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Mountain Vet

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Everything posted by Mountain Vet

  1. Final update: Went to "Notification Sent" this afternoon. VA called me to verify mailing address and marital status. AB8 letter and bEnefits already show new rating of PTSD rated at 50%. Brings my total combined to 60% compensable. (50% +20%= 60% <VA math>) This FDC process was fast and fair. The VA worked hard and well for me. I have no complaints. Best, ~MV
  2. See this site for reference to what I am talking about. >> https://www.myhealthevet.va.gov/mhv-portal-web/resources/jsp/help.jsp?helpDirectRequest=help_Notes-learnmore.html
  3. Buck.. they can't change the progress notes in healthy vet because it is an official government record .. they can only post an addendum to them.. go back and look thru the file again - then print the whjole series and hang onto it. You're gonna be ok bro. ~MV
  4. Mine claim is in one notch ahead of yours, the same place as yours "Pending Decision Approval", (for the same issue <PTSD> . Mine has sat there for three days now. Mine was in 'Preparation for Decision' phase for one day. Research I have done shows it can sail to Prep for notification and then Notification real fast..... or you can wait. Stay tuff.. hang in there.. it's almost over. For what it's worth I also think you will come in at 30-50%. It's all good brother/sister.. Thanks for your service! ~MV
  5. Update.. just for the record here. Yesterday my claim status (on eBenefits) went to "Pending Decision Approval" .. I figure this is a good thing - at least the process is working. Next step must be some kind of 'notification' letting me know what they decided on and approved? We'll see. I will letcha know. ~MV
  6. ok.. I got the result of my C&P exam today. I sent in a FOI request via fax and they fax'd me the report which was completed and submitted to the VA on August 30th. This is a ten day turn around for the report and a 12 day turn around from examination to my hands. All elements of disabling PTSD are endorsed by the examining doctor including a good nexus statement. The doctor endorses and checks the box which seem to equate to the 30% verbiage. Not sure what the rater will do. My guess is he would be hard pressed to rate me less than 30%.. I doubt he'll go higher. All in all it has been real quick and pretty painless for me. Next stop..? Rating? MV
  7. Thanks Berta.. your guidance was much appreciated. Continuing with this update I went to my C&P yesterday morning.. I dressed normally, was clean and shaved like I always am. I think it went well and I felt comfortable with the VA contract doctor who was supportive and thorough. He had clearly read my C file, knew my personal and military history, asked detailed questions which were focused on my impairments both socially and professionally. I answered his questions honestly and to the point. I did some research on him and found that he has over 20 years experience working with military and law enforcement folks suffering from PTSD and was very "pro-vet". He is a straight talker and even commented that it was "refreshing" to not have a patient try to "bullshit" him. He also commented that I was "clearly significantly impaired" and "highly motivated to get help". I don't know what his report will say or how this will turn out ultimately but am comfortable that I got a fair shake. I will see about getting a copy of his report and will follow up with the results here when that happens. MV
  8. Thank you all for your advice, guidance and suggestions. Bringing this thread up to date I have been in continual weekely therapy (CBT and CPT) since I filed the fully developed claim for benefits in April of this year. Everything (yes, "everything") has been done by the VA. I have a VA diagnosis of PTSD from VA doctors, a fully developed claim (with help from my VSO) and have made every VA appointment and taken every VA pill I have been prescribed. Yesterday I got call from the VA with a C&P appointment for this coming Thursday, August 20. The C&P will be conducted by a VA contract doctor in Fresno. I will be there with a bucket of truth and my C file in hand in case he needs more info. So from application (April 4, 2015) to C&P exam appointment (August 20, 2015) the process has taken just over four months.. even if the VA takes another four months to grant a rating my entire claim process will be only 8 months... Unusual? Maybe they are gonna toss me under the bus..? For some reason I doubt it - this seems to be going pretty good so far - we'll see. MV
  9. Is this your guidance seriously..? What I want is to get better.. plan and simple. The rest of your concerns, while appreciated if your not being facetious, are of no consequence to me. No one is going to assume fiduciary responsibilty for me (I'm not that far gone), I don't care about the gun thing (Brady Law et al) and I am getting close to social security age in a federal appointment so I'm not concerned about employment problems. I have to say that this is the first time I think I've seen a subject matter expert try to disuade a fellow veteran from getting help.. interesting perspective. Thanx, MV
  10. So.. I am new to posting here but a long time reader of this site - awesome work moderators and subject matter experts .. your efforts are much appreciated. I had a routine VA medical appointment for a general health check up in early April of this year and during that exam the doctor and I got to talking about my prior service. I mentioned to him a few things (I don't talk about my military history much with anyone) about my middle east service including intrusive dreams for years about a bomb attacks including a bomb (IED-timer) that destroyed my vehicle (unoccupied) and came pretty close to taking me out. He probed further and after answering his questions openly and honestly he referred me to the VA mental health team for evaluation. Now I have a VA medical diagnosis of PTSD secondary to my military service and a diagnosis of depressive disorder and obsessive compulsive disorder on top of that. I am prescribed anti depressants from the VA and am taking them. I am participating in group and individual therapy with a goal of diminishing my symptoms which quite honestly I have lived with seemingly forever. The VA psycologist and pychiatrist have both documented the diagnosis and nexus to my military service in my VA medical records and file. Both encouraged me to go see my VSO. I feel a bit like a dumb ass for living with these syptoms for many years and not considering my options. It surprises me that the doctors did all of this without any encouragement from me - Frankly I wasn't even looking for an increase in my disability (20%) benefits. I gathered up some buddy letters from veterans who were there and had personal knowlege and put together a binder of news articles and related military service records along with the medical stuff I have so far. I consulted with my VSO who copied my entire binder and immediately filed a claim (fast track). Some of the issues I have suffered with for many years include; sleep deprivation (nightmares, night sweats, insomnia); social isolation (few trusted friends, estrangement from family, avoidance of middle eastern people; hyper vigilance (chair/back against the wall always, forever alert, suspicious of damn near everything and everyone); little to no outside activities increasing over the years; anger outbursts, agitation and impatience among others. I am a work-a-holic often burying myself in my work and was a high achiever until my memory started to fail (mostly short term - forgetting names, dates, appointments etc). Having given that background does anyone think I can get rated for the issues I didn't ask for to begin with? Any other similar experiences having the VA push a PTSD diagnosis on a patient during a routine exam? Any help is much appreciated. MV
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