Well, I had a C&P exam today in Dublin. I couldn't sleep very well last night thinking about it and as I figured, someone needs to give them a few classes.
I was called around Wednsday this past week and told of a C&P Exam for my lower back for today. No valided explanation of why when I asked, just told it could be several reasons.
The person performing the exam was a Nurse Practitioner. After asking me several questions regarding my condition including have it afficts my everyday life. When I tried to answer that question twice stating that I couldn't bend, I was rudely interrupted both times and basicly told she would be determining that.
When she pulled out the Goniometer, I stated that was the first time I had seen one of those. Her reply was after ten years of experiance you didn't need one, cause you know what the degrees are. When I didn't say anything she proded me again with the same statement.
As I stated, I was there for a lower back exam, and yes, I have arthritis through out my spine. I also have radiculopathy down both sides since before I left the Corps.
She started by checking my strength and taking ROM mesurements of my ankles as well as big toes, doing reps of three.
Next was leg lifts, she was asking me where it hurt, my back was screeming bloody muder at that point.
(Note, I checked the new updated DBQ's and this is how they tell if my radiculopathy effects me below the knees. Truthfuly, there's no way to tell as my back was screaming.)
Next she checked to see if I had numbness. I had already explained to her earlier that I had partial numbness in my right foot and both thighs and that the numbness in my thights would turn into a burning sensation at times especially at night while I'm trying to sleep.
Her directions were to tell her if I felt her poke me with the piano wire. Nothing about decreased sensation. She then precided to poke me multipal places without giving me a chance to respond. She started telling me how she knew I was faking it.
Then we went to actually checking the ROM of my Back. She had me bend over then straighten up. I couldn't bend over that far and I have a had time straightening up due to the athritis which I tried to explained to her, yet she was upset and had me set back down on the examination table and stand back up to try and prove that I could bend at my spine.
(Note: setting in a chair with your back straight is completly different than standing up and bending down. My back stays straight when I set down or stand up. When I bend over, thats when my spine starts bending.)
Again, I try to tell her I have a hard time straighen my back. It's not that I can't it just takes me time to do so. So at this point she starts having me do the side - to - side ROMs and when I can bearly do them she starts on me again saying you just turn sideways and yet you can't move side to side. I explaind that yes while I maybe able to turn sideways (rotation) I don't have much side to side (flection) cause it hurts. Her atitude was very clear at that point. She made it quite clear as she stated that she wasn't there to measure pain but to measure my whole Range of Motion. She even went as far to tell me that she had watched me bend over and take off my shoes while seated. I then corrected her and stated that I took my shoes off when she left the room to get undressed and that I kicked them off as I'm not able to bend down to take them off or put them on, that's why I brought a long handled shoe horn. She kept making comments about having to get my full range of motion and I was only hurting myself. I then asked her if she ever heard of DeLuca. Again her attitude was she wasn't there to measure my pain but my Full Range of Motion. That I was only hurting myself and I don't want to have to do another C&P Exam.
It is also noted that about two months ago I had a Left Knee C&P Exam at this same VAMC and the Nurse Practitioner then Forced all of my ROM's, the last one she kept pushing on untill she got the reading she wanted. Even though she fored my knees to get her ROM, it didn't matter as although I do have a lmited ROM for my knees, it's non compensatable except that I have arthritis in both knees which gives me 10%. She did find that I do have subluction in my left knee. Now to only get them to rate them correctlly as I've had partial meniscectomies of both knees.
Over the past several years since I was discharged, I've had one C&P in Augusta, it was ruled as inadequate for rating, two at Atlanta by the same doctor inwhich both of them were also ruled as inadequate for rating. And I've had four in Dublin, The first one will be ruled ruled as inadequate for rating when I go to my BVA as there were numouriou problems Failure to take ito consideration DeLuca, Failure to explain why I didn't have a Left Knee disability or Bilateral Radiculopathy which have since been proven to be service connected. Along with Forced ROM. My second C&P Exam was the only one that I felt was ever fair. These last two really are something else.
Even though the one about two months was incorrectly performed, it did confirm my statements of subluxation for my left knee. BTW, I'm being slated for a total Left Knee Replacement. However this was a complete disaster today. My thinking on the way home was to wait and see what she wrote. However, as I type and read over this, it may be best to go ahead and complain about the Exam.
Any Thoughts on how to handle this or who to see???
Question
elcamino_77us
Good Afternoon,
Well, I had a C&P exam today in Dublin. I couldn't sleep very well last night thinking about it and as I figured, someone needs to give them a few classes.
I was called around Wednsday this past week and told of a C&P Exam for my lower back for today. No valided explanation of why when I asked, just told it could be several reasons.
The person performing the exam was a Nurse Practitioner. After asking me several questions regarding my condition including have it afficts my everyday life. When I tried to answer that question twice stating that I couldn't bend, I was rudely interrupted both times and basicly told she would be determining that.
When she pulled out the Goniometer, I stated that was the first time I had seen one of those. Her reply was after ten years of experiance you didn't need one, cause you know what the degrees are. When I didn't say anything she proded me again with the same statement.
As I stated, I was there for a lower back exam, and yes, I have arthritis through out my spine. I also have radiculopathy down both sides since before I left the Corps.
She started by checking my strength and taking ROM mesurements of my ankles as well as big toes, doing reps of three.
Next was leg lifts, she was asking me where it hurt, my back was screeming bloody muder at that point.
(Note, I checked the new updated DBQ's and this is how they tell if my radiculopathy effects me below the knees. Truthfuly, there's no way to tell as my back was screaming.)
Next she checked to see if I had numbness. I had already explained to her earlier that I had partial numbness in my right foot and both thighs and that the numbness in my thights would turn into a burning sensation at times especially at night while I'm trying to sleep.
Her directions were to tell her if I felt her poke me with the piano wire. Nothing about decreased sensation. She then precided to poke me multipal places without giving me a chance to respond. She started telling me how she knew I was faking it.
Then we went to actually checking the ROM of my Back. She had me bend over then straighten up. I couldn't bend over that far and I have a had time straightening up due to the athritis which I tried to explained to her, yet she was upset and had me set back down on the examination table and stand back up to try and prove that I could bend at my spine.
(Note: setting in a chair with your back straight is completly different than standing up and bending down. My back stays straight when I set down or stand up. When I bend over, thats when my spine starts bending.)
Again, I try to tell her I have a hard time straighen my back. It's not that I can't it just takes me time to do so. So at this point she starts having me do the side - to - side ROMs and when I can bearly do them she starts on me again saying you just turn sideways and yet you can't move side to side. I explaind that yes while I maybe able to turn sideways (rotation) I don't have much side to side (flection) cause it hurts. Her atitude was very clear at that point. She made it quite clear as she stated that she wasn't there to measure pain but to measure my whole Range of Motion. She even went as far to tell me that she had watched me bend over and take off my shoes while seated. I then corrected her and stated that I took my shoes off when she left the room to get undressed and that I kicked them off as I'm not able to bend down to take them off or put them on, that's why I brought a long handled shoe horn. She kept making comments about having to get my full range of motion and I was only hurting myself. I then asked her if she ever heard of DeLuca. Again her attitude was she wasn't there to measure my pain but my Full Range of Motion. That I was only hurting myself and I don't want to have to do another C&P Exam.
It is also noted that about two months ago I had a Left Knee C&P Exam at this same VAMC and the Nurse Practitioner then Forced all of my ROM's, the last one she kept pushing on untill she got the reading she wanted. Even though she fored my knees to get her ROM, it didn't matter as although I do have a lmited ROM for my knees, it's non compensatable except that I have arthritis in both knees which gives me 10%. She did find that I do have subluction in my left knee. Now to only get them to rate them correctlly as I've had partial meniscectomies of both knees.
Over the past several years since I was discharged, I've had one C&P in Augusta, it was ruled as inadequate for rating, two at Atlanta by the same doctor inwhich both of them were also ruled as inadequate for rating. And I've had four in Dublin, The first one will be ruled ruled as inadequate for rating when I go to my BVA as there were numouriou problems Failure to take ito consideration DeLuca, Failure to explain why I didn't have a Left Knee disability or Bilateral Radiculopathy which have since been proven to be service connected. Along with Forced ROM. My second C&P Exam was the only one that I felt was ever fair. These last two really are something else.
Even though the one about two months was incorrectly performed, it did confirm my statements of subluxation for my left knee. BTW, I'm being slated for a total Left Knee Replacement. However this was a complete disaster today. My thinking on the way home was to wait and see what she wrote. However, as I type and read over this, it may be best to go ahead and complain about the Exam.
Any Thoughts on how to handle this or who to see???
Thanks
Billy
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garion
I addressed this in a earlier post. Why are vets letting C&P examiners treat them this way? I would have told her I no longer feel comfortable with her and will be filing a former complaint for
Andyman73
elcamino_77, It may be of some value to you to email Allison Hickey about what you've been through. Make sure to mind your manners considering her position as Undersecretary of VA and a retired BG.
elcamino_77us
Good Evening Andyman73, Sorry about waiting so long getting to you. I was going back through my emails tonight looking for part of my hire package when I ran across the notice for this message. I ju
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