Tbi Re-Examination?

[Military_Mind_99]

Has anyone had a TBI re-examination or has heard of whats going on? (my VARO is Saint Paul, MN)

1. I claimed Closed Head Injury to include scar (DC 7800) in 2004. It was processed under BDD in San Deigo. DENIED

2. In 2012 I requested to reopen the exam because I had found some STR's which proved the incident occurred (the Marine Corps lost my STR's during my deployment). The incident was non-combat. I was given a TBI exam by a NP at the Minneapolis VAMC and DC changed under 8045. DENIED.

3. June 2015 I get a call from the St. Cloud VAMC for a C&P exam. I assume its for my skin condition because I had a follow-up exam because they didn't make it static. Wasn't till I got there I was blasted with a ton of questions instead of examining my skin what it was for. I did not ask to reopen or anything with TBI.

I had my exam pulled and was found a positive opinion for TBI and Post Concussion Syndrome and looking through the facets, possibly 10/40 percentage. No mention of painful scar (anyone know if they would put this in addition too or just lump it in). Also I'm curious whether how far back they would go, because before exam there was nothing in ebenefits, but now I see there is a reopened claim with the date of 5/8/15.

[Geo4K]

rootbeer22, your description of a tight chest is similar sounding to me - I call what I get "flaming butterflies" in my stomach.

I do feel for you... I hate this process and it has kept me from addressing things much longer than it should have.

I wish you well.

[Military_Mind_99]

Lastest update from a friend who works with the VA:

...at the meeting with the director today I found out there are 300 claims. they did an internal audit and by VA law there are 4 kinds of docs that can do TBI claims.

after I came back down and talked to someone with connections... there are more like 800 claims and XXXXXXX is doing them all. so they have them backed up for months. for a year or so period there was no qualified C&P doc doing the exams.... they had a foot doc doing them.....

Kare 11 is looking for people to interview on the TBI issues... I heard from a contact at WWP and he heard through XXXXXX a former co worker of mine.

[Military_Mind_99]

Updates:

http://www.kare11.com/story/news/investigations/2015/08/05/unqualified-medical-personnel-performing-exams-mpls-va-medical-center-traumatic-brain-injury/31168581/

I am on this list.

[USMC_VET]

Sounds like my TBI examinations... I was a greenhorn with the VA had no idea (and thats being generous) as to how duplicitous they are. I went in because a friend of mine told me to just register with them. i went through some "this is how the va works" class and they had all the OIF/OEF vets stay to take a TBI examination.

It was the multiple choice questions, if you say yes to one or all of these sort of deals on certain questions you had to go to what i guess they call "Level II" testing.

thats when they talked ot me in person. i told them when i was hit with the IED, i dont know if i passed out, i do remember seeing all the dirt lift off my cammies slow motion and thinking "this is cool", next thing i heard, since i was the driver, was being yelled at to drive, drive, drive since we were in the middle of an ambush. i dont know how long i was out, if i was out. i just remember those two little things. I dont remember anything about that day or the week after. They told me since i was unsure if i lost consciousness and since if it was less than a minute (how do i know how long it is if i dont remember it?) then i didnt have TBI. I forgot about (which is funny for my fellow tbi folks :) ) and then when i was on my third state and 8 years later when they called for one of those registries they asked if i had TBI, i told them the same thing the Level II folks told me, nope you dont. which is also what ive told the VA and on all my C&P exams fro mheadaches to ptsd. well turns out someone in the VA in my first state right after my PTSD DX made a TBI DX, no one ever told me and the VA never noted it in my records, etc.

So now i am working on a TBI case. currently drained after a proposal to reduce fight, ongoing battle to get my c-file and another fight for a dro hearing on my headaches.

none of the Level II folks were even medical folks just were fill ins who had checklists....

[Military_Mind_99]

Update: I have not received any decision letters yet but on eBenefits (which as of 2 months ago is pretty much real-time in VBMS from what I been told), I have been awarded:

traumatic brain injury (TBI) (previously shown as residuals, closed head injury (also claimed as scar over eye)) - 10%

post concussive headaches (previously shown as migraine headache) secondary to traumatic brain injury (TBI) (previously shown as residuals, closed head injury (also claimed as scar over eye)) - 30% Which will bump me to overall 80%. The unfortunate part is that I do not see any retroactive payments and all the conditions are still pending in eBenefits. I am going to assume that they wanted to get this claim off their morning reports, rated the easy parts and deferred for date of entitlement. I do have a schedule call back within the next 48 hours from the 800# since we are all sensitive 8. We'll see what he has to say or can tell me.

 

[Reddit]

I also had filed for head injury in 1998, was denied, but at the C&P the doctor diagnosed me with Post concussion. but I was not service connected because they said I did not have any residue from the Head Injury, but I received 10 % at the time for Migraines that they said was due to the fall.

over the years I have tried to get compensated or service connect for the head injury, but it was a no go, but I was increased to 50% for migraines that are diagnosed as post traumatic, the neurologist said that means it is from a injury.

fast forward to the present: had a C&P exam for depression secondary to migraines, the psychologist said that I need to be rated for a TBI(head injury) because that is what started all this, the fall.  He ask did I have a diagnosed of TBI, I said no, because I thought It had to said TBI, well I was wrong.

He made a few calls and was told that since I didn't have a diagnosed that he couldn't do an C&P. but I was rated 30% for depression.

We I went back to my psychologist and told him what was said(the one I see at the Va.  Well, he then gave me some test, said that I had rated sever in the cognitive part and that I should filed a claim, and said that I had a mild TBI years ago..

I took the paper work plus C&P's all of them to the VARO and she said that how come in 1998 I am diagnose with head  injury/post concussion and award 10% for migraines with vertigo, nausea, vomiting,dizziness , blurred vision and not have any residue from a head injury.

Ok then I filed for a TBI /head injury claim.  well what have happen is

1. went to the C&P, the neurologist test was shorter that the VA psychologist that I see all the time

2. she said that I have vertigo, and that my tests go along with the VA psychologist.

Well, after that my claim went to ready for decision phase (Saint Paul, MN) then it went back to gathering evidence because they wanted so clarification on something( so VA in Dublin GA schedule me a C&P exam with the same TBI neurologist ) then they later call and cancelled it.  said they have what they need.

3. now I am back in the preparing for a decision phase again.

I hope that this is a good sign of something good..........

but never know with the Va.