john999

I know the frustration since I had records of knee pain in basic training and about 5 months of psychiatric treatment at HAAF before I was discharged. None of these records ever showed up in my SMR's. I re-requested these HAAF records just recently. I think these records were destroyed at HAAF is my hunch.

If you knew all of that would you ever have enlisted? MacDill AFB a few miles from my home is a toxic clean-up site. Maybe it has leaked into the ground water all the jet fuel and other stuff from SAC and Central Command over the decades? God knows what exposures people on base and off base have received over decades.

I think the VA is on a hiring binge. The joint is probably in chaos as John says. They advertise on the military channel for medical personnel all the time, and even pay a bounty for current doctors who bring other doctors to work for the VA. Of course, they still may cut off your leg when you go to the ER for a sore throat. I have missed two C&P exams in the past. One the doctor did not show up, and they blamed me and denied my claim. The other I never got a notice, and they denied my claim. I got it right eventually. This is why I am paranoid and hate society. The VA did it to me. I used to just be crazy.

Betty Do you still have a claim in for retro? You did the almost impossible before, so I expect you are still at it.

I worked for the US Postal Service. They have to hire disabled vets. They asked about my disability. I had to bring them a letter from the VA. On the letter it said 10% for a "nervous disorder". The guy in personnel asked if I was too nervous to work 12 hours a day. Then he laughed and said "you look nervous". I wanted to hit him, but then I would have missed out on fabulous career as a mule for the US government. Hippa won't allow such information nowadays. I do think that if a regular employer knows you have PTSD or some such disorder you will be discriminated against for employment by hook or by crook.

If you have a back problem go to a doctor for an opinion who is an orthopedist or neurologist. If you use a PT the VA can very easily use any MD to blow the PT's opinion out of the water. MD's are God at the VA even the ones who speak Hindi, or some version of English never heard except on a remote island in the South Seas (Easter Island).

You can use the IRIS system via the VA, or you can call the VARO every month or so to check up. Really, it is a black hole and you must wait. Just make sure you can document that you filed the claim and evidence.

When I first filed for IU I made many mistakes that came back to bite me in the ass. This was because I just did not understand how the VA really operated. If I could have hired a lawyer to avoid these costly mistakes it would have been a bargain. Many lawyers have doctors they send patients too for opinions. You can bet they get value for their money. I had to wing it, and some of my doctors made minor mistakes that the VA used to deny me. It was because the system was a mystery to all of us at the time.

If you have severe depression you should probably be getting medications. A psychiatrist should prescribe for you. The VA is sending you to a social worker to save money. Psychologists they hire don't even need a license.

Often these DX'es are interchangeable depending on who examines you. The Army said I had a personality disorder because they did not want to pay for a medical pension. The VA DX'ed Schizophrenia within one year of discharge. Years later they changed it to bi-polar. Then it became MDD. When I got IU it went back to schizophrenia. In the case of almost any MH problem besides PTSD you have to have something in your records to indicate some symptoms or actions that might indicate a mental disorder. Getting the claim in within a year of service is absolutely crucial. That is what got me my SC even if it was just 10% and a low ball rating it got my foot in the door. You can believe the military will discharge personnel who have major symptoms as being perfectly fine in order to avoid liability. I was in a military mental hospital for two months and they denied me any medical discharge except a personality disorder discharge.

The PA's are just information gathers. The exam is supposed to have a doctor sign off on it. It is a racket. Did the PA order up an EMG or any other tests. I would do as Pete has said. Be ready to get an IMO if the VA exam is BS. You can go to VA website and see what is required for a PN C&P in way of tests. When I had mine it was just pin prick test. "Stab.....did you feel that?"

When you go for your C&P exam stick to facts. Stay on track regarding the incident that caused your ptsd and how it affects your life now. If you start raving about senators and the VA your claim will trickle down the drain. All they are interested in is the medical evidence, your symptoms and your credibility. If you start to cry, shake, tremble that is OK. Just stick to facts of your claim. For God sakes don't be late or miss the exam.

Get a lawyer who does VA Claims. If you decide to go to the BVA you are going to need more help than some dumb VSO. Have you ever gotten your own private medical opinion for an increase. Depending on the VA to grant increases is putting all your eggs in their rotten basket.

Heck, the VA bills my BC/BS for everything including treatments for SC condtions and even for C&P exams. I complain as TestVet has said and nothing happens. I can't say what I would like to do to the VA and their crooked bunch of administrators. I have gone to patient advocate many times and zip. They told me I should be happy the VA is getting extra money.

I was 30% when I applied for IU. I got 70% later and IU still denied. Another IMO and I got my IU. My effective date went back to the date when I had 30% and filed for IU.

If you are going to file for IU you should get your own private doctor to write a report saying you can't work due to established service connected problems. Don't rely on the VA or military for this.

Is this a C&P exam or just a visit with a psychologist?

CM File your claim to protect your effective date. This will give them, or you time to find your military records. One thing you might do is see if you can contact buddies from your outfit to swear that you were with them. You might be able to find your outfit on an internet website and be able to verify you were there. You need some sort of record of service to win a claim. Do you have a DD214? That proves you served. I don't think vets with military records win their claims the first time in many cases.

If you are going to file a claim why risk the 800# when you can just fill out a letter and send it certified mail/return receipt and be sure that there is some record. To file a claim by calling the 800 number is risking that claim vanishing into the blue. If it a claim for an increase all you need is three or four lines on paper. I have never heard of anyone filing an original claim with the VA via the 800 number. Maybe Iris and maybe not. How about downloading the Statement in Support of Claim form and using it at least as your cover sheet with a signed and sworn statement from the vet or his representative.

Why would your lawyer waive a hearing? A hearing is where you get to present your evidence and arguments to a DRO. Also, the things like family disruption, mood disorder and social isolation need to be linked to your PTSD. Otherwise, they could be seen as NSC issues that are the reason for your distress. Everything in a medical report to get IU for PTSD or any SC condition needs to make the link between the SC conditions and your inability to work. You also want to have the doctor rule out other NSC things that might be related to your inability to work. I went throught that deal. IU must be soley SC conditions.

You do need to stay in treatment and use the VA just to show you are still "with the program". The VA consideres that if you are not in treatment then you are either getting well or you are well. I am IU for 9 years. I still go to my VA shrink even though their is nothing they can do for me except document that I still have symptoms.

Ol,Man You know I think I have a PTSD stressor. A dog handler lost control of his dog one night on guard duty. I was asleep inside a bunker. The dog jumped into the bunker with me. I woke up looking into the deep black eyes of what looked like a wolf. I about wet myself. The dog guy got his animal under control before it ate me. These kinds of things happened so often it makes me wonder who the real dangerous people were in Nam, us or the enemy. The dog handlers had the worst job walking around the small air base I was at. FNG's would sometimes fire at them by mistake. It was pitch black out there and you would hear the dog handler coming very slowly towards your bunker calling out to make sure he did not get shot by one of his own. The would stick guys out there with their M-16 and not even tell them to expect a dog handler to come by at 2am on his rounds.

Bob I just made application to try and track down some SMR's that I have been unable to find for 40 years. I had about 15 outpatient shrink sessions when I was at HAAF near Ft Stewart during 1971. They have never showed up in my records for my original claim. I just want to see what that SOB psychiatrist said about me that allowed the army to discharge me as being unsuitable 6 months before my enlistment was done. I served 30 months of a three year enlistment and when I started to have problems out I went. I got it turned around within a year, but I still think I got screwed.

Do you have any non service connected disabilites that were mentioned in your C&P exam? The VA clings to these kinds of things to deny IU claims. Did you claim IU. You have to claim it to get it usually. I got a 70% rating, but the VA rang me up on NSC issues to say I was unemployable due to those issues. You got to stick to SC issues for IU. All being said, that C&P exam from what you wrote sounds good enough to get IU for PTSD. I would appeal and ask for a DRO Personal Hearing. It would not hurt to get a IMO in the meantime. You are paying for the IMO, so it better support your IU claim for PTSD. You don't have to share it with the VA, but if you pay for it then it should be good evidence for you. Let's be realistic. You are not paying for an exam that says your PTSD is mild.

halos Chances are you did not get your entire c-file. I found out that I only got about half my file when I had a BVA hearing. The BVA judge had this huge file. Me and my lawyer had about 1/3 that much material that was supposed to be my complete file. We were already being denied due process at step One. In any sort of legal procedure both sides are supposed to have access to the same material. Not at the VA I guess. They do legal and adminsitrative stuff the old fashioned way....they cheat and lie and misrepresent. Those who work at the VA are our servants. In fact, the janitor at the VA has more rights than we vets.