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TiredSgt

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About TiredSgt

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    Florida
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    Music, Writing, Yorkies

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  • Service Connected Disability
    100%
  • Branch of Service
    Army

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  1. Sorry if I offended, but let me add this, I'd be willing to bet that you've had at least 1 x-ray, MRI, Cat Scan or some other form of physical assessment diagnosing your pain. Well, I have not. And no, I'm not going to my appointment next week spewing off about lawsuits, malpractice, etc, that would be foolish. I'm going to let my doctor do most of the talking and answer his questions honestly. I'm going to explain that over the years I've built up tolerance and occassionally ran out of my meds, due to delays in mail, family theft or taking 1 or 2 extra during the course of my 30 day supply. So when I received the extra bottle, it was a relief and pleasent surprise to me knowing that I had a nice stash tucked away in case of an emergency. I've prepared 3 separate folders for three possible scenarios - I'll just have to wait until my appointment with my PCP to see how it plays out. I am going to ask him one question though....."What exactly did my last xray or MRI show was wrong with my back, so I can tell my new doctor?" I'm sure he'll squirm in his seat, because you know what: There is no xray no MRI, nothing (except for 1 xray in Feb 2004). Yes, I do believe the V.A. is liable for not seeking the root of my problems, a bone scan, mri, current up-to-date xray, they should've done something over the course of 7 years other than dispense pills. I'm happy your pain is managed, you obviously have a decent doctor and are dealing with a decent VA, but I'm not. About 5 years ago my wife went her private dr complaining of constant neck pain, the FIRST thing he done was order an xray, next an MRI, he put her on opiates (hydrocodone 7.5/APAP) for 60 days. Meanwhile, he scheduled a surgery and put a titanium plate in her neck which practically cured her pain. She does not take any form of pain pills, maybe an occassional advil or alieve. Had she went to a VA hospital, they would've doped her up, raised her dosages to mask the pain, NOT treat the root of the pain. My pain can be cured with operations (grind off the bone spur in my upper neck for starters). They're simply too overwhelmed to fool with such nonsense, give 'em pills, move 'em out. If you don't think you're an "addict" go flush all your opiates down the toilet - see how you feel in 5 days. My choice is NOT to be dependent upon a pill, my choice is to seek treatement for what's causing my pain, not mask it with a pill.
  2. Nice post and some good points! Yes I do have back pain and cervical spine injury (on the 1-10 scale) my pain hovers around 4-5 on a daily basis, when I over-do it, the pain esclates to a good 6-7 point at which point I take my pain pills and lay down for an hour or so. I have DDD and two herniated discs and a bone-spur in my neck bone that pinches a nerve when I bend my neck at a certain angle, so yes, I do indeed need the pain meds for medical reasons. What I don't like is the dependency part, and being suddenly cut-off. As for pain management after my Suboxone detox, I don't know? It's NOT going to be opiate based and that's for sure. They do long-term damage: Effects On Brain Chemistry: Opiates have also been shown to cast a long-term negative effect on brain chemistry. Through constant stimulation of key pleasure centers within the brain, and its reward system, opiate users are conditioned to want more and more of the drug. In extreme situations, sudden withdrawal by chronic users in poor health may prove fatal. This phenomenon makes it impossible for users to quit without help, as their never-ending euphoric state leaves them unaware that they are addicted. Such euphoric feelings may last for years....... The article goes on and on, many pages of the negative side-effects of long-term opiate use, it's way too much to copy/past here, it's an easy Google...the bottom line is this: In the long-run Opiates RUIN lives, not save them. They've even been proven by the AMA to increase pain, not decrease pain. The doctors can label it "Pain Management" or "Management" all they want, but the bottom line is they're deadly, they destroy your brain, do permanent damage, your body gets addicted and your mind becomes psychologically dependent upon opiates and you cannot function "normal" without them and your receptors that produce "natural" opiates die. You become an addict for life. Is this life? I bet there's members in this forum who've sat down and counted their pills out to the date worrying about running short, waiting on the mailman, counting the days till their 'scripts arrive, postponing engagements or other activities because of pills. It's not your fault, it's the V.A.'s fault, and they should be held accountable just like Medtronic Sprint Fidelis was made to be held accountable to the tune of 263 million (out of court settlement). Cha-Ching for me $$! There's other management practices available for pain besides pills, how about getting to the root of the pain? Nerve blocking shots, nerve deadening singes, surgeries to alleviate the root of the problem. That's not the VA way, the VA way is prescribe and overdose patients on Pills, I've seen it for decades. The pills aren't my issue anymore. My issue with the VA is over prescribing pain killers in general, they killed my dad with oxycottin and morphine and other deadly cocktails of pills, same with my wife's father, same with my uncle and my step-father (suicide from VA prescribed pills) - all dead because of VA over prescribing pills instead of finding and eliminating the root of the pain. Well, it's not going to happen with me. I have rights and recourse in action. There is no justification for being an addict, especially an accidental VA induced addict. In 7 years don't you think that someone, somewhere would say "hey, let's take an x-ray, MRI or Cat Scan, let's see what's going on here?" The VA failed in this area. I said my pain is "6 or 7" they said, "ok, here's some more pills." Nice doctoring huh? Pain is not the same day to day, some days my pain is 3-4, sometimes I aggravate my back or neck and it jumps to 7 or even 8, and on rare occassions I feel little to no pain at all (while on pills of course). My friend crushed his back digging up a tree stump and messing with a backhoe, his private doctor prescribed oxycottin for 20 days, a couple surgries, a few more pills, put him in physical therapy, gave him a machine that shocks his nerves, a backbrace and more physical therapy, now he's almost back to normal....all without pills! He is pill free to this very day, he deals with his pain, he learned to live with it. He understood that pills cause pain over time, not relieve it. Now, I'm in a boat where pills cause me pain, if I don't take my pills, I hurt, but the pain is escalated due to pills. I can only speak for the 2 VA hospitals I've visited, yours may be great with great doctors who actually care, but MY experince in MY VA hospitals has not been good, they are simply pill dispenseries, 'script writers with 100's of patients on their case-load per day. I'm just a number, another 'script to stamp. Now to finally answer your question - yes, I do need "something" to relieve my pain, but NOT opiates, I can't take NSAID or IBprofen, so I don't know what the course of action will be? Long-term damage has already been done to my body - all caused by opiates, opiates prescribed without ONE single shred of physical evidence to substaintiate or support opiate treatment (and getting me addicted). My very fist 'script was given to me very quickly so the doctor could call "Next!" and I was hurried out. Yes, I am mad, I'm mad at the VA for prescribing pills for 7+ years, I'm mad they suddenly cut me off without warning, I'm mad because I found out what opiates can (and have) done to my body, I'm mad at my doctor for not realizing that a person should be given an x-ray BEFORE prescribing pills, I'm mad at the VA in general for writing scripts to veterans just to get them out of their hair and move on to the next patient, the whole system stinks and they need to be held accountable for their over prescribing habits. Medtronic Sprint Fidelis Faulty Lead Litigation is the perfect example. Next it's going to be Veterans Administration Faulty Prescription/Opiate Dosing Litigation. It's malpractice (at least in MY 2 V.A. Facilities) and I can prove it.
  3. Hey, thanks for the reply, maybe I am over-reacting a bit, but honestly, the VA did in fact turn an ordinary guy into a dope addict and that's the bottom line. Long term opiate usage alters the brain and usage over 5 years does permanent damage that can never (at my age) be reversed, opiates totally shut down your receptors and your body forgets how to produce natural opiates, because they're being replaced by synthetic opiates. I don't know much about this area, I just started reading about it, but they're not good. Besides, No xrays, no mri, no ct scans, no "physicals", dude, they just gave me Lortab 10's like it was halloween candy. This is not (IMO) medicine, like I said earlier, the MOST I ever received as far as a "physical" was concerned was a couple taps on my knee with a rubber hammer. He did mention that I'm in Afib and I told him that I'm always in Afib 99% of the time. I've lost all respect for VA doctors in general. I'll take your advise and take my PCP my stash because I'm going the suboxone route starting on friday (unless my PCP has an alternative plan that is pain-free and withdrawal free) to get me off these chemicals. I've slowed waaaaaaaay down on my Lortab intake since three days ago, I'm down to 3 1/2 per day and I feel just fine (#10's). But when I go lower, my nose runs, my body aches, my eyes water, my skin crawls, I get grumpy with my wife, I ache, itch, can't sleep and my mind races. This pill I'm seeking Friday called Suboxone takes all that away and most importantly, the cravings. I doubt the VA prescribes Suboxone? That's on my list of phone calls come Monday. The only reason I can't quit cold-turkey like everyone else does, is because of my heart condition - the spikes in BP, racing heart, anxiety could be my death ticket, that's not a chance I'm willing to take. I think the VA has mis-dosed me, got me addicted, and done irreversable damage to my body on a molecular structure. I've found cases where the VA has overdosed patients and the spouse has sued for wrongful death/malpractice/over medicated, etc, and won - you can do a simple Google search and pull up hundreds of cases. I realize my Lortab addiction is not that strong, but take into account I have a heart of 75 year old man with a "longetivy" of 5-10 years...(per the VA of course). But the fact remains, I'm addicted because of the VA doctors and years and years with not one single shred of physical evidence to support opiate treatment at such high levels. I'll leave it alone and quit bugging you all - but I will post key and important updates as this saga unfolds, I can't really do anything till Monday and Tuesday after my appt with my VA PCP. I have lots of research to compile, tabulate and organize into a manner appropriate for presentation to my attorney. She got my SSD in record time and doesn't particularily care for the VA's treatment of patients anyway. I'm sure she'll find my case unique, intriguing, attractive and possibly lucrative. Google Medtronic Sprint Fidelis Lead Settlement - they settled out of court for 263 million dollars last year, I have 3 of their faulty leads implanted......it all started with ONE guy complaining.
  4. Yes, I did sign an orange card the postman brought for both packages of meds, so in their eyes, I'm guilty. As far as alcohol, I've not drank a drop in over 10 years, not even a sip of beer or wine - zero. I take 5 or 6 Lortab 10's per day, I'm prescribed 5 a day, but sometimes take an extra here and there, I'm sure everyone is guilty of this at some point. I called the detox facility today, they can accept me Friday morning (April 1st 2011) at 8:30am, they told me I have to be in "day 2 of withdrawals" and no more Lortab after Tuesday night, I told them about my heart condition and they told me that chronic withdrawals don't start until day 3 or 4 and peak-out at day 7, so don't worry. They're going to prescribe me a drug called Suboxone, starting at 8mg per day and over a course of 2 months wean me off completely, I'll stay approximately 2 weeks "in patient" for counseling, meetings or whatever they do?, then return to my home for weekly follow-ups/meetings. I told them "ok, see ya friday then." The first place that wanted to accept me told me over 3k dollars, which I was prepared to pay, but this place is a bit cheaper, with the same guarantee of freedom from opiates. When I go see my doctor this coming week, I'm taking every narcotic pill in my house and placing them on his desk. I'm going to tell him that IMO, it's malpractice to prescribe dosages of hydrocodone 10 x 5 a day to ANYONE for 7+ years. I'm going to also remind him about the statement "this medication is not to be prescribed for more than 21 days." The VA has turned me into an accidental opiate dependent person (addict, I hate that word), they knew what they were doing, they also knew it was wrong; although it happens a million plus times a month all across America. I want my old self back, even with the pain, it's got to be better than being harassed, threatned and put through hellish withdrawals, not to mention (like you said) "watched like a hawk" because they think I'm selling my meds or abusing my prescription. I'm too old for that and those games. They can have their pills, and their pain contract - I'm officially done with the VA "doctors". I have Medicare and BC/BS, I shouldn't have problems finding a doctor. I'm more mad than anything, but I also realized that the VA got me addicted to a powerful opiate, now they think they can just "stop". It doesn't work that way, people can die from withdrawals especially those who have heart conditions or very old. And I have chronic heart conditions (ICD/Pacemaker) valve problems, clogs, you name it! As a final note, it seems I only turn to Hadit.com when I have problems, you guys helped me get my 100% VA AND 100% SSD a few years ago, then I walked away. I'm gonna start participating more and sharing what I've learned with my 12 year fight with the VA and and my 2 year battle with SSD. I'll start answering the simple questions I've read on here, what I done and how it helped me. Thanks again guys/gals. If you have any suggestions on how I should deal with my doctor this coming week, I'd sure appreciate the input. I don't want to be harsh with the guy, but on the other hand, I'm NOT going to be accused of dealing/abusing/selling/fraud, etc. I'm gonna tell the truth, (the bottle came in the mail, totally out of the blue, so I took them and put some away for "stash"). The VA made me what I am, either help me get back to normal (no opiates) or show me the door, and I'll never walk back through it. It's obvious my doctor is mad, he wants answers and he's also spoken with my previous doctor from my prior state I used to live in). I am considering filing a section 1151, coupled with a lawsuit against the V.A. and my previous 4 "doctors" for NEVER giving me a thorough exam (NO MRI, XRay, nothing - just doses of opiates), also, I feel they owe me something for 7 years of pain/suffering, creating an opiate dependent person, then "cutting me off", damaging my neuro-system in my brain with large dosages of pills over the past 7+ years. I'm quite sure my doctors "notes" includes exams which never happened, I have NEVER had a VA X-Ray or MRI for my back (upper or lower) past the year 2004, I just told them it "hurt" on a scale of 1-10, I told them 7 or 8, then it started...a big ole' bottle of pain killers. LOTS of them, over the years, that was their answer to my pain...give him a 'script and get him out of here....next! Whatever wrath I face tuesday with my VA doctor will be re-dealt 1000 fold before the end of 2011. When I moved FROM Florida to the previous state I lived in for 2 years, my very first VA appointment lasted approximately 5 minutes, he mostly read his computer, asked how my meds were doing, he pecked my knees with a rubber hammer and that was it. Follow up exams (every 6 months for med re-newals) were 3-5 minutes long tops, no exam, no xrays, no nothing...just refilled all my meds and out the door, just like hearding cattle in/out, in/out. They (the VA) have awoken a sleeping giant, I know the games they play, the false notes, the false exams, all I have to do is prove it, which will be quite simple.....show me an xray, mri, or any shred of physical evidence that warranted 7+ years of high dose opiate treatment? Is a lawsuit or 1151 even plausible? IDK? I have to do some calling around monday. In fact back in 09, I wanted to placed on a non-narcotic pill called Tramadol, this is noted in my records also, I was refused and kept on Lortab 10. in 08 I told my psychiastrist I felt I was addicted to hydrocodone, he noted this in my record and also my cardiologist "recommended discontinuance" of opiate treatement - this is also documented in my cardio files in the year 2009. What does the VA do? Give me some more opiates! I need some advise, the pills aren't the issue anymore, it's what they've done to me, changed my personality, turned me into an accidental addict, changed my natural body chemistry and when I asked to be taken off YEARS ago, I was given MORE. Indeed, Nobody stuffed them down my throat, but to anyone on opiate treatment, you KNOW HOW IT IS...you CRAVE THEM, and after just a few months, your body NEEDS them, and you fear withdrawals. IMO, this is neglegence, malpractice and abuse of patients, not to mention they (opiates) ruin lives, even it taken as prescribed - if you can't flush them, you're an addict. And being an addict is not fun. thanks for reading my rant. One Very Tired Ex-Sgt
  5. I receive hydrocodone 7.5/APAP 500, 150 per month (in my former state, I received hydrocodone 10/APAP 500), sometimes I do indeed take an extra one or break one in half and add it to my normal dose around lunchtime, so I'm glad to have some extra put away. But the fact is: My V.A. doctor specifically told me over the phone that I had violated my pain contract and possibly federal drug laws, and wants to see me next week, and quote "he doesn't want to continue pain management and will forward this recommendation to his director." I told "ok, see ya next week." If I could go back in time 7 years, I never would've started on opiates for my pain management, they do indeed help ease the pain, but NOW my body is physically and psychologically dependant on hydrocodone, and with my bad heart, I'm afriad of death due to withdrawals (I've ran out before due to mail delays and have experienced withdrawals first hand for 1-3 days over the years) It IS NOT fun! I'm considering going into a 30 day detox here in Florida which will monitor my heart 24/7 and rid my body of opiate dependency, it's very expensive, but I think in the long run, it will be well worth it to get this monkey off my back, it's my opinion that long-term opiate usage increases pain associated with injuries, makes one dependant upon the drug in order to function and re-wires the brain to not produce natural chemicals because they're being replaced with synthetic feelings and emotions. If anyone out there doesn't believe this, STOP taking your opiates for 5 days, starting right now. I bet you my next 10 checks that within 5 days, your body will feel like it's been ran over by a steam roller, your heart will pound, you'll sweat profusely, then get the chills, you'll get grumpy, anxious and eventually you'll find yourself bed-ridden, begging for a pill. I've watched my father go thru this (he died in 2002 btw), I've seen my mother go thru this, my sister and I've experienced it myself. Sudden opiate withdrawal can be fatal for the meek, weak or elderly. When I get my white envelope with pills every month, there's 3 long pieces of paper inside the package, it specifically states "this drug can be habit forming" and "when used for extended periods of time, this medication may not work as well and may require different dosing" and "It is not recommended for use for long term periods or in high doses." Yeah right. Nobody deserves to be on opiates 7 years, the VA could've changed my meds to a more long-acting drug, tapered me off an put me on a non-opiate drug for pain (which I requested in 2008)yes, it's documented, gave me a tens unit, etc, none of this was ever discussed. Seven years of pills - that's their answer. In fact, pills is the VA's answer to everything. Got a headache, pills, feel depressed? Pills, back hurts, Pills, carpal tunnel? Pills, stub your toe, Pills, can't sleep? Pills, feeling a bit anxious are you? Here's a pill. How about getting to the ROOT of the problem? Instead of masking the symptoms with pills...IMO, VA doctors are legal drug dealers, they get people addicted, then don't want to deal with the addiction when someone "violates a pain contract." I think my mind is already made up to pay the 3,500 and check myself in for the duration, at least I'll be monitored by people who actually care and tell the VA to take their "pills" and stuff them where the sun don't shine. The program is guaranteed to get you off opiates, and from what I've been reading and the Youtube vids I've watched - you actually FEEL BETTER being OFF opiates. I got my 100% rating due to CHF and other cardiovascular problems, only 30% on my back, 50% PTSD, 10% hearing, 20% cervical injury. I would like to think any doctor worth his salt would not be so cruel as to totally take a veteran off his meds without appropriate taper and/or something to counteract withdrawals? I'm worried about our meeting next week for sure. 1. Will he accuse me of being an addict? 2. Will he try to press charges for prescription fraud? 3. Could he stop my meds immediately? 4. Could I face criminal charges? 5. Could he refuse any further treatment regarding my other ailments? At least if he does cancel my meds totally, I have enough to slowly taper off with and hopefully ease the symptoms associated with opiate withdrawals. I do plan to take the pills to show the doctor that I've not abused them, but I did take a few extra ones here and there as needed when my body ached beyond my normal threshold. I'm too old and tired for all this BS from the VA, guys, it's got me worried sick. What do you think my VA doctor's decision will be?
  6. Hi, I've not been on here in a long time, you guys helped me get my 100% rating 3 years ago, since then, I've also been awarded 100% SSD. But anyways, here's what happened. The VA said I violated my pain contract when I moved from one state to another and received pain meds from two separate facilities (which I did). I have serious heart problems, CHF, ICD/Pacemaker, high blood pressure, chronic back pain, and a host of other medical conditions, all treated by VA doctors. I've been reading that abruptly stopping narcotic pain meds can cause stroke, serious withdrawal symptoms, spikes in blood pressure, and basically 30-60 days of hellish torture to which my body simply cannot endure. My current primary care doctor said he was going to discontinue my pain medication for violation of a pain contract I signed 7 years ago. Yep, the VA has had me on narcotic pain meds for over 7 years, now, just all of the sudden they want to abruptly STOP dispensing them. In my mind, any doctor in their right mind knows the affects of withdrawals and putting someone with a bad heart, high blood pressure, chronic pain, coupled with psychiatriac conditions (PTSD) is unequivocally and absolutely cruel and inhumane. My body simply can't take it, stopping my meds is not civilized after 7 years of being on them. Can someone give me some advise please? I'm not saying I'm an addict (I took them as prescribed) but "on occassion" I did take 1 extra pill when I felt really super bad. Over the years my body has indeed became both physically and psychologically dependant upon this chemical in order to function. I told the VA (it's noted in my records from 2008) that I think I'm becoming dependant upon these pain meds and would like to stop. What does the VA do? Send me to a psych doctor who prescribed a powerful drug called xanax and UP my dose of pain meds! Now fast forward to 2011 - I moved to another state and received scripts from my prior state and the state I live in now. The old VA from my former state automatically sent the meds in the mail, I was surprised to get them in fact, they just arrive out of the blue one day, so I kept them. Now the NEW VA found out about this and wants to stop ALL PAIN MGT? I can't take it...I'll die. I have a heart of an 85 year old man and can hardly get around as-is, I can't imagine what's going to happen when my meds run out in 2 weeks. Can someone please give me some advise. I have an appt with my PCP on Wednesday March 30th 2011 to "discuss" why I received meds from two different VA facilities. Thanks - if you can call me on the phone and talk, I'd appreciate any advise, all I know is 7 years, 9 months of pain meds, my body IS in fact dependent upon these drugs and an abrupt halt will cause a stroke and I could very well die. The drugs are opiate-based, semi-powerful and do indeed relieve my pain and make me feel "normal".
  7. I had my ALJ hearing mid-March and was 100% approved by the ALJ, last week I received a thick summary of the hearing telling me my case was found 100% favorable in my decision and I was approved for SSD with an on set date Dec 2007. Here's my question: When should I receive my first SSD check and more importantly the 2 years of back pay? It's been about 3 weeks since my hearing and all I've received was that summary of the hearing. If anyone has any experience please respond....we sure could use the money or some good news. Thanks
  8. Thanks for all the great replies guys/gals...yes, that was 2 yrs retro, it came just in time for wifey's job transfer from Kentucky to Panama City Beach, FL! It's a very nice and welcomed climate change to say the least. If anyone is trying to service connect heart disease with PTSD and was in Somalia, give me a PM, I could have some info that may help (it helped me 100%) lol. I feel I have accomplished a great task, as I was only rated at 10% PTSD, but was able to service connect my heart disease (caused by or aggravated through PTSD). Thanks for the support through it all HADIT, I'm sure many vets feel the same about this site...a real morale booster and great source of information/research. RE-TiredSgt
  9. I haven't stopped by in a while, but got good news last week...VA service-connected me at 100%, retro to May 05. Thought I'd share my good fortune with all the great veterans of Hadit. It was a long battle, claims, appeals, long waits, numerous appointments, C&P exams, etc, but it finally paid off. It feels good...an enormous relief for sure, good luck guys and keep plugging away, don't give up. There were many times when I read my denial letters, I would come to this site for encouragement and found it and also found the endurance to write one more appeal or look for one more piece of "material" evidence. Thanks again TBird and all the others who know of my struggle - it's finally over! TB
  10. Thanks for the replies, I am unable to pursuade either of my cardiologists to write an IMO? I have tons of internet printouts addressing this issue and directly linking PTSD with heart disease. I guess I'll just have to mail them what I have and hope for the best. In their last letter to me, the VA stated "...we will consider service connection..."
  11. Without an IMO/IME, is it possible to link heart disease to PTSD? I got a letter from Dept. of Veterans Affairs,KY that says: "1. If you have any additional evidence to submit, please submit medical evidence on your current congestive heart failure and severe cardiomyopathy as well as evidence showing a connection between these two conditions and your service connected PTSD condition. We will consider service connection for your congestive heart failure and severe cardiomyopathy as secondary to your service connected PTSD condition." I am currently receiving percentages on: 10% Tinnitus, 20% Cervical Spine, 10% Degenerative Disc Disease and 10% PTSD. (50% is what I get). I'm considering requesting an increase for DDD when I reply to their letter, is this a good idea? Or, should I wait to see if they service connect my heart disease (linking it to PTSD). How do I request an increase from 10% DDD to 50%? Do I just request an increase on the standard "Statement in Support of Claim" form? My goal is 100% TDIU, any help you guy can give will be greatly appreciated. I remember a while back I asked you guys for advise on getting service connected for PTSD - I took your alls advise and was awarded 10%! Now I need help getting 100%. I have CHF and my back is stiff as a board, unable to bend over to tie my shoes - unbelieveable, constant pain in the middle and lower back. I need some help. Thanks, Tim
  12. Thanks for the great advise! It shed light on a few issues I had not thought about before - great site and thanks again for everyones rapid response. Tim
  13. This was a very informative post! Made for a good read - thanks for sharing.
  14. As you already know from my recent post in Success Stories, I was awarded 10% for PTSD this month with retro to May 05 . My question is this: I have an implanted ICD/Pacemaker which was put in last year due to heart disease. I have read that PTSD causes heart disease, should I file a new claim for heart disease (which will no doubt give me 100% TDIU per CFR, if I can provide nexus) or, should I appeal the 10% PTSD award for a higher rating and hope they give me 50%, then file for TDIU? How can I provide nexus with heart disease/military service? That is the main question. I'm currently 10% Tinnitus, 10% PTSD, 20% Cervical Spine, 20% DDD - VA math = 50% Thanks for any input Tim
  15. I received my official notice the other day - The VA awarded me 10% for PTSD, retro to May 05. However, I have a GAF of 48 - shouldn't my rating have been at least 30%, if not 50%? I'm not complaining by no means, I was happy to get the 10% and the retro, but of course 30% would have been better. Is their a certain percentage assigned for particular GAF's? Oh well, at least I got something! B) I'm going to appeal and also submit my paperwork for my pacemaker implant and link it to PTSD....does anyone have any info on this? Tim
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