benanna

I hope someone here can help me with dealing my own health crisis right now. I have just been diagnosed and confirmed with cancer in my GI. I have also been diagnosed with Anemic. My current symptoms are loose of appetite, constant nausea, very low energy. My primary care doctor can only offer me addictive pain killer for my extreme lower back pain, and anti-depressant drug for helping with my appetite and nausea. Both of these toxic drugs don't work and it will do me more harm taking them. I am now having to resort medical marijuana to help me with these terrible symptoms, and medical marijuana is working very well with improving my appetite, manage the nausea and back pain. The problem is I can't get it through the Florida VA system. I do know there are other states, such as New Mexico and Arisona whom the VA system in both these states do provide medicinal marijuana for veterans whom are suffering. With regards to medical marijuana, there should be one uniformed policy that covers all states throughout our union. Veterans must have access to medical marijuana regardless of what states they live in. This is not about recreational use but 'life and death' situations for veterans suffering from PTSD, SC disabilities, as well as other illnesses. Additionally, veterans should be able to allow to go outside the VA health care system to seek 'alternative' medical care for their illnesses, such as IV vitamin/supplement therapy to help boost their immune system when fighting the cancer, which the VA does not provide. The only thing my primary care doctor is offering me with my cancer is chemotherapy. I know chemotherapy will only makes matter worse. There are alternaive medical care in dealing with cancer and the VA must allow veterans to go outside the system to seek alternative cures for their illnesses. If not, what good is it to constantly say we care about the veterans? I hope someone here who can get me any direct correspondence contact so I can relate this message to Mr. McDonald.

good advise to file on line, but to firm it up faster is go visit your DAV rep. They have direct access to your VARO which makes it a step faster if you were to do it yourself online. I have had the same result with another issue earlier which my DAV rep took care of expediently, whereas if I had done it myself online, it probably would have taken a bit longer for a response.

I am rated at 40% SC and got married back in August, 2014. Immediately following the marriage I filled for dependent benefit. I thought at the time that it would automatically be attach to my current appeal. I filed the proper form with my DAV rep and waited until December of 2014 still didn't see any movement on the spousal claim. Just before December, I got a letter from VARO requesting I clarify about my adult children. I took the letter down to my DAV rep office, she immediately got online directly and answered their request right there and then. I began receiving my first spousal support money in January, 2015. Meanwhile, I am still waiting for answer to my appeal. I suggest applying for your spousal benefit with your DAV rep in person, if possible. Good luck!

Worth noting that there are many many Vietnam war sailors who were directly effected by being in Da Nang harbor and not aware of agent orange exposure, especially if they were stationed on board amphibious ships such as LSD, LPD, LST, etc. These kinds of ships has a ballast up/ballast down well deck which is basically a launching pad for all the landing crafts that went into the inland waterways in Vietnam. If the landing crafts were contaminated with Agent Orange, so did the mother ships. For instance, the USS Hermitage (LSD) was in operation around the Da Nang harbor during the early 70s, and this ship have since been listed as contaminated ships.

Good documentation is essential in attempt to get SSDI, especially if an attorney is not involved but it's definitely doable. I DID and saved myself the money to the lawyer. It definitely helps if one is already receiving a compensation rating from the VA. The Social Security Administration will look to your health record at the VA for evidences of you being disabled.

The downfall of getting SSDI when you are at age 62, once you get it, when you turn 66, they will put you back on your regular SSI. But as long as you have proper documentation to show that you are not able to work during the 5 month period after you filed for SSI, then you're ok.

According to my own experience, one can file for SSDI after they filed SSI, and even after they began collecting SSI. I didn't go to a lawyer to get SSDI. I followed the Social Security Administration guidelines for filing SSDI. One does have to show that they haven't work for at least six months after they began receiving SSI in order to qualify for SSDI. I filed for SSI in March of 2013, turned 62 in August and began collecting my early retirement at age 62. I couldn't work any longer due to physical disability and PTSD symptom which kept me from continuing to work after I turned age 62. I suggest trying to get SSDI yourself before you go to an attorney to save yourself the expenses. It's not all that difficult. It does take making sure you have your work record for evidences and being already rated at the VA for compensation helped me shore up my SSDI claim. I strongly suggest you going for it yourself, and good luck!

Locate the nearest DAV office and have a representative closest to where you are currently living and ask them to represent you to file a proper claim for service related compensation. You will have to file a claim at your local VARO. The DAV advocate will help you to make sure you fill out all the proper forms for the claim. It is unbelievable that the doctor at your local VA clinic told you that you are a liar. It's not his job to diagnose whether your injury is service related or not. They are there to treat injuries and illnesses for the veterans, not to act as a Compensation/Pension examiner.

What does IMO stands for?

BACK IN AUGUST 2013 PRIOR TO RECEIVING NOTICE FROM MY VARO THAT THEY HAVE APPROVED MY CLAIM. I RECALL BEING IN THE C/P EXAMINER'S OFFICE FOR ONLY A VERY BRIEF PERIOD, NOT MORE THAN 10 MINS THE MOST. I DON'T RECALL HER ASKING ME ANY PERTINENT QUESTIONS TO MY PTSD CONDITION. SHE DID ASKED ME HOW I WAS FEELING PHYSICALLY. SINCE THEN, I HAVE COME ACROSS MANY WRITING CONCERNING C/P EXAMINER NOT DOING THEIR JOB LIKE THEY ARE SUPPOSE TO. NOW I AM WONDERING WHETHER I WAS BEING MIS-TREATED BY THIS C/P EXAMINER ABOUT MY CLAIM. ANY INFORMATION ON HOW TO FIND RECORDS OF MY MOST RECENT C/P EXAM? CURRENTLY, I AM WAITING FOR VARO RESPONSES TO MY NOD THAT I HAD SENT IN IN MAY OF 2014. I AM CHALLENGING MY 30%PTSD RATING, AS WELL AS WANT TO DO 'SERVICE RELATED' WITH MY HEARING LOSS AND ASTHMA. I ALSO HAVE 10% TINNITUS.