My father was in the Air Force for the Vietnam War, stationed in Juno, Alaska. He was a very handsome man, with a huge smile. I always adored the silver edging on his teeth, a testament to a hard life as a farm boy who'd had no childhood to speak of.Two years ago, he needed hip surgery on both hips. He was told he couldn't get it until he got all his imperfect teeth pulled out.
He was left with four.
Now, my father's face isn't the same. The lower lids of his eyes droop, his face is caved in some, and he is shy about going out in public. Given that he lives in the far reaches of Northern Minnesota, his Disability payments from a hard life of literally back breaking work sometimes falls short of covering his heating. He receives assistance for an insufficient amount of food.
The man can't afford dentures, let alone the implants that would restore his face and sense of pride, and the VA says there's no money to help him.
The hip surgery was barely worth it. The hospital rammed him into the door frame on the way out of surgery, and now he is scheduling the fourth attempt at getting two functioning hips. In the meantime, his right hip feels like it's burning its way out of his body.
He had been planning on applying for a job as a Walmart greeter, to try to help cover costs – at 74 years old.
Can his elected officials help? I can't help feeling that John McCain would have been enraged by his treatment. It brings tears to my eyes to think about it.
