ArNG11

That was funny it made me laugh but thanks. I am so fed up with the Choice program and my VA PCP. I actually called and got info on it. I still have to go through the VA PCP and get the outside referral. I think this is such a waste of time. The VA PCP still has to authorize it. What is the point of this program? The way this is set up it will never work. I asked my VA PCP to either make the referral via choice program or fee basis. I have to say though at least an appointment with a VA gastro specialist was made but for April 6th. That is the earliest. Wow what a waste of time. I am trying to give the program a go, but this so far has been a tease and IMHO just a smokescreen to cover up the embarrassment of VA's so-called quality and timely medical care.

Well so far so good sort of. The fire has not returned so that is a positive and I've been tolerating most foods ok. The dysphagia is still there, however, no burning feeling which really is a plus. I have not been eating as much and I still avoid trigger foods that make my GERD worse. It is imperative that you chew your food extra well as your gag reflex is a little altered with this procedure. It's been about a week now since I was taken off the Nexium and the inferno has not come back which is grand. However, the runs are still there, but I wasn't expecting anything to change on that. I am still on OTC probiotics and the Enteragam so at least one end is doing better. . One day at a time. I'm still on appeal with the IBS and GERD but I imagine I may have a staged ratting on the GERD. I still meet the symptoms to have a compensable rating. Well see how that goes on March 19th with the DRO. I'm not going to be too optimistic as my rainmaker has advised me that we will be going to BVA on some of my conditions but you never know, hell might freeze over and the VA raters might rate my contentions correctly. Not holding my breath though. I've always wanted to do some more sight seeing at the capital.

Late in the congrats, but heh good luck to you.

UH Negative if your not happy revoke the power of attorney.

they can cry all they want. If the VA cannot provide prompt courteous and effective treatment then yes they should provide benefits via outside methods. The reason I think they put us through it is because of the regulations and law mandates. Then its the same process all over again. Just like claims it is just deny deny deny. Or my favorite is deniability. " I've never heard of such program through the VA" Speaking for myself I am tired of all the excuses and go in betweens we as Veterans have to go through just to get prompt and effective care. Too many promises too many band aid fixes. We need results as veterans, prompt, effective, courteous, responsible care, if it can't be afforded through the VA then let Veterans and their qualified dependents get the care they seek through appropriated programs and channels. With the program I imagine they, VA, are just c.y.a'n and state that they afforded you the opportunity through their system. It should be through a local provider not one that is further away. JMO

I guess I will be the devils advocate here. Listen if you are honest with yourself and honest with the VA,...I know hard not to laugh, but seriously follow me for a moment, don't be afraid to rock the boat. If you have the evidence and documented treatment records and are still receiving treatment via VA docs or private then hell yeah Id rock the boat. If you are still having problems with your conditions and have continuity don't be afraid to rock the boat. They, the VA raters, want you to be afraid. Don't. Stay within the rules. Keep records. Keep treatment going. If you are as bad as you say your are then hell yes I would ask for the help and ratings. As long as you can justify it and back it up with medical treatment then the hell with having fear of reprisal. These jokers have been doing this for decades, trying to intimidate veterans not to rock the boat for fear of retaliation. Stand your ground. Push the evidence and treatment records. If you are as bad as you are then you have nothing to fear especially if you have proof. The big thing is ask for help when you need it. With regards to PTSD, the VA see this condition as treatable and in their eyes a condition that will get better. I don't want to get into details with my severity, however, in my case my use of denial and not facing the truth of things that I do and how my time in Iraq has affected me, I have gotten worse. I think in part because I am thinking about it more and remembering those feelings that I tried to bury deep. In my case denial has not helped me I have gotten worse with some things. Trying to suck it up and deal with it on my own was not the best course to take and has had consequences. Your being, your mental being, needs to be addressed and treated. Somethings you are never going to get rid of or forget, however, learning to live with, deal with, and mitigate the effects that your traumatic experiences has on you can be helped. Many people deal with it in different ways but it can be helped. Sometimes in a short while, or long one, and many times years and decades. We are each different in our coping mechanisms, however, it can be done. With the ratings on PTSD, or the like, sometimes it is not a static disability. Not my view but the VA's. With this condition there are so many secondaries that can be tied to it by facts and the course of the illness. Depression and anxiety are common and most likely will stay with a Veteran for the rest of their lives. Hypervigelence , isolation, outburst of anger, and many more, every person deals with and exhibits different symptoms and degrees of severity. The thing that gives me comfort is the support of family, friends, Hadit friends, healthcare providers, and yes bite my tongue, even VA health professionals, there are some good people out there, even in the VA, the entity that we, as Veterans, continually fight and I have to mention God, although I lost faith many years ago, faith in a God or religious being, can be of help at times in tremendous ways. This is just my two sense. JMHO and take it with a grain of salt. Didn't mean to go on a tangent. That's how I would fight a rating reduction or even an implied one.

I might start believing again. Congrats Navy Wife. Your post just made my day a little brighter. I'm happy for you both. Never give up. You take care of yourself and the hubby. Really great to read about your success. Good luck and good fortune to you both.

Yeah that's insane. My 8 days in the hospital with ITP was over $215k. Insurance paid like 18k. I payed around 500. It's crazy. On the subject of the procedure I just had a gyros sandwich and it was ok. The biggest thing with this procedure is just having to chew your food more thoroughly. So far ok even without the Nexium.

Had a follow up this week and I'm being taken off the Nexium to see how I do. So far still no burning feeling, however the dysphagia is still there. Still feels like I have something in my throat. I'm pretty much on a regular diet. I even dared to eat fast food, Taco Bell. Not terrible though. I figure it will take a few days until the Nexium is out of my system. That will be the real test. Physically the scars are tender and I'm still achey but manageable.

Good luck. I hope it happens soon. Keep us posted.

There are several diagnostics exams they can do. Bilateral medial branch blocks, X-rays with dye, EMG and the one painful one is the discogram. I know this and I know I can get it from the VA in a year or two from now if I were lucky. I'm running out of time and soon I will be forced to retire from my career. Of course docs have been telling me that for close to 3 years now. It sucks. I empathize with you completely. Most days I wish someone would stab me in the sweet spot and twist so I wouldn't have to feel the pain anymore. Too self destructive and morbid, yes I know, but I'm there. The mind over matter aspect can only go so far for only so long. Good luck my friend. Oxycodone. To the rescue.

You know when I read this I was a little confused. I was under the impression that having VA medical benefits qualified as insurance for yourself in order to avoid the penalty under the new Affordable Care Act. So if the VA doesn't count as creditable coverage why the heck do they send that notification that it does satisfy the new health care laws. Mmm. If VA counts as creditable medical insurance you shouldn't be getting penalized.

It's not illegal to record someone. To be admissible in court though you have to make the person aware that they are being recorded and they acknowledge you have made them aware, however, if you are going to record for the sake of holding it against an agency, say oh I don't know taking it to the press, there's no rules on that. It's about time these shenanigans stop. Just be mindful, once you open that pandora's box there's no closing it, it goes both ways, what ever you say can and will be held against you. Make no mistake about that.

That's great when it works out like that. Congrats and take care of yourself.

Could always just take a digital recorder or press record on a iPhone or the like. That's how I do it once I realized the system is against me. I always document conversations and correspondence with the VA. Ive lost faith in it.

§4.10 Functional impairment. The basis of disability evaluations is the ability of the body as a whole, or of the psyche, or of a system or organ of the body to function under the ordinary conditions of daily life including employment. Whether the upper or lower extremities, the back or abdominal wall, the eyes or ears, or the cardiovascular, digestive, or other system, or psyche are affected, evaluations are based upon lack of usefulness, of these parts or systems, especially in self-support. This imposes upon the medical examiner the responsibility of furnishing, in addition to the etiological, anatomical, pathological, laboratory and prognostic data required for ordinary medical classification, full description of the effects of disability upon the person's ordinary activity. In this connection, it will be remembered that a person may be too disabled to engage in employment although he or she is up and about and fairly comfortable at home or upon limited activity. §4.6 Evaluation of evidence. The element of the weight to be accorded the character of the veteran's service is but one factor entering into the considerations of the rating boards in arriving at determinations of the evaluation of disability. Every element in any way affecting the probative value to be assigned to the evidence in each individual claim must be thoroughly and conscientiously studied by each member of the rating board in the light of the established policies of the Department of Veterans Affairs to the end that decisions will be equitable and just as contemplated by the requirements of the law. §4.2 Interpretation of examination reports. Different examiners, at different times, will not describe the same disability in the same language. Features of the disability which must have persisted unchanged may be overlooked or a change for the better or worse may not be accurately appreciated or described. It is the responsibility of the rating specialist to interpret reports of examination in the light of the whole recorded history, reconciling the various reports into a consistent picture so that the current rating may accurately reflect the elements of disability present. Each disability must be considered from the point of view of the veteran working or seeking work. If a diagnosis is not supported by the findings on the examination report or if the report does not contain sufficient detail, it is incumbent upon the rating board to return the report as inadequate for evaluation purposes. §4.1 Essentials of evaluative rating. This rating schedule is primarily a guide in the evaluation of disability resulting from all types of diseases and injuries encountered as a result of or incident to military service. The percentage ratings represent as far as can practicably be determined the average impairment in earning capacity resulting from such diseases and injuries and their residual conditions in civil occupations. Generally, the degrees of disability specified are considered adequate to compensate for considerable loss of working time from exacerbations or illnesses proportionate to the severity of the several grades of disability. For the application of this schedule, accurate and fully descriptive medical examinations are required, with emphasis upon the limitation of activity imposed by the disabling condition. Over a period of many years, a veteran's disability claim may require reratings in accordance with changes in laws, medical knowledge and his or her physical or mental condition. It is thus essential, both in the examination and in the evaluation of disability, that each disability be viewed in relation to its history. These references hit some of what you are talking about Julie1975. The eCFR server kicked me off before I could get the digestive schedules but I know I've read them before the info is on there.

You have to read the regs on that. I had similar instances in my rating of GERD and IBS. You don't have to meet all the listed symptoms in order to get the higher rating. The VA raters are supposed to look at the results and compare your symptoms to all facets of the higher rating schedules. If your conditions has symptology in both the lower and higher brackets of the disability schedule, they are supposed to go for the higher rating. They never do that. Hence that is why so many claims are in the appeal cue. Ill try to find the references here in a bit. Specifically for GERD and IBS. Also if your having to take medication they are not supposed to assign a 0%, your condition must be considered how it affects you if you were not on medication. Kind of like I have sleep apnea. I use a CPAP. Oh heh he uses a CPAP, he doesn't have APNEA anymore. No more problems. Rather let me correct that. They are supposed to consider all symptoms and rate higher if it matches the higher rating. It's not if you have all these you are given the higher rating.

Grand news. You're going to have to wait until the BBE and a proof positive BAD (BIG ASS DEPOSIT) hits the bank. Congrats. That made my evening today reading about your success. Be patient. It will all work out. Thank you for service and sacrifices. Take care of yourself and your family. Good Fortune.

My empathy goes out to you ,GeorgiaPapa, hang in there, believe me I understand.

You know I know that I will have a rating reduction when the VA gets my medical records but I'm wondering how that is going to work. By all metrics I should have been at 30% for the GERD to begin with. If my appeals go through and I get that rating I wonder how long it would be before the VA tries to reduce it. I mean I'll have the scars but they didn't perform the surgery and I might still be on Nexium for a while. Hmm. If anyone has any opinions on this I'd be glad to read about them. Curioius.

Well so far I'm having mixed feeling about the surgery. The good thing about it is that the fire is gone from my throat. The bad is that I really have to be carefull with the food I eat. Still have to stay away from the trigger foods, but the food that I do eat has to be, well, mush, gagging and the lump feeling of something feeling like it's stuck in my throat will occur if I dont. I still don't regret it but the surgery does have some concessions to think about. I will still be on Nexium at least for the time being but that might change later. I have a follow up with the doc next week. Mentally well, frankly here lately my health problems are getting the better of me. But heh I'm still here. Keep fighting, till your last breath.

Congrats. Take a breather well played.

I agree with Gastone. Your physical location won't have any bearing on having to change attorneys. Just make sure you keep the VA and of course your legal counsel advised of your new contact information.

Oh most definitely. The VA is not going to touch my back. Even with my private insurance I'm leery. It's a big risk, however, I'm at that point. I will look into the program. The closest option I have VA side is the Spine care center near Dallas, TX.