Roberta, i am so sorry to hear of your negative experiences with VA care. I have experienced just the opposite here in Iowa. I am very well satisfied with the care I recieve. All of the doctors that I have dealt with have been very professional and have treated me with respect. The podiatrist I recently seen did not bat an eye at seeing my red toe nails. I was a bit apprehensive about this at first but decided to go for it in the end. I am glad I did as I just hate to hide my cd tendencies from any one. I wish you were recieving the same level of care that I am. I guess this varies from location to location. My experience with VA heath care has been a positive one so far and hope that this will be the same for you.