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rpowell01
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Posts posted by rpowell01
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Been waiting for about a 1 1/2 and my attorney is flying in from Texas. They are very confident with all the VA records and they are actually going to use Dr. Bash's two letters he wrote as an IMO. They said they can also use this letter for SSDI. They said they seen people with my condition all the time but its rare they see it in all three parts of the spine unless your an older person.
The smack middle of January is my hearing and I hope the ALJ reads the records. I do know they are going to have a voc counselor there but what they don't realize is I was in Voc Rehab and doing great with a 3.8 GPA then boom my lower back went out and is now causing all kinds of problems in my legs, feet and toes. Its really weird and one part of the spine goes it all goes. Anyway I had to quit VOC Rehab because I now can't remember anything within 10 minutes if I read something because of all the medications I am on. I am on a high dose of Gabapentin and now taking Percocet. Its bad I had to wait since January 2010 to even get any pain killers like this but the Neurologist finally see how much pain I was in after I "went off" on him on the phone. He "finally" did a full exam on me which was something he never did before but he wrote on previous reports he did. He lied and I caught him in a lie and I told him I was going to report this false report to my Senator. He brought me in and did the exam and realized how bad I was. I asked him if I could go back to work (Something I really want to) but he said he can't write than on the report because his supervisor has to. I told him I wanted his opinion and he said "No you can't go back to work". We now have an understanding with each other that I only want to be treated and I will do my best to get treated.
Anyway, the Sunday after the SSDI hearing, I am going to enter the Pain Management Program for 19 days at the Tampa VA. They will bring me off the percocet (Which I don't like BTW but it helps). So, I know if my SSDI gets approved the VA Regional Office has to change their decisions on the De Novo Review of my claims. After this hearing I am going to write an amended claim asking for them to inter-twine all my claims because they all are related to my spine, every one of them. The BVA and CVAC as already said that the regional office MUST inter-twine them if one rating can affect another if they are related. I expect to be 100% P&T scheduler once SSDI makes their decision. All my SSDI claims are the same things as my VA claims.
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arng11. I have Methocarbamol 500mg and I now take 900mg Gabapentin 4x a day. Make sure you take the Gabapentin as required and get it in your system, this is the only way it will work. Once that happens and if it doesn't work then ask your PCP to up the mg of the Gabapentin. They was wanting to put me on 5,000mg per day but the VA pharmacy said they don't have that much. Everybody's case is a little different depending on how the body reacts to it.
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Attend drills without pay? Please explain that one for me...
Congrats on your comp...
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BTW there is no rule that says you can't do your college online. I was doing this and had to stop because of my sc'd issues. Don't let them do this to you and to say that "you live too far away from a college" is BS.
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Yep 30 days to respond to have the hearing. Then usually around the 60 mark you will have a hearing.
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id if your doctor said to apply for IU then he should be person enough to fill out the DBQ and so you can have a FDC. This way you hopefully will not need to wait 1 year for your claim to have a decision.
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9 years!!!! WOW congrats Rich.
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You are allowed so many attempts before it pulls your "newer" meds. I get this all the time when I was waiting to new meds to show up. I think the max per day is 2...Then you have wait until its updated sometime after 12am...I finally had to call the doctor who placed the prescription and come to find out pharmacy put a hold on the meds. I don't know why what happened but they fixed it. It took about four days after that for them to show up.
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There are only a few of the VSOs who read the Veterans Benefit Manual to understand the legalistic of VA Claims. Last year I asked a VSO at Bay Pines about the 5 year rule and he stated there was no such thing. Well I come home and found there was one. Then my NEW VSO from the same organization was pretty much on with it, he knew a lot. He actually knew of Dr. Bash. So, it just depends on the VSO him/herself if they know enough.
A good example of a VSO giving answers on this site is I posted on here that The VA MUST retrieve medical records in their possession but some guy tells me they don't, for claims. Well to make the answer easy, yes they must or the decision can be a CUE. If not then I guess the VBM and the Appeals Court are wrong then. And like the VA they don't follow the law in almost 98% of the claims.
I would get a VBM book from online and I would study it if I was you and you will understand what I am talking about. There are only a handful of folks on here I believe because everything they told me was in the VBM.
I read it every time I have a conference call in the man's room!!!!
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Talked with Pain Management on the phone. By the symptoms they do want me too see my PCP and tell him about this. But, the person on the phone did say that a pinch nerve can cause the hand to go pale. I am thinking a pinched nerve can cause blood vessels to constrict. I don't but I am going to tell my PCP next week.
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I figured out, last night, what is bring it on. Ever since these numbness/tingling began in 2010 then in 2011 I had one ESI that took away the constant tingling I always had issues of using my arms above my ahead. If I lift my arms up above my head my hands would tingle. One Doc said it was because I am placing pressure on my neck. Anyway I sleep on my stomach and I place one arm under the pillow then I would switch. Last night I realized that when these issues happen I am laying in bed and have my arm(s) above my head. So, last night I purposely lifted my arm above my ahead as I laid on the couch and the tingling started in my right arm.
This sounds like I am pinching two things, a nerve and blood vessel. I am not diagnosing myself but doesn't appear to be this way.
I have a sent a secured message my pain management hoping to find out what doctor would work with this....So, I gotta change my sleeping positions and not place my arms above my head. I tried telling the Neurologist that my issues are worse than the MRIs read and one EMG proves this.
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I have been having the dizzy issues since the failed epidural in April. I see my PCP on October 30 so I will tell him about all of this.
John its not just in the fingers, its my whole right hand. Remember I thought it might be Thoracic Outlet Syndrome but I haven't checked my back yet like you showed me.
I just put ice on my neck and I start feeling better. I think its more a pinching a blood vessel.
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I need some help here. My right hands will start to tingle and go numb, turns pale white, get really cold and I can feel stuff in my neck. Its happened about 3 times now within the past week. Am I pinching a blood vessel in my neck? It last for a few minutes and I get a little dizzy. If I get a pack of ice and put it on my neck then everything goes back to normal.
Its starting to scare me...
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You know I was thinking about the medications. It wasn't Cymbalta but Celebrex they don't dispense. My memory is shot, sorry about that.
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Wish they could do something like this for the OA in the spine...
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Well the guy who told me appears not to be working for the VA any longer. He was a "resident" who was a anesthesiologist working on getting another degree but he was working in Pain Management. Now I see the real Neurologist who knows exactly what is going on with me.
They upped the Gabapentin to 900mg 4x a day, given me amitriptyline for depression and pain and hydrocodone for the pain. I wish there was something better than the high doses of Gabapentin because it sedates the crap out of me and I can't do nothing. I hate that stuff because it causes me to sleep 10 hours a day!!!! -
Anybody here with low back radiculopathy do you get pain into your calves? Yesterday I woke up like this and today it got worse. I usually have shooting pain down the back or front of my legs. I haven't don't anything differently than I normally do. I thought I was topped out but I have this feeling what I have felt for the beginning stages and this is the opening of the can...
I can sit and lay down just fine but as soon as I stand up it hurts like crap and my right leg almost gave out of me a few minutes ago walking. I guess its time to use the can I purchased for the bad days.
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Yep interesting indeed..
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Congrats...Don't worry about those haters just take a vacation and get away from everyone...
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That is me right there 63SIERRA.....I have hated this year's summer here in Florida because all it did was rain...Today has been a good day for me so far. I go outside do a little bit then come back in for about the same time I was outside. I am working through it because I know I am not going to hurt myself worse unless pick up something I shouldn't..
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They upped my Gabapentin to 3800mgs and just now traded my Tramadol with Vicodin which is Hydrocodone. Oh well I didnt' ask for it but the Neurologist realized that my legs were really weak the other day he knew I was in pain when I tried to push his hand. Its not good when you realize yourself how weak your legs are when you do that. I didn't know my legs were that weak. I do know I cannot get up off the ground without pushing myself up with my arm which also hurt like crap. Then today my legs and arms go numb, out of the blue, while I was holding my 15 month old in my arms while my wife was at work. I am LUCKY my other two kids were out of school. My wife will not let me watch her by myself because I already fell to the ground with her one time when she was just an infant as my wife went to the store. That was it...I just didn't know that my legs were weak. I just wish they could do something but the Neurologist said they can't because of the increase in failed operations on previous veterans they don't want to take the chance. Then the next day I talked with a friend of mine who had 4 surgeries on his back and he is worse off than before the first surgery.
I now understand and grateful they haven't touched me and I am blessed that I am still able to walk. No matter what I will not give up...
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Hmmm I never thought about that. Maybe he perceives it differently but again maybe the pressure does play on us each differently. I spoke a little too soon on my above post. My arms and legs went numb today and now I have pain in them after a good 2 day run...I never had them go numb like this before, not like this. Felt weird all day up to about 8pm tonight. This is some weird stuff..
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Cymbalta will cause ED, and kills libido in men and women. It can also inhibit the orgasm response in both men and woman. This type of drug was once used to treat premature ejaculation. I know clonazepam and oxycodone can cause ED. The thing is if you have severe pain you are not in great shape for sex anyway.
I wake up every morning worse after after of night of this....So I had to seriously cut back...The VA Docs told me they don't have Cymbalta on their list of meds so they won't give me any anyway.
I have more problems with weather patterns than anything and this drives me nuts.
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Okay I have Spinal DDD and DJD (Osteoarthritis) throughout my whole back. A friend of me posted on facebook that the cold front that is currently over Florida is hurting him pretty bad. He is a DAV like the rest of us and has had 4 surgeries on his back.
But, whenever cold dry fronts like this comes down to Florida I get better and I thought about moving to the North Pole or even Alaska. Now, during the summer and and rain that comes in is when I hurt really bad.
Basically he has DDD and DJD like a lot of us but how come mine is so different than his on these weather patterns? Is this normal for people to have the same type of arthritis but different weather patterns effects each on differently?
This is just weird.
Tingling Hand...
in Entitlement - Veterans Compensation Benefits Claims
Posted
Well I finally sent a message to my PCP today. He said its more likely NOT circulatory issues because of vascular problems. He said I was clear on my last test of any heart or circulatory issues. He said he thinks its TOS and he is setting up an appointment to have the test done. Whenever I sent him the message I just have him my symptoms and didn't tell him what I thought it was even thought I thought it was TOS.
If its TOS, nonvascular type, then its caused by a traumatic injury. Well as most of you know I have cervical DDD and DJD all related to stupid injury in the Army. If its TOS how would I file a claim on this, primary or secondary?