Buck52

I think now or a few years ago the VA had a REGERESTRY FOR AGENT ORANGE& should still have it?...you have to put in application or ask your pcp They can schedule you for an exam for AO and put you in the regerestry!.. there's maps on AO shows areas and the % of RVN that it was used heavy but I think any veteran that was incountry in Vietnam was exposed...from Sagion on North. prove you was in RVN Sagion & DaNang use travel orders or TDY Orders ...St Louis should have them! I was in DaNang, Sagion & Long Behin & up north DaNang the herbercides were used heavy but it should not matter all of RVN is covered under AO. I have some skin molds dark that has come up on me I went to VAMCseen a dermatologist and she just looked at it said it was not melagant without a bio? so I need to get that checked out it looks like melanoma to me but I'm no Dr.

kate . the VBM is a great book, but its farily expensive If your wanting to help veterans with claims it would be a great info book for ya, but for you & your husband the good folks here at hadit would be happy to help you guys win his claim! Thanks to your hubby for his service!

That's Great Buddy!

Sounds like the appeals team did not receive your NOD? If so submit another NOD...With your original filling date! usually takes a year to process NOD's or sooner! depends on specifics & the backlog...also if you have more than one NOD or multi's NOD's The original NOD is taken first. this maybe why its taken your claim so long for decision? Its possibly they just received your NOD on Oct 7th 2014,,,,because it got lost and they just got it a year later...as long as you have prof as to win you filed like return receipt of postage...

Did you request a ''Traditional Appeal? just from my experience a DRO Reviewed decision worked better for my claim! jmo.

vync I know exactly what you mean..I'm hoping with this new VA Sec Bob McDonald he will get these things straighten out ASAP Its totally ridiculous to wait 3 months for an MRI & Then wait for the injections......just plum ridiculous! I read in the AMJ (American Medical Journal) that highy tolerance of pain will cause other medical problems! I hope you get seen for your MRI soon the sooner the better....and with my VAMC They don't seem all that busy with MRI''s I think maybe they do like 5 or 6 a day with two three four machines. This sure needs to be change and speed the appointment times. I may start calling every day if I'm not seen by appointment time I figure that's about the only way to speed it up maybe not but I'll give it a shot! if ya don't call they just forget all about ya no letters or anything.

I use to send my employment questioner form in every December with return receipt sign by VA employee. I did every year after I won my TDIU P/T award. 13 years now for me. I Got a letter saying I no longer need to send them questioner form..so I stopped and that's been about 2 years ago or so. I keep the letter but if you can prove to them you can't work if your IU P/T then I don't think they can give you a reduction. the trick here is in my opinion the veteran needs to be P&T with no future exams to be safe not sending the questioner form.... Maybe not but that's just my opinion....But with the VA anything is possible. IF your not sure download that questioner form and send it return sign receipt.

vistagirl, Go to the VAMC where he had the C& P exam and get copies of that particular exam...sometimes them examiner's will say things you didn't say or make up things and just write what they want to...it helps to see what they said...gives you more time to rebutle or Disagree incase you need to!

I think personally it depends on your VARO as to how long it takes to get your c-file I live fairly close to my VARO & go there in person! they will stand by you as you look through it. I wonder what would happen if you took pics of the pages you wanted with your smart phone/I phone? Question? What if there's something in your C-FILE you don't want in it? can you request it be taken out?

I've had 3 set of dentures made at the VA and not any has been comfortable to me and I go back and forth trying to get them to adjusted and one time I ask can you just make me some more because they still don't feel right...altho I tried to use them eat with them and I can't...so I ask the VA to make me some more and hope they will fit or work so I can use them...my regular dentist retired and I got a young guy he made me some more dentures about 4 months ago and I am having problems with them now they just don't stay in good when I eat.. and I've mention that to him he adust them and so forth but still they just don't fit right...& it takes 3 months to see the dentist at my VAMC. I never ask for implants but my spouse has Met Life through ChampVA a VA group plan and is really nice for her but I can't use it....so I just suffer with it I'm just so fed up with the VA medial care and the Dentist.

I would wait to see what that examiner said about me? or I would go down to records dept ask for that particular exam.(ask for your records as of the date your to prticular exam..save your copies you gave him that C&P doc....because if your denied you can always disagree and file NOD... You should hi-lite in your evidence letters of your stressors and that will show the new C& P Doc... the last C&P was no good ect,,ect,, Just take it eazy for a while and try to keep a positive outlook there' always a way to win your claim and you will prevail hang in there buddy!

arng11, Always think positive , sounds like you had a favorable exam! you were wise taking your copies to the exam! if the computer had glitch & doc couldn't access the information from your evidence ,Now it really depends on how the Doc read into your evidence as for as the PTSD and it depends on the DRO decision as how they read it.... lot of times (from my experience anyway) it just depends on the DRO. just think what might have been..I think your going to get a great rating and probably Rate you in the 70% and with you at 40% that should put boost you up to100% and maybe they will give you TDIU

congratulations to you! that's great!

hi 82, its good that your staying out of trouble, you sound a lot like me I stay pretty much to myself , I guess the effects one has from the bad memories of war will haunt at us the rest of our lives. After 46 years from my VietNam days I sill have nightmares nightsweat and such...I have good days and bad days & its hard for most people to understand I don't understand why either.?? I am very un- social and I hate being that way, I don't have a very good heart warming personality, I am a loner and Just don't like being around people or crowds ...I been this way for a long time/maybe its from the Vietnam war IDK...I can't get things out of my head seeing so much in Nam...and I don't like to talk about my Vietnam days it just makes me sick. According to my spouse some times I scream out in the middle of the night & its usually after I have talk about Nam to someone...I don't know why and some days I'm ok ...I feel sorry for my spouse she puts up a lot with me maybe to much because the way I am she don't really have a good life either, I take meds for my condition from my PCP, I do not like to see a shrink them guys/gals makes me more insane, I guess I'll take these memories of Nam with me to my grave...I keep thinking about my buddies that I had to leave behind that is my worst memory of Nam...I tried everything under the sun to help myself staying busy or trying to find a hobby nothing seems to help so I try my best to live my life and not hurt anyone or be in anyones way... Its werid you mention tinnitus ..I have tinnitus and I ear nothing but crickets on a creek bank all day/night also!!! to me that's what it sounds like too your the first vet that has said that that I know of, most say it sounds like ringing or high voltage humms...to me it sounds just like thousands of crickets chripping and it does get to me at times...Thanks to the VA I get 10%comp for it. I thought for a long time before I filed a claim with VA I was just hearing crickets and I kept it to myself...because you should not hear crickets at your aunt Marys house in her quite living room & in the middle of the city duh what's wrong with this picture ya know. I just never said anything about it only to my spouse. I figured I was going nuts and that's what people would think so I just never said anything...until I went had a hearing test and my hearing was very bad too but I knew that...drive my spouse crazy with the TV turn up loud and always asking people to repete themselves/or excuse me cuff my hand over my ear ect,,ect,,...thats another one of my reason I like being alone some say I'm depressed and maybe so...I just stay to my self I'm not very good company ,I don't have friends and my family lives far away.. just me and the dogs here at home/my spouse works and maybe her being gone helps her IDK but she sticks by myside no matter what, I almost lost her to open heart surgery it was a close call but she pulled through like a champ..if I lost her I would not want to live anymore..I was lost during the time she had to have that surgery...but God see us both through, We married after I got back from Nam in 1970 &I'm trying my best to live my life the best I can...I just wish I was not feeling the way I feel toward people and people that's never did anything to me...I just can't explain why? I watch a lot of TV and just stay to myself pretty much not a very good life but hey I'm here. I never will forget the things I seen over in VietNam..I will always remember those days...I try not to think about it or talk about it to anyone. even with other veterans. Anyway good to see your post and I hope you can get yourself better buddy you take care and may God Bless you and your family.

TO the original poster.... I believe I read ''somewhere''? that the VA never uses the same C&P exaimer on a C&P but I'm not certain? I Think a complaint should be filed aginst this Dr if nothing else for a paper trail...not that it would do any good.

just always remember when you think nothing is working right for you there's always a way to prevail and that's your evidence and the truth.

Okay but he filed for the A/A in 2011....How would the VA Know without a claim for B/H A/A? has I understand he filed his original claim back in 2001 I'm not sure what disability the VA decision was awarded the 100%SC with P&T...could it be when the VA rated the P&T and should have awarded the A/A BACK IN 2001? Or would they go back to 2011? Would it be CUE? for this veteran? I'm getting confused with this?

Burt , do you know if VA awarded you on your hearing at 50% or multi disability's? that noise you hear in your ears Is called tinnitus and you can get a 10% rating for it..if you can prove you had it while in the military or if VA service connected it? if they awarded you on on your hearing loss & if your hearing gets worse you can file for increase Just get an IMO first and to see if your hearing has got worse the rating the VA use's is pretty high but I don't think its as high as SSA. This is just my opinion.

after 10 Years SC and the vet dies from his disability I don't think there any question or anything to prove...Just my opinion, this is something you can find out now and any other questions in your mind that you want to be answered before your death to ease your mind and have more pece of mind when your time does come! It would benefit your widow because she don't have to actually go through all of this someone else can fill out any forms that need be....if you have pre-prepared most all there is to do before your death That is very beneficial to your widow.

John999 Your very unselfish man I commend you my brother, I can see why you don't want an expensive funeral, Funerals can be very expensive today and the Funeral Directors just sees how much $$ there going to put in there pocket..like someone mention they throw guilt to the widow when she is at her most difficult time in her life. It is very wise that you prepare your spouse now its something that is going to happen to everyone of us. This next comment don't have anything to do with the VA just thought it was an interesting story of love. Talking about pine box and be buried the most economical way... I know a friend of a friend that live in Oklahoma they are Choctaw indian.. There was this older couple his spouse passed away at age 88...they had there own place about 7 miles from town when she died at the hospital the funeral directors came transported her body to the funeral home......her hubby got word of it and he went to the funeral home and told them he did not want them to do anything to her no embaling no casket no nothing, he ask them if he could buy a casket just there cheapest one he bought the casket they put her body in it and he had them to take her to their home &they did...they set the casket up in the living room and family/friends came by to pay last respects, the hubby dug a 7 ft hole in the gound out in the front of there home in the yard...well the funeral directors told him he could not do that its aginst the law ask him to let them take her body back to the funeral home so they could get her ready for burial....he run the funeral directors off his property and the sheriff came out he told the sheriff his wife did not won't to have expensive funeral for him to just dig a hole in the ground out in the front yard place her body in a casket and bury her...the sheriff agree with him and let him do as his wife wished... he gabe I think 200.00 for the casket...he buried his wife like she ask him to do....now to me that's unconditional love at its best. my brother lives in the same town and he goes by their home and sees the grave..

That's great news Ms T...I'm glad they got it straighten out.... I just hope things like this don't go on month after month?

I certainly don't think a Veteran should beg for his/her benefits or even fight for them...Just show prof of your evidence / required paper work... that should be all the Veteran should do. ... pretty simple to award his/her claim! We deserve that right!

Oh okay got it Thanks Chuck 57...I appreciate it.

Oh no SMC unless the VA sees it that way with a new rating? if awarded...I meant just to raise the first rating of 90% to 100% basicly that's what I meant. I don't understand the 5 -10 or 20 year rule? what does that mean? ratings protection?

georgiapapa, Did you received the new published '' Veterans Health Benefits Handbook '' It's personalized for each Individual veteran.