holdingontohelp

Oh, I'm sure it does! I did talk to my Tdoc about the possibility of it maybe being a "pyscogenic" (sp) suizure. I do get a little dizzy, but I don't want be a victim if there is something wrong. As for meds, i'm already pretty dopey, so you should see me on Cops or some other "what were they thinking?" type of show,lol It is nice to hear some people only have one in thier whole life.

Thanks all, I just dont want get all paranoid. My gp also yanked me off my SSRI untill we know what's going on, and that's the last thing the GAD needs! I will definitly demand to see a nuro, thanks for all the advice! Aimee

ok, i guess i need to tell my little background tail. Got out of Navy (active) 2 years ago. Last june I was awarded 50% for depression and GAD. Last week, i was at work, thowing away trash. I woke up on the floor, completely out of it. My boss sent me off to the ER, were i was given an MRI (which was normal) and my dislocated shoulder was popped back into place. This is just totally new to me. According to a witness, i had tonuic-clonic movements for around two minutes, and i was turing blue. I also hit my head on a power lift on the way down, with a bruise that takes up half my head to prove it. as far as i know, i came to on my own. Right now my VA GP is leaving me in my arm brace for a month. My next Pdoc appointment isnt untill may, and I have NO idea if/when i'll get to see a nuro. I'm trying not to look suizure/nruro stuff up, i tend to get a bit carried away with that stuff. But if anyone has any guess as to how this may affect my rating, or even just helpful info on how the VA deals with thius sort of thing, i'd love to hear it! Thanks for being there, even after ratings get decided. Aimee

Thank you all. So, so much. I was released last June, after nearly 10 years in the Navy, and in Oct I filed for MDD/GAD and back pain. I was accepted as 50% for mental and denied for back pain. However, I am overjoyed at this much, the 1st time up. I'm so glad I took those few extra months before filing. Everything from getting records together, to how to dress for the C@P was a wonderful help. Now, question time; Ok, so I'm riding my bike to work in Aug. 2003. Get hit by a car. My command investagated it, and decided it occuered in the line of duty. Besides an ER visit and a shot of cortisome (most painful thing EVER!) I was fine. Then I get out, get a job at Walmart unloading trucks, because I'm not the brighest blub in the box. After 2 months of this, I had my PCM write a weight limit for work. I now hang clothes. (which i DO enjoy,lol) My back pain (ER doc and VA said there is disk space narrowing at L-4/ S-1 space) has continued. (stopped the trucks in May). I belive the increase in pain to be from the fact that I had been a Navy CT, and did not work untill this past march. For anyone who dosent know, the rate is pretty much a desk job. While hanging clothes I am on my feet all day, and even though I stopped lugging around 50# boxes, I can still feel pain raditeing down mylegs, though to a lesser degree then right after I was hit. My current PCM (paid for out of pocket) would also like me to have an MRI SO.... should I even bother filing a NOD for my back when I'm already 50%? From my research, I'm thinking as a 50%, my butt could fall off, and all I would have to all is pay the copay. Or should I Just go to the VA/private doc for treatment , building up back pain records in case my back really goes? Don't get me wrong, very happy with the 50%, I just want protect myself. Thanksagain! as soon as my bills are paid off with that back pay, T-bird can expect a little to keep this place open for you all, and for people like me, who don't have a clue!

Thanks, guess I jumped too far ahead of myself :) I have found at least 10 possible nexues just in my SMR. Thanks again, sorry for jumping the gun

Also, I'm not sure if the 1st GAF (when I was 12) was ever even in my record. They mostly just asked for when, where and how I was treated for minor depression. And back then, I saw a clinial social worker, so I'm not sure if the VA would consider that "hardcore" treatment.

hi! Happy holidays! B) Just for a tiny bit of back ground, I came in back in 1995. stayed 4 years, was out for 5 months. came back, stayed for 5 years. I have filed for back problems and service making me crazy-er with aggrvated MDD and brand new GAD. The earliest GAF I know of was when I was 12. it was 65. 1st time I joined, I was seen, for about 2 seconds, by a MEPS contracted Pdoc. She said, your fine, and that was it. I do not recall ever seeing a GAF resulting from that exam. 2nd time I was in, I was about 3 years into my enlistment, kinda got depressed again, I'll spare you the boring stuff, lol. Started seeing a Navy Pdoc, and taking meds. I had never taken anything for mental issues before. Saw him all outpatant (sp). In his mental status exam, he listed my appox. GAF before depressive episoed as in the low 70's, when I was seeing him, GAF was 65. My very last exam (June of 05, IMO) had me has a GAF of 60. With all the help on this site on how to act during a CandP, and my meds pooping out on me, plus getting out of a job I loved, (not by choice, long story there.) and moving across the country twice in 6 months, I est. current GAF at around 50. (I know, the VA will skip over all the numbers anyway :) ) So, my question is, since my mental status was pre-exsiting, WHICH gaf would they most likely use? Thanks! everyone keep warm! B)

Thanks, everyone! You can bet I will be refering all the vets/soon to be vets I know here. Thanks to your help, I can start working on my NOD the week after SO sent in my claim B) I hope to be posting under the sucess stoys soon!

Carlie, you'd think after 10 years I'd know enough to take every form to a lawyer,lol. Thanks for the info, though, sure it will come in handy. I enlisted in 95 with mild depression, I have no promblem telling them it pre-exesited. No other MH issues for a long time. Got out in 99, came back in 99 (long story,lol). Again no issues untill 2002. I've found around 6-10 neuxs's, all happening around the same time frame. Saw a military P-doc for about 6 months. I also went on medication for the 1st time ever. I was kinda desperate. Then I was ok for a while. Then in Feb-ish of 04, I went to my GP, since my meds just weren't working anymore. And I added on a new one. In June 05, I got a Civ P-doc's eval, cause I thought it would be nice to have more pieces of paper in my house. She confirmed GAD/MMD/ED-NOS. (ED-NOS dose not count here, since I was never sick enough. For the VA, at least). So here I am, currunt GAF of 60. When I saw the P-doc in 02, Gaf was 61-70-ish. And I belive I've gotton worse since coming in, esp. this last enlistment. I sure as heck didn't need 2 drugs to make it though the day before I came in. Unfortunitly, my 60 GAF was a normal day GAF, since I didn't know the whole present at your worst thing. But I plan to pound them with paperwork for a long while yet. The goverment helped make me crazyer, even if I'm rated 0% for life, they will still have to put up with me,lol. Only happy pills could make the VA funny B)

ok, still new to this. IMO stands for what? As far as buddy letters, I will be submitting one from my former Sup, command letterhead and all. I am also trying to get a copy of a rejected clearence renewal. If I hadn't gotton out when I did, I would have been "let go" since I wouldn't have been able to walk in the door anymore. I just got out in June, so I'm trying to gather everything while my memory is still fresh. B)

Hi! Hope you are all doing well! :) I recevied a copy of the letter my DAV sent to the VA today. In it, he asks the VA to make the C+P exams. I understand the DAV's a busy guy, only one around Las Vegas (yes, I moved here during a lapse in judgement), but shouldn't he have at least asked if I wanted the exams? I know it's hard to get rated with out them, but still... Even though I'm miles of red tape away from the VA responding, I want to ask if it would be in my best interest to give the doc a copy of what I believe to be nexes's to my aggravaged MMD and recent (last 3 years) GAD. I will most likely be too busy doing OCD-type stuff to calm me during the exam, but maybe it will help when the doc see's me counting tiles and bouncing my knee B)

I think I may have found a lot of different nexus's for the GAD (MMD preexsiting). But the one that upset me the most.. When I got help for an eating disorder, my PCS orders got changed at the last mintue. When my new command got my orders, there was all kinds of rumors about why they had gotton changed. I just said it was a medical thing. Now, this was a small command, everyone in each other's business. One day my chief just came right out and asked me. The main reason why I told him was kind of a saftey device for me. like me saying, hey, if I lose/gain a ton of weight, please do something. And I never thought the convo would leave the room. But, it did. So here I am, trying my hardest to build some social support for myself, while everyone had already writen me off as crazy. Talk about a reason for isolation! Not saying this is anywhere near what some of you went though, but could this have played a role?

Hi, Hoppy! Yeah, I generally can't ride in a car for more then a half hour without my back hurting. The other side of my back seems to be trying to compenste for it, and there's pain raditating down my leg. I just read on the board about a vet with a purple heart getting only 10%! Now, I'm not trying to get rich here. I can work, and when I do find a place to live, I'm getting a job. I just want to be able to afford to pay for my meds, maybe some therapy. I called my former Sup today, and he's sending me a "buddy" letter in ref. to my social "disfunction" and other mental stuff, so I'm sure that will help my case at least a bit. Now, a civ P-doc rated me at a 60 GAF. Am I worng in assuming that a C+P will most likely happen? the 60 GAF was on a "normal" day, not even my worse day. For any MH questions, do I answer like I would if I was unmedicated? Not that it may even matter by that time, I already have to cycle my meds around to keep them working. Thank you all for all the great suggestions!

Thanks so much for replying! I have been reading Hadit! for six months or so, so I knew I was in for a good fight! I just got out in June (12th) so that part should be ok. I would have like to have started the process before I got out (you can do part of it before hand now, not filing, but getting stuff ready) but my seperation was kinda last mintue. I did manage to get my Sup to write a letter stating that I had a very hard time opening up to people, isolating, ect, and I'm so glad I did. My 1st enlistment was 1995-1999. I didn't file, and went back into the navy after only a few months. LONG story,lol. Came back 2000-2005. Admitted to mild depression, as I had my 1st enlistment. I was a teenager, no big deal. Then around 2002, I pretty much started sleeping 16 hours a day, my eating was out of control (eating disorder). I had a clearence, thought for sure I was gonna get kicked out. Instead I was put on anitdepressants that probely saved my life. Then went to my last command. Thing was, there were only 10 military there, and I guess I don;t have to tell you how much people get into your business at a command that small. So next thing I know, people sit there and watch me everytime I eat. Funny thing is, I'm not even underweight. As my eating got better, my anx. increased to the point were I was put on another anitdepressant. And I beleive part of why I was denyed reenlistment had to do with GAD. I was DX'ed with a GAF of 60, and right in the report the p-doc said something to the effect of being denied of continuing my service because my command considered me "risky and unpredictiable". Besides getting hit by a car in 2003 while riding my bike to work (determined to be the line of duty, so at least my back is covered) I'm not sure if I can pinpoint GAD neuxs's. I'll look though my SMR and see if the doc's said anything of interest. IF I can read thier handwriting, that is! Thank you all SO MUCH! I will look at everything you guys suggested. Even before I posted this, months ago I knew Hadit! would be a great place to come for whatever I needed.

Hi! If you didn't see my newbee post, my name is Aimee. I just seperated from the Navy after 6 great and 3 not so great years. I filed with a DAV today. My issues are my back (one of the joints right by your spine) and mental health. (What I believie to be Service aggervated MMD and service connected GAD) The DAV didn't seem to have too much to say as far as me having a good shot at getting anything. Just said he's send the paperwork off with my SMR and that I should hear from the VA in 3-6 months. Luckily I had a MH eval just before I got out, (from a civ p-doc) plus I had plenty of records from a BMC from a few years back, so I have established DX's. Now, while I'm here waiting, is there more I can do? ANd how are the chances of me needing to get a C+P? I'm very new to this whole thing, so except a lot of dumb questions (even though they told us there were no dumb questions...) Thanks! Aimee Also, would I need a stress letter? Or is that just for PTSD?