tdiu Denied Tdiu Because I Can Watch Baseball

[Gena]

Hello All,

I was recently denied TDIU after waiting almost two years for a decision. I had both feet operated on while on active duty and am left with chronic foot pain and the inability to stand for long periods or walk very far. My current treatment plan by my VA doc has me on twice daily pain meds for the chronic pain, so I can get around and take care of the basic things. The foot problems were my primary reason for the TDIU claim. The reasons for their denial are so comical, that I have to post them here. Their reasons for denial section was about two paragraghs and stated that 1. I have an education., 2. I watch baseball and am able to cook for my two year-old son. and 3. At some point in one my VA exams I stated that I was disappointed in my Air Force career that projects I worked on were cancelled several times due to funding cuts. Therefore, they can't find me unemployable at this time. Nowhere in their reasons were my foot problems or my treatment plan even mentioned. I've seen some incompetent things come out of VA, but this takes the cake by a long-shot. As angry as this makes me, I can't help but also find it funny. I never would have guessed that the ability to watch baseball makes me employable. Now if I can only find somebody to pay me for that! And yes, before somebody replies that I should tell my rep, I already have. My DAV rep, as always, could care less. He doesn't take calls, return calls and if by some miracle I actually do get to speak to him, his only interest is getting me off the phone as soon as possiblle. In this case he told me that I could file a disagreement if I wanted (as if I didn't already know that.) Has anybody actually had a good experience with DAV?

[Testvet]

I was 47 when I filed for SSD in Oct 2002 and was approved in 4 months for cardiac reasons it took the VA until June 2009 to finally SC my cardiac problems although in 2003 they diagnosed me with PTSD and SCD me for that in 2005 and 2006 50% then after the NOD they granted the 100% P&T back to Dec 2003 age isn't the factor it's the severity of your medical issues

[Gena]

Nothing I've seen from DAV could allow me to dispute your knucklehead description, John. My DAV rep even had the word "trainee" in his title and as far I know used that the entire 20 months that he represented me. It makes you wonder how many actually graduate from trainee. I sometimes felt like it was just a cop out for him to say "I dunno."