A very nervous guy at the VA Hospital

[dirtlooter]

I was at the VA hospital in Little Rock, there were as usual, a lot of people there. As I sat there waiting, there was another man across from me that seemed to be a nervous wreck. I tried to talk to him but he wasn't very responsive but I continued with the light talk. Finally he opened up and the flood gates were wide open. He was about to get a shot in his eye and was totally afraid of a needle going into his eye. I explained that I had been apprehensive of my first shot too and that I had been getting them for over three years now. He had a lot of questions and I had some answers.

Anyways, we got separated as he went in to see a doctor and then I did. So a little bit later, while I sat waiting to ride the van back to Mena, the man saw me and hurried over to me. He shook my hand and thanked me for helping him to calm down before the shot. I told him that anyone else would have done the same thing. It only takes a minute or so out of our time to talk to someone. we have the ability to lift someone up, to encourage them or to even calm them down but only if we open our mouths or physically do something. Look around you, even metal detecting you might make a difference in someone's life or day. May not seem like much to you but to them it can be gigantic. Just saying. DL

 

[G.A.P.metal]

Your a good man DL !

 

[A2coins]

You were there for a reason good man

 

[SD51]

Proud of you DL!

 

[OreElse]

You are obviously part if the solution! Thanks for sharing.

 

[OreElse]

I meant to say you are obviously part OF the solution.

 

[Terry Soloman]

You are THE man!

 

[Doc Arey]

Great Effort Great results!

 

[Limitool]

Good Job buddy... I too always try and make a difference in people's lives around Christmas for the past 3 years.

I saw a very old man last week in the waiting room at an eye doctor. My wife had appt. and I was just sitting there waiting. I started to talk to him and the flood gates just opened up. He was 93 y/o's old and in a motorized wheelchair. He wore a combat vet hat and I asked him about it. We talked for about 20 minutes and he told me all about his exploits during WW2 during D-Day. It was amazing to listen to him as he spoke so slowly but clearly. Finally a lady came out, gave him his glasses and he went to leave. I followed him out of the office and into the entrance lobby. Nobody was there to help him as that was why I followed him. I asked him outside.. "How did you get here?" He said "he drove but it was very difficult."I asked if he needed any help. He said yes getting his chair into the van. He "drove" his chair behind an old van and tried to stand up as I helped him. I opened the back doors. There inside was a lift system for his chair. It was obvious what had to happen. I got his chair inside and the back doors closed. He greatly struggled to walk along the side of his van to the drivers door. I couldn't believe this was actually happening as I watched him. I helped him up inside and he thanked me.

I asked "Do you have someone at home to help with the chair sir?"He said no and that he lived alone about 5 miles away and doesn't have any family.

Long story short now... He gets his own food at Kroger, goes to his own Dr. appt's. and loads and unloads this heavy chair all by himself and he can barely walk. I so wish I had gotten his name and address so I could start helping him and feel very badly that I didn't. There aren't many WW2 vets left. His mind was sharp but his body was very very frail... but he did everything by himself yet. This shouldn't be happening and will never again if I see it. I hope I run into him before he dies alone.

 

[OreCart]

I try to do this as well.

If I go to town and see a crew working on the powerlines or roads, I always bring back cold sodas or coffees and give it to the flag people. (Sodas in the summer/coffee in the winter). They are always appreciative, and yet it is a great way to say that what they do matters too, and are appreciated.

I hope the people in cars behind me see that, and carry on the tradition sometime.

 

[dirtlooter]

Good Job buddy... I too always try and make a difference in people's lives around Christmas for the past 3 years.

I saw a very old man last week in the waiting room at an eye doctor. My wife had appt. and I was just sitting there waiting. I started to talk to him and the flood gates just opened up. He was 93 y/o's old and in a motorized wheelchair. He wore a combat vet hat and I asked him about it. We talked for about 20 minutes and he told me all about his exploits during WW2 during D-Day. It was amazing to listen to him as he spoke so slowly but clearly. Finally a lady came out, gave him his glasses and he went to leave. I followed him out of the office and into the entrance lobby. Nobody was there to help him as that was why I followed him. I asked him outside.. "How did you get here?" He said "he drove but it was very difficult."I asked if he needed any help. He said yes getting his chair into the van. He "drove" his chair behind an old van and tried to stand up as I helped him. I opened the back doors. There inside was a lift system for his chair. It was obvious what had to happen. I got his chair inside and the back doors closed. He greatly struggled to walk along the side of his van to the drivers door. I couldn't believe this was actually happening as I watched him. I helped him up inside and he thanked me.

I asked "Do you have someone at home to help with the chair sir?"He said no and that he lived alone about 5 miles away and doesn't have any family.

Long story short now... He gets his own food at Kroger, goes to his own Dr. appt's. and loads and unloads this heavy chair all by himself and he can barely walk. I so wish I had gotten his name and address so I could start helping him and feel very badly that I didn't. There aren't many WW2 vets left. His mind was sharp but his body was very very frail... but he did everything by himself yet. This shouldn't be happening and will never again if I see it. I hope I run into him before he dies alone.

sometimes just listening makes a world of a difference but so many times, there is someone just needing someone like say "you" to take a few minutes of your time to make a difference in their time. it is a hard thing to grow old and lose so many abilities. a once very strong man or woman reduced to a shell of what they once were. But a person doesn't have to be old to be having problems or struggles, we just need to have our eyes more open more often to see them.

 

[devldog]

These were both Great and Uplifting posts Dirtlooter and Limitool. As said, we can choose to become a part of the problem or a part of the solution. Stories such as these helps to renew our faith in Mankind'. The news is full of nothing but violence, crime, and All things Inhumane. It is great to hear POSITIVE stories such as these. Thanks. It's a shame the news couldn't be full of stories such as this.........wait, but then that wouldn't be news, unfortunately. Well Done. You are two good men in my opinion.

 

[Hawks88]

These were both Great and Uplifting posts Dirtlooter and Limitool. As said, we can choose to become a part of the problem or a part of the solution. Stories such as these helps to renew our faith in Mankind'. The news is full of nothing but violence, crime, and All things Inhumane. It is great to hear POSITIVE stories such as these. Thanks. It's a shame the news couldn't be full of stories such as this.........wait, but then that wouldn't be news, unfortunately. Well Done. You are two good men in my opinion.

I could not have said it better than what devil dog said. This world needs more people that help one another.

 

[huntsman53]

Good Job buddy... I too always try and make a difference in people's lives around Christmas for the past 3 years.

I saw a very old man last week in the waiting room at an eye doctor. My wife had appt. and I was just sitting there waiting. I started to talk to him and the flood gates just opened up. He was 93 y/o's old and in a motorized wheelchair. He wore a combat vet hat and I asked him about it. We talked for about 20 minutes and he told me all about his exploits during WW2 during D-Day. It was amazing to listen to him as he spoke so slowly but clearly. Finally a lady came out, gave him his glasses and he went to leave. I followed him out of the office and into the entrance lobby. Nobody was there to help him as that was why I followed him. I asked him outside.. "How did you get here?" He said "he drove but it was very difficult."I asked if he needed any help. He said yes getting his chair into the van. He "drove" his chair behind an old van and tried to stand up as I helped him. I opened the back doors. There inside was a lift system for his chair. It was obvious what had to happen. I got his chair inside and the back doors closed. He greatly struggled to walk along the side of his van to the drivers door. I couldn't believe this was actually happening as I watched him. I helped him up inside and he thanked me.

I asked "Do you have someone at home to help with the chair sir?"He said no and that he lived alone about 5 miles away and doesn't have any family.

Long story short now... He gets his own food at Kroger, goes to his own Dr. appt's. and loads and unloads this heavy chair all by himself and he can barely walk. I so wish I had gotten his name and address so I could start helping him and feel very badly that I didn't. There aren't many WW2 vets left. His mind was sharp but his body was very very frail... but he did everything by himself yet. This shouldn't be happening and will never again if I see it. I hope I run into him before he dies alone.

Brad,

The local Veterans of Foreign Wars Post and/or the local American Legion Post as well as the closest VA Office likely know who the elderly gentleman is because there are not many WWII Vets left. A few phone calls to these organizations will likely get him the help that he needs. The elderly WWII Vet may not know that these organizations are there to help Vets such as himself and he is probably too proud to ask.

 

[huntsman53]

Brad,

The local Veterans of Foreign Wars Post and/or the local American Legion Post as well as the closest VA Office likely know who the elderly gentleman is because there are not many WWII Vets left. A few phone calls to these organizations will likely get him the help that he needs. The elderly WWII Vet may not know that these organizations are there to help Vets such as himself and he is probably too proud to ask.

Heck, I wasn't thinking about this when I wrote the previous post! However, if you call the Eye Doctor's Office and tell them the day and approximate time of the elderly WWII Vet's appointment, they will know who he is and if you ask, they will likely contact these organizations about getting help for him.

 

[dirtlooter]

Heck, I wasn't thinking about this when I wrote the previous post! However, if you call the Eye Doctor's Office and tell them the day and approximate time of the elderly WWII Vet's appointment, they will know who he is and if you ask, they will likely contact these organizations about getting help for him.

don't know if they will do that anymore, they are getting very closed mouth about things. they won't even tell us how many vets are done with their appointments as we wait for them to ride the van back home. they say that they can't tell us.

 

[huntsman53]

don't know if they will do that anymore, they are getting very closed mouth about things. they won't even tell us how many vets are done with their appointments as we wait for them to ride the van back home. they say that they can't tell us.

You are probably right if the Doctor is a VA Doctor! However, I don't think that Bonnie (Brad's wife) sees a VA Doctor, so it is likely that the elderly Vet was seeing a Civilian Eye Doctor who he probably trusts more or he sees this Doctor because it is too far to drive to see a VA Eye Doctor.

 

[Professor of Engineering]

Very nice dirtlooter!

 

[DeepseekerADS]

I don't blame the guy for being afraid. I've had cataract surgery in both eyes. The first one, I didn't know they were going to stick me in the eye with a needle, and it hurt like hell. When it came time for the other eye, I kept finding excuses to postpone, but finally the need of the surgery overcame my fear as I could no longer drive at night. When I showed up for the appointment and they called me in, I railed about how other worldly painful that shot was, so they put a numbing solution in my eye first, and it still hurt like hell.

I got over it, but my feet were still kicking when they stuck me. I used a lot of profanity too.

 

[dirtlooter]

I don't blame the guy for being afraid. I've had cataract surgery in both eyes. The first one, I didn't know they were going to stick me in the eye with a needle, and it hurt like hell. When it came time for the other eye, I kept finding excuses to postpone, but finally the need of the surgery overcame my fear as I could no longer drive at night. When I showed up for the appointment and they called me in, I railed about how other worldly painful that shot was, so they put a numbing solution in my eye first, and it still hurt like hell.

I got over it, but my feet were still kicking when they stuck me. I used a lot of profanity too.

I've only had two shots that really hurt when they gave them, usually not bad, I feel the sensation of pushing down though many times. Depends on which doctor gives them and how long they wait for the numbing stuff to work