iceturkee

have you even had any c&p exams for the IU clain?

already have nsc pension with a&a!

it was a general medical exam. doctor asked about all of my medical issues; listened to my heart and lungs; took my blood pressure; and checked for nerve problems. exam lasted about 40 minutes.

that is good to know because DAV was useless earlier this year when i had a pending claim. and the guy lied to me several times!!

those of you who have gone through the IU drill,is there a seperate general medical exam? already had the c&p for my primary back disability.my second exam just says medical. if there is a seperate general exam, what should i expect? thanks for your help!

ortho doc at my last c&p in october told me 3 to 4 months.

i just did that with my IU claim.the ortho doc who did my c&p said, ''i can tell you've been through this rodeo before.''

my last exam only lasted about 15 minutes. it was ortho and related to my IU claim. the reason it was brief was because the doctor was unable to do a physical exam as i am wheel chair bound and there were no nurses on the premises to help me stand up long enough for him to complete his exam. he apologized to me for wasting my time and told me to bug the heck out of regional to get this claim adjudicated. i mention this because a brief exam isn't necessarily a bad thing.

i have suffered from back problems since i fell down 2 flights of stairs while in the army. i was medically discharged from the navy in 1988 at 10 percent which is what the va gave me initially. it took me over 17 years to get that to 40 percent. sadly, the va is going to rate you one of two ways for back injuries...either range of motion or doctor prescribed bed rest. i think both of those are very outdated and a crappy way of rating. btw, i use an electric wheelchair, partially because of my back and i'm still stuck at 40 percent. i currently have an IU claim pending.

yes. it happened to an aunt of mine who had TB. over the years, the VA kept lowering her percentage until she had nothing.

just to let you know, i never received a letter from my local vamc when ny c&p was scheduled in february. i found out, literally a day in advance. since i am wheel chair bound and need door to door service, i must advise my clinic, at least, 72 hours in advance. orlando told me it might be a year before they could resked me but they did and it was only 2 months later.

the VA intiated my IU claim and i'm only 60 percent. of course, it helped that the shrink who did my depression c&p said it would be highly unlikely i would ever return to work even in a sedentary job. i have two forthcoming c&p exams before the end of the year!

that is too bad. when i was in the army hospital for mono, they literally bolted my lockers so no one could break in until i was released. everything was safe and sound when i got back.

regional called me again this morning while i was at church. only message was call back. this is getting downright strange!

total disability individual unemployability.....if your service connected disability or disabilities prevent you from working, you can get 100 percent, even if your rating is less. hope that helps! :-)

sorry, i disagree. i was rated 30 percent. the doctor who did my C&P stated although, i retired years ago for medical reasons, it was highly unlikely i could ever work again (even in a sedentary job) because of the chornic nature of my depression and the fact i suffer from periods of social isolation. do i think i should have a higher percentage? absolutely, but since the VA is processing me for IU, i'm letting that take priority. curly sue, if you can get a copy of your C&P exam and look at the rating schedule for mental health, you'll have a much better idea of what they will give you. i did. i predicte 50 percent and they gave me 30.

my gaf was 55 and i got 30 percent.

i hope you are right. just have a question, though, why would i be told i would be scheduled for a medical soon?

really, that is interesting to know!! Did you get ehw SMC? it sounded like the next step was a medical because he mentioned contacting the nearest VAMC, which for me is orlando.

i will agree that there is probably a startling number of veterans who are unaware of their benefits. me, personally, i'm not 65 yet...only 61!

as some of you may know, the VA is working on IU for me, based on a comment made by the shrink who did my mental health claim. to refresh your memory, she wrote that although i had been long retired for medical reasons, the odds of me ever working again (even in a sedentary job) were highly unlikely given the chronic nature of my depression and the fact i suffer from long periods of social isolation. the VA deferred IU with my entitlement to service connection for depression, for development and scheduling of a medical. a few weeks ago i queried IRIS to find out when this exam was going to be scheduled. that lead to monday afternoons call from regional. in a nutshell, the guy asked me if i wanted to pursue IU since i did not initiate the claim. I told him i was under the impression (and verified by a VA management analyst in st. pete who is my reporters friend media contact) that the VA initiated the claim (based on the shrinks comments) and verfied by st. pete. he said yes that is all true but sometimes doctors do things without the veterans knowledge or veterans wishes. i told him that if the VA wanted to give me 100 percent because they thought i was qualified, i would gladly take it. long story but the medical should be scheduled soon, probably at the VAMC in Orlando.

mark, i can kinda relate. while on active duty in the navy, i attempted to pick up a box and threw my lower back out. the pain was so bd, i needed two people to get me up off the floor. i went to the air force hospital (i was stationed at washington navy yard and lived at bolling afb at the time.) the doctor didn't take any x-rays but could feel something was out of place. he manipulated my back and everything went back in. his handwriting was so bad, it was difficult to read. that was the only entry in my navy medical record regarding my lower back. as it worsened, i filed a claim for service connection and was denied because i didn't submit a well grounded clain. my vso at that time suggested i see a civilian doctor who could tie the dots. i never did. today, i have spinal stenosis, bulgig discs and a slipped vertabrae in my lower back. my advice is find a civilian doctor who can clearly state your injury on active duty is causing your problem today!!!

sorry, its a crap shoot with the va. to answer your question, i put in a claim.