Deltawife

NOT to mention the thousands of dollars the VA wasted printing and sending those letters and books out! (Just to get everyone more confused)

Okay, I'm back! I was looking for all the info you had asked for. On Friday we called the VARO in Oakland. They said they would schedule a call back on Monday......they DID call. The letter and personalized book my husband received, along with a letter stating that he was staying at 50% PTSD and 10% tinnitus, and a form on how to file an appeal was evidently sent out to everyone! The VA said it was the stupidest thing they had ever done and have been flooded with phone calls since they started mailing them out. His claims are still in the "rating" process. They keep telling us it will be 2 1/2 mos. We call after 2 1/2 mos, and they tell us it will be another 2 1/2 months. Sheesh...So sorry to cause all the confusion, but now if someone else receives the booklet (while they have a claim pending) Everyone can tell them "not to worry". If he does get denied we are going to have him tested for TBI as he was shot down 3 times and had head injuries. At one time the VARO told us they were looking at his file for TBI, but we never filed for it. I think they were confusing him with someone else. ?????? Who knows, with them. Thanks again and God Bless to all!

Thank you for the information. Berta, we don't know WHICH claim was denied. The Rep that filed for the cancers quit. His replacement was a very bitter woman who when we went to meet her for the first time, would NOT even look at us when we entered the room. No handshake, no eye contact....gave us bad information. She put in a claim also for PTSD while the previous claim still wasn't answered. Then we got a rep with the DAV in the VARO in Oakland. He was shocked at what Hubby has been through. He put a claim in for hearing (hubby got hearing aids) TDIU and an increase in PTSD. They NOD doesn't say which claim was denied. It just says it was denied for an increase in PTSD and tinnitus. He DID have a C & P with an outside psych.....when he walked in she said "oh I see you are rated at 50% PTSD.....that is very high" . His GAF stayed at 50% but she did write down "unemployable". As for his rage....it comes and goes. He openly admits that he has it and knows he has to control it. Right now I think a lot of it is being caused by this mess with the VA. He gave his "all" (Like the rest of you). And feels like he's been forgotten. He is getting a new Psych (closer to home) at a smaller VA medical center. His first appt is the end of August. I asked him to call and see if he could get in earlier. He said that was the earliest they had. I told them to tell them it was and emergency and he should give them the details of how he's feeling. He said they would take him in for observation and he doesn't want to do that. One thing that is bothering me is that he use to shave every day, and get his hair cut every 4 weeks.....he's really slacking on that. I needed to vent, so thank you for listening. None of my friends understand......they are just flabbergasted at the treatment he's received from our VA system. Thank you ALL for your Service......and help! I think we probably have 3 claims in......we knew nothing about the VA for the last 11 years. (Still don't, lol)

Hello again, Well after two years of playing the "waiting game" my hubby received a denial on ONE of his claims. Recap: We had a rep that put in a claim that hubby had PTSD, Colon Cancer and Prostate Cancer. HE DID NOT have any cancers....the rep put that on his claim to get "their attention"! After that we got a different rep with the DAV he had the cancers taken off the claim. The new Rep put in a new claim for TDIU, PTSD etc. I am thinking the denial we received is from the first claim, however it say's we must file an appeal. Our Rep is on leave and we can't get anyone to answer the phone at the VARO to see if the other claim is still there. I put a call into our Congressman's Office and got a call back. They said they could help us if we had an appeal in. When I told him my husband received his initial rating of 50% PTSD an 10% tinnitus from some advocates WITHOUT seeing a Dr or Psych, he said "They surely had his medical records".....well guess what. I pulled out his paperwork and it plainly says "Medical records not available". Not sure if that meant from the VA or reg Dr. Main question......Can 2 claims be in at the same time, because they are. My husband is getting worse. He said the other night the rage is building and he's just waiting for someone to say something to him. He really feels like he's going to explode. This is the worse I've ever seen him. Since he's not working we cannot afford to go see an outside psych. His VA psych will not sign that he is unemployable because it's his policy. As mentioned before....Hubby was in Vietnam Delta Force....3 purple hearts, silver and bronze star, avi wings, 9 air medals.......The young Vet that called from our congressman's office said he's never heard of anyone with 3 ppl hearts. Oh, also hubby has shrapnel in his hand and elbow. It gives him pain and always has. VA says "it shouldn't hurt"........ We are so confused again! TYSVM Thank all of you fine men and women for your service and selfless sacrifice.

Congratulations! I came to the board today hoping to find good news from some one! Thank you ALL for your service!

Carlie, I have been meaning to get back to you on the questions you had asked. I have had some pain issues and on medication couldn't concentrate enough to get all of the info you asked for together. (Had a minor surgery and came out with a torn rotator cuff tendon, herniated disc, and severed nerve) We still haven't heard anything. Today hubby got a hold of his VSO in Oakland where the VARO is. He went to the VARO and found out that my hubbies file is sitting in the Sacramento office. They had put on it that he missed 2 appointments.....and HE HASN'T had ANY appointments at all. Service Rep said they probably screwed up and were covering their arses! We are so upset....his case has been in the system since Aug 2010. I think he has a CUE. What they have done to him and many others is deplorable! NOW they say they are setting up more appts, but we don't know for what! Spitting nails....not fingernails REAL Nails. If you have a fax machine, I would love to fax his info to you. I sent it via scanned email a long time ago, but you were having trouble bringing it up. I know you have your hands full too. Thank you so much Patti

Carlie, Thank you for your reply and Yes you are correct about his percentages. Gary has MOST of the symptoms in the 70 percentile, but not all of them. The VA sent him to an outside IMO and she ranked him as a GAF score of 50 for PTSD, but also put down that he was unemployable. He is on medications for anxiety and depression. He's been going to the VA for 11 years, and we were NEVER told that we had to put in a claim for an increase by his VSO. The whole time he's been going there, he thought the Doctors were sending in the information for him. I am so appalled that all this time he was so ill informed with the system. (Sorry, I got off the subject there) How would one prove that he has those other symptoms....his psych doctor WILL NOT write anything for him. He just doles out the pills. At this time we absolutely cannot afford to get him to an outside psych, because Gary has been unable to work at all. Thank you so much!

Update... Hubby called the VARO Friday. He was told on a prior conversation that he was taken out of the rating system to be sent for TBI testing and a hearing test and that we should be getting a letter in the mail for his appointments. He called because a letter never arrived. The woman he spoke to this time said that they had decided he did not need further testing after all. She was sending an email to whomever had his file and would send me an email when she found out. We are so perplexed! It's been 17 months now. She was very nice and could not understand why it had been that long. So, here we are STILL WAITING! Does this sound normal for the VA system?

We did the "over the phone" option. It kept saying they were backlogged with calls and to leave our name and number and they would call us back....at a scheduled time. They never called. Every time I've tried to enroll in ebenefits...I get a message the we must be enrolled in DEERS. I've tried it all! I did get through to one of these options that said they were mailing a code in the regular mail. I've been all over the VA site for two days. LOL

I learned not to depend too much on what the VA says when they call or respond to an IRIS. Berta, he called the VARO directly to see where his claim stood, because it's been 16 months since he applied. We are not set up on IRIS or eBenefits because you have to be enrolled in DEERS first....and we cannot get them on the phone to enroll him nor do we have the money to make a 5 hr drive to the VARO.

Berta, I thought it was unusual too, since he didn't apply. His first award was given from an advocates office and based on interviews with Gary back in 2001 (after 9/11), and ONLY Interviews. He did not actually see anyone at the VA at all until the advocates put the PTSD and tinnitus claim in for him. Now he goes regularly to see his PCP and Psychiatrist. He did have an IMO and she did say he was "unemployable". I think maybe they gave him his first rating by glancing and verifying that he was in Special Forces, did two tours, and had purple hearts.....period. You would NOT believe (yes you would) the BS he has gone through in the last 10 years with his reps. He did NOT even know that he could apply for an increase or anything! He would come home so frustrated (as well as many others I'm sure). I started going with him, doing research on this wonderful site and have learned so much. NOT enough, but enough to understand a little bit more than he does. He just about "shuts down" when it comes to dealing with all of this. One of his reps put in that he had Prostate Cancer and Diabetes JUST to get their attention.....he does not have those (thank GOD). I wrote a long SOC and it appears that they have really paid attention to it and are treating what I put on there as a claim. Thank you so much to ALL of you for your help!

He is currently at 60%, 50% PTSD and 10% tinnitus.

Hello, I haven't been on the Hadit site in quite a while because we've been playing the waiting game. My husband sent in a claim for an Increase for PTSD after our neighbor was shot and killed in May of 2010. He finally called the VARO today and was told they are sending him for TBI testing and another test on his hearing. (He already received hearing aids about a year ago, but no compensation) Since he did NOT apply for TBI, does this mean they are FINALLY actually looking at his records and the fact that he was shot down 3 times? He is a Viet Nam Veteran and was in Special Forces. He's never been compensated for his wounds. He has shrapnel in his bones, but the Ortho doc said "it shouldn't hurt because it's in the bone". IMHO I'm thinking they are really honestly looking at his records. Should we NOT get our hopes up, or does it sound like they are doing something. Thank you so much. Blessings and Happy Holidays

Hi everyone......Just stopped in today to say "Hello" and see if there was any good news! Yay, Pawpaw! You gave us hope! Hope everyone else is well! We are still "tapping" our fingers...playing the waiting game. Am so HAPPY for you! Take care....God Bless and Thank you to ALL for serving our Country!

So Happy to hear that! Congratulations......We are in the process of the "Waiting" Game!