stillhere

I don't want to act greedy here or anything but I was granted 100P&T and the VA asked me a question if I wanted to claim my anemia and my acid reflux. What are some opinions on that. I also was denied for my heart condition back in 03 in my first claim for DM2 and PN. I have a claim in for a EED and they mentioned that also and said they were wanting for the new law or rules to be finished. Finally and last I have worn a hearing aid since 83 (in my left ear, right ear is deaf) and was denied by VA way back then. I reopened this in 2005 and it was denied to reopen. I have an appeal in with the BVA that is still at the RO waiting certification to the BVA. What would you all do???

Got the paper work in the mail today! I am a little in disbelieve I was awarded 100% P%T for my heart and because my other SC conditions come up to over 60% I was awarded House Bound! Which I am particularly today with a temp of 96 outside! This has been a battle and I hope my heart can hold out for a few more years! I was granted all the benefits that go along with it free dental/education/champus for the wife. This is really going to help me enjoy the rest of my life I hope. I am going to post a question in the general forum and would like some opinions.

Well since I have just been granted 100% I called the VAMC yesterday in Washington and got an appointment for August. I have a heart condition so each time I have an appointment I have to take antibiotics to cut down on the risk of bacteria I wonder if this helps in the case of HIV?? Anyone know. Also I think I remember all my cleanings and dental care in the past the instruments have come in sealed plastic sleeves.

I got my award for 100% shedular from the VA in the form of an email and money in the bank. I am waiting to go to the SS until I have that paper work. Hope it comes today.

Thanks Tbird and Berta went rather smoothly and took 8 months. rated and reviewed and decided real quick for the VA and money in next day! Still have not gotten any paper work and am holding up submitting my final paper work for SSDI until I see there's so I can send in with everything. The passed couple of days have been rather stressful and the PTSD was giving me a fit. Feel a little better today!

Something is wrong here! My claim for increase was ready for review July 1 approved July 8th deposit July 14th. I would send an email or iris as they call their system and point blank ask what the hold up is! If you do not get an answer you like call your congressman's office! Good Luck!

Still have not gotten any paper work on my award but there is a nice deposit in my checking account. I am not sure how they rated my claim and will post later.

I actually started a small business back in 2001 to capture some or any contracts for SDVOB only problem is there is no teeth in it. Unless I was doing something very wrong I was bidding on contracts and they were still being awarded to non SDVOB firms IF they had the better price or connections in some. I have landed a few contracts (small) from a few agencies but nothing that would be called substantial. I have pretty much let it go by the wayside although I do get calls every now and then because I am on a few lists. I have not seen any benefit in this program but read of others that have. I have just been awarded 100% schedular but might just file for SSDI and retire. Ask away and I will try and help too.

Hmmm not to be tough on you and I do agree that you should be 70% but that write up is not going to get you there, it could have gone either way. At least I think so. I know it is a pain and I hate the meds too and have changed 3 times already and really they still are not right. In my opinion you are going to at least start going back for treatment for a while and also to the Vet center so they can help you handle what you are going through right now. That is first! Talk to the VA shrink and do not hold anything back like us big men like to do! Tell them your problems and I feel you will be rated and written up properly. Good luck to you! Thank you for your service and Welcome Home Bro! By the way where is AGI? we have one around here and I did not know they had shut their doors? Just asking.

Congrats Debbie!! I got mine today too! Maybe just maybe we vets are starting to learn how to play their game or we have beat them down!!

Like I said before the doc blew it on the write up. I think you are going to need him to look at the criteria required for the 100% rating (if that is what he thinks you should have) and write the symptoms down to support that rating. The decision rater at the VA goes by that and does not have the medical know how or the knowledge to just look at a Gaf. Although I also am still in disbelief that the rater should have looked at that Gaf and the write and asked the doc for a more concise write up. In other words the write up does not fit the Gaf at all! There are those that will say the Gaf is not the deciding factor and they are true but in this case it is so out of whack that a RED Flag should have gone up.

I am going to watch this closely before I let the VA mess with my teeth. I wonder if this could be grounds to request that you get fee basis to use your own dentist and they have to shut theirs down just like the colon VAMC had to do??

Thanks Berta and Larry, Berta you have been a great help over the years and I doubt you remember but helped me with my first claim on my own! Larry I am one of those vets that put off filing IU because I thought and wanted to keep working i still do but find that I just can't. Like I said I am in shock! To answer your question Berta this claim has been in since Oct.09 and I was just about to give up on it and I lost my job in April tried to work again and failed. So when I sent them the iris in June in their answer they said I should have filed for IU. Anyhow all well that ends well now it is time to see if I can get a few years out of this. The one thing about being 100% I feel like it. You can not imagine how long it takes me to do just the simple things. Thanks MUCH!

I sent in an Iris asking about my claim in June for increase and in it I said I had lost my job and the recommended that I fill out and send in the IU claim form. I sent them back an answer asking when my claim would be finished and that I would send in the IU form when I got a chance. They said my claim was with the rater on July 1st. Today I got an answer to that email: Since you have been rated 100 percent service-connected, a claim for individual unemployability is moot. Do you still request that we process a claim for you for this? IS this REAL???? Oh my I am in total 100% shock!!

AN NOD is taking anywhere from a year to over a year! A reconsideration if you have new supporting evidence can be done in 1/2 to 1/4 of the time. I have done this and recommended this to many vets on other sites and it will and does work. But in the end it is your decision and time so good luck to you!

Gaf is not everything true but that is a very low award for a Gaf that low. Take a look at the criteria for PTSD and see where you think you fit. After you see where you fit I would suggest you talk with your psychiatrist or who gave you the diagnosis and see if you can get them to refute or expand on your condition to get you rated higher. After you have done that send it in to your RO and ask for a reconsideration and give them the new evidence to support the rating you feel you deserve. Make sure you keep and eye on the date you send the request in because before it goes past a year you will have to request it be considered a NOD. Good luck to you!

I agree with halos2 file your claim for PTSD. I would also recommend you start getting some treatments. good Luck and thank you for your service!

I would say in this vets best interest he should go a head and file for the conditions that could mean a 100% rating. Why worry about a claim that is in that will max at 10-20% as you said when you have a severe problem. File for it now! Good luck to you!

i hope I do not have to go the attorney route and this can be done as easily as it should be. Thanks for the responses and as I have most of my records from VA and one of my other doctors I will give them copies of those and let them get the rest. I am 61 so I am only 1 year a head of my date for SSA so I hope this does not get held up.

Donna, I have already done this many times and his office communicates with me on other issues too. I will be volunteering and working against his next run like I did in the first. I have my on personal grudge with this little snake in the grass!

I think the ONLY change is the fact that a vet that can not get a verifiable stressor will be the ones helped. Now how many of those are out there? Probably quite a few but we have to remember that a lot of the Vietnam vets that dealt with this when they came home took their own lives and there are a few in any war that will not apply to not get the stigma of a MH conditions. I was one of those and just ignored or self medicated my life and found a good women or I would have been dead and gone by now. She still might kill me one of these days because of they way I have been acting lately!:)) Anyhow there are going to be those that try and jack the system and I hope they don't succeed and there are going to be those that do and will find that keeping up the facade is not worth it! This is a good rule and way over due but I am using my circumstance more than anything I almost had to be dragged in and still have the feeling I have let everyone down. Want to live like that be my guest. The invite is only for the fakers, for those of us that suffer Peace!

PTSD has pretty much pushed me over the edge in many instances and I like have a few claims in and I think dealing with the VA does add to the aggravation. The VA and SS seem to be finally putting 2 + 2 together and getting 4. If you suffer from a mental problem dealing with day to day life and circumstances are exasperated and will worsen other systems of the body. Hypertension it self as I am sure you well know is capable of causing all kinds of problems.There also is a recent post on the board here where a poster was SC for aggravation of arthritis condition based on PTSD! Ask your neurologist about that too. Good luck! I don't mind going down hill to much as I age but I sure would like to slow it down a little!

If I remember correctly many of these claims have had to go to the BVA for approval. I would suggest you also go there and read how they were presented. Also keep in mind it my be a long battle keep the strength!

This is an interesting article from his home state paper. I hope he is feeling the heat for his shenanigans. http://www.salem-news.com/articles/june202010/webb-vn-veteranscp.php I also would hope all the veterans in Virginia like me will remember this when Nov. 2012 rolls around! I can not separate the comments from the article so if any mod or admin wants to delete this post because of political reasons. Please go and do so. Fortunately or unfortunately the issue of AO has been taken over by politics rather than protecting and helping Vietnam vets. Sounds like a good way to keep it from being debated huh?

I did not see this question asked so thought I would and see where this goes. I am 61 and filing for SSDI because of this last disability added I have just had enough and finding it very tough to work. Or anything for that matter. I am 60% heart (prior MI) 20% DM2 10% PN all hands/feet 50% PTSD the PTSD is and has been the worse. Anyhow filled out and sent in the application and going to drop by medical records Monday or Tuesday. my question do I just include medical from like 2003 forward or do I have to include as much as I have and then names of every doctor I have ever seen? My health started to go south in 03 after a DX of DM2 so I was thinking of just sending from 03 to present? how did you guys/dolls do it?