john999

There is something called co-morbidity which means usually that your combined conditions make your entire condition worse. Depression is a very common symptom of PTSD. Even if you only get DX for depression you can get 100% for that. If you can't work due to bouts of depression that is evidence for TDIU at least. You don't have to be DX'ed with PTSD to get TDIU or 100% from the VA for a mental condition. First the VA DX'ed me with Schizophrenia when I first went to the VA in 1972. Later it was changed to Bipolar. Then MMD and then back to schizophrenia. Finally, they just threw it all at the wall and rated me 70% TDIU. The DX is not so important. The army shrink DX'ed me as a personality disorder because I would not call him "Sir" and called him doctor instead. The best way to get a higher rating once you are SC is to get an IME/IMO. John

If a vet has a documented head injury and there are any possible symptoms of TBI I think he/she should file a claim. Medical science is in its infancy regarding TBI. I did read a report in the National Geographic discussing blast concussion and the military and VA don't even understand it. Often the only way to tell about subtle damage to the brain is an autopsy. My father-in-law was concussed in WWII. After he was discharged he had epilepsy. The marines denied him a medical retirement even though he spent 6 months in a military hospital. They said he was all well and kicked him out because of his unusual behavior after he got out of he hospital. VA denied him anything and he just got worse and worse. I only knew him in the last few years of his life and I tried to help but he and his family were no help because they were ashamed of his problems. John

Are you working? I have a combined rating for emotional disorders that includes just about everything in the book. The VA does not care so much about your DX as they do the way it affects your ability to work and to live as a social being. Mainly, it is your ability to work. You can be as crazy as Daffy Duck but if you work 40 hours a week and make a decent living you are probably never going to get a rating above 50% for a mental/emotional disorder. I know a guy who was on SSDI for his PTSD and the VA kept him at 50% until he filed for an increase. He wasn't really working but just doing odd jobs. He has the worst anxiety attacks I ever saw but worked for himself fixing docks in Florida. He reported nothing.

I can tell you that the real reason for the denials was for not showing up for the C&P exams. Are you a combat vet and have any combat medals, badges or ribbons? If you were the reasoning for the denial of PTSD is bogus. One thing is that once you file your NOD you can hire a lawyer to help you. The most important thing is to show up for the exams and if denied to file a NOD. You might be able to agree to come in and take the exams and ask the VA to take a second look.. However, you must file a NOD within one year of this decision regardless of what else happens. If there is one dot you don't agree with file the NOD and include every condition you claimed. The fact I did not file a NOD in 1973 probably cost me a could of hundred grand over the years. Also, you should go to the VA for treatment of all you claimed SC conditions. This will set you up for evidence for appeals and goes along with Chronicity and continuity of your disabilities. John

I was dx'ed with PN in hands and feet. The C&P's were done by a neurologist and internist. The neurologist said the PN was secondary to my DMII. The internist said only the feet were secondary to the DMII. Who did the VA believe.....why the internist of course. I got the hands on appeal at 10% each.

I agree about preserving your EED on ratings so I would file all at once.

If you have a SC condition and the rating is not permanent as in 20 year SC I would at least get treated for it at the VA to show continuity and chronicity of your SC symptoms. This is also a good way to show that your condition is getting worse or at least static as in P&T ratings. You can get treated for it outside the VA as well, but show up for some sort of treatment at the VA. I see a VA shrink even though I get my real care from private doctor. The same goes for all my SC conditions. VA recently said I had had a heart attack. I hot footed it to my private cardiologist and had a stress test. He told me I had not had a heart attack and it was a false positive. I am not telling the VA that I did not have a heart attack. Let them believe their own bad medical science. I wonder if I am already rated 60% for CAD and the VA says I have had a heart attack as indicated by their own testing if I should ask for an increase? I am not that greedy since I already get "S" unless I could get a higher rate of SMC. I am sitting at about total plus 80% now. If my P&T becomes real P&T that would be just fine in about 6 more years. John

I got a letter from the VA Hospital today dunning me and my insurance company for treatment of "drug abuse". I am treated by the VA for chronic pain and am in the Opiate Program. As a result the VA states that I am being treated for "drug abuse" and wants me to sign a form acknowledging this lie and wants to recover money from my insurance company. Of course, I am not signing a thing. I am outraged that the VA would twist my treatment records to come up with a DX of drug abuse because I am treated for chronic pain which is service connected for my feet and hands, at least. I called the VA hospital and someone in billing told me that the only thing I was SC for was "depression". They forgot the DMII, PN in all four limbs, CAD and chronic pain. The VA refused to give me the dental care I required and now they want me to pay for treatment of nonexistent drug abuse. They must be on drugs. They expect me to sign off on a DX of drug abuse and submit this to my insurance company? I call it the destruction of my reputation and character. This is SOP for these bastards. John

Clonazepam is one of the safest drugs there is for anxiety. I got the same song and dance from the VA about using opioids and clonazepam at the same time. I never went beyond the dosages and I had no problem. The VA has caused me many problems because they would not prescribe drugs to help me stay awake because of OSA. If I fall asleep and crash and die on the way to the VA is that a better outcome than taking Adderall? For the VA it probably is a better outcome with one more vet in the ground. John

What is the standard form for a NOD these days?

This will make it harder for older and less educated vets.

The rotten smell you thought was a glue factory is coming from your local VARO and VAMC. A very strong disinfectant is in order.

If you don't appeal in a timely manner it is very hard to overcome the VA. No matter what reason you have the VA will just claim you had ample opportunity to appeal even if you are on your deathbed, and they send you appeal rights to Russia, or ISIL.

In my county in Florida you have to be P&T but you can also get it if you are on SSDI. John

The VA is a system designed to fail! Planned failure is cheaper than granting benefits and services. We get old and die and the VA lives on doing their dirty work as sanctioned by both parties in congress and the Prez whoever that is at the present. The benefits system fails as does the medical system and the G.I. Bill does not pay enough to support a rabbit.

The VA is a scandal! Fee base is a scandal and so is that new program for vets who live more than 40 miles from a VA hospital or clinic.

There is a disease where people are unable to sleep. It is fatal. Who knows why except we need sleep. I have insomnia and I know it has a number of causes. Some are physical and some due to long use of certain drugs for anxiety etc. If you take any kind of downer when you stop taking it you will get rebound insomnia and it can last for weeks. Heroin addicts when they are getting off the junk have insomnia. The body speeds up to cope with the opiate in the system and when the opiate or downer drug is taken away it takes time for the body to slow down. Thus insomnia and all the other symptoms. I would say myself don't take sleep aides. Better to get little sleep than to become dependent on these sleep meds because they do stop working in two weeks and then you get rebound when you stop taking them. John

There is a surgery that implants a device in your chest, side and throat which treats OSA with electric impulses while you sleep. It is called Inspire Upper Airway Stimulation. It reduced my number of apneas from 50 an hour to 10-17. This is a vast improvement and I don't snore like I used to snore. I still have sleep issues but the Inspire device makes the cpap look like medieval history. The only thing I have is a hand held device that activates the implant in my chest. It tightens up my throat and moves my tongue out of the way so I can breath. I still might be able to use a cpap but I just can't stand them. The thing with OSA besides getting compensated is living. OSA can shorten your life if not treated plus you feel like crap all the time. The other surgeries for OSA usually end up with you back on the Cpap. John

If vets who get SSDI or SSA over 65 lost TDIU it would create a bombshell of appeals. I get "S" based on being Total plus 60%. My total is based on TDIU. My wife gets ChampVA based on my being P&T which is based on TDIU. I get a total tax exemption based on being TDIU P&T. I get vision and dental care based on TDIU. My wife is entitled to DIC based on TDIU for the last ten years. If the congress pulls such a stunt I would be shocked, but I am not shocked that they would consider it. Many in congress hate so-called entitlement programs and they consider VA benefits as an entitlement just like Welfare. I can survive if such a thing happened, but I would sure be mad as hell, and would create many hardships for me and my wife. Many vet spouses would be left in the cold, and I do think it would create a fire storm of protest. At least I hope it would. I was forced out of work at age 51 and have been on SSDI since then. I have lost my opportunity for a better SSA package and pension as has my wife due to our belief that TDIU would be there. I don't expect such a radical change, but if it comes I will be protesting even if I have to get arrested. As a Vietnam vet I should be used to being sold out. John

When I have very crucial evidence for the VA I hand deliver it and get it date stamped. I trust them not at all. I have two claims in with Fee Base right now and the claims have just disappeared. I am getting my congressman on the case. I called worthless Patient Advocate...yawn. Fee Base has disposed of claims for compensation before by throwing them in the trash and they admitted it !!!! I got paid for dental work they should have done once before and I am at it again. Due to substandard and non existent care I paid over $14,000 in dental costs. They finally Fee Based me out to a crooked dentist who did not even do the procedures they billed the VA for and VA just shrugs it off as "My bad". If you get a Fee base dentist be warned that these guys often are looking into your mouth as a cash register. This dentist I went to wanted to do five crowns including my two front teeth which are just fine. John

The VA mailed a copy of my decision and appeal rights to the wrong address and it was returned as "Addressee Unknown". Does the VA have Presumption of Regularity? This is in court as we speak. It has been said that since I received compensation I should have known a decision was made and should have filed an appeal. This was in 1973. Let your mind dwell on the VA in 1973 and how *&&^%$ they were. They simply refused to look at my evidence, gave me a low ball rating and then sent the decision to the wrong address. Then they say I had every avenue of appeal and did not timely appeal. How do you win in such a situation? I was just 21 years old and knew nothing about the VA shilly shally. My doctor said I was 100% and the VA said 10% disabled. Of course, the VA just totally ignored my doctor's explicit statement. No problem because in those days they did not have to list any of the evidence they used in a decision. I would like to win just for spite since I don't need the money, but I would like 30 years of retro. John

A good IMO/IME can turn night into day! That is if they read it. In my first claim in 1972 they did not even read my IME. No problem! Just pretend it did not exist, and send my appeal rights to wrong address. This case has been working it way through appeals for 8 years and it now at real Court. I will lose I know it. All they do is to see if they VA &&&^%$ me good and proper according to their perverted rules at Court of Vet Appeals. John

An NP did my cardiac C&P some years ago. It was the most incompetent exam I ever had at the VA, and I have had some bad ones over the decades. I got 60% on appeal after getting a 0% rating due to the NP exam. I got more evidence from the VA. I don't even understand how the VA interpreted the evidence, but I got a decent rating. I have never had a decision good or bad that really makes sense. Don't give up. John

Maybe go to VA PTSD group and go also a therapist who is private. These VA doctors don't have time for you and change all the time. You need a long term relationship with a therapist. VA is ok for getting PTSD DX, but not for treatment IMO. I have seen a private psychologist for years. He runs rings around the VA. John

There goes my childhood. I watched the original series. Remember the first pilot which was about returning the original captain of the Enterprise to that weird planet ruled by the illusionists? I remember Spock playing bad guys in Highway Patrol on TV. He was a skinny, sinister thug with a switchblade. How unlike his real personality. Shatner is doing OK with the ads on TV although he is fat as hell. I remember him from Twilight Zone with the gremlins on the airplance. John