[Mental Problems]

cssamo

I really feel your pain and needs. I know how hard it is to get ahold of these issues and I know that it hurts more than anything whenever you get upset at your wife for no reason. I know about the crying for no apparent reason and I know the pain you have in your back.

I went for long denying I had a mental disorder (Anxiety) due to the chronic pain of 16 years. Even the VA said I have the mental disorder. The realization of it came about three weeks ago whenever I was driving back from Ft Lauderdale by myself. That drive was a good 3 hour drive and for no apparent reason I started crying and I cried and I cried. I had to call my wife to help me because I felt like I wouldn't make it home. This lead me to finally go see the Pysch Doctor.

Listen to Berta and the rest of them are correct, file for TDUI and go to a the psych doctor. I can say the one I am currently seeing really cares of what I am going through because I seen it on her face while I was in her office weeping and crying for no apparent reason. Yesterday was the worst day for me at work and I had to leave. I called the Psych Doctor and she immediately put me on FMLA. Some of them actually do care of what we go through.

Rob

[Extended Evals And Subsistence Allowance]

The counselor should know better than that. I would complain to them about it and see what happens.

[Problem With Voc Rehab Counsleor]

Couldn't he call the patient advocates office also?

[Best Online School For Veteran's]

I found using university alliance who in turn uses many regionally accredited colleges is good. I go to Florida Institute of Technology online. The college or campus is Florida Technical University. You want a regionally accredited college which most campus universities have. It's not easy, but very challenging.

[I Cried Today....]

Sorry I haven't been back on here because I now have the flu. I received my letter and it wasn't what I was expecting but I had the feeling that the would deny a lot of myissues since the VA doesn't want to recognize the spondylosis with bulge and herniated discs in my neck is a progression of my injuries from the military, even though I am service connected for my cervical spine. Goods news they connected my anxiety to my lower back pain at 50%. They stated although I do fit at a higher rating they were only giving me 50%. My GAF (I think that was the name) was 51.

Hopefully Vetlawyers will take on my denied issues which I know will put me well over the "gone fishing" mark.

It is so ugly that the VA can give you a DC of Cervical Spine Pain (With Limitation of Motion and a Bulge) but they will not recognize the radiculopathy that is part of my now herniated disc. The VA has stated in this letter that I have DDD so they are not denying that. Funny huh? But it is okay because UF my NOD goes to the BVA then I already have two of their cases that states Spondylosis is a progression of cervical spine pain even with a normal mri from the military. If Vetlawyers does take my case, because they like taking the vets who are not working, then there is another attorney who I know will.

[I Cried Today....]

First and foremost I want to thank everybody on this board who helps other veterans with their claims. It reminds me of a movie called "Pay it Forward"!!! You guys and gals have helped many people obtain what I thought was impossible and what I thought was impossible became possible today. Second, I want to thank JBasser for showing me the pathway and helped me walk through that path on filing my secondary claims and a couple of primary claims. I can say that I now have so much experience in researching and doing my homework thanks to John. If you want to know how to make sure your Ps and Qs are in order JBASSER IS DA'Man!!!!

Now, to the best part. I have not received my letter yet but I looking on Ebenefits the VA has finalized my claims, mailed out the letter and changed my rating from 40% to 70%. I do not know what they denied or what they rated. I just hope it was the primary claims I submitted because one of them is the reason why I am in the condition I am in. Eitherway I will am ready to file a NOD with DRO if I have to.

But, in the past few months I have been able to help 2 other vets buddies of mine reach 70% in their claims thanks to this board. They tell me "Man, how do you know so much"...I tried to invite them here but they do not get on the computer much...

BTW I did cry at work whenever I found out!!!!

One more thing, these claims started back in December 2010 at Bay Pines and were transferred to Louisville in November so they can be expedited. Turn around was pretty quick...

[Ebenefits....]

It has been updated and now has Benefit Verification AB8 back on there. Better design in my opinion and seems to be faster to load.....

[It Worked... I Am Stunned]

Geo4K

Congrats and thank you very much for sharing this with us. I am in the same exact boat as you but I have a little more "radiculopathy" that you but that is sure kind of brightens my day. I am hoping that they also find favor on my part like you were.

[Lumbar Degenerative Disc Disease]

Getting Old,

Listent to Jbasser and others. Get Dr. Bash and/or get a Pro Bono Attorney that will work on your case and get paid out of the retro. I think JBasser can point you to the Attorney...

[Trying To Get An Increase On A Worsening Condition]

2vetsin1home these symptoms sound so familiar. What other types of symptoms are you experiencing? Any muscle spasms in the trapezius muscles and any spasms in the rhomboidal muscles?

[A Long Time Coming]

I am about to cry...Seriously!!! Glad to see you getting what you earned. I can't wait for that day to come for me and I am hopeful it will be soon. Congrats!!!!

[C&p Reports Be Careful.....]

Last Thursday I had a 4 hour C&P Exam on a lot of secondary issues. Today I was at another C&P Exam and decided to get the reports of last Thursday exam. Well I started reading it and all I kept seeing was LESS THAN LIKELY NOT and the more I seen them the more I got really hot. Well, now I feel stupid because you have to read the WHOLE report. Because the doctor says LESS THAN LIKELY NOT does not mean one issue is not causing another issues by what the Dr is saying. HUH you might ask!!!! Well here is a good example. I was discharge from the military with Mechanical Lower Back Pain Syndrome. The VA gave me SC'd for Mechanical Lower Back Pain Syndrome and Mechanical Spine Pain Syndrome. Yep all MRIs in the military were fine so this is why I was given this diagnosis and why others are given it because they don't have one so this is what they give. Well it is 2011 and I have been diagnosed with Cervical Disc Disease, 2 Bulge discs and one herniated disc, mild spondylosis of the thoracic spine, type II disc plate disease at T9-T10, lumbosacral disc disease, one bulge disc in the lumar.....You get my point...MY WHOLE SPINE IS PRETTY MUCH SHOT!!! Now back to the point. Whenever he wrote this he didn't mean my radiculopathy wasn't from my CURRENT diagnosis but that it is LESS THAN LIKELY NOT from the diagnosis I was given in 1996 by the military and VA. Reading on in the reports he actually said that most of my secondary issues are from my current diagnosis.

So my point in this is because you see LESS THAN LIKELY NOT does not mean you will get denied. Keep reading the report and see what is written in there. The policy says CURRENT DIAGNOSIS and he linked them to CURRENT diagnosis but couldn't to the older ones which is true. You cant link something that is not a true diagnosis in the first place. . BTW I am CURRENTLY diagnosed with all of these by the VA and have a rating on them!!! So I am confident now after reading the report because the "old diagnosis" has be linked already to the CURRENT DIAGNOSIS. Makes sense? Does to me...Now my fingers are crossed....

WHEW that was long, now my arms are hurting....

Now any of you ever seen a report like this?

[Voc Rehab...]

Well if they don't get my neck fixed soon, going on 1 1/2 years of bulging and herniated discs, that all of this will be a waste of money. The way I am feeling right now physical I think it might be too late....Just my opinion and all the money they are spending will be down the drain...Oh well, they make the decisions themselves...

[Voc Rehab...]

Was just asking but don't think I will get to go that route. If things keeps going like they are (slow process medically) I will probably be medically retired before I even get to finish my BS. I might be already damage too far to even be fixed. We will see soon...Thanks for the input. If I can finish my BS then I will be to find any position just about in Information Technology.

[Voc Rehab...]

I am currently obtaining my BS through Voc Rehab. Does anybody know if they will pay for an Masters once I complete my BS?

[Good News, Somewhat...]

Received a call from Patient Advocate in Ft Myers and she told me that Bay Pines totally messed up the request from my Primary Care Doctor for me to see a Neurosurgeon or be approved for outpatient fee base. She said Bay Pines had no authority to make that decision because they do not have a Neurosurgeon. The request has to go to Tampa since they have a Neurosurgeon working there. She said somebody made a huge mistake. She told me that after looking at my record in the database that I have done everything asked and done more things than I should have. She said none of this was my fault. I am grateful for the Patient Advocate for this.

I told her I hope they allow the outpatient fee base because I am afraid they will want to go to Miami where my dad went. Now it is a wait and see game.

JBasser was once again correct whenever he told me that they are not allowed to deny the request if they don't have a Neurosurgeon on site. Thanks J...

[Here Is A Great One For All Vets!]

You guys/gals can believe or take it for what it is worth or not but I am just passing on what was told to me.

So Tampa has a Neurologist? And my Primary CBOC stated they didn't have one....I guess I am going to take advice from someone and transfer all my stuff to Orlando because I am hearing the treatment there is outstanding. I did send Senator Rubio a complaint about the denial of fee base services. Will it do any good? Probably not but at least I felt I did something on my part.

Will filing a complain with Patient Advocacy do any good?

[Here Is A Great One For All Vets!]

My new slogan, "I don't care anymore because the VA quit caring first"...You think I could make $15,000 from that? Heck, maybe the VA will purchase that slogan from me for $15,000.

Yea, I heard about those $500 hammers, gold tips and platinum handles......

I just hope Senator Rubio or one of his reps does something about my request/email I sent him.

[Here Is A Great One For All Vets!]

I have been wondering why the VA has denied me fee base for privately Neurosurgeon whenever Bay Pines does not have a Neurosurgeon. My Primary CBOC Doctor requested this and Bay Pines denied it. I found all this out yesterday which happened to be the day I was going to get a new Tru-scan MRI but was turned away because I just had gallbladder surgery 4 weeks ago and I have a couple of those clips inside of me. They said it has to be at least 8 weeks. I am grateful I told them of the surgery or I would probably be a dead man today. Well I was at work and transported a Resident to the hospital for a MRI. The MRI Tech there has been somebody I have come to known for a few months now and he has given me a lot of information. Well I asked him about the clips and he told me exactly why I have to wait on the MRI. Then I asked him how come the VA does not have a Tru-scan MRI and his reply was simple. He told me that his wife works in Ft Myers for the VA and Bay Pines is insisting they receive a MICROWAVE that Bay Pines purchased. You are asking yourself well what does that have to do with me asking why the VA doesn't have a Tru-scan MRI. He put it in very simple words to me but what he told me I didn't expect. I thought he would say well something to the affect "Well the Tru-scan MRI and the Recumbent MRI...... blah, blah, blah". But I didn't hear that.

Get this, he said they don't have one because that MICROWAVE, yes the one's that heats up food and the one Bay Pines is insisting Ft Myers VA to receive, has cost the VA $15,000. Now, please somebody tell me what MICROWAVE cost fifteen freaking grand!!!!!!! Is this microwave space age and I tell it to make me food and it produces what I requested. Yesterday I talked with JBasser and I was upset whenever I found out the VA declined my Primary CBOC request for me to have fee bases to be treated by a private Neurosurgeon. So how do you think I felt today whenever I found out that this same freaking VA that denied the request has purchased a MICROWAVE for $15,000 for a facility in Ft Myers that says they do not want it but Bay Pines is insisting they receive it? Put yourself in my shoes for one moment. I have done everything ask by the VA plus some on my own, spending thousands upon thousands of dollars of my own $$$ to find out exactly the problem that is going on with my cervical spine. To hear about this microwave really disturbs me and people wonder why the VETERANS are committing suicide on a daily basis or having so many issues with the VA. No, I will not go out that route. But, I am very "hot" right now and I feel that I will go off the deep end on any VA person I talk with right now.

Guess it is time to rock the boat, call the VA ADVOCACY or a few State Representatives. If they don't do nothing, then I think calling the media will be a good option because I think they will eat this one up......

Advice is requested.....

[One Number For Life?]

It is the same claim number, usually social security number or your service number. If you didn't show up at the C&P they probably closed it. But again who knows the is known to make mistakes...That would be a good retirement check...

[Pain / High Blood Pressure / Ed]

JBasser, can I file for Chronic Pain or is my case different? You know what I go through..

[Cervical And Thoracic Issues....]

I have had the privileged of writing on this board for a few months. I know you all have seen myself trying to link the dots as to why I was feeling the things I was feeling. I think my biggest scare was the shortness of breath and chest pains. But I knew deep down inside of me that it wasn't any heart issues. But as time progressed my mind kept telling me otherwise that is the fella named Anxiety who will lie to your face and get away with it. But, you body believes the lie he tells you and you end up having to fight off an attack. Funny but true.

About 3 weeks ago it was found that my gallbladder was going bad and it was taken out. After 3 weeks I feel 50% better. I actually was feeling really good one week after the surgery. Blood pressure back to normal averaging 122/80. Then last Sunday I awoke with the worst ever pain I have ever had in both my arms. I had this pain all day long, I didn't freak out because I knew what was happening. Sunday night my wife tried to give me a massage on each arm but I told her it wouldn't do no good. After taking my medications it seemed to go away around 3:00am whenever I fell asleep. Well after 3 wonderful hours of sleep I awoke with a huge migraine but went to work anyway. After Monday I felt really great, Tuesday and Wednesday were awesome, no pain, nothing to complain. Thursday rolls around and I felt good all day up to around 3:30pm. At that time I was on my home from work to pick up my kids and I had what I can describe to you all as an electrical current go through my chest. Immediately, that fellas Anxiety kicked and and told my brain that lie. I looked in the mirror and my face was pink red. I went through the chest pains Thursday evening, Friday and today (Saturday). I did check my blood pressure Friday at work and it was 118/85 while I had the chest pains. I finally had a enough about 30 minutes ago and gave in to have my wife give me a ice massage on my cervical and thoracic spine. I have Styrofoam cups filled with water frozen in the freezer. You should try it it works great, just peel off the bottom of the cup and edges. Little trick I learned from nurse in the Army. Anyway, I feel great once again and the pain is gone. Where exactly is this pain coming from is a guess to me because my while rubbed my cervical and thoracic spine areas. When in doubt get that ice massage because it will make a huge difference. To be honest this is very depressing for me to go through this and I know one day it will be fixed, hopefully. On June 1,2011 I get to have my Truscan MRI done on my cervical but I am calling my Orthopedic Surgeon Monday to request my Thoracic Spine be added to the scan because of the chest pain. I have read all over the internet that cervical herniation will cause chest pains and mimic a heart attack. I just read the best article written by 3 doctors. I know my neck is in bad shape and I think I finally have control over the Anxiety. Yes I have Anxiety but I can control it. My will power is more stronger that its power.

As I write this one person comes to mind and it is somebody whom I have become a hadit friend with and hopefully will one day go bass fishing with and he is JBasser.

Listen to these folks because they know what they are talking about because they have been there.

[Spinal Stenosis]

Add me to the boat you are in. I had the Epidural Cortisone Injection about 4 weeks ago at the C6 root (C5-C6). That injection effects kept me up until 3am with my heart pounding. Could have been me and Anxiety or he could have touched something. Eitherway I am grateful I made it to see the next day. Most of the tingling in my hands went away except whenever I use them then it comes back but I still have some pain in my arms but still have numbness in my triceps. I just had my gallbladder removed last Friday. I thought it would fix the chest pains and shortness of breath I have been having for a year now almost everyday so far. I know it's not my heart because the pains are more on the inner part of the pectoral muscles but the pain radiates into my chest. It is not a "bite" type pain but just a burning pain. If I have chest pains and touch those muscles they hurt pretty darn bad. RADICULOPATHY is a bugger to get a hold of. If I take my Baclofen and Tramadol then I am fine once they kick in. Guess I have to start taking the Baclofen twice a day now because I only take it at 7pm at night which I am fine throughout the night. My orthopedic surgeon wants to do surgery on the cervical stuff but he is ordering a dynamic MRI to be done. The Dynamic MRI consist of you sitting and/or standing while the MRI pictures are being taken. This gives a true injury result because it shows your spine with weight on them which is when most radiculopathy comes into play. It also allows you to bend your neck so they can take photos of that to show results which might be seen on a regular MRI.

Here is a link to some photos showing regular MRIs and dynamic MRIs.

http://www.roseradiology.com/news093003-2.htm

I do not know why most places haven't gone to this whenever it is clearly evident that lying down takes pressure off the spine and the results are not giving true results. I will let you know how it went whenever I get the appointment and have them done. I know the Surgeon said he know a place in Tampa who has one.

[Finally!]

I just want you all to know for others just in case. If you have Thoracic problems then all of a sudden things kind of go awry with it for no reason have your gallbladder checked immediately. Whenever the doctor told me that the gallbladder could make my thoracic spine issues more painful than what they I was just in awe. Today, I can once again sit down without my thoracic spine in so much pain. I can actually sit up straight now without my thoracic area hurting. I just hope this isn't a dream...

[Monday Is The Day For Me...]

Thanks Carlie I knew something was different.