ExAirman

I am really starting to wonder if I could be suffering from PTSD and would like some friendly insight. Here is my story. Currently I am retired vet rated at 70% VA disability for Sleep Apnea, a minor mental health issue (due to thyroid imbalance) plus a small host of other issues. My Sleep Apnea is considered 'cured' by the VA and other doctors because my AHI ( apnea-hypopnea index) is well within acceptable limits. This is all great, except I am still horendously tired and sleepy all the time and it is getting steadily worse and cannot for the life of me figure out what to do about it. I've seen the docs and they say 'take sleeping pills' , find a quiet place to sleep, etc... it hasn't helped. I am certain that since my chronic sleepiness is not due to a physical condition, it must be mental. I've began piecing together things and think it's possible that the real reason for my exhaustion might be PTSD, even though I've denied to myself over the years this could be possible. I started thinking of the potential of PTSD when, during my C&P exam, the phycologist asked me why I wasn't applying for PTSD, I said I something like "I dont think I have any symptoms that I can detect" and he gave me a quiet long and pointed stare before ending the interview. I think he was trying to tell me that he believed I might be suffering from it, but because he was doing the C&P he couldn't state it to me - so he attempted to nudge me in that direction. I have most of the indicators of PTST but the main reason I didn't think I had PTSD (and still am not sure) is becuase I don't suffer from the persisten Nightmares or reaccurent thoughts / images of my time in Iraq. But I've recently found the criteria for diagnosis to include that you can reexperience the event through events that resemble an aspect of the tramatic event. During my time in Iraq I spent the majority of my days sitting in my office doing paperwork on my computer with some excursions to work with my personnel. During the 3 months I was there we had over 300 mortar and rocket attacks on the base - they never seemed to end - several came very close to me and the building I worked in - although none every hit it directly. When I returned to home station I began to feel exceptionally fatigued and was ultimately diagnosed with Sleep Apnea. I was put on a CPAP but it has not done much at all to reduce my fatigue - it just kept getting worse. I've now also began to realize it was around this same time frame that I began to lose my ability to focus on work and when I used the computer I had a very hard time doing the tasks I was assigned - I would start spending more and more time doing pointless activities like reading the news and doing random web searches for hours on end. I never did this before going to Iraq. I still do this most of the time I use the computer. I use to do productive work - I am a computer programmer and used to write lots of code - I don't anymore. I used to develop and maintain databases - not anymore. Doing productive work is nearly immpossible using my computer - something I used to greatly enjoy. I recently started a part time job teaching computer science at a local college and am starting to find myself having great trouble preparing for lessons and remembering what it is I am supposed to say during lectures - even though I prepared the day before... What I am thinking is my persistent reoccurant aspect of PTSD is the act of doing office work on my computer. Is it that even possible? Could I be connecting the act of doing office work with the nearly constant bombardment of my base? If so, how do I fix this? I would love to get some rest again - and be able do some useful work. I realize I've rambled on a bit, but hopefully I have been coherent enough for you to give me some advice on this issue. Thank you for your consideration.

Melanie, Welcome to the board, you among great people here who will do what we can to assist in your progress through the VA claims process. I recommed that you spend some time just browsing through the board forums and reading old messages. I've found answers to many of my questions (and some I hadn't thought to ask) by doing that. I understand not being told about the VA claims process. When I initial seperated from the Air Force in 1985 I knew nada about any VA claims systems, other that VA home loans and VA educational benefits. When I rejoined though I was made aware of the claims system from others around me. It is a sad thing the VA did to so many veterans. It sounds like you are doing the right thing now, you've contacted a VSO, have your claim processing, and are getting your eBenefits account to monitor the process. In answer to your questions: 1) A short Mental Health exam isn't necessarily a bad thing in terms of what the rating will be - the important thing is what the evaluator writes in the report. From you say he said, it sounds favorable, but you really need to get a copy of the report to evaluate it properly. You might want to shake the tree again on the report request. 2) Not sure what to tell you with your VSO. It certainly isn't very professional for him to just 'disappear' on you. You might want to call another agency in your area that assists vets and just ask if they know anything about your VSO. Good luck on your claims - you deserve it! Owen

Thank you all! My effective dates for all claims were 1 Feb 2010 - my date of retirement. I'll look into the relationship of hypertension to thyroid medication - got a doc appt upcoming.

Oh, BTW, I didn't notice intially that the VA didn't include my previous decision of 10% for hypothyroidism in this decsion - that is where the additional % came to bring me to 70%, it wasn't a bilateral issue.

I received my decision letter from the VA today and am simultatenously happy, unhappy, and puzzled by the results. I will explain. My full decision is: Obstructive Sleep Apnea - 50 % Lumbosacral Strain - 10% Degenerative changes of the cervical spine - 10% Mood disorder due to Graves Disease - 10% Hypertension - 0% Hemorrhoid - 0% Right Inguinal Hernia Repair Post Status - 0% Peripheral neuropathic abnormality of the right foot - 0% Trigger Finger right and left hand - No service connection Carpal Tunnel right and left hand - No service connection Total Disability percentage 70% (I am assuming they bilateralled the Lumbrosacral Strain and Spine percentages to arrve at 70%) Ok onto my analysis: Happy: - with the decision for 50% for sleep apnea - this is what I expected - with ratings of 10% each for 2 spine issues - I didn't expect this at all - I thought both were going to 0% from the C&P report Un Happy: - with the decision of 10% for mood disorder as the psychiatrist stated that clearly in my report I have "reduced reliability and productivity due to Mental Disorder signs and symptoms cited/measured" which is a direct statement from the 50% mental disability rating guide. The decision paperwork states "...your overall disability picture more closely approzimates the criteria contemplated in the 10% evaluation..." and it goes onto state "A higher evaluation of 30% is not warranted unless there is occasional decrease in work effeciency and intermittend periods of inability to perform occupation tasks...". I find this interested since I stated numerous times in the C&P report that I was quite concerned with my inability to complete tasks and that it constantly bothered me with my future plans of going back to school - as completing tasks is a significant need in school!!!. - I plan to file a NOD on this with my VSO. - with the decision of 0% on my foot issue, although this is what I expected. The C&P doc didn't seem to give a shit about determining what the real issue with my foot was - just wrote it off as he didn't know what the issue was and didn't send me for further review of the problem. This has been the most long standing problem I had while in the service and I want answers to the problem and acceptance by the VA of the problems that it causes me - I am going to go to my own podiatrist on this and file a NOD. Suprised: - by the non-serviced connected carparl tunnel and trigger finger - they are well documented in my records - but the decision states "...denied service connection... because there is no evidence of a chronic disability related to military service." I haven't had issues with them for years so I that is why they consider it not chronic. I find this odd that it wasn't rated at 0% just like my hernia repair - I don't have continuing issues with it either - but they at least rated it as 0%... I don't know if I should file a NOD on these. Thanks everyone here for putting up with my questions over the past few weeks - you have been great - especially Carlie! Owen

No, this was a multi-item claim (10 items) but I originally initiated it in 1 Feb 2010. One item was granted in Dec 2010 and the others were restarted in Jan 2011. I did remember the letter generator trick and tried it and it came back at 70%! Exactly what I had anticipated. Now its a wait to see what the VA actually rated me for my individual items and if I have to due a NOD on anything - major stress relieved!

I have been checking eBenifits to keep tabs where my claim is at in the process and on 15 Mar it changed from the Development to the Decision Phase. Today it changed to the Closed phase, but there never was a Nofication Phase shown as I had checked yesterday as well (I know - I check too often...!) Has this happened with anyone else? What does this mean? Thanks!

Thank you Carlie for your added insight. I've already researched how the VA pay affects my retirement pay and am taking that into account in my future planning. You are surely right about finding something to do while I wait. I have seemed to have gotten my self in a rut with useless digging on these claims issues, that will work themselves out in due time - my digging isn't helping it or me any! I'm trying to schedule my life a little different now, If left to my own devices I will spend all day in front of the computer checking e-mail, reading the news, browsing a bit, play a short flash game, checking e-mail... the cycle continues... and I don't get anything fulfilling completed. Started at the gym a few week back with a friend. She keeps me wanting to go to not let her down - and that is good both mentally and physically. Hopefully I can break out of this self-destructive cycle and go back to school like I want to. I don't want my disabilities to own me! Sorry for the minor venting. Guess I just wanted to share a little. Once again, thank you Carlie for your guidance and all that you do for the others on this site - it is awesome.

I wasn't trying to get any particular rating when I submitted my claim - I thought I might get 10% - but after reading through the forums for the past month or so I think I might fall into the 30% - 50% range. Also, I've been there when the Government has 'Shut Down' and it was always on Oct 1 when the continuing resolution hadn't passed. All 'Non-essential' personnel went on a 'paid vacation' for a few days - it was paid because they always were given back pay for the days missed... I would assume that the VA claims personnel are not considered 'Essential' and we will experience a bit more of a delay in our claim processing!

MTF is a Military Treatment Facility - otherwise known as a base hospital. If you are a dependent of a military member you should have fairly uninhibited access to cost-free care at the MTF, but you will be competing for care with the active duty members. At the VAMC you can be seen for free for your conditions that have been service connected (it is free above a certain percentage - I am not sure what the percentage is) and also depending on your disability percentage I believe you will be placed in certain priority levels when seek care - the higher the percentage the easier access to care. The main benefits I see to using the MTF: It is probably closer to you than the VAMC and it is cost free. A negative would be you might have to wait longer for care.

CShock, To add my own two cents, I retired from Active Duty Air Force effective 1 March 2010 and had submitted my VA claim under the Quick Start program. I received my first claim result of 10%, for one of my 11 claimed issues. My other 10 issues were deferred for further consideration. Those claims are now walking through the system and I am again in the development phase of the process. My experience in the quick start program is excessive long due to a mistake made by the VA with my physical address (they had it wrong and couldn't seem to get it straight between the VA Claims offices and the VA medical centers) which led to me not receiving proper notification of required events. Thus if all goes well for you, you will most likely see a response within a year. If it goes not so well... you get the picture! Good luck!

I just logged into the E-benifits site and it brought up my information and not someone elses. Has anyone received info from the VA that this is/was a hacking attempt? This doesn't seem like a 'hacking' issue to me, it actually seems like a database or web-query problem. If a database is configured incorrectly you might (MIGHT!) be passed the wrong records. If the web-query to the database is incorrectly configured you can experience the same problem. In actually, many hackers use a technique called 'SQL injection' to attempt to gain access to the actual database, that can give results like mention here (see other peoples records), once the hacker is in then they have access to extract, change, add, or delete records in the database. The fact that this boards users are gaining access to others info accidentally and that others can access data correctly leads me to infer this a likely a problem with the database, and unlikely is a hacker.

Carlie, You are correct , I am most likely over analyzing the system, but I am a scientist at heart and like to live by hard facts and rules (Math) rather than mushy generalizations (English)! Thus I am trying to get a handle around the system by applying a logical framework to the process. Unfortunately, because this is a system of individual raters making determinizations using their own view points and some guiding principles, I understand that it is difficult to make this a 'Mathematics' exercise, as I would like to see. I guess I am looking for the 'Golden nugets' in the field of information to help me get a better handle on how ratings are assigned. I've seen an awful lot of discussion about the GAF score and how that really has limted bearing on the ultimate rating, and thought, when I came across the "Occupational and Social Functiong" area that it might be a better 'nugget' in my hunt for a fact or rule. I personally would like to see a 'Flow chart' that guides a rater to a decision on a rating - that is how I did things for years as a leader - made mine and everyone's job easier. But I know that is pie in the sky concept with something like menal health! Truthfully, I guess since I am awaiting my ratings I am passing the time seeing if I can pre-determine in my head what my rating might be, and hopefully my questions (and the answers provided) assist others in their pursuit here as well. Thank you!

After weeks of digging through information on how claims are rated, I've come across the following area in the Mental Health C&P Examination Worksheet: "Effects of the Mental Disorder on Occupational and Social Functioning" The reason this area stands out is because the statements from which the C&P evaluator can choose are directly associated with the Mental Health Rating Schedule (I've included the % rating that the statement comes from in the rating schedule): Total occupational and social impairment... (100%) Mental Disorder signs and symptoms result in deficiencies in most of the following areas... (70%) There is reduced reliability and productivity due to Mental Disorder signs and symptoms... (50%) There is occasional decrease in work efficiency... (30%) There is Mental Disorder signs and symptoms that are transient or mild... (10%) Mental Disorder symptoms require continuous medication... (10%) Mental Disorder symptoms are not severe enough to require continuous medication.. (0%) Mental Disorder symptoms are not severe enough to interfere with occupational and social functioning... (0%) I understand that many factors go into determining a Mental Health rating, but I am curious what weight the VA raters puts on the C&P evaluators choice above when deciding a rating. Thanks.

Stu, I read your attached C&P letter and it is obvious that the doctor beleives you have severe PTSD. His 'More likely than Not occured due to Iraq service" comments gives you the benifit of doubt that the PTSD is service connected, thus the VA will be hard pressed to not accept this as a valid claim. As to your rating that will be determined using all evidence the VA has, including this C&P and any military or civilian medical records it has. I would hazard a guess, using the VA rating tables (see this LINK) that you lie between the 30% and 70% range. As to how long it will take? Could be as little as a few months. Could be many years. Really depends on your specific case, how many other issues you are claiming, wether mistakes are made on the claim (by you or the VA) and wether you have to file a NOD or appeal. I wish you good tidings in resolving your issues so that you can properly function again. That has been my goal from day one with my depression. Has been a 10+ year battle, but I am gaining a little ground each day. Take care.