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Dont Call Us, Love, Varo

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Guest Schreldia

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Guest Schreldia

After 30 years out of Service, finally got 70% 3 years ago (they back dated 8 years only altho SS began in 1976). Now thru HADIT forums we found out about TDIU and now filed in May 2010. Have had 2 letters 'sorry about the delay' and now nothing for a while. I called 800- number & got the recorded messages but I mut be doing something wrong because I cant find how to call St Louis VARO for status. I know I saw that number posted once on HADIT but searched today with no results! Anybody know the number?

I am the wife writing in my Vet husband's behalf (with his approval) who is blind since 1977. He was practically abandoned after medical discharge because family, etc, could not 'handle' him. After many years, a VIST cordinator in St Louis started guiding him, beginning with schools, Mo School for the blind, and many courses with the VA. Meanwhile, his medications finally leveled off and he was a 'real' person again with very few episodes. He had filed for SC in 1975, but was denied because despite med records, VA said it never happened. He was so despondent he never persued it. I met & married this wonderful man in 2002; a few months later he told me about his VA claim process & denial. I started the ball rolling and it took 8 years to finally get 70%. His SC is not for being blind, but for a serious personality disorder which is medicated under control now. He was given Valium over & over in the service when he had episodes, just to make him quiet. This was all recorded though.

There is no way any employer would take him on. His early on employment record was erratic & short lived, proof submitted from Social Sec records; VA psych records & letted submitted; VA ER records from the past 8 years for episodes, personal letters submitted, all material from the first claim is there. Whaddaya think?

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Guest Schreldia

Thanks all of you for helping. Carlie, he was SC'd for Paranoid Schizophrenia triggered in service by events in his unit which never stopped. He was given Valium to keep him quiet after episodes of rage. His records all stated that fact, as well as diagnosis of PS never known before service; declared healthy when he joined in 1972.

About the number, I remember calling 3 years ago & pushing them to actually sign the check after the original award was made. But they might have got tired of answering calls like mine by now!

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  • HadIt.com Elder

Valium is a very strange choice of drugs to give a guy with PS when anti-psychotic meds were available. It sounds like your husband was very badly treated by the military. There idea of psychiatry back then was "find a way to kick him out as having a pre-exiting condition". I know having been through that system at that time. I was SC'ed by the VA within a year of my discharge in 1971. However, the VA made mistakes and I filed a CUE claim. That is why I say to review the file to see what the VA did in first denial.

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  • HadIt.com Elder

Thanks all of you for helping. Carlie, he was SC'd for Paranoid Schizophrenia triggered in service by events in his unit which never stopped. He was given Valium to keep him quiet after episodes of rage. His records all stated that fact, as well as diagnosis of PS never known before service; declared healthy when he joined in 1972.

About the number, I remember calling 3 years ago & pushing them to actually sign the check after the original award was made. But they might have got tired of answering calls like mine by now!

Schreldia, I am doing a little fishing here but by chance is he a Diabetic. If so you may be able to service connect the whole enchilada. Diabetes is a presumptive from Exposure to AO. If the blindness is associated to that then he may qualify for a very high SMC award.

Hang in there.

J

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Guest Schreldia

John999,You are quite right, Valium should have never been given. An old VA psych Doc told us they used Valium a lot back then, almost like asperin. You're also right, there probably is CUE. We never knew we could file claim for the old decision 'cause they kept saying everything we sent in was not new evidence, but we did not have that written decision file at that time. Will take deep snooping!

JBasser, would love to file that but honestly, he is not diabetic, and his blindness was caused by being shot in the face (probably during an episode---he doesnt remember) by St Louis police. Yes, he won that lawsuit, thank goodness. Poor guy, I am so grateful he has his meds level now. PS is awfully hard to live with.

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Thanks all of you for helping. Carlie, he was SC'd for Paranoid Schizophrenia triggered in service by events in his unit which never stopped. He was given Valium to keep him quiet after episodes of rage. His records all stated that fact, as well as diagnosis of PS never known before service; declared healthy when he joined in 1972.

Schreidia,

Thanks for correcting this as there is a huge difference in Personality Disorder and Paranoid Schizophrenia.

For the record to my knowledge, once a vet has the label of Personality Disorder - the ONLY way to get that

SC'd is in conjunction with / super-imposed from brain trauma/TBI (Old and Current DC 8045).

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To talk to a person at the VA 800 number I think what it do is push 1, 2, 3 and I think that will get you through to a person.

Schreidia,

Thanks for correcting this as there is a huge difference in Personality Disorder and Paranoid Schizophrenia.

For the record to my knowledge, once a vet has the label of Personality Disorder - the ONLY way to get that

SC'd is in conjunction with / super-imposed from brain trauma/TBI (Old and Current DC 8045).

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