Aletta

I guess Greed is the reason for some making a claim. I heard a few years ago about an ex-wife checking or filing a claim for secondary PTSD from her ex husband, some here may know who I am referring. Some may disagree with me.. I can understand the effects of PTSD on family members, and even possibly calling it Secondary PTSD. I know when my husband is showing signs of depression or anxiety and the physical/mental effects it has on me, but to compensate me is just wrong. There are many reason for PTSD that are not military related. My husband's as other Veterans, would not have had PTSD if they were not in the service in the military, thus the reason for their compensation from the VA. My opinion is not in stone, and I am willing to listen to others but for now, I believe VA compensation is for Veterans, as DIC is for legal spouse and children, not for compensating an separate/ ex spouse.

Great pic of the two of you.. I didn't realize you were in MO.. With the weather being warmer, sometimes, I'm sure Cinder and you will be out and about more and more..

Last time the back log was reduced in a hurry, it was... BUT most claims were denied... I sure hope they don't deny claims without any merit just to get reduce the backlog fast.. Oh, they do that now... and still have a backlog..

I have Jon email address and he is one of the 'researchers' I meantion in the other post. Here is a documenty done from his research. http://video.search.yahoo.com/video/play;_ylt=A0S00MmjWUNRa28ALKX7w8QF;_ylu=X3oDMTBrc3VyamVwBHNlYwNzcgRzbGsDdmlkBHZ0aWQD?p=agent+orange+okinawa+documentary&vid=2212c30ff5356c73a6e1fbd835c7eff0&l=&turl=http%3A%2F%2Fts2.mm.bing.net%2Fth%3Fid%3DV.5007039425282457%26pid%3D15.1&rurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D5tRkP2b3dsM&tit=Agent+Orange+Okinawa+documentary&c=0&sigr=11aaehke0&age=0&fr=slv8-&tt=b I am waiting on his permission to give out his email addy. If he does, anyone that has information on Okinawa and wants to make contact with him. Contact me via private messaging WHEN he gives me permission I will connect them. Good Luck with claims on AO in Okinawa.

I am in contact with a VSO who has the ship log for USS Schuyler Otis Bland When it is scanned and uploaded I will send link for it. This ship log shows it carried chemical. Also, I have made contact with another person interested in buried AO in Okinawa. May I send you a personal message with my contact? Also, to have your permission to CC you in any emails with the other Okinawa researcher?

I missed this the first look on Steve's site.. I opened the PDF and it says: Herbicide Orange (HO) to Johnston Island that originated from Vietnam and was stored on Okinawa. page 4 Beginning in the 1970s, the Johnston Atoll military mission became the storage of chemical munitions. In 1971, the United States Army Technical Escort Unit escorted the transfer of two thousand tons of chemical munitions from Okinawa to Johnston Atoll under the code name “Operation Red Hat”. Phase I of “Operation Red Hat” involved the movement of chemical munitions from a depot storage site to Tengan Pier, eight miles away, by trailers. Phase II of “Operation Red Hat” moved the munitions to Johnston Atoll by ship. The US Army unit was renamed the United States Army Chemical Activity, Pacific (USACAP) in 1990, and chemical munitions were moved from West Germany to Johnston Atoll by ship, under the code name “Operation Steel Box”. A small stock of chemical artillery shells were transferred to Johnston Atoll from the Solomon Islands in 1991. page 5 http://38uscode.com/booklets/Issues/Agent%20Orange/JohnstonIslandAgentOrange/JohnstonIsland.pdf It doesn't say AO.. but chemicals.. I will look for more when I have time..In a claim he should use the words chemical expouse and not AO. JMO

Here are some links I found on Snakecharmer's Vet Info site. It may help give the Vet friend a starting point for contacts. http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2011/08/13/news/agent-orange-buried-on-okinawa-vet-says/ http://www.veteransinfo.org/okinawa.html http://www.2ndbattalion94thartillery.com/Chas/guambva.htm

I'v been reading up, and to file PTSD you need a VA doctor to fill out an Initial PTSD DBQ, I know the VA keeps that forum internal, but does anyone know how it compares to the 21-0960P3? Q: Will VA use DBQs for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)? A: Yes.: However there are two separate DBQs for PTSD depending on whether the Veteran has already been told by VA that he or she is “service connected” for PTSD. If the Veteran has already been told by VA that he or she is “service connected” for PTSD, then a private mental health provider may complete a Review PTSD DBQ (VA Form 21-0960P3). However, if a Veteran has not already been told by VA that he or she is “service connected,” then a DBQ for the initial diagnosis of PTSD (VA Form 21-0960P4) must be completed by a VA mental health provider. The Initial PTSD DBQ cannot be completed by a private mental health provider. DBQ list downloadable http://benefits.va.gov/TRANSFORMATION/dbqs/ListByDBQFormName.asp

WE have already requested the C&P copy in between the two exams. Medical Release people know us by first name. The Copy came last Saturday and it was missing one of the exam. I called Monday and the examiner didn't sign off till Saturday. I told Linda, I would pick it up today while hubby was in surgery. But I had to call her today and ask that she mail it, because we would not be there, Hubby's surgery is postponed for two weeks. She started printing it while I was still on the phone and will mail it out. If she gets it in the mail today, we should have it no later than Saturday, but I hope tomorrow...lol.. The C&Ps are showing as received on eBennies... His local therapist copied and checked boxes off the 'symptoms' page from the DBQ on PTSD review. I showed the examiner and the SSOC the therapist wrote for him. The examiner asked if she could copy it, I said yes. His therapist checked most all of the 'worst' choices then in the comment box she wrote: Fits of rage when startled or provoked. Her SSOC letter says in the beginning "...this statement is in support of (Hubby's name) claim for unemployability due to PTSD." Then she goes on to write some of her sessions with him and how long and how often she sees him. I didn't not suggest anything for her to write. We have discussed hubby's feelings about the 'government not standing by veterans like they promised'... and his claim. So I am anxious (a good kind) to read what the C&P says..

I knew effextor can cause ED. Hubby is on the highest amount of efextor, Seroquel, and prazion that he can be on. Six months ago they added Bupropion, known better as Wellbutrin or Zyban. In January they increased his bupropion and added hydroxyzine. Did you know Hydroxyzine is an antihistamine? Only if you care to share, I assume you have anxiety as that is what Hydroxyzine also used to treat. I am curious. My hubbby has PTSD/MDD. Do you have MDD or GAD? His depression come first then the anxiety. I understand with GAD it is just the opposite.

Is the med Effexor (venlafaxine)?

I agree with the above advice about asking for one on one therapy. I know many Vets that do go to groups and it helps them. My husband refuses to go to groups. He did see on therapist for over four years. Then he left the VA and my hubby kept getting new ones every year. He never 'connected'. He has Medicare so he sees a local therapist. My hubby hates going to the VA anyway. The therapist who he sees was never military BUT she did her training at the VA. Yep, a lady who my hubby has a half way connection with. She has told me that he won't talk about everything.. but she has given him coping tools. He has a hard time with them.. but at least he is trying. He has never been given a 'menu'. I think that sounds strange myself. As Bert said; PTSD can't be cured. There are treatments that will reduce the symptoms along with medications. One with PTSD can learn to 'manage' their emotions but that is not a cure. The fact that the stressor event (trauma) did happen can never be taken away nor can the memories. I have heard the same thing about the CPT and Exposure therapy... In theory, it is to desensitize the trauma.. but it ends up adding to the trauma.. It never make sense to me... The more combat exposure the more likely one will develop server PTSD... and they think 'exposure' to more will desensitized the trauma. Maybe it works for some, but I have yet to hear from a Vet that thought the exposure therapy helped. JMO

Thanks for the link Jbasser! I will go there NOW! Berta, I can't even get a cell signal at my home. We are in an area called 'Boonboro' here in MO.. Danial Boones son's lived and worked around here.. it is nothing but hills, hollows and trees. I only pay $39 a month. I called about the Gen4 and it is above my budget. I could maybe afford it but I would rater save money IF I can.. When I had dial up, I could hear the show.. it did cut out some. I guess the delay with Hughes Net causes a problem. I have WMP but I use RealPayer the most as it allows me to 'download and save' even if the site doesn't allow it sometimes.. I download things and go about my day and when I come back.. I can listen and watch when time allows.

At the top of this page and most pages here at Hadit, to listen to the SVR Weekly Internet Podcast. I click the play button only nothing happens. I am guessing this is only for live broadcasts? I have updated all my players, I have several. They are all enabled in my IE 9 add ons. I have Win7. What do I need to do to hear them? I have Hughes Net satellite connection so I can't do streaming and listening in when it is live. I have the cheapest Huges Net package and it is not real fast. OR is there a place I can download each program? I assume it is recorded.

I am talking about the 'rating'.. A simple program to check boxes or not check and easily be done. I am not talking about if a claim is approved or denied by a program. There is much written documentaion that is needed for any decision to be done by human eyes and brains if they have them. But for the rating: For instances less take the cardiovascular system. In WARMS 4.104 - Schedule of Ratings, Cardiovascular , there is a list of different disability related to Cardiovascular disease with a percentage of each. All a program would have to do is to produce the outcome of % that the C&P examiner not a non-medical person in the RO called the Rater. Then when the C&P exam is finished, the rest of the DBQ can be evaluated by a Decision person in hopes they have a brain. This would or should decrease the back logs some. I don't know how long it takes for a C&P to be rated by a person at the RO. I don't know about other VAMCs, but at the HST-VMC in Columbia Missouri the C&P Exam is sent electronically to the SLRO. Any security issues will not be changed if there is a 'rating program' from what the risks are now. I do agree with you on the devils in the details.