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yelloownumber5

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Posts posted by yelloownumber5

  1. Well just a follow up.

    After my 5/11/2012 appointment I went to speak with the chief physcian.........who said they would do this and that, two and a half months later none of that came thru.

    I spoke with a patient advocate at the vamc who wanted to just speak over me and not nice, however, she did get me an appointment with my PCP.

    My wife attended my appointment and my wife just shut down the VA PCP. Again the VA PCP tried the "I'm the doctor and I will treat what I want" being unwilling to treat my issues if she doesn't treat my blood pressure which IS managed by another doctor. Now I get a full kidney work up (US and all) heart work up and the whole mix.

    Y#5

  2. Vel,

    How about this "Generaly, pain is not a diagnosis. However, ........................"

    yep!

    remember, "pain" is not a compensable disability under VA regulations. But yes Coot, it would help if doc said that.

    Race, if u have 10 other issues, u could put them all in, but again i will stress that the more issues u bombard the V with, the less chance of getting it resolved quickly. Also, sometimes folks put in for things that are actually the same issue, such as insomnia, memory loss, depression, anxiety and PTSD. While it sounds like 5 issues, in reality all mental conditions are one, & all those conditions are symptoms of most mental conditions (ie anxiety can appear under both depression & PTSD, insomnia can occur under anxiety, depression or PTSD, etc.). By claiming it as "a mental (or psychiatric) condition to include: PTSD, depression, sleep problems, memory problems," etc, or something like that, you can condense the issues into one.

  3. Teac,

    Right.....another doctor manages my blood pressure and treats. I am service connected for lumbar issues. I went to an appointment with my counselor and due to my pain the counselor recommended I would speak with the doctor prior to leaving.

    So I went to the front and told them I am having really bad muscle spasisms and pains as well as migrains.

    The took me back and my BP was high............I have a cuff and my wife has her cuff and stethoscope from medical school so it is montiored at home. My doctor told her Nurse I need to made a hour appointment and the week prior I need labs..........

    I go to get labs completed on 5/4............I go to my doctors appointment on 5/11. My doctor is just talking about BP and to add medicine, I kindly told her it is treated and monitored by another doctor. She kept asking me questions. I told her I made this appointment about my migrains and my back and leg pain which I am service connected for.

    She said no treatment for BP, then NO treatment.

    I will get my record this week to see what she put in there. So I guess it is normal for a VA doctor to do this? I have never heard about not having the right to record a VA appointment, I have in the past and needed t for proof. I reckon my wife can attend since she was a doctor.

    Y#5

  4. Bonzai,

    I understand that totally because about 2 years ago I went to MTF for my appointment, I was having headaches pretty bad. But first the E-2 that did my vitals asked about my pain and pain scale........I told her 10 and she said "it can't be a ten because you walked in here" I did not drive but she was something else. Anyhow doctor sent me to the ER via ambulance b/c of headaches and elevated pressure...........................so I understand the seriousness........but ER released me about neg CT scan..........oh year VA Urgent care did the same thing..............nothing wrong!?

    Oh and look now my VA PCP won't even give me the pissy Tramadol and Baclofin that I've been getting for the past several years! Oh and my MH pills my depression is "better" so now my PCP is supposed to do those as well.........so I guess I'm screwed down the river!

    Anyhow I will put in for an increase of the HBP and secondary migrains. That should piss my VA PCP off because the will say migrains are not secondary to HBP but my VA PCP said they are ................I will bet she did not write that up. As well I will not go back to the VA without my recorder.

    A friend that is a doctor told me to report her to JACO because she is unable to with hold treatment regardless (but I do not know about that) ........and my back is service connected so it is not like I'm just coming in for nothing. We had labs done the week before, she would not discuss them nor any of my questions because I wouldn't let her adjust my outside meds. What a little witch!

    I went to a psych appointment after moving to a different RO, and had run out of my BP meds. So I was screened, and the RN said you have to go to the ER, as my BP was very high. I told her "No, I am not going to miss this appointment I have been waiting three months for". When I got out of the appointment, they had two VA police officers politely escort me to the ER. LOL

  5. J,

    I understand what you are saying about the numbers and problems.

    If the jokers would look at my CPAP or give me a sleep study and address the pain my BP would probably pop back to the high 120's over 80's.

    So a VA PCP can say, since you are not willing to add the medicine I want you to, I have the power to not treat you for anything. Under the medical oath that sounds strange.

    I already spoke with the AO at the facility and I understand they are admin and not a doctor but to withold treatment to me because I will not add a medicine you (PCP) want added just seems unetical at best.

    P.S. I have taken my BP at home and it is 140/90 still a bit high but within range, ever since I was on Bextra thee BP thing has been crazy. I do take three meds already for BP control. I guess somehow there still is a "white coat" even with meds.........and the VA for the last three years has brought the worst out of me.

    thanks again.

  6. J,

    I'm trying to find out if a VA doctor can just decide to not treat you because you are managed by another doctor for someting and do no wish to have them manage the condition or add a medicine. I have pain from hell and if I get something for my pain my BP goes down as well I have sleep apnea and unable to wear my CPAP but the doctor would not do ANYTHING without me adding medicine to my blood pressure which the VA does not manage. I did not go in because I wasn't feeling well except for spinal pains.

    Thanks.

  7. Hi,

    I wasn't sure where to post this but I have two questions.

    First is about blood pressure ratings. I am SC'd for High blood pressure at 10 percent, today I went to the VA for an appointment that was supposed to have been about seeing the pain physcologist, headaches and muscle spasm/pains. So my blood pressure was 174/124 and like 5 mins later 164/117.

    I have a print out of a lot of my VA blood pressure readings and they seem to be about 160/110 over about 4 years. Blood pressure is SC'd is that high enough for the increase? Not that I want that, I only want my BP lowered but I need to do something now.

    Second. Because I told my VA PCP I do not want to increase my bp meds nor add another med to my treatment plan BUT I am open to testing antigens, my thining kidney poles that they know about or anything else. Well since I told her I did not want the medicine she told me "I'm not going to treat you for anything!" I am rated 50% and was just in for medicine because of pain and bad muscle spasms but I guess now I cannot get anything.

    Any ideas of what I can do and what does the joint commission do?

    Thanks,

    Y#5

  8. John,

    Sleep apnea can cause pul hypertension http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/pah/ and a heart cath is the only real way to test the pressure.

    Those nasal pillows are awesome for me!

    Does your CPAP have the smart card so your sleep events can be monitored? I'm not sure if you get your CPAP from the VA and if so what they issue but I will get mine there as I'm tired of paying for these supplies.

    My sleep doctor said my studies showed I had heart arrhythmias while I was having the apneas during sleep. This is why we all want to treat sleep apnea as a very serious disease. I have really struggled with mine. I am going for the nose nozzle now since the full face mask irritates the bridge of my nose so bad it is bright pink in the morning even if I sleep well. My doctor says people die all the time from unknown causes that are really apnea. They fall asleep while driving and crash. They have heart attacks at night and die. They die while having naps during the day.

  9. My appointment went well from what I see.

    I did authorize them access to my records.

    They are ensuring my VA PCM and Mental Health state I'm able to work and 8 hours, then I was told I could fill a position at the VAMC temp 4 months and if all goes well they will convert to perm position for me. Has anyone heard of this?

    While working at the local VA I will receive chapter 33?

    Hopefully my doctors will sign off on the plan.

  10. I have my vocational rehab appointment in the morning.

    I'm not giving them an authorization for release of information about my work, or other medical records. Is this a bad idea?

    But the forms do ask about substance abuse, why is this and what kind of impact might this have on voc rehab. While on active duty I was in Level I and Level II rehab. I'm not sure if they should be told this or not.

  11. Pete,

    Insulin is supposed to say cold. I couldn't find any temp guildines here it says do not store in a car. I am on Testosterone and would never do the mail delivery with that nor any other hormone. I know you do what you have do do, I did think about the tricare mail order program for spring, fall and winter it might be okay but summer wouldn't work well. The one thing I read is 104 degrees is the highest it should ever get....I'm not sure what part of the county you are in, I think maybe TX but in know here it was over that a few times plus the heat being in the delivery vehicle with no a/c.

    Anyhow there are a lot of questions all over.

    Please stay up on your numbers.

    "Do no leave insulin in the car. The heat inside a car can be damaging to the potency whether it is from exposure to the sun or confinement in the glove compartment"

    @ http://www.diabetescurestrategy.com/insulin-storage.html

    People with questionw about insulin potency via mail order being in mailboxes or storage

    @ http://www.insulinpumpforums.com/lofiversion/index.php?t3312.html

  12. Pete,

    Thanks I just was curious. I think my pancreous is having issues, now with my blood sugar being high. It never was high before and my body is not responding well to the metformin.

    Pete how are your numbers now? What did the glucose tolerance test show? I need to speak with my Endo about getting one. My blood sugar was a 58 then the next time just jumped way up for no reason except I did have those epidural shots for my back pain but this has been about a year now.

    yelloow

    I had it even had to take special 5 hour glucose tolerance test but no service connection

  13. I was in my VA pain clinic and they would only give me NSAIDS......my VA Pcm even had me on higher meds but still just tramadol.......however, the NSAIDS aggrevated my SC'd GERD but the pain clinic wouldn't give me anything else until I gave them my Gastro recrods, I never gave them my Gastro records but a note from my doctors office saying no nsaids and numerous other meds...needless to say I never went back to the pain clinic but I should have. I did have a referal to the crazy pain doctor but did not know enough about him to go.

    anyhow I really do need some meds but not sure how to go about it since i have a new va pcm who sucks.

    Tell them you want a referral to the pain clinic. Just remember that if and when you start to take narcotic pain meds that you will develope a tolerance. You will need more of the drug to deal with the pain and the VA will probably not want to increase your amount of narcotic without a knockdown, dragout fight. The VA will never be reliable when it comes to getting your pain meds to you on time. Get them from a private doctor if you can. Do you have other insurance besides the VA like medicare?

  14. In ref to my post does it seem right to get denied for the sciatica versus get a zero percent rating for it when it is documents in SMR, this was part of my original claim? Can I be rated for "lumbar strain" and sciatica, or radiculpathy at the same time? Maybe I just don't know how to word the claim for sciatica but the claim is long dead but my back is getting worse and worse.

    I mean I had a test showing carpal tunnel but got a zero percent rating because I failed the palen's (spelling) test and the other one.

  15. hi

    question about a claim, workers comp and vocation rehab. I just received my package to fill out for my voc rehab appointment in a few weeks and they look like they are looking into tdiu with some of the information they are requesting my records. During my workers comp and talking with my jobs insurance people, I did tell them of my lumbar strain and that but they did not seem to concerned with it but I'm not sure how the VA is about these things, I did even tell my VA MH people and my regular PCM oh and VA PCM. Maybe I'm just a mess because I'm worried about everything.

    I am currently rated 50%.......one of my ratings is "lumbar strain" this was done in 2005. A concern is I hurt my back in 2010 and was on workers comp, would the VA do something about this or would this cause a problem if they see those medical records, physical rehab and etc.?

    Another thing I've been wanting to re-open my original claim from 2004 for what I claimed as Lumbar DDD and sciatica. I was denied this due to a "negative" straight leg test, this and a Xray were the only tests I remember being given, I do know there was no VA MRI or CT. MY SMR has a note in 2002 "+ sciatica" and treatments for it. I have complaints of left leg numbness, tingling and other but I never remember them doing a lumbar MRI but I've had cervical ones and rated for that. However, I do have a note in my after retirement medical record from the MTF and it says.....

    XXX 2006

    "Chief complaint is: pain just below L PSIS for many years, recurrs. Pain radiates to L foot. Paresthias

    ...........Straight leg test negative

    A/P XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

    1. Lumbago

    2. Backache

    3. Sacrolitis

    4. Lumbar Radiculopathy L4

    Radiology(ies): -MRI, L-SPINE (W/Contrast)(routine) Impression; H/o recurring low back pain with radiculopathy and aresthesias in his

    LLE. Prior MRI 2000.

    5. Lumbar Radiculopathy L5"

    With number 4. is he saying this is new or this is the same or worse since the 2000 MRI? I was never given any pain meds of any sort during this visit. I'm just kind of confused. I've had complaints about my left leg and all while on active duty.

    I've been wanting to re-open my 2003 claim for this but just never did. Now I don't know if my W/C case has any kind of impact on this claim or my current benefits. Unsure if I should just let them have all records, my w/c doctor was a butt and since I did not want surgery he gave me restrictions for a while then returned me to "full duty" but rated me 10% for workers comp. My job was a butt and told me to file W/C but then I wasn't paid for a month, the local office wasn't helpful, so I really did not know what to do and ended up with a not so good lawyer and not any good doctor.

    As my chances for tdiu I'm only being treated with a TENS for my neck/back pain, nothing for my carpal tunnel which is at zero percent but I have been given braces. I do see mental health for depression which I'm still awaiting my records.....been one month from ROI and two weeks from the MH section. I'm not sure why they have not given them to me yet, so I don't know what exactly has been put down. I've had bad experiences with a doctor saying one thing and writing another.

    Thanks in advance,

    yelloow

  16. Hi,

    Well since I seen my area has the myhealthvet secure messaging last week, I decided to use it over the weekend. Since I received my medical records a few weeks ago and seen my PCM stated i refused to take a pill box from them and she said about my caritoc artery diagnositc test. I used the secure messaging and told her I did not receive my pill box yet and wanted to know more about the cartioc artery diagnositc test, because I have never had this test.

    This is the sad part and I am unsure if I should address it and to whom. I received an email and it was to a Mr. XXXXXXXX (not me) talking about hep b vaccines and things. Sadly right below that it shows my message to them in the previous thread.

    I know it a privacy violation at the least.

  17. Yes, I'm currently unemployed and was out due to lumbar herniated discs.

    I am service connected for "lumbar strain". I get very confused with the lumbar strain vs. lumbar DDD issues.

    My original lumbar portion of my VA claim was for sciatica and lumbar DDD.

    This was in 2003, the VA changed my claim to and granted 20% for lumbar strain.

    I do remember the C&P giving me a straight leg test which he said was negative, although on active duty I was dx'd with Sciatica only by the PCM (not sure if it should have been a specialist). I never had Lumbar MRI's on active duty, about 3 years after service I had a lumbar MRI and it showed multiple buldging disc...and enrolled in the VA pain clinic received a TENS and some meds.

    So, I'm not sure if my disc would fall under my service connection. I've wanted to re-open my original claim or something for my sciatica and lumbar DDD, but I'm not sure how that would go. If my doctor said on active duty I have sciatica and I'v been treated for it, why wouldn't I have at least received the zero%

  18. I have some questions as I have re-applied for Vocational Rehab.

    How does the counselor look at your service conditions? Do they also look at your ratings for it, example I have bi-lateral carpal tunnel but never applied for an increase but it does impair my work and daily living. As well have Lumbar issues SC'd, Cervical spine issues. When working my doctor signed off on the FMLA for not lifting over five pounds.

    I did Information Systems work and Administration while on active duty. I was in VocRehab back in 2007 but because of finances I was unable to quit working for school but now I am at 50% SC. In 2007 my counsler took control of the whole education portion and I did not seen to have an input; she tailored not I had me going for computer field and had me researching some about computer networking and the education portion of the plan. This is as far as I did get.

    I'm just curious of how they look at your conditions, oh also does non SC conditions play a role?

  19. John999,

    Thanks for the advice. I never really thought about that. I like the medical malpractice type theme because in 2008 I went to the VA Urgent care due to headaches, they there dx'd me with migrains and from the CT said I had some white spots which they thought were TIA's, my wife was with me, the VA never said anything about follow up with PCP or Neuro to address these issue. VA Urgent care did give me zomig........which you are not to have if you have uncontrolled blood pressure (which is myself).

    On another note, when I was in the pain clinic they clowns kept giving me ETODOLAC (NSAID), I told the nurse twice I cannot have it due to an upper GI Bleed ongoing. You know I had to get a letter from my GI doctor for them to stop this medicine.....I never went back for what ever medicine they were going to replace it with but it was a shame.

  20. Pete53,

    This wasn't anything to do with a claim but you can still appeal their reason for not wanting to treat you? This was in Jan and I never knew this as I was told Neuro would contact me after I finished with the neurophysc. I also found that neuro said for me to return to clinic in 3-4 for Carotid Artery Test which was never told to me except the resident neuro said the clinic would contact me in June, so come July I went to ask my PCM but found I had a new PCM.

    I did use that secure messaging and messaged my PCM just a few days ago to find out about this test. She was the one that informed me about the polypharmacy but did not really explain...now I do get my meds from outside the VA with exception to about two of them. But anyhow my PCM never said more than that the Neuro said I have too much meds and they don't want to treat them which was contridicting to what they told me but now I have my record and that is what it says.

    So, I guess after every appointment I need to get my record and review the notes? Then how and to whom do I address what I disagree with? I've been told that is a bunch of bull and the only reason they don't want to treat them is since I've been on most meds to treat migrains they would probably have to give narcartics.

    Thanks.

    You have the right to appeal any decision made by the VA. Only 30 days with a VAMC Medical Decision.

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