john999

It sounds like classic PTSD.

Yes, just glancing at it. Are you able to work?

The exam doctor's report is definitely positive for PTSD, but the rating is anybody's guess since he contradicts himself. The sentences you made in red do contradict the rest of the report. The red underlined part of the report look like 30% to me but the rest could be 50%. If you are able to work full time it is hard to get 70%-100%. I would bet you got 30%-50% based on that incredibly long and convoluted C&P exam. When I got my exam for increase back in 2001 it did not consist of two pages. I now think PTSD is the hardest mental health condition to get a decent rating. I think the VA is playing a game to really discourage PTSD claims. I always thought that the main thing in a mental health claim was being able to work full time or not. The first and often the only question they exam doctor's would ask me was "Are you working". The answer "Yes" meant no change when it got rated. John

They say that if it is at stage 0 and you begin treatment as soon as you have symptoms you can live a long time. Most who get it are older or Vietnam vets. Can you believe that you go in for routine blood work and come away with a possible death sentence. There were no symptoms at all. I think he should get a SECOP. John

Does anyone know much about treatment for CLL. It seems like a Vietnam buddy of mine was DX'ed with it recently on a routine blood work. It was a big shock. John

I still call the 800 number. It helped last time since I was told the meaning of "Waiting for 5103 Review Request". I made a sworn statement over the phone that I had no more evidence and to go with what is in my VA records.

We should be treated with respect and dignity. Nobody spit on my at Oakland Airport when I got back from Vietnam. Nobody even noticed me. I was a ghost. I remember telling some hippie that I had just gotten back from Vietnam. He looked at me with the same interest as if I had said "It is pretty cold outside". Does your son live on a reservation? I understand the alcoholism problem is enormous on the big reservations and since they are in the middle of nowhere there is little work. I remember riding through reservations in the southwest. Casino out front and a mile into the reservation broken down trailers and muddy streets. We, Vietnam vets, will never get the respect we deserve, so we should at least get the money. If you have to hire a lawyer to get it then that is what you must do. I don't care if some think I am gaming the system as long as I get the money. That's is what America is all about: "Getting the money". That is the only way you get justice.

If you want SSDI you often must get a lawyer. If you are hurt on the Job you often have to hire a lawyer for worker's compensation. Blaming poor people for being poor won't get you anywhere. You want to be on welfare, and live in the projects where you get PTSD from ducking gunshots. In Florida the only people who get welfare are single unwed mothers. You have a picture of a Native American with your profile. Most Native Americans living on the big reservations are on welfare and food stamps. I hired a lawyer for my case when I thought it was over my head. I think I am lucky he took my case on contingency. If I get big money he gets 20%. If I get nothing he gets nothing minus his expenses. Crying about how poor slobs get food stamps just plays into the hands of those in the 1%. You should be asking why you a disabled vet get squat and some draft dodger makes 20 million bucks a year on Wall Street with other people's money. For 3 decades I would have like to hire a lawyer for my case. I was at 10% for 20 years and 30% for the next ten. If I was able to have a good lawyer instead of DAV I would have had at least TDIU for 15 years and 70% for the other 15 years. I know I may sound harsh, but get wise and hire the lawyer if you feel the water rising. Unless the congressman is a close relative you want get anything from them except new dance steps. All the politicians are worthless on the individual level for vets. One lied right to my face about a new clinic in Tampa. John

Fox News represents the views of Rupert Murdock the ultra, rightwing business tycoon. In the interview with the vets on Fox two shots were taken at food stamps and Obamacare. That's political and has no business here I think. I wonder how the vet in question knows food stamps are easy to get unless he has been on food stamps? Has anyone here tried to get food stamps and/or welfare. You have to be dirt poor. Ronnie Raygun made up the Welfare Queen stereotype based on a woman who was a criminal and had 20 identities.

This is what lawyers are for because they do know every rule and regulation. The VBA is adversarial. You can wish for a perfect world where the VA and SSA are fair, but in the meantime hire a lawyer and a good IME. Vets waited for 60 years to be able to hire lawyers and now we have the chance.

I think this is getting political and always was political. Anyone with a brain knows Fox News is an ultra, right wing political mouthpiece for the 1%. I think it is time to close this string of posts. I am glad to go to any demonstration at my VARO for veteran's rights. I am right here in Tampa, Florida and I am not hiding from anyone. John

Loose Cannon There is a great real estate opportunity for vets. A historic bridge is being sold in NYC. This is a one time deal. I can get you in at the bottom. It will make us millions. You are one of the few who I have told about this deal. Keep it quite , but just send me $10,000. You can trust me. I watch Fox where you get fair and balanced reporting. John

Nothing wrong with meds but just be careful you take them the way doctor prescribes. Just don't stop taking them suddenly especially anxiety drugs like clonazepam. Some of the anti-depressants can work wonders.

Out of 10 C&P exams over the years I have had one or two good ones and some really bad ones and some that were criminal. I have IME doctors. Most work for cash so I have a fund for that. It is our livelihood we are talking about so why not have insurance.

Your VSO's don't know how to argue CUE's. When I mentioned my desire to file a CUE to an AL VSO he turned pale, and he was a black guy.

VA doctors are afraid to make statements drawing a nexus between a condition and military service.

Congress votes the money for vets. Have term limits for senators and representatives. Some have to be carried into the congress on hospital beds like Bird and that old Dixiecrat Strom Thurmond (sic).

I respect the Marine and the SEAL but I don't like the spin Fox tries to put on the issues. They take a swipe at ObamaCare and food stamps while speaking up for vets. Since most vets don't belong to the 1% I think this is an attempt of divide the 99%. I do think it is very wrong to do away with informal claims just to make the VA's job easier.

He is basically saying you have a mild depression. I would get an IME if you want to do better than 10%. Use your private medical records as evidence. I doubt you have a mild depression or you would not have called hotline.

I get very dry due to CPAP machine. The machine has humidifier but consider it is blowing a hurricane down my throat. I also have large humidity machine that pumps out clouds of vapor. I know that the more meds you take the more trouble you will have eventually. I was up to 5 clonazepam a day. I stopped taking them suddenly because I just thought I was going to OD. I had horrible withdrawal symptoms. I even had symptoms when I stopped taking anti-depressants. I understand symptoms of narcotic withdrawal but many other drugs have dangerous symptoms if you stop suddenly.

Loose Cannon What you said about our legal system is exactly true. Rich people accused of crimes get the best lawyer money can buy. Our legal system rolls on money and that is about all lawyers think about most of the time. Judges are ex-lawyers even administrative judges. If you try and "go cheap" when you are in legal struggle you will regret it. With the VA the VA has unlimited financial resources. All you have is the best POA you can afford. Your best advocate starts with yourself. You need to know that a person who represents themselves has a fool for a client, except if you are Berta. john

It looks like the VA may actually come through for me on an expensive drug. I can't believe it, and I don't believe it yet. I am trying to get drug "Provigil" for OSA side effects. It costs about $600 a month.

You can see Dr. Gillian Karatinos in Tampa for an IME. She used to work for the VA. She wrote me a IME and it blew them away at the VARO. There are two other doctors in Tampa: Gary Arthur and Mike Rothburd who might be able to help. Where do you live?

The Army had some crazy E-7 drink AO to prove it was harmless. Needless to say that guy is dead. I know a vet who says he helped bury AO on Okinawa. Is there proof of this if you know? He never had boots on the ground in Nam so you have to prove the exposure. We will all die from AO one day. If you don't get hit by a beer truck AO will probably kill you. Me too.

For vets who were in Arty I don't see how they escape hearing loss even if they wore protection. Even being close to 155 howitzers is intense. You get an entire body blow from concussion of those things. I can imagine busting a blood vessel in your head from firing those guns. I was at small airbase/fire support base and the sounds and vibration from big guns was murder on sleep. John