ptsd QTC EXAM PTSD Increase

[willidx4]

I had a QTC exam for a PTSD increase on 1/19 (30 percent currently) The exam lasted 20 minutes at best. First of all the appointment was at 9:30am the doctor did not call me back until 9:45 it appeared she just walked into her office because the computer was still booting and she had her coat on. As I sat down the Doctor asked me what  stressors gave me PTSD. I responded with "did the VA give you my MH records?"The doctors exact words were "yes but I need you to tell me so I can build your case for an increase." I gave her a run down on my symptoms and she stopped me after 30 seconds and said "Im going to recommend an increase". The doctor then asked me about my employment  history and if I had ever been fired from any jobs. I told her I had been from several jobs due to my inability to work under stress and angry outburst.She thanked me for my time told me again she would recommend an increase.She also stated "but the VA doesnt always listen to me" which I thought was odd. I thought the C&P examiners findings carried the most weight in determiing compensation? I have no idea what I could have said in such a short time for her to decide to grant an increase but I will take it.

Edited January 24, 2016 by willidx4

[willidx4]

I wanted to followup on this I need up with a 70% rating for PTSD

[Reddit]

that's good.

[Berta]

Do you mean you ended up with 70%?  If so GREAT!!!!

If you are not employed, did they send you the TDIU form?

[willidx4]

Yes I'm 90 overall but was granted 70% ptsd alone.The did send me the forum but I've been working all my adult life so don't think I would qualify.

[MrCrow]

Dr Schnitzer was my person too. She charged me $400!!!!!!!!!!!!!! for a 30 min conversation.  Now, her DBQ was fairly good, not 100% accurate, but the rater ended up telling me that it was easily a 70% or 100% except that she messed up the date, and she should write it more clearly or just give me another exam, free of charge.

What followed was pure insanity, and I should know! I've attempted suicide because of my PTSD, so I know crazy!  I emailed her the situation, and she responded "oh my god! That's so terrible! Of course I'll fix it, I'll call you tomorrow"   No call. A couple of days later I email her "I hope you're ok, nothing bad happened?"  And she replies "who is this?  Did I promise to do something for you?"  And I'm thinking uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, if you use that scroll function you'll see our email thread below and everything we've ever wrote to each other. I try to remind her and she says "oh, I thought you were someone else, no no, I can't help you with that. Go get help somewhere else, don't call me!!!"  She ended up calling ME and YELLING at me to stop asking for her to clarify or to help me.  So I asked my lawyer "what the xxxx?" And he said he'd go speak to her. He called her on the phone and she told him "woah, hugeee misunderstanding, of course I'll update it. Come in tomorrow at 9am."  At 9 he rolls into the parking lot and she told him "I thought you were talking about something else, no, it would definitely be illegal to alter something I already filled out."  He asked about a fresh new exam and she said "I don't think I want to do any more for you."  Some weird stuff in that lady's head, the therapist needs a therapist!!!

The VA sent me to a third exam, and the interviewer was too nice for my own good. He was a former air force guy, Dr. Ethridge. He listened to me for just a minute or two and was like "woah woah woahhhh, I can't BELIEVE they denied you. Of COURSE you have PTSD!  You are clearly in need, I will FIX this sir, don't you worry. You've been on 150 combat patrols, returned fire, covered in blood, this is open and shut." He started walking me to the door and I was like "I've only gotten about halfway through my symptoms" and he just shushed me "ah, I see, yep, ok, memory loss, ideation, sure sure,"  and I said "but see this stupid checkbox list here, that's ALL the VA looks at,"  "no no, I'm going to write PAGES describing your ideation, those boxes are just for things I DON'T feel like describing in detail."  And he walked me out.   I was rated 50%, because even though he heroically wrote about two pages of stuff regarding my suicide attempt, he didn't check the xxxxxxx box. And they said "if you can just take this back to his office to fix, I'll rate you 100% right now"  And once again, I went back and he basically said that's not how the questionnaire was written, and that's not his fault "I checked 19 boxes, that should be plenty. Since I work for QTC it would be inappropriate for me to see you again. I'm satisfied with my eval."

But I saved the worst for last - my very first exam. Someone with "Orenstein."  This lady listened to me open up and cry about my feelings, then gave me an "are you faking it" scantron, which she says I failed. She said she gave it to me because she could find no PTSD diagnosis in my records, and so in her notes she says, that, combined with the scantron, made her decide not to send any other info to the VA because it convinced her I was lying. She said I had so many symptoms of such a high degree, that with no previous diagnosis, I was probably exaggerating, or suffering from some mental issue not related to PTSD.

I had been diagnosed with PTSD TWICE before I saw her, BY my VA psychiatrist and my private therapist, and the paperwork was right in the VA system. Who knows how she didn't find it, but I printed it out and showed it to the rater at Dunn. He said "yeahhhhh, that's gonna screw you forever. All the doctors AFTER she saw you have read this and copied it into their exam, because it's standard etiquette not to disagree with an earlier assessment.  You've basically been labeled a liar from now on."  And I handed him my (now FOUR)  diagnoses of PTSD and ideation and said "ok. so. fix it?"  And he just said "I'm not a doctor, there's nothing I can do."

At the moment, I'm afraid I've been to every damn C&P qualified doctor in North Carolina, and the rater keeps telling me "just go find someone certified to fill out a DBQ for you and I'll rate you. It should be super easy, open and shut."

[Royalson3]

Has anyone ever had to go to a second c&p exam for ptsd? This doesn't sound right to me but they said the Dr who examined me didn't clarify something so I'm confused any suggestions? Thanks