Percy46

Filed for PTSD in early April, going to C & P in late May. My civilian shrink says they haven't even contacted his office for records. So I'll bring some documentation to the C&P, just in case I get a decent doc. I predict a CF.

I am presently rated 0% for chronic sinusitis with sinus headaches. My rating decision says " A noncompensable evaluation is granted unless there is evidence of one or two incapacitationg episodes per year of sinusitis requiring prolonged (lasting four to six weeks) antibiotic treatment, or three to six non-incapacitating episodes per year of sinusitis characterized by headaches, pain, and purulent discharge or crusting." I don't go to the doc for my sinuses but I take sinus meds and tylenol every day. I have the other symptoms as well. So my question is, how should I file for the increase? Wht documentation do I need? Should I go to the doc's office here locally for documentation, or can I just show a log of when I take over the counter meds, or should I drive all the way to my CBOC (30 miles away) to get documentation in my VA record before I file for increase? Thanks, Percy46

Had the same experience here. I had my first appointment with a psychologist for "treatment". The first thing he told me was that "only people from messed up backgrounds fall victim to mental disorders in service. So tell me what was your upbringing like?" When I wouldn't bite on that, he asked me questions but never once let me finish a sentence before interrupting me. He told me he does SS disability exams and what a cesspool they are, he told me the VA is treating them so mean lately because of the bad press, that I saw too many movies, he even intimated that I was a gold-digger. Then his treatment notes question whether I even need treatment and meds. SOBs, every one of them.

Good morning NavyWife, and thanks for the reply. I will reply to your points in order with bullets. I do it this way because I don't know how to use the quote function and I tend to ramble. So, I will do it this way to avoid confusion. 1. I was diagnosed with sleep apnea during service. 2. I am service connected (50%) for sleep apnea. 3. This are quotes from the polysomnography report signed by the director of the sleep lab at Portsmouth Naval Hospital: " Beck Depression Inventory: Abnormal, and suggestive of severe depression." " Impression: 1) OSA, with good response to CPAP. 2) Severe depression, by Beck screen." " Recommendation: 1) Consider psychiatry consult." 4. I think your idea with the statement is a good one. It can't hurt. 5. I just spoke to a rep from the civilian psychiatrist's office. She told me that even though VA hasn't requested my records yet, if I can provide them with a POC name and fax #, they will send my records to that person. She also is going to write a letter for me stating the dates of my treatment, what they were treating me for, etc., so I will have that letter in my hand at the C&P exam, along with my spouse letter, and my stressor letter. 6. I am going to speak to the people at my CBOC today about upgrading my ebenefits account so I can send records electronically. 7. The polysomnography report came to me in the mail after I was discharged. I don't know if it made it into my SMR because I just made my copies of my SMR before I turned it in during my outprocessing. So maybe I should request a copy of my SMR to see what they have? 8. The slam dunk claim thing was a joke, so I'm glad it amused. I know bureaucracies move slow and uncertain. :-) 9. Can you send me information on how to get this veteran information manual book? That sounds like a good book to have. Again, thank you for your reply. I appreciate the time you all spent helping me. Have a great day!

No, don't really have many VSO's around here. I met one who filed the paperwork for me, but that was it. After that, we traded emails once or twice but now he's MIA. There is a Mobile Service Office from the DAV that will be in my town on 2 June. I was thinking I might have to go see what they have to say. I hear it's not good to change VSO's during a claim but it can't be worse than having no VSO. Thanks for your help, and I will try to find someone else here in my area for advice. And like you I would really like to hear some other opinions.

Although PTSD is an anxiety disorder I would claim as well, OSA, and depression due to (secondary to) OSA. Sorry I'm not sure I understand what you meant by that. "Do you have any inservice evidence of the OSA?" I was on active duty when I first complained about this in Sept 1997. In fact, the primary doctor that I first saw for the sleep lab consult quoted my wife in his notes. And the sleep study was done at Naval Medical Center, Portsmouth, while I was on active duty. "The report does say good response to the CPAP but perhaps the depression is what the PTSD claim should be amended and changed to...." So, I may have better luck going with depression rather than PTSD, but it may not be a slam dunk because I didn't seek treatment within a year?

Good morning everybody! I read the above links and I found two old shipmates. I sent them messages, no response as yet. I heard you loud and clear on the "rosy personal life" thing. SO as I see it, the surgery is documented. The fire is documented, if the VA cares to look for proof. Or, I found a website that has public comments from America sailors commenting about multiple fuel leaks and fires being a problem. If I can use those comments, that would be documented. But I have no proof of my freak-out because it wasn't documented in my SMR. Maybe they didn't think it was serious, or they just wanted to get on with the day and it didn't get done. Whatever. There were other incidents as well, but again, documentation is the problem. I was on the ship and incidents happened, but no lasting documentation exists. The thing is, on a ship, everyone is cross trained to do a number of things and they have different duties depending on the emergency. All that is recorded on a Watch, Quarter and Station Bill. Our WQSB was just a grease board hanging in the chief's office. That kind of documentation is long gone. So if I don't get Buddy Letters I'm done. So I would like to ask for opinions about amending my claim to SC for depression and anxiety, or filing a claim for depression and anxiety secondary to sleep apnea? Here's why I ask this: My polysomnography report reads: "IMPRESSION: 1) OSA, with good response to CPAP. 2) Severe depression, by Beck screen." "RECOMMENDATION: 1) Consider psychiatry consult. 2) Further management per ENT clinic." That report was dated 29 Jun 1998. I got discharged 4 Jul 1998. I got the report and the scrip for the CPAP in the mail after I got out. I started to see the civilian shrink either just more than a year or just less than a year after I separated. If I'm not mistaken, if vets get civilian treatment within a year or two years post separation it's easier to get things SC'ed. What do you all think?

Thanks for the replies, USMC_HVEQ, NavyWife, and Berta. I thought proof would have to be official documents, like the deck logs. I do have my SMR and my Personnel file on microfiche. I used the SMR to get the date of the surgery and the fire so I could request the deck log for that day. My personnel file shows my dates of service on the America (1990 - 1993). My wife has written a statement, and I am working on one as well. That's hard to write, but it will be done by 29 May. OK, so maybe I'm not in such bad shape as I thought. And I can use the history sites and my cruise book from 1990 - 1991? The cruise book cites America operating in mined waters (four mines in our operating area destroyed), destroying a Silkworm missile battery after a Silkworm was fired at USS Missouri, and one of our planes destroying an armed Iraqi Gunboat. The problem is, I wasn't involved directly in any of that combat. So does being on the ship during the war cruise count? Should I write about personal things that were stressing me as well? I was a newlywed (married 11 July, 1990) with a toddler and one on the way. My mom got breast cancer. In a way I think it's not PTSD, but just that so many stressful things were happening so fast I kind of overloaded. I don't know. Thanks again for the replies and ideas and I look forward to hearing any feedback from you or anyone else who cares to weigh in.

WaStvet, As my wife told me when I said the same thing, "You can't change the past, you just got to get on with the future." Good luck!

I have a problem that I hope someone can help me with. It's kind of long, but I'm trying to put out as much info as I can. I filed for PTSD in late March of this year due to some incidents that happened during my time on USS America from 1990 to 1993, including service in the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf during Desert Shield and Desert Storm. The root incident was this: (And what I say here is not totally from my memory of it. It's partly memory and partly being told about it later) I reported aboard America in mid July 1990. In mid August I had to have an inguinal hernia surgery done on the ship. The day of the surgery, I was sleeping off the drugs when a fire started in the main machinery room beneath the sick bay. So I woke up to Corpsmen yanking me out of bed and sticking me in a wheelchair for "evacuation" to the forward mess decks. I freaked out. I was yelling, kicking my feet and just anything to wake up. A corpsman or somebody came over and kind of calmed me down, but I was really scared that since I was drugged and couldn't defend myself, I could die. After that, I would be uncomfortable (nervous, sweating, irritable on days when drills were in the P.O.D.) during all the fire and GQ drills because I would think about all the sealed doors between me and the outside of the ship, if worse came to worst. I never reported to sick call because I didn't want to be a wimp. I did my job and dealt with it. But preparing for a combat cruise, there were a lot of drills, and a few real fires. The GQ drills sucked. So I got myself assigned to a Battle Dressing Station on the flight deck. At least there I was only one door from sunlight. So that's how I spent my three years aboard. That stayed with me through the rest of my time in the Navy, even after I left the ship and went to shore duty. I ended up getting out in 1998 because the Navy was starting to talk about putting me on another ship. My wife knew something was wrong, but I wouldn't go to sick call about THAT. I just told people I didn't want to deal with the separation from my family again so I was getting out. My wife knew it was bull, she knew I wasn't right and she tried to get me to open up to someone, but I wouldn't do it. I did, however, get diagnosed with sleep apnea and GERD on active duty, for which I'm collecting VA compensation (60%). I also got 0% SC for a few other things like chronic sinusitis and scars. All of this cropped up after Desert Storm. After I got out I started to see a civilian psychiatrist, in 1999 or maybe 2000, but I was a terrible patient. I wouldn't talk about what bothered me or take the meds half the time so the treatment was doomed to failure. Finally in March of this year I decided I was going to start dealing with this situation. During my annual physical with my PCP in early April, I told her I wanted to see a shrink. I had my first appointment with him last week, and I have my first session with a therapist on the 14th. Now I just checked healthevet and I have a C & P exam on May 29th. I'm amazed and kind of scared that my C&P is so soon. I don't have any proof of my claim. The surgery is in my med record but nothing about the incident post surgery. I thought I would have time to look for a buddy who could write a statement or even get a copy of the deck log from that date to prove the fire happened. Actually, I don't even have a diagnosis of PTSD. The civilian was treating me for depression and anxiety. But even though I signed releases for those records can the VA get them in time. Now I don't know what to do. Any Ideas?