have include incidents such as leaving foreign objects inside patients, misdiagnosing, failure to notify patients about potentially deadly health problems, and failure to treat patients with easily treatable illnesses.

The Feres Doctrine has received criticism all across the board. Attempts to revoke the doctrine have surfaced periodically in Congress for over 20 years, but all have failed. In 1987, a 5-4 Supreme Court decision reaffirmed the Doctrine. The decision drew dissents from Justices John Paul Stevens and Antonin Scalia.

Scalia wrote that the Feres Doctrine “was wrongly decided and heartily deserves the widespread, almost universal criticism it has received.”

The latest attempt to amend the Feres Doctrine is H.R. 1478, the “Carmelo Rodriguez Military Medical Accountability Act of 2009”, introduced by U.S. Representative Maurice Hinchey (D-N.Y). The Act would allow lawsuits on behalf of military personnel who are killed or injured by medical malpractice but would contain an exception for combat-related injuries. It also requires that any paid claim be reduced by the amount of any other government compensation resulting from the injury.

U.S. Rep. Hinchey said, “I think military personnel should be treated in normal ways. Their medical issues should be dealt with responsively and attentively, the way we anticipate and expect the medical problems of ordinary citizens should be dealt with. We see far too much negligence in military medical care.”

Jonathan Turley, a law professor at George Washington University, has been a leading critic of the Feres Doctrine for years.

He said, “We see cases in the military involving conduct that would be viewed as perfectly medieval in the civilian world. Decades ago civilian doctors were sued over the practice of leaving sponges in patients. It used to be very common.”

Now, he says, it is rare to see that type of malpractice in civilian medicine, due to the fear of lawsuits. But since there is no fear of a lawsuit in military medicine, it keeps occurring.

Turley said, “I consider the Feres Doctrine to be one of the most grotesque rules created in the history of this republic. It has done untold damage to thousands of military personnel and their families.”

Let’s hope for the sake of our military that the Carmelo Rodriguez Military Accountability Act of 2009 has a better outcome than other bills written to overturn the Feres Doctrine. Rep. Hinchey admits that this bill is going to face a tough fight, but as far as he is concerned it is simply a matter of fairness.

Find this article at:
http://sanantonio.injuryboard.com/medical-malpractice/bill-would-allow-military-personnel-to-sue-for-medical-malpractice.aspx?googleid=263294


****In Case You Missed It: Buyer Bill Seeks to Boost Surviving Spouses' VA Benefits
Washington, D.C. – Earlier this month, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Veterans Affairs Steve Buyer and Congressman Tim Walz introduced H.R. 2243, the Surviving Spouses’ Benefit Improvement Act of 2009, which would increase Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) by twelve percent and eliminate the offset between DIC and the Survivor Benefit Plan.

H.R. 2243 was highlighted in today’s Washington Post

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/12/AR2009051203562.ht

COPD

Tom's Journal.
http://tomschuckmanjournal.blogspot.com/
tschuckman@aol.com

And some people get defensive when I ask them not to smoke around me... Ha! Like I said before, I smoked only 5 years out of my life and quit in 1973 forever. BUT, I worked in poisonous environments as a welder at AMC/ Chrysler where many are confirmed to have contracted "HP PNEUMONIA" and some DIED, at least a few dozen. That was caused primarily from industrial coolants and lubrication from giant machines used in the auto industry, etc. I am NOT crying in my beer, for the Lord has blessed me and my family/ kids enjoyed a good standard of living at home. BTW, I have several close friends who are very slim/ skinny who also have COPD... so not only fat people get it. I have the condition of sleep apnea, and it seems to run in the family. My brother and sister both had surgery and my brother has not been helped by the surgery, and there are unpleasant side effects.

I hope the following info will be of use to my readers.

Tom







<span class=COPD" width="220" height="21">
Skip navigation and go to content
What Is ...
Other Names
Causes
Who Is At Risk
Signs & Symptoms
Diagnosis
Treatments
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Living With
Key Points
Links

Link to the podcast

What Is COPD?

COPD, or chronic obstructive pulmonary (PULL-mun-ary) disease, is a progressive disease that makes it hard to breathe. "Progressive" means the disease gets worse over time.

COPD can cause coughing that produces large amounts of mucus (a slimy substance), wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness, and other symptoms.

Cigarette smoking is the leading cause of COPD. Most people who have COPD smoke or used to smoke. Long-term exposure to other lung irritants, such as air pollution, chemical fumes, or dust, also may contribute to COPD.

Overview

To understand COPD, it helps to understand how the lungs work. The air that you breathe goes down your windpipe into tubes in your lungs called bronchial tubes, or airways.

The airways are shaped like an upside-down tree with many branches. At the end of the branches are tiny air sacs called alveoli (al-VEE-uhl-eye).

The airways and air sacs are elastic. When you breathe in, each air sac fills up with air like a small balloon. When you breathe out, the air sac deflates and the air goes out.

In COPD, less air flows in and out of the airways because of one or more of the following:

  • The airways and air sacs lose their elastic quality.
  • The walls between many of the air sacs are destroyed.
  • The walls of the airways become thick and inflamed (swollen).
  • The airways make more mucus than usual, which tends to clog the airways.

Healthy Alveoli and Damaged Alveoli

The illustration shows the respiratory system and images of healthy <span class=alveoli and alveoli damaged by COPD." width="320" height="270">

The illustration shows the respiratory system and images of healthy alveoli and alveoli damaged by COPD.

In the United States, the term "COPD" includes two main conditions—emphysema (em-fi-SE-ma) and chronic obstructive bronchitis (bron-KI-tis).

In emphysema, the walls between many of the air sacs are damaged, causing them to lose their shape and become floppy. This damage also can destroy the walls of the air sacs, leading to fewer and larger air sacs instead of many tiny ones.

In chronic obstructive bronchitis, the lining of the airways is constantly irritated and inflamed. This causes the lining to thicken. Lots of thick mucus forms in the airways, making it hard to breathe.

Most people who have COPD have both emphysema and chronic obstructive bronchitis. Thus, the general term "COPD" is more accurate.

Outlook

COPD is a major cause of disability, and it's the fourth leading cause of death in the United States. More than 12 million people are currently diagnosed with COPD. An additional 12 million likely have the disease and don't even know it.

COPD develops slowly. Symptoms often worsen over time and can limit your ability to do routine activities. Severe COPD may prevent you from doing even basic activities like walking, cooking, or taking care of yourself.

Most of the time, COPD is diagnosed in middle-aged or older people. The disease isn't passed from person to person—you can't catch it from someone else.

COPD has no cure yet, and doctors don't know how to reverse the damage to the airways and lungs. However, treatments and lifestyle changes can help you feel better, stay more active, and slow the progress of the disease.

March 2009


How to choose the right Bible Org to give money.

Tom's Journal.
http://tomschuckmanjournal.blogspot.com/
tschuckman@aol.com

Hey Friends, Readers and fellow Believers!
This is NOT a 'brag post' but meant only to broaden and expand your horizons and just get involved IF YOU CAN. That's all. I figure if I get joy and happiness from an activity-- maybe my buddies might want to get a taste of it.

I want to talk more about my wife and how she needs to be encouraged as she continues to live in a Rehab place closer to our home. She has been a bit picky with her food in the past, but the general quality of food being served at Lakeview Rehab Center, near Waterford, WI on Highway 20 and Sharp Rd. [in the country side] is worse than Army chow at Camp BearCat, Vietnam. I was raised to eat all the food on the plate and NEVER complain or hurt my mom's feelings, and my Dad had hands of 'steel.' Well, I guess most of we Americans are spoiled, and God has blessed me, personally, with enough money to pay all my bills and buy fresh produce, veggies and fruit... We even have a water distiller at home because our 2 CPAP's that help us breath properly at night use distilled water. Honestly, Sharon MUST be on Oxygen 24/ 7, and I only use it at night. But doctors orders say that I have COPD and should be on Oxygen all the time too. I am going to start weight lifting at home, again, but the garden will also keep me busy.

Pray that Sharon will eat more of her daily food so she can gain her strength back. I watched her in the Gym today, with a slim lady name, Kaye T., who continuously coughed on my wife, and admitted that she smoked too much. There is a "health care professional" ... lol. Wait until she is on her death bed coughing up pieces of lung. Sad. Hey, I used to smoke everything when I was young and stupid in Vietnam... but then I finally grew up and quit smoking in 1973 and never looked back. Well, 10 years after that I started to gain weight-- but much of that is in my genes, yet I struggle to live on less. We ALL have our demons and battles to fight-- yet God LOVES US DEARLY and promises heaven and glory to ALL who accept His Son, Jesus Christ !!! Titus 1:2 says that, "God cannot lie!"
**************** ******* ****** ****** ****** **********************

Shoo! I am so glad that the Bible Organization was honest and true!! I just didn't want to "over commit" myself in these hard times, but reserved the option to donate more in the future--God willing.... lol.
I also was very happy to get involved with VOM [Voice of the Martyrs] in giving them some money to help get bibles to indigenous people in persecuted lands/ countries. I can't imagine what it's like to be a Christian in North Korea !!
:-\
I encourage all my friends to just THINK about getting involved with reputable bible orgs. as I have discovered. And you know what!! It all started when a dear friend, Wayne Bielgard, at RBC --Racine Bible church, gave me that book, SAFELY HOME, ~by Randy Alcorn.
Yes, I know that I have been truly blessed by the Lord by Him sending His powerful servants my way to give me that boost to be more active in the Lord's work. Wayne's "investment" in books that he paid for out of his own pocket has multiplied 10 fold, IMHO. I always 'WANTED' to get into something like this-- and we all know that I am too pained and disabled to be a missionary at this Autumn of my life--- but at least I can help others with my 'silver' and U.S. currency, 'soon to be devalued' ... lol.
:-(
Go figure... we can't even ask China to pull the plug on North Korea's fooling around with their nukes-- because China OWNS US !!!
Please continue to pray for Sharon as she is trying to learn how to walk again at the Rehab Center about 10 miles from our home in U.G.

Hugs, and Praise to Jesus, our Lord,

Tom

THOMAS G. SCHUCKMAN

"Behold, I am coming soon! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy in this book." Revelation 22:7
and He is coming soon! Amen!

http://tomschuckmanjournal.blogspot.com/
tschuckman@aol.com


-----Original Message-----
From: FCC <USA@opendoors.org>
To: Thomas G. Schuckman <tschuckman@aol.com>
Sent: Tue, 26 May 2009 12:21 pm
Subject: RE: Mistake in amount donated.... Tom Schuckman

Hi Tom,
Thank you for the email. We have fixed this to be a onetime donation. Blessings to you!!!
Emily Barrett
Frontline Care Center
Open Doors USA
From: Thomas G. Schuckman [mailto:tschuckman@aol.com]
Sent: Friday, May 22, 2009 9:38 PM
To: FCC
Subject: Mistake in amount donated.... Tom Schuckman
Dear Friends,
I intended to only make a ONE TIME donation of $50 to help buy bibles to needy ones in other countries.
Please reply to confirm this fact.

Tom
tschuckman@aol.com
Image removed by sender. THOMAS G. SCHUCKMAN

"Behold, I am coming soon! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy in this book." Revelation 22:7
and He is coming soon! Amen!

http://tomschuckmanjournal.blogspot.com/
tschuckman@aol.com