
"Stall, Deny and Hope They Die" - The VA's Unwritten Policy
The Story of One Widow's 19-Year Battle with the VA
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed

Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Buy for $6.95
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Mercedes Rose Phillips
About this listen
The dream of every writer is to have their heart type the words for them; as the voice of so many veterans and their families, my heart would not stop writing until our family's VA story was told. My husband of 16 years, James Anthony Caldon, the father of our three children, served with the Navy Seabees Mobile Construction Battalion in Vietnam in 1968. In January 1987, our lives suddenly changed forever.
My Husband was diagnosed with Stage IV non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. It was certified by the VA as service-related due to exposure to Agent Orange. Our children were two, four, and six years old. I am now in my 19th year fighting for my VA DIC Spousal Benefits through insurmountable and never-ending paperwork and total disregard to the facts by the VA Claims System. I will continue to encourage all veterans and their families who each have their own story to live each day remembering.
©2015 Elizabeth Denise Caldon Sorkness (P)2016 Elizabeth Denise Caldon SorknessListeners also enjoyed...
-
Peace from Broken Pieces
- How to Get Through What You're Going Through
- By: Iyanla Vanzant
- Narrated by: Iyanla Vanzant
- Length: 11 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
New York Times best-selling author Iyanla Vanzant recounts the last decade of her life and the spiritual lessons learned—from the price of success during her meteoric rise as a TV celebrity on Oprah, the Iyanla TV show (produced by Barbara Walters), to the dissolution of her marriage and her daughter's 15 months of illness and death on Christmas day.
-
-
Iyanla is Inspirational! A GREAT LISTEN!!!
- By Theresa on 12-04-11
By: Iyanla Vanzant
-
Dinners with Ruth
- A Memoir of Friendship
- By: Nina Totenberg
- Narrated by: Nina Totenberg
- Length: 9 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Four years before Nina Totenberg was hired at NPR, where she cemented her legacy as a prizewinning reporter, and nearly twenty-two years before Ruth Bader Ginsburg was appointed to the Supreme Court, Nina called Ruth. A reporter for The National Observer, Nina was curious about Ruth’s legal brief, asking the Supreme Court to do something revolutionary: declare a law that discriminated “on the basis of sex” to be unconstitutional. That call launched a remarkable, nearly fifty-year friendship.
-
-
Not quite what I expected
- By Debra Malone on 09-23-22
By: Nina Totenberg
-
On Grief and Grieving
- By: Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, David Kessler
- Narrated by: David Kessler, Samantha Desz
- Length: 8 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On Death and Dying began as a theoretical book, an interdisciplinary study of our fear of death and our inevitable acceptance of it. It introduced the world to the now-famous five stages: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. On Grief and Grieving applies these stages to the process of grieving and weaves together theory, inspiration, and practical advice, all based on Kübler-Ross' and Kessler's professional and personal experiences.
-
-
If you fear death after loss, DON'T READ.
- By wrinkled sheets on 07-06-21
By: Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, and others
-
The Third Gift
- My Dance with the Devil (and Her Mother)
- By: J.D. McCabe, Kenny Intheam
- Narrated by: J.D. McCabe
- Length: 10 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
What occurs when the devil assaults your strength and remakes it into a weakness? J.D. “Danny” McCabe lived in a loving relationship with his wife for almost 20 years before the foundations of their marriage, family, and world began to collapse. Then, God intervened. Erin’s shocking revelation, her third gift, lit the blind spots in his relationship that Danny had never before been able to resolve.
-
-
a dramatic divorce
- By chad schnell on 08-12-21
By: J.D. McCabe, and others
-
A Doctor in the House
- My Life with Ben Carson
- By: Candy Carson
- Narrated by: Candy Carson
- Length: 6 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Like most Americans, you might think of Ben Carson as a trailblazing brain surgeon and, in the last few years, as an outspoken commentator on national issues. But his wife of more than 40 years knows him as so much more: A loving husband, a devoted father, a devout Christian, a committed philanthropist, and a fierce patriot. Now Candy Carson introduces us to the private side of a very public figure as she shares the inspiring story of their marriage and their family.
-
-
Awesome, wonderful
- By Liza on 12-09-16
By: Candy Carson
-
To Love and Be Loved
- A Personal Portrait of Mother Teresa
- By: Jim Towey
- Narrated by: Jim Towey
- Length: 7 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
To Love and Be Loved is a firsthand account of Mother Teresa’s last years, and the first book ever to detail her dealings with worldly matters. We see her gracefully navigate the opportunities and challenges of leadership, the perils of celebrity, and the humiliations and triumphs of aging. We also catch her indulging in chocolate ice cream, making jokes about mini-skirts, and telling the president of the United States he’s wrong. Above all, we see her extraordinary devotion to God and to the very poorest of His children.
-
-
Beautiful book!
- By Lisbeth on 04-08-25
By: Jim Towey
-
Peace from Broken Pieces
- How to Get Through What You're Going Through
- By: Iyanla Vanzant
- Narrated by: Iyanla Vanzant
- Length: 11 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
New York Times best-selling author Iyanla Vanzant recounts the last decade of her life and the spiritual lessons learned—from the price of success during her meteoric rise as a TV celebrity on Oprah, the Iyanla TV show (produced by Barbara Walters), to the dissolution of her marriage and her daughter's 15 months of illness and death on Christmas day.
-
-
Iyanla is Inspirational! A GREAT LISTEN!!!
- By Theresa on 12-04-11
By: Iyanla Vanzant
-
Dinners with Ruth
- A Memoir of Friendship
- By: Nina Totenberg
- Narrated by: Nina Totenberg
- Length: 9 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Four years before Nina Totenberg was hired at NPR, where she cemented her legacy as a prizewinning reporter, and nearly twenty-two years before Ruth Bader Ginsburg was appointed to the Supreme Court, Nina called Ruth. A reporter for The National Observer, Nina was curious about Ruth’s legal brief, asking the Supreme Court to do something revolutionary: declare a law that discriminated “on the basis of sex” to be unconstitutional. That call launched a remarkable, nearly fifty-year friendship.
-
-
Not quite what I expected
- By Debra Malone on 09-23-22
By: Nina Totenberg
-
On Grief and Grieving
- By: Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, David Kessler
- Narrated by: David Kessler, Samantha Desz
- Length: 8 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On Death and Dying began as a theoretical book, an interdisciplinary study of our fear of death and our inevitable acceptance of it. It introduced the world to the now-famous five stages: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. On Grief and Grieving applies these stages to the process of grieving and weaves together theory, inspiration, and practical advice, all based on Kübler-Ross' and Kessler's professional and personal experiences.
-
-
If you fear death after loss, DON'T READ.
- By wrinkled sheets on 07-06-21
By: Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, and others
-
The Third Gift
- My Dance with the Devil (and Her Mother)
- By: J.D. McCabe, Kenny Intheam
- Narrated by: J.D. McCabe
- Length: 10 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
What occurs when the devil assaults your strength and remakes it into a weakness? J.D. “Danny” McCabe lived in a loving relationship with his wife for almost 20 years before the foundations of their marriage, family, and world began to collapse. Then, God intervened. Erin’s shocking revelation, her third gift, lit the blind spots in his relationship that Danny had never before been able to resolve.
-
-
a dramatic divorce
- By chad schnell on 08-12-21
By: J.D. McCabe, and others
-
A Doctor in the House
- My Life with Ben Carson
- By: Candy Carson
- Narrated by: Candy Carson
- Length: 6 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Like most Americans, you might think of Ben Carson as a trailblazing brain surgeon and, in the last few years, as an outspoken commentator on national issues. But his wife of more than 40 years knows him as so much more: A loving husband, a devoted father, a devout Christian, a committed philanthropist, and a fierce patriot. Now Candy Carson introduces us to the private side of a very public figure as she shares the inspiring story of their marriage and their family.
-
-
Awesome, wonderful
- By Liza on 12-09-16
By: Candy Carson
-
To Love and Be Loved
- A Personal Portrait of Mother Teresa
- By: Jim Towey
- Narrated by: Jim Towey
- Length: 7 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
To Love and Be Loved is a firsthand account of Mother Teresa’s last years, and the first book ever to detail her dealings with worldly matters. We see her gracefully navigate the opportunities and challenges of leadership, the perils of celebrity, and the humiliations and triumphs of aging. We also catch her indulging in chocolate ice cream, making jokes about mini-skirts, and telling the president of the United States he’s wrong. Above all, we see her extraordinary devotion to God and to the very poorest of His children.
-
-
Beautiful book!
- By Lisbeth on 04-08-25
By: Jim Towey
-
Truth Doesn't Have a Side
- My Alarming Discovery About the Danger of Contact Sports
- By: Dr. Bennet Omalu, Mark Tabb, Will Smith - foreword
- Narrated by: Ron Butler
- Length: 10 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
One day in 2002 the 50-year old body of former Pittsburgh Steeler and hall of famer Mike Webster was laid on a cold table in front of pathologist Dr. Bennet Omalu. Webster's body looked to Omalu like the body of a much older man, and the circumstances of his behavior prior to his death were clouded in mystery. But when Omalu cut into Webster's brain, it appeared to be normal. Something didn't add up.
-
-
Truly Enlightening
- By Marie on 01-31-20
By: Dr. Bennet Omalu, and others
-
Undaunted
- Surviving Jonestown, Summoning Courage, and Fighting Back
- By: Jackie Speier
- Narrated by: Jackie Speier
- Length: 6 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Jackie Speier was twenty-eight when she joined Congressman Leo Ryan’s delegation to rescue defectors from cult leader Jim Jones’s Peoples Temple in Jonestown, Guyana. Ryan was killed on the airstrip tarmac. Jackie was shot five times at point-blank range. While recovering from what would become one of the most harrowing tragedies in recent history, Jackie had to choose: Would she become a victim or a fighter? The choice to survive against unfathomable odds empowered her with a resolve to become a vocal proponent for human rights.
-
-
loved it
- By RockyDog on 11-18-18
By: Jackie Speier
-
Embrace the Struggle
- Living Life on Life's Terms
- By: Zig Ziglar, Julie Ziglar Norman
- Narrated by: Zig Ziglar
- Length: 6 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From a highly successful career in motivational speaking to a daily struggle overcoming the effects of a head injury, Zig Ziglar's life changed drastically in just minutes when he suffered a traumatic fall down the stairs one fateful night. After years of speaking and writing about the value of having a positive attitude and being thankful, Zig was challenged to put his own words into practice.
-
-
God Bless Zig Ziglar
- By AskJoe.TV on 11-04-09
By: Zig Ziglar, and others
-
On My Own
- A Memoir
- By: Diane Rehm
- Narrated by: Diane Rehm
- Length: 6 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In a deeply personal and moving book, the beloved NPR radio host speaks out about the long, drawn-out death (from Parkinson's) of her husband of 54 years and of her struggle to reconstruct her life without him. With John gone, Diane was indeed on her own, coping with the inevitable practical issues and, more important, with the profoundly emotional ones. What to do, how to react, reaching out again into the world - struggling to create a new reality for herself while clinging to memories of the past.
-
-
Long, rambling, disjointed narrative
- By Cyndi on 08-03-16
By: Diane Rehm
-
Divorcing a Narcissist
- One Mom's Battle
- By: Tina Swithin
- Narrated by: Jacki Giardina
- Length: 11 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Tina Swithin discovered that there is only one thing more difficult than being married to a narcissist, and that is divorcing a narcissist or someone with a high-conflict personality. In her book, Tina will explain how a smart, independent woman can fall prey to a narcissistic man. Tina discusses the red flag reflections that initially, she didn’t recognize as concerning while dating and during the marriage. When Tina’s plight to protect her children began, she was forced to act as her own attorney due to severe financial abuse.
-
-
Amazing strength, some editing issues
- By Essential oil Mom of 4 on 06-26-22
By: Tina Swithin
-
365 Thank Yous
- The Year a Simple Act of Daily Gratitude Changed My Life
- By: John Kralik
- Narrated by: John Kralik
- Length: 5 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
One recent December, at age 53, John Kralik found his life at a terrible, frightening low: his law firm was failing; he was struggling through a second divorce; he was living in a tiny apartment where he froze in the winter and baked in the summer. Then, during a walk in the hills on New Year’s Day, John was struck by the belief that his life might become at least tolerable if, instead of focusing on what he didn’t have, he could find some way to be grateful for what he had.
-
-
Loved this book!
- By Denise T. on 04-07-11
By: John Kralik
-
God's Guest List
- Welcoming Those Who Influence Our Lives
- By: Debbie Macomber
- Narrated by: Beth DeVries
- Length: 4 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Who is on God's “guest list” for your life . . . and why? The answers may surprise you. Through touching true stories and inspiring insight Debbie Macomber takes readers on a journey to discover the shaping influence others have on us and the power we have to shape and influence those whose paths cross ours. Each of us have “influencers” that have affected our lives - some from a distance, some through word or deed, some through example, be it good or bad.
-
-
Calming review of ones life
- By JoanSurber on 06-08-17
By: Debbie Macomber
-
Forgiven
- The Amish School Shooting, a Mother's Love, and a Story of Remarkable Grace
- By: Terri Roberts, Jeanette Windle
- Narrated by: Pamela Klein
- Length: 7 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
After a son does the unthinkable, how can a mother go on? On October 2, 2006, a gunman entered an Amish one-room schoolhouse, shooting 10 girls, killing five, then finally taking his own life. This is his mother's story. Not only did she lose her precious son through suicide, but she also lost her understanding of him as an honorable man. It was a trauma that no one should ever have to face.
-
-
If they can forgive you can too
- By Grandma B on 06-25-19
By: Terri Roberts, and others
-
The Godwink Effect
- 7 Secrets to God's Signs, Wonders, and Answered Prayers
- By: SQuire Rushnell, Louise DuArt
- Narrated by: SQuire Rushnell, Louise DuArt
- Length: 5 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From the authors of the popular and best-selling Godwink series comes a new and inspiring collection of true stories about people whose lives were changed by specific and extraordinary answers to their prayers.
-
-
Great God Winks stories as usual.
- By Ted Ziegenbusch on 04-12-18
By: SQuire Rushnell, and others

-
Life with My Idiot Family: A True Story of Survival, Courage and Justice over Childhood Sexual Abuse
- By: Kathy Picard, Gary Picard
- Narrated by: Kathy Picard
- Length: 9 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Seven-year-old little girls love their daddy. Kathy was no exception, so when her daddy started paying “special” attention to her, she felt “special” in turn. Her daddy loved her.
Few betrayals run as deep as the betrayal of being sexually abused throughout your childhood by the man you should have been able to trust with your life. For Kathy, the betrayal ran deeper because when she finally found the courage to start speaking out about what her abuser did to her, her family responded by labeling her a liar and a troublemaker. Kathy didn’t stop speaking out, though.
-
-
A tru story but flat in writing.
- By Irene Bali on 04-06-19
By: Kathy Picard, and others
-
True Tales from the Edgar Cayce Archives
- Lives Touched and Lessons Learned from the Sleeping Prophet
- By: Sidney Kirkpatrick, Nancy Kirkpatrick
- Narrated by: Scott R. Pollak
- Length: 10 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
There is perhaps no modern psychic more fascinating than Edgar Cayce and no better authors to explore the intricate details and eye-opening stories of the people who received his readings than Sidney and Nancy Kirkpatrick. The Kirkpatricks, with decades of experience and research, take us on a journey into the archives and history of these psychic passages, finding the most interesting case studies and exploring the most astounding results of the Cayce work in so many people's lives.
-
-
You will believe in Cayce if you don't already
- By Larry on 09-18-16
By: Sidney Kirkpatrick, and others
-
Let It Go
- A True Story of Tragedy and Forgiveness
- By: Chris Williams
- Narrated by: Chris Williams
- Length: 4 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On a cold February night in 2007, a devoted father of four and a seventeen-year-old drunk driver both received life sentences. In one violent, devastating instant, both faced a drastically different - and uncertain - future. But as Chris Williams sat in his demolished vehicle, staring at the car that had just caused the death of his wife, his unborn baby, his nine-year-old daughter, and his eleven-year-old son, he committed to do something extraordinary: he would forgive.
-
-
All About Forgiveness
- By Sher from Provo on 06-01-16
By: Chris Williams
Any additional comments?
There are some stories that brought me to tears. These brave young men and women deserve our respect and should be help whatever they need.VA
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Great book
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
She discusses the bureaucratic nightmare that our Veterans Administration system has become. While fighting and trying to get her husband's well-earned benefits, she also is trying to get help for his PTSD.
Later, she must confront the VA after he receives a diagnosis of cancer (from agent orange.) She tells of the bureaucratic nightmare that we now know (imaginary paperwork and "secret" waiting lists,) I was able to relate to the frustration she felt throughout this ordeal.
As I read this book, is that those who have served bravely, are treated so poorly. It just made me angry at the way that our veterans and their families have been treated by the VA it is an absolute shame and we should all be demanding change.
I applaud E. Denise Caldon Sorkness for fighting the system and continuing to do so, even after her husband's passing.
There is a simple way to revamp the VA and in the meantime, every man and woman who has served our country and need for medical attention should be given a card that allows them to be seen at any hospital they choose. Their care is the least we can do for the sacrifices each have made.
The VA is a top-heavy bureaucracy with layers and layers of management that is not necessary, in my opinion. I believe that anyone who has found to be deceitful in case management – such as these special lists – should be fired immediately. They should be charged with the gross negligence that they have been accused of, have their day in court and be fined with stiff penalties if found guilty.
Absolutely Infuriating! No Vet Should Have To Beg
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Narration: The narrator’s voice suits this book and displays the emotions very well. I would definitely listen to the narrator again.
Overall: An emotional true life story with great writing and wonderful narration
P.S. This audiobook was provided by the narrator free of charge in exchange for an unbiased review via Audiobook Boom.
An (entertaining) tragedy
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.