I have spent years encouraging Veterans to enroll in VA health care. I have also spent years procrastinating on following my own advice. Recently, I finally decided to stop talking and start doing.
One of the first things I did was schedule an eye exam. Nothing dramatic—no emergency, no sudden vision loss. Just the slow realization that reading small print had become a chore. I had been borrowing a pair of “cheaters” to get by, squinting my way through paperwork and pretending it wasn’t a problem. Turns out the solution was simple: an exam, a prescription, and reading glasses that actually work. Problem solved. Quality of life improved.
That story isn’t really about glasses. It’s about a familiar pattern many Veterans fall into. We adapt, compensate, and push through issues far longer than we should. A bad knee? You limp and adjust your stride. Hearing not quite what it used to be? You nod and hope you heard the question correctly. Trouble sleeping, feeling on edge, or struggling mentally? You tell yourself it’s just stress, or worse, that it’s something you should be able to handle on your own.
My situation is not unique, and it certainly isn’t limited to vision. I have a “bum knee” that regularly reminds me of military service, life choices, and aging. Others may be dealing with hearing loss, chronic pain, or mental health challenges—which are often connected whether we want to admit it or not. These issues rarely resolve themselves. They usually just get louder, more painful, or more disruptive over time.
This is where VA health care comes in. Enrolling and using VA health care gives you access to professionals whose job is to identify problems early and help manage them before they significantly impact your life—or the lives of those around you. You don’t have to be in crisis to benefit. In fact, it works best when you are not.
From a Veterans benefits perspective, it’s important to understand there are two separate but related pieces: VA health care and VA benefits. Disability compensation exists to help offset the financial impact of service-connected conditions. VA health care exists to treat you. One does not replace the other.
Being service-connected does not mean you should avoid treatment. Compensation may help pay the bills, but health care improves your ability to live, function, and enjoy life. Ignoring problems doesn’t make them go away—it just delays solutions that are often simpler than expected. If any part of this sounds familiar, take it as a nudge. Use the resources you have earned. Enroll, schedule the appointment, and stop borrowing someone else’s glasses—literally or figuratively.
Brad Anderson and Melissa Crandall, Lake County Veterans Service Officers, 218.834.8326 or cvso@co.lake.mn.us
Karen Christianson, Cook County Veterans Service Officer, 218.387.3639, or karen.christianson@ co.cook.mn.us
