silverdollar22

I guess I'm confused on this subject can anyone un-confuse me .Will it be pyramided?

John, I do not have a Private doctor anymore. I had one for 12 years after saying to myself "I'd never go to the VA again" back in 1995 when I got out. But as of 3 yrs. ago my private doc said to go back to the VA because" the care had gotten so much better", LOL!!! Well I listened and it did'nt to make a long story short. I guess I still could use him but, then I'd have to doc bills to deal with and i'm not sure how my insyrance would look at tthat two doctors, (BCBS)! Since Obama Care my deductable has gone from $1,000.00 to $3,000.00 and can't really afford two docs with two sets of test and x-rays and MRI's to deal with. I'm hopeing that this ends up to be good but if it doesn't then I'll have to reach out to whoever I can to get results. This is just a thought and please take it as so but, do you think the VA system is set up so they have a denial doctor and a give em what they want doctor? This thought struck me as iI have had plenty of time to think about stupid junk like this!! Could there be GO doctors and NO-GO doctors in the system and they use them when it behoves them? Any comments on this thought? Eric

Congratulations on the victory!!! Keep us posted.

Thanks , I'm not even sure sure how to interpert this exam at all. All I know is that from what most people says on this forum and it did prepare me for the worst which did'nt happen, this Doctor was contrary to what he should have done. I guess that could work in my favor if i get denied or if my ROM is'nt what it should be. I could challange his numbers because of not following protacall and using the goinometer. I did'nt even see a computer in this place and he just jotted down some notes on paper. Well, I guess I'll have to wait and see now. Thanks again for the reassurance and hope!!!! Eric

Well, finally got my C&P yesterday and my mouth is still hanging open. Started off in the not so nice part of the city and while sitting in the parking area i thought to myself this is not going to be good after what was posted about this doc on the internet. After waiting for 25 min. to go back to the exam room (and noticing the clientel that was entering his office) I thought accident doctor. When i got into the exam room it was stark to say the least with only an exam table and sink and unfinished counter, oh, and 3 full boxes of exam robes. When the doc came in he was plesent but to the point. He asked me if I filled out the QTC DBQ and i said yes and asked if he would like to look at my last MRI. He said that would'nt be necessary and ask me to lay down on the table. When I could'nt because of the pain from the hump in the table he said just sit up. He tested my reflexes of my knees and had me do the resistence test with both legs and then told me to get up and walk for him. I took 3 steps and he told me to bend forward. I asked him "till it starts to hurt and he said yea" I told him it already hurts and bent to about 20% and stoped and he said ok have a seat. He then said i was finished and to go for x-rays. I asked him what he thought and he replyed "i won't know till i look at the x-rays. He then made the comment " I don't know how your able to work and that he felt sorry for me because he hurt his back and knows what i'm going through". That's it. Nothing like i was expecting. I was ready to scream when I got out the front door!!! No DBQ questions, no thingie to mesure my ROM, No nothing!!! I figure it's going to be all or nothing with this guy. Has anyone else experanced anything like this? WOW. Eric

Question, and mabe am misunderstanding what i am reading, but i thought that the center segment of the spine the thoracic vertebrae were combined with the lumbar vertebrae but what i read here from( §4.45 The joints the cervical vertebrae, the dorsal vertebrae, and the lumbar vertebrae, are considered groups of minor joints, ratable on a parity with major joints). What does this mean? Are these rated seperate or together? I'm asking because now my T-12-L-1 is herniated can this be rated seperate? By the way thanks for the last minuite stuff!!! Eric

Thanks for the tip Navy, Just wrote down all the symptoms I could think of and made two copies. Anything I should stress to the doctor about trying to get my other knee service connected other than the obvious (putting all the weight from my other leg on left one now and aquired limp from my other leg and back pain)? The VA has already said that there is dammage to the knee but is not service related or no record of that knee in my SMR. But this knee is hurting worse than my other bad knee now. Any last minute help would be really appreciated

Well I've waited 13 months for this and tomorrow is the day. Can't say I'm looking forward to this but with all the reading and research I've done here I guess I'm as ready as can be!! This is for my 6 Herniated discs, arthritis and DDD and left knee to try to get service connection because of my bad right knee and back.

Be thankful it moved!!! Sit back and relax the worst part is over

I have found the answer to my own question by doing reasearch here which i should have done first. Sorry!! The answer is that the c&p exam is to determine if my problem is connected, RIGHT? So to sum up my question, the C&P doctor is going to be able to write a nexus on my problem, favorable or not. CORRECT? Sorry for the premature post!

I have another question. Can a C&P doctor write a nexus for you stating that something is more than likely caused by another problem? I recently found out that my right knee problem was deamed compensatable in my last rateing but denied because of no service connection, even though my claim is for service connection because of my bad left knee and my bad back. Can this doctor do this or should i try a different avenue? Ie. civilian doctor, My VA doctor or chiropractor.

Thanks Navy and PR, I don't have to do anything but to tell the truth, my MRI, Xray and Medical records speak for themselves. I just hope this Doctor isn't as bad as they rate him. I just want to be sure about something: I'm in pain constantly, so when they tell me to stop on the pain in my ROM test do I just not move? How would you do this? I'm confused!!!

I have been given an appt. through a company called QTC. I was able to do some research on the doctor. Come to find out that he has a terible rating and one of the comments on this guy was "he didn't even let me talk or ask any questions"!! If this happens what should i do? Hopefully he was having a bad day with these other people. But my main concern is that first of all my name was wrong on the QTC form (put middle name instead of first name) and they only listed two of my contentions and one of them is wrong. I claimed right knee condition secondary to my left knee condition and they put right knee condition secondary to low back pain with minimal degenerative changes of left sacroillac joint. Should i be worried or is this normal? Also they put reopen and this should be new on my right knee. Are they going to base the rest of my contentions ( Spinal Stenosis (affecting both legs) (New), Degenerative Arthritis (left hip) (New), Degenerative Arthritis (Lumbar spine) (New), Intervertebral Disc Syndrome (New). on the ROM from this C&P for Lumbar DDD secondary to low back pain with minimal degenerative changes of left sacroilliac joint? Thanks, Eric

Wow, Thanks for sharing and careing so much about others. It says alot about you and your personality!!! I hope everyone gets the same treatment you recieved because they deserve it. Way to go.

Don't let them kid you bud, to determine the condition of your back they should use any means possible to help you, to include an MRI. I have a bad back also and all I had to do was to request an MRI through my primary VA doctor and she scheduled one for me. Now it took 3 months to get one but i was given one. I also have DDD and six buldging discs and this would be the only way to determine the severity of your condition. If you have to go over his head or request a different doc. Don't let them give you anything less than the best care possible!!!! Eric

Congratulations on the win.

Congratulations. Like you said, NEVER give up!!!!

I recieved a letter stating that i would be scheduled for a C&P from an outside examiner. Will this show up online? If not is there anyway to find out in advance what the dates will be? This will be my first time with anyone else other than the va so I don't have a clue how this works. Thanks

Thanks man, I do have BCBS from work and can see a private doctor. Until i joined this site i did'nt know that i could use my old civilian doctor to help my claims. I will request to see a neurosurgeon from my VA doctor and see what happens. If that is going to take to long i'll go the other route. Sometimes i just feel like giving up on this whole mess. It feels good to talk about this to someone other than my wife because she says i'm obsessed with my back. She is clueless about the pain!!!

Great news!!!

I hate to beat a dead horse but, is their anything else I should be claiming with refferance to my back MRI? I'm fileing for Degenerative Disc Disease of Back (secondary to: low back pain with minimal degenerative changes of left sacroiliac joint) (Secondary), Spinal Stenosis (affecting both legs) (New), Degenerative Arthritis (left hip) (New), Degenerative Arthritis (Lumbar spine) (New), Intervertebral Disc Syndrome (New). I think I found everything or should I also claim Joint pain? If I did would it just be lumped up with all the rest? I think I'm doing this right but if you could help I would appreaciate it!!!

Way to go man!! Another Victory in the books. Hope I'll be psoting a victory next!!!

Hope things work out for you.

Thanks for all the responces. I still work everyday because I have a family to support and every day I'm in pain. The worst thing about that is, the nurse at the plant where i work at says that i can't take any of the pain or mussle relaxers that the VA perscribed for me. I don't know how much more I can take of this without some kind of relief. I hope I at least get 40% but that won't be enough to get me out of here. I'll still have to work! Is their anything else that would help me get a higher rating? I'm thinking of telling my doc about my depression problems that i've been having dealing with this pain and the fact that i really can't do crap anymore. We'll see!! So the 40% you think I might recieve is for my back including my legs with the pain running down them together? I'm getting desperate and scared. Thanks

Thanks, After my last C&P when I pushed past the pain in my ROM, and now that i've found this forum, I know all about my ROM. But with very little movement now and my MRI should'nt they consider all of it together, even without DR. perscribed bedrest, and give me a rating on my pain and six buldging disks alone? Please tell me what should i be concerned with in my claim process now that i'm being scheduled for a C&P? You mentioned Codes. How do i find out what my Diagnostic codes are and what would be the big difference in them? Also, If i'm not mistaken, each leg can be rated seperate for numbness and pain right? Thanks for the reply and help. Eric