john999

Do you have other insurance? ER medical care is pretty bad everywhere but VA on a holiday weekend must the worst. I got admitted to mental health unit on a Friday one time via the ER, and I did not see a doctor until Monday. I was really climbing the walls. I had an anxiety attack. I don't go to ER now unless I am bleeding. John

How long were you in the army and did you see combat? I think the boards take a better view of misfortunes of combat vets. Basically I think you want to show that your ptsd drove you to do things you would not have normally done like dope etc. I had a discharge review about 40 years ago after Vietnam and I got an upgrade. John

I think you should file for depression or pain disorder to try and bump up your ratings.

Every claim you file after the very first one is considered an increase claim. You really did not make an error. The VA knows you are already SC, so they are going to handle your claim as a request for an increase. It just takes the jerks years to do the most simple claim. I am in the same boat. I asked for an increase for my DMII. The VA has all the records. I told them this from day one. They are still fooling around looking for third party treatment records. I signed off and told them to go with what was in my file.

If I were a FERS employee today I would do everything I could to get 100% rating since your FERS retirement will not be enough to support you. My 100% is equal and greater than both my 30 year FERS pension and SSD put together. If you can get SSD, FERS disability retirement and TDIU you will have enough to take care of yourself. Otherwise when you get to the day you can't work anymore you are going to have to go through the TDIU process all over gain. Save your money and plan on taking an OPM disability retirement. You want to be able to survive for at least a year while waiting for SSD and TDIU. I was working for the USPS and had to go through the whole disability process after being fired for my disability. I was lucky that I had some money to tide me over while waiting for all the plans to come through for me. John

I don't think you need a lawyer. Your case is pretty simple. If you are on SSDI for SC reasons your TDIU is almost a given. You need to keep track of your paperwork or get someone to help you do that.

If you are denied Chapter 35 benefits you should appeal that denial. Chapter 35 is code for P&T. I appealed my denial of Chapter 35 and since it takes a year to get your claim reviewed you have time to show you condition is permanent.

I think my blueray is not set up to stream Netflix. I get to the code part and then it fails. I spent 45 bucks on the blue ray so maybe I got the cheapie.

OK thanks.

I have a wireless modem and when I try to stream Netflix to my blueray, but it fails. I got cable to wire my modem to the blueray but that fails also. My cable company is useless. Netflix told me once I connected the modem and the blueray that would solve the problem but it does not solve it. Any ideas? Do I need a certain blueray DVD player model ? John

The word I got on NPR today was that perhaps 200,000 OIF/OEF vets have PTSD. If any of them are still serving you can bet they will be headed for the door quietly and under the radar. There are so many ways soldiers with these problems can be discharged.....drinking, drug abuse, missing work etc.

Discharging soldiers with PTSD and drug or alcohol problems was almost SOP after Vietnam. I got kicked out when I begged for help and told the XO I would not leave his office until I got some help. The result was a special courts martial. My JAG told me to sign the paper for the AR 635-212 or I would be kicked out on LTH. Some choice. I was a patient at the VA mental ward within 6 months of discharge. John

If you filed a CUE in 2002 there should be some evidence in your C-File that it was denied. That's been 11 years so some decision was made on it. I agree with Berta to really look over your file.

You know if you get TDIU P&T and SSDI you can survive pretty well. You are probably the only one you know with a decent retirement plan.

I never even got an exit physical, nor any copies of my records when I was discharged. My medical records are a joke. 6 months of out patient psychiatric records are missing. All records of medical for basic training are missing where I complained about knee pain and foot pain . I went for exam for severe jaw pain and Army dentist did not even document it. He told me there was no treatment for TMJ, so my records are silent on that. I wish I had filed for every little thing when I got out because all those things have come back to haunt me now. I filed one claim in 1972 and did not file a different claim until I filed for DMII due to AO back in 2005. The AO exam doctor identified three conditions that were likely AO related in 1999, but that is not the same as claiming them.

Do you have ChampVA? I sure would apply for SSDI immediately.

I have trouble with my feet due to PN and that really depresses me since walking is often painful. Even riding a bike hurts my feet. I have upper body neck and shoulder problems, so I have a hard time exercising. I had two surgeries already and both failed. Now that is depressing except I am already 70% for mental condition that includes depression. Any disability that restricts your old life can cause real depression as Pete says.

Has anyone heard about the use of AO on Okinawa?

VA and government may be shutting research on AO diseases because they know they will discover it is even worse than we thought. I think we can agree to disagree on recognition for those suffering from AO disabilities. I think any attention we can get will keep the issue alive and that may keep some of us alive. Most RVN vets have not gotten AO exam and don't even use the VA for anything.

Can you go on record as having filed an AO claim without the VA attempting to work it?

Do you have medicare?

The reason they are not giving you Enbrel is the cost factor. I know the VA does prescribe it for severe arthritis. It is a drug with many side effects. That could be another factor. If your PCP really wants you to get it they can make it happen. What is your exact diagnosis?

Ebenefits said in my claim for increase for DmII that they were in the gathering evidence phase. All the evidence is at the VA in Tampa. As I understand it if you have to take an oral medication for DMII you get 20%. So there it is. Ebenefits says it is going to take a year for this claim???? I got a VCAA letter and some other form to send to Jax, Florida instead of St Pete VARO, so I think this is that FDC thing. I said there was no more evidence and signed a paper saying to decide my claim on the record. Is that a FDC?

My old doctor told me once that if I could not sleep before a C&P exam to just stay up and drink lots of strong coffee. By the time I got to the exam I would be shaking like a leaf and the VA would think I was a nervous wreck. At that time the VA had decided I had bipolar so being nervous was to be expected.

It might be wise for all vets who were in RVN to file now for all conditions that have a shred of evidence of connection to AO. You get denied today but if you are still alive in ten years who knows? This would be for benefit of survivors mostly. There may be more Nehmers down the road. Of course, the road is getting shorter, but there are RVN vets who are 60 years old and could live another 30 years.