john999

I would just turn it over to a good VA lawyer since this is an element of stress fo you that you do not need. I cannot comprehend how the VA has denied your PTSD claim. Did you ever file a claim for "nerves" or anthing of that nature before PTSD became a accepted DX? Everything the way about the way the army and the VA has treated up stinks from what we have discussed. You have your C-File correct? John

I was rated TDIU at 70%. Over the years I got additional ratings of over 60%. I qualified for "s", but I had to claim it. I should not have had to claim it. I claimed it as a CUE. It was so clear under Bradley vs Peake.

Carlie Have you heard of the poor person living in a shack who wins 100,000,000, in the lotto? 5 Years later all the money is gone. Their kids are in jail. They are in rehab and the shack has been repossed. Some people you just can't reach. John

Grent Who are your lawyers?

Risperdal is for people who are classic manic/depressive or who are schizophrenic. It is not just for anxiety. All the anti-psychotics have some pretty major side effects. They were given to me in the army for a short time. I had to go to the ER. I was not even psychotic but the damn army shrink was playing at being a doctor. John

Joh If you have good teeth on either side of the gap could they not just put in a bridge. To me the VA are just cheap bastards. They refused to put in a crown for me and put in an enormous filing. I have little faith in them. My real dentist said the big filing was going to crack and it was just a matter of a few months or years. John

They should if it means saving teeth! You may have to fight the Power to get them. You might be able to show them that by just having some implants you can then have a bridge or something cheaper. I have some implants but I had to pay for them since the VA said they were not medically necessary. I think I could have won that battle, but I had a group of dentists I really trusted to do a good job so I had them do it and paid the price. If I had ten implants that would be another story. They cost over $3000 for each implant and it takes some time for healing each step of the way. Some people fly to Thailand and get a whole mouthfull for aroud $8000. That woud cost us 60,000 bucks or more. The first argument the VA will make is that you don't have enough good bone left for implants. You can get bone grafts. The VA preachs about oral heath but then trys to not pay for it. Hypocrites! John

I want to know where I can get 5% on 100,000 with no risk. Five years ago I could have got, but not now unless I want to buy an overseas bond but that has risk. When I get worried about not getting enough interest or dividends I call my brother the world's cheapest man. The thing is he is usually right so I used to give him advice and now I try and get advice from him. Sometimes the best thing is just sit on the money and do nothing. John

AFMedico Yes, if the VA had not excluded crucial evidence from my rating decision back in 1973 I might have gotten a more fair decision, but I would not have gotten a truly fair decision without a knock-down, dragout fight. I did not know how to play by their rules. I was just too crazy to be "processed" like a good and compliant veteran. My feeling today is that the army and VA were doing all they could do to limit their liability. They wanted me and my generation out of their hair. It is always about "money" with the VA and the military. They don't want to pay for what they help to break. John

That's good Reddog. Now you will make more from Uncle than you ever did as an active duty type. Do you have SSD as well? If you can manage $4000 a month in retirement that is not too bad.

I have the kind of back pain that has also been called lumbar spondlyosis. I have pain particularly in the morning and after sitting for a while. My back is very stiff and hurts most when I bend forward at the waist like for washing dishes. Long car trips are out. Hotel beds are torture usually. It feels like my whole body from the middle of my spine to my toes is get stiffer and everything hurts. Even my hips hurt and my feet, knees and thighs hurt and feel stiff. There are so many kinds of back pain and all I know is that surger often does not help at all with pain. John

Are you going to a new VARO?

Risperdal is for people who are psychotic or have been psychotic and run a high risk of becoming psychotic again if they stop using the drug. I worked in a mental hospital. I saw lots of people who were psychotic. The old anti-psychotic drugs had some really horrible long term side effects. 99% of people with PTSD are not psychotic.

I don't think they will reduce you, but you will have a harder time getting an increase in the future. Why not just keep getting the drugs and take them only when you might need them? To be practical the VA has an idea about mental health issues that if you don't take meds you must be stable or getting better. This is if you want to use the VA in the future to bump up your rating.

I bet if you went to ten more orthopedists you could get ten more DX'es. However, your back hurts now and you probably don't want to aggravate it. I don't know how much you will get for it, but have you been to a pain clinic or seen a psychiatrist about chronic pain and depression.

You did good!

I don't know but if there is a chance I would do a lot of complaining about my condition. You are never going to get a square deal from the VA so help yourself every chance you get.

What exactly is the program?

I was discharged with 10% in 1971. I knew that was way too low, but I was physically pretty fit so I was able to go to school and function in society at a low level. Carlie started from less than zero just like some others here. I went for years without serious efforts to do much about my claim until the mid-80's when I got 30%. When I got fired in 2001 from my postal job I started to swing for the fences. I was angry that I was going to get thrown into the streets now that I had physical and mental health problems that would not allow me to find another job. By 2004 I had TDIU and SSD. Nothing like starvation looking you in the face to motivate you. John

I am at the ST. Pete VARO and after 41 years I am still fighting for what I consider a correct decision. I should have been 100% from the day after I was discharged.

If by some chance you don't prevail at the CAVC is your lawyer going to stick with you to federal court? Mine says he will, but talk is cheap. If he sticks with me I will stick with him, and be glad to pay him if we win in the end. My case is the kind of case that most people would say "Why, that is obviously an basically unfair decision where my rights to due process were violated". Not the VA. John

I don't believe there is any time line for filing for a secondary condition. A C&P exam does not have to identify a nexus for any secondary conditions as far as I know unless you are claiming them. If you think you have a secondary condition get medical evidence to prove and claim it. I have 7 secondary conditions to DMII and I had to claim every one of them and provide medical evidence to show a nexus. For instance I have DMII and then got PN. I had to claim it and prove that it was at least as likely due to DMII.

This is sort of what happens when you mix work-related injuries with military injuries. Both parties point their fingers at the other party and blame them for the disability. What it takes is plently of IMO/IME reports. I had the same problem. I worked for the post office. They hired me with a 10% VA rating from a mental illness. Over the years they did all they could to aggravate it. Finally when I could not work any more I filed for workers compensation, SSD, OPM and TDIU (I had 30% by then). I never went back to work. I got one thing at a time. I had to finally choose between getting TDIU and continuing to get OWCP (WC) but that was no problem. I had many IMO's. It took a couple of years. I did not plan any of this, but the USPS threw me in the briar patch. John

Berta If you wrote a guide to Dic with a trouble shooting chapter you might have your name added to one of the books of the bible. Nothing too fancy. One of these worthless VSO's should pay you to do it. You know the "Guide to Veteran's Benefits" the feds put out every year has about 6 pages on all aspects of DIC. John

I see you have talked to Berta already. I am confused as to why the VA prescribed oxy and hydrocodone together. Private hospitals and doctors make mistakes also, but nobody F's up like the VA. The right hand does not know what the left hand is doing.