fastestinthewest

All the time. The only time I ever saw a doctor write something like that at the V.A., the doc was a rookie. Or doc might fill out a state disability form for a temporary job leave of absence. Then one might take that form and submit to V.A. as claim. Then it's all on the claim rater having a good or bad day.

I am 100% total and p. I have a cyst on my spine. I have been sent to MRI and got one so the VA can see the problem.I have terrible back pain and was given the pain patch by my staff Psychiatrist. It got so bad I then went to the emergency room and waited several hours. Got a pain shot that helped. I found out why we wait so long at the emergency room! The place does not want us to go back. No pun 'indeed' intended. I needed a refill on the pain patch and was talking to one of the nurses at the clinic. The nurse asked about the patch. The nurse said you might want to get the Primary Care Doctor to refill the patch. So I checked in and waited a few hours cause I was a walk up. I got the patch refilled after doing the paper work to see if I was a doper. Doctor referred me again for another MRI back in August 2013. MRI people said it might be Sept, Oct., or Nov. The MRI division scheduled me for NOV. I went to patient advocate and our clinic had none. I was in terrible pain. I called the hotline cause I was finished. The hotline kept me on the phone for a few hours. This was on Friday the labor day weekend. So I knew I would not see any one until Tuesday. With the Grace of God I made it. Got a call from some VA hotshot on Tues. I went back to the clinic on Wed. and again went to patient advocate (PAd). The PAd said, "Hey we will try to get you in over at the hospital. Do you mind the drive?" So I was scheduled the next day. I was in bad pain and got a relative to to drive me. We get to the hospital and check in to the MRI department. The line was LONG. My appointment was at 2. The machines were broke and probably would not get in. So we left at about 5:30. My pain patch went out in Nov. I went back to the clinic and so the nurse takes care of the paper work for the patch. I saw my staff Psychiatrist at the end of Nov. I had so much stuff in the 30 minutes that I did not get into the MRI. I will keep going and I keep thinking that my service deserves better than this kind of MRI treatment. I am going to start again. I was told back in the summer 2013 by VA that a referral is only good for 30 DAYS. The latest regulations that came out of VA are insane. I did not see them until after December 31, 2013. The comments to the Federal Register had to be before that date. Remember, all are laws are now made by edict. History shows that those that fall to that level of edicts contain the remains of failure and show those with the imperial bureaucracy doomed. Might be faster to copy and paste Web site. www.regulations.gov/#!documentDetail;D=VA-2013-VBA-0022-0001 I. Executive Summary This document proposes to amend 38 CFR parts 3, 19, and 20. The proposed amendments would require the use of standard forms to initiate claims for benefits, and to initiate appeals of AOJ decisions on those claims. VA's forms are available on the following Web site: http://www.va.gov/vaforms/.

Way back in the olden days, this was about the early seventies, I watched a TV program called '60 Minutes'. This program exposed the Spn codes on the DD214. And I found out later that my code was for early release from the military to go to school. I wrote my congressman, Ronald 'Bo' Ginn (d) Georgia. His staff got the Spn Code cleared - allegedly, and I was given a new DD 214. This was also the brief period I worked in the government. Funny thing, all the copies I ever get from the VA records always show the Spn Code. I figured some staffer just zipped through the line place on the DD 214 and sent me the changed copy. Ginn later went to jail for bank loans that went bad on him. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A58006-2005Jan7.html Today I live in Congressman Marchant's district in Texas. He now ranks 10th overall in congressional wealth.

Stretch. I love you man. Listen to the Declaration of Independence. I get chills and yes I cry! http://www.humblelibertarian.com/2009/07/hollywood-celebrities-reading.html

I appreciate the words of each and every one of you. Hadit.com offered a lot of information. Also, my hat is off to T Bird. Thank you. I am not going away. My mission is to help any veteran that I can help. My wife is a Vietnam era veteran. Woman vets do not get enough credit. My cousin, General Margart Brewer, was the first Marine Women General given approval through Jimmy Carter. It's ironic, that I had an internship under him. The stories I could tell you about that jack leg! General Brewer passed away back in January 2013, and 4 months after my father's death.

As a Republic of Vietnam (1968) drafted combat veteran helicopter crew chief OH 6A, (33months active duty) I received my 100% disability rating. I received the rank of E-5 in 5 months. The VA insurance adjuster rater threw me a used bone. VA took a dead old WW II or Korean War Vets 100% and recycled it. (I would imagine that the raters have stats on that issue as well.) I have been with the VA since 1994, when I could not take it any longer. I wanted to check myself into a private mental ward in 1989 not thinking about the VA, but moved my life forward. I was homeless for 2 years, 1993-1994. I started out in 1994 with 30% PTS rating, drop the 'D'. I was at the Dallas VA Hospital. This was back in the day when no paper was on the exam table and docs wore the same gloves over and over. I was given a whole 20% for diabetes with insulin use in the early presumptive days and extra for Neuropathy which is a collection of disorders that occurs when nerves of the peripheral nervous system are damaged. Finally, this last month, I was given the electric test and the neuropathy is serious. So all said, this gave me a 70% rating. While all the above was going on in my life, I put myself through more schooling with my own money, effort, and struggled with work. Meanwhile, my background was a fortnight in a RVN field hospital with severe trauma. The field hospital records show no blood pressure readings and so forth. Present day, I have not been able to work for 2 years. I had no outside doctor nexus letters, using my own Veteran disabilities, and the VA own words, my PTS rating was given an increase to 50%, with an increase to 80% disability rating, and 20% unemployable. This gave me the 100%. I was denied secondary sleep apnea, missing right kidney with kidney disease, (by the way apparently missing since birth), and 4 other conditions that would go through with an outside nexus letter from a PhD or medical doctor. I was at a VA facility yesterday due to severe back pain, helicopter crashes. I was a walk in at the facility. I waited 5 hours. The nurse pulls me in and asks me, "What’s wrong?" I tell her as she writes this stuff down. The RN says, "Sorry, the Doctor cannot see you right now because his computer is down. Do you mind if he calls you tomorrow?" The doctor did call. God Bless the United States! The government is great; it's the idiots running the system. I have one daughter. She was born after RVN with birth defects. No history of known defects in my family.

This is a late post and I wanted to pay tribute to Medal of Honor Recipient , Ed Freeman. I knew many helicopter pilots, as myself was a crew chief, like Ed. One in particular I remember, as we are under heavy rocket and mortar fire, W3 Grimes started the helicopter, performed the proper procedures for start up, and as it seemed to take forever as I am thinking what the hell are you doing? We got off the ground. Thanks to all helicopter crew members like Ed, we were truly blessed. God rest you Ed Freeman.

Diabetes can cause increased risk of health with ramifications well beyond control. Many diabetic patients have bone and joint disorders. There is a Web site, including symptoms and treatment options, offered by The Mayo Clinic addressing diabetic health conditions. As many of you veterans know, you file for primary as diabetes and secondary then to these other health factors. Good luck... http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/diabetes/AN01072

A letter was sent out to All VA Regional Offices on June 13, 2013, talking about TDIU. The letter was addressed to All Veterans Service Center Personnel and the subject Claims for Total Disability Based on Individual Employability (TDIU). The Rescission of Training Letter 10-07 was rescinded effective immediately. My question is that if a veteran had a claim in before June 13, 2013, would then the new procedures apply to the claim being processed? Does that mean a 2 year old claim goes back to the bottom?