john999

You might visit your congressman's office and make an official inquiry. As long as you were not getting paid and take your meds as directed you have done nothing wrong. Going to a gym is supposed to be good for chronic pain. I was told by pain management to get exercise. Do you even know it was a VA investigator. I never heard of the VA doing that. It might be police drug unit from your city or county. Maybe there was drug activity at this gym. The VA catches people via IRS or drug screens. John999

Only three years! What can I get from these jerks I wonder. They did give me a higher seat on my toilet. They denied me a guitar because I could not justify that it would cure my mental illness. Am I just an ingrate?

If you get denied I would file a notice of disagreement and hire a lawyer. There is a lot at stake here. Your problem is that 18 years have passed since discharge. Since the C&P doctor opines that the schizophrenia is service connected I think you have a shot, but it is a rating officer that makes the decision not the doctor. I would not take NO for an answer on this.

Since you do have retirement pay you can afford to wait this out and appeal if you don't get what you thing you should get. Your effective date should be the day after discharge. I would think this will take some time 6-18 months is normal. As long as you have submitted the evidence and all claims you can only wait. Did you get a VCAA letter? If you are in treatment for all these problems stay in treatment at the VAMC. This will help document you continued problems.

Your VSO should request a copy. He should get the full copy and not the one the VA sends you. My lawyer has my true copy of my C-File and your VSO is your lawyer. I bet he/she is too lazy to read your file.

VA likes to play God. If you know something that may require a thunderbolt from on high. You got to tap dance and dazzle them with your knowledge and organization.

It sounds to me like you may be getting P&T and they have already made a decision. I was TDIU for a year and never got such a little book until I actually got P&T on appeal.

Is the VBA sending your for a PTSD C&P exam or is this something your VA doctor is doing? Have you filed a claim for PTSD? Unless you file a claim for PTSD this exam is not going to result in a rating for PTSD.

I don't know if I would volunteer information. I would not lie if asked about SSD or application for TDIU. Unless you are permanent and total I don't see why you can't get voc rehab. The way it works is that vets who get TDIU usually don't go back to work considering how bad off you have to be to get it. I have been on TDIU for almost ten years. When I got it I knew I would never be going back to work as I also had SSD.

If he had filed for schizophrenia within a year of discharge he would probably have been granted 100% in 1993. Did he file any claims for a mental condition within a year of discharge? The fact the military discharged him with no medical discharge does not surprise me. They probably suspected schizophrenia, but were trying to save money. I was discharged way back in 1971 for a personality disorder but I filed with the VA within one year of discharge for depression and schizhophrenia. This was because I was in treatment and was hospitalized. Even so I was low balled and have this decision on appeal right now via the concept of CUE. What happened to your husband happened to thousands of veterans. I think that after your husband is rated I would find a lawyer and see if their is any hope of getting some of that retro pay. Do you have a complete copy of this service medical records and the rest of his personnel file? It is a long shot but worth a look.

BVA declared to me that in no way can a problem with VCAA or duty to assist can be a CUE. If I suspected I had a CUE I would file for it and then if I lost I would go see if I could find a lawyer to take it. If you have doubts file the claim.

If you are a young guy or gal I would try and get schooling and collect TDIU if possible with hopes that I may be able to return to work one day. It may not be possible. If I were 23 years old I sure would not be looking forward to being on TDIU for the next 50 years. If I was 50 years old on TDIU I would be trying to get P&T since there is probably nothing out there for you unless you can be self-employed. Age discrimination is real. I got TDIU when I was 51 years old. There was no work out there for me in any sense of the world.

If you have a good PCP you can get fast referrals. At the same time you may wait for months. I got a bunch of expensive tests for my heart that helped me get a 60% rating after a crummy C&P exam. At the same time my dental care has been so bad I had to go to a private dentist and get VA work undone and pay to get it done right. For very basic care I think the VA is OK and provides care for many who would get nothing. At the same time I don't want brain surgery at the VA.

Can you request a specific VARO? If not you may end up at a worse VARO like St. Petersburg.

I see where the exam condition examined for is Parkinson's. I think this is probably OK. It may just be a standard form that examines for many neurolgical conditions. I would give it a chance and see what happens. The "reopen" part is probably just some idiot phrase the QTC riding on the form. If the VA thinks you are reopening it maybe you could get an EED based on Nehmer. I think I would just try and get SC for this and go from there. I know you are probably shell shocked from dealing with the VA, but just wait until you get a rating. My advice.

I have read reports that many combat vets and PTSD vets are depressed and have no idea that they are depressed. It shows up in actual physical adjustments. They tend to often be "slowed down". Depression can be a physical as well as mental condition. The most extream example if vegatative depression where the person just stops moving and eating. They don't cry or appear sad they just slow down to the state of a vegatable. If you have a severe and painful disability you probably have some depression just because of the impact this has on your life. I can't travel and go places I used to go due to physical pain and disability. I feel depressed about this often times.

Hey now you should investigate possible SMC for housebound.

If you have SC condition that is the cause of your pain and depression you need a shrink to make a secondary link for depression. This is one way to do it if you have no DX for depression while on active duty.

Explain your situation to TVC and maybe they can hook you up with another VSO in Nevada. You are going to have to make sure everyone knows about your change of address and talk to all parties involved to make sure they don't drop the ball. This may prolong your appeal or shorten it. I don't know because you are changing VSO's and RO's in the middle of an appeal. I don't recommend doing this but I know you must at times. Just don't assume everyone has the word until you verify it yourself.

If you let the appeal deadline lapse then you are stuck with the current date. There is no typical rating for bipolar. It depends on how disabled you are. Can you work? If you can't work due to bipolar then you should ask for TDIU. Have you been hospitalized for bipolar. What kinds and dosage of meds do you take? What are side effects. Are you able to maintain your relationships or does the bipolar drive people away? Do you have periods where you are out of control and have to be hospitalized against your will? These are the kinds of things that go into a rating especially if you are unable to hold a job.

This could start a real trend! A PTSD dog would be great since many PTSD suffers have a hard time going out in public by themselves.

Could it be stressor verification? That is what it used to be very often, but it may have changed. If you are asking for TDIU it could be employment verification. They may have lost your DD214. They lost mine. It could really be anything. You could ask if something is missing or if they are waiting for something.

Make sure they have your correct address. The VA changed my address a few months ago and sent my narcotics to some place in Maine. I live in Florida. Of course, the VA blamed me and swore I changed the address. I spent days getting that fixed and getting my meds. I get them by certified mail and they did not come on time. I got nothing but lame excuses from the pharmacy. The patient advocate was useless. I had a contact via my regular PCP and she got it fixed. I was fit to be tied. Your PCP can make things happen if you have a good one. I spent about two days at the VAMC getting things straightend out. I understand why people want nothing to do with depending on the VA for their meds. Some of us don't have much choice since we don't own an oil well.

You know if you are a Vietnam vet the chances are good you will die from AO related illness even if the illness is not on the list as of today. Next year it might be or ten years from now just like IHD. File! I am waiting for all cancers to end up on the list. I mean if it causes lung, prostate and many others why not all one day? File for the sake of your spouse.

That is a miracle for the VAMC to respond like that. I wait for days, and have to be on their ass all the time to get what I want. To get back on opioid program I had to call and go out to VAMC. I had to be so pro-active after being discharged from pain clinic. They just left me hanging. No refills for my pain meds and no future appointments. I had to do it all. Then more calls to renegotiate the refill dates so I would not run out. Now I go to civilian dentist in an hour because VA dentist screwed up a filling three times and I have lost faith in them.