CA VA Director Stordahl & Suicid

US Congressmen Jerry Lewis

February 1, 2008

To:
US Congressmen Jerry Lewis
@ Judy Miller Phone: (909)-792-5901
1150 Brookside Ave. Suite J-5
Redlands, CA 92373

Dear Congressmen Lewis: In Reply Refer to: February 1, 2008
Subjects:
1. Your Dec. 19, 2007 letter to me. I feel VA’s final response is premature & offensive.
2. VA Director Stordahl’s Dec 18, 2007 letter to you, second paragraph, first sentence.

Your offices cover letter to me dated Dec. 19, 2007 is rather premature when you say, “Enclosed is the final response I have received from the VA Loma Linda Healthcare System...” I request that after you review my facts that you no longer will accept Director Stordahl’s explanation as an adequate final response. Let me be so bold as to remind you Congressman Lewis, that the heart of my problem with the VA is its’ unwillingness to address the VERY serious matter of Veterans Committing Suicide.

First sentence of the second paragraph of Stordahl’s letter to you reads:
Mr. Mueller’s medical record reflects that he was “irregularly discharged” on September 17, 2007 from the Problem Group he was attending as part of his addiction treatment.

My Response:
VA Director Stordahl is misleading you. I am not addicted to any drug or alcohol. I can take it or leave it. Yes I admitted to using pot, but for the VA or any doctor to claim I’m addicted is wrong. I have never failed a drug or alcohol test.

IMPORTANT:
Included in this letter is page 7 of my medical report from my Primary Doctor at the VA hospital, Dr. James J. Huang. The second paragraph gives you an idea why I agreed to go to Addiction Treatment Program ATP and a sober living facility. I felt the need to be around people so I wouldn’t feel lonely, depressed, or suicidal. Dr. Huang and I felt being around people in ATP groups would stop me thinking of suicide. I’m now in a similar group here in Big Bear called Operation Breakthrough.

I think my problems are: suicidal thinking, not trusting the government, and a sleep disorder. Director Stordahl claiming I’m an addict is irresponsible. VA offered me only ATP, no PTSD programs or suicidal prevention program was offered.

Loma Linda VA offering only ATP is being irresponsible to suicidal and other mentally ill Veterans. Is Loma Linda also deliberately misdiagnosing Veterans like the LA Times articles show? In Times article titled “Vets’ lawsuit combats VA’s meltdown, dated July 24, 2007, front page; two Veteran organizations are suing the VA because the VA is deliberately misdiagnosing Veterans. I think misdiagnosing is cheaper then psychiatrists.


Cheaper for the VA and VARP Inc. housing to employ former drug users to counsel mentally ill veterans as addicts and run them through the assembly line of group counseling. The lawsuit shows the VA deliberately misdiagnosis mentally ill or PTSD patients as having a preexisting illness. In my case the VA appears to be claiming my preexisting illness (before Vietnam) was pot and alcohol addiction and thus the reason for my suicidal thinking. My future letters will again attempt to prove “them” wrong and hopefully help others.

My complaint letters & envelope art seems to help me for now!

In all do respect I think you Congressman Lewis and all others receiving this letter and future letters should talk to VA Director Stordahl or other VA hospitals and see for yourself what kind of mentally ill prevention programs where and are now at Loma Linda and other VA hospitals. I say this to you Congressman Lewis because Loma Linda is only minutes from your Redlands office. Please do NOT accept Director Stordahl’s December 18, 2007 letter as good enough to be a final response.

I’m also sending a copy of this letter to the Senate Committee Members of Veterans’ Affairs so they too can investigate Director Stordahl’s non-actions of responsibility regarding this very serious problem by VA hospitals. All this has been reported in the LA Times and Associated Press. Do you remember me mailing you copies of the LA Times suicide articles? I also mailed those same articles to the Senate Committee Members of Veterans’ Affairs.

Please, nobody give me the cowardly excuse you can not investigate because there is already and investigation going on. The problem is too serious for political BS! Politicians; change the VA investigative laws if necessary.

More of my personal accounts about Director Stordahl’s misleading letter to you Congressman Lewis will be coming in hopes to keep reminding us ALL not to trust people just because they are in a position of authority.

Hopefully Someday We Can Trust Our Leaders Sincerely,

Carl G. Mueller, Nam 68

PS

To familiarize yourselves with PTSD & Suicid issues

www.veteransptsdclassaction.org/index.html


Copies sent by US mail on Feb. 4, 2008
*Senate Committee Members of Veterans’ Affairs, http://veterans.senate.gov/public/