ptsd Please help! Death certificate PTSD veteran

[hedgey]

My ex husband is in the hospital dying from an overdose yesterday of his PTSD medications. Because we had a daughter together, and he wisely married a wonderful woman for his 4th wife, I want to help her as much as possible.

Ex was a Viet Nam medic in 1967-68. He's 100% for PTSD, but not for more than 5 years (it was so hard for him to ask for help).

What will VA be looking for on the death certificate to consider it a service-connected death when the vet has PTSD?

If it seems bizarre to think there's a way to influence what the certificate says... when my father-in-law died in the nursing home a few years ago, I gave them the list of his SC conditions and they were happy to list one of them as his cause of death.

Please help with this question. I talked to the ICU nurse and he's in a coma, no brain activity, lungs full of gastric fluid. She doesn't think he'll last the night.

I really want to help this woman. She was the best stepmother I could have prayed for for my daughter. He wasn't often the best dad, but she was great and deserves whatever benefits we can get for her. She would definitely be eligible for DIC, as long as the VA counts his death as SC.

 

 

 

Edited February 13, 2017 by hedgey
clarification

[Buck52]

I don't know but like Ms berta mention if he don't recover and passes away  his wife needs to request the Autopsy.

I would think in taking PTSD Medications  if he mixed a medication with another that would be a reason.

My VA MH Psychiatrists just up two of my PTSD Meds  to the Max because I was taking two for them to work and I need to contact her because these meds AT this max dose  makes my head feel hollow and I get dizzy at times.

so ask his wife if he complained about his recent prescribe PTSD  medications in anyway OR any new medications that was prescribe...if he was taking E.D. Meds some of those are dangerous to take with PTSD Meds especially the Anxiety Meds.  sidlefil(viarga) and Anxity/Depression med Escitalopram oxlate &or Cilas 20mg is a deadly combination, matter fact my PCP Was going to order me a diffrent E.D. Med but the VA Pharmacy stopped the order because the two were a deadly combination. 

check AL  his mediction's very carfully

just another reason for the autopsy!

We all pray he makes it...its not over til angels sings.

[Berta]

Florida might require an autopsy.

I felt bad that I even mentioned willful overdose.But that is how the VA often tries to re-characterize this type of death.( to save money)

He was sure on a lot of meds...maybe more than he should have been on.

I think this can happen more than we know, when vets get confused about their meds..

Another thing---does he get his VA meds by mail?

After they made a pharmacy error on my husband (and almost killed another vet they should have been sent to) I dont trust meds by mail at all and gladly pay my 50 buck CHAMPVA co pay instead of getting my meds from the VA by mail.

Thank you for helping her. I know this is very tough for all of you to go through.

 

 

 

[Buck52]

This scares the hell out of me  I take a lot medications to some are up to the PTSD Max.

what scares me  is my VA Phyistrist is  or seems to me  to be Pill given happy and don't really look at all the medication I take before she prescribes them.....its getting to where I am going to get away from the VA for this very reason And go with the private Dr's  & if you say anything or complain to the VA Dr's  they take offence to it &  they make it hard on the veteran to get his medications  but be wise it may save your life.

Edited February 13, 2017 by Buck52

[Berta]

 "

I hope this isn't the case, but it's a possibility. What if he hasn't identified her as his spouse in his VA records? "

It would be odd if he didnt for the additional dependent's comp, but the VA will ask for proof of their marriage when they get the DIC form (gee...I hope he has a miracle but it does not sound good).

One of the widows above I tried to help gave me conflicting info from what her husband had told me about his Vietnam issues and his disability.I knew him far better than I knew her and she seemed reluctant to take my advise and fill out the 21-526 and then get his medical records , and autopsy results. She kept calling me for "some VA Money like what you get" (I get dic) but still had not gotten the form filled out or asked for his med recs. I asked her to come here but she never did. About 2 years ago she called me again and I asked her if she had ever filed the DIC form which was in a large packet of info I had mailed to her....OH NO she said-I havent even opened that packet yet.

but by then I learned that she was not his legal wife at all. We are not a Common law state.

Buck, we all have to be Very careful. In my wrongful death case I proved that the pseudoephedrine VA had prescribed to my husband for 6 years had No reason to even be prescribed. It contraindiated the HBP med he was on , which was too low in the first place, and so the Sudafed raised his HBP even more.

That was the 1151 claim I won last year.

 

This inappropriate med error was only one  of "multiple deviations from a usual standard of care" per VA that caused his untimely death due to VA..

 

 

 

Edited February 13, 2017 by Berta

[Buck52]

Roger that Ms berta!

[john999]

Autopsy is most necessary and I am told that in Florida even if you are an organ donor the docs just take the donated organs and don't do an autopsy which will cost some 3-4 thousand bucks.  Unless the death certificate says something like " drug overdose secondary to PTSD" I think you may have difficulty.