Holllie Greene

Hi, Earlier today I called Peggy (very niece, very helpful) and it was agreed the BBE should have been here by now, so a FOIA was prepared which should arrive in 10 days. I feel like I am in the twighlight zone. H

Hi Kevin T., No envelope today. There is always tomorrow. So now I have more time to figure out how to change my "snow pic" to a pic of my mug. Have a good day. H

Hi Ms. Tbird and Kevin T., No luck today; perhaps tomorrow. Thank you Kevin T. for acknowledging the snow pic sent to me from a friend back East. Take good care. P.S. A special thanks to Ms. Tbird for putting that tag for my posts from 10 years ago. Wow how time flies!!! H

Dear Tbird and Kevin T., thank you for your responses, I appreciate it. Oh man it is so anxiety producing. I have checked Ebennies so often that my fingers are blue (just kidding :)). I have to say that I finally managed to put a pic of snow on my profile. No small feat, let me tell you. In a nutshell, it was a learning experience. I wanted to put a pic of my mug on the profile but no dice, the snow pic from a friend back East did the job. Thank you Tbird and Kevin T. H

Hey All, Hope all is well. Quick question: I found out thru the RO my BBE was sent 22 DEC, hmmmm, nothing yet. I know it takes 7-10 days but this is weird. Should I call the RO on Monday or the Peggy # if not in mail tomorrow? Thank you.

Hi, Merry merry everything. Wishing everyone a wonderful holiday season. HG

Hi All, Hope you all are hanging in. I had an appt. with an urologist a few days ago and turns out my bladder is "hypotonic", no medicine to help but ISC (intermittent self catherization) will be the way to go (no pun intended), My question is: when all is said and done, do you think this is another secondary to worsening MS? Thank you all. Gastone, I have not received my claim back yet. HG

Hi PWRSLM, I would read over the treatment notes very carefully. I told my new Primary care doc that I used a drug called Toviaz (for neurogenic bladder related to MS) and she wrote in the notes "bladder is well controlled by Toviaz". Hmmmm, if one (the one being a medical doctor) considers not urinating for 18 hours well-controlled you can call me a giraffe's Aunt. Total Bravo Sierra. Plus, since the raters are not medical doctors who the Foxtrot knows how they would interpret a medical statement thus potentially screwing up the VETERANs claim. The devil is in the details, or in this care, the treatment notes. If raters are making medical decisions it is beyond wrong. Did I hear someone say "Appeal" ? Hang in there. HG

Hi Broncovet, Thank you for responding. Nope, I did not receive a proposal to reduce. IMHO opinion the VA has gotten away with so much already (and not just on me) and I intend to "call em out", oh yes. The county VSO who helps me is out of the office today and I have not shown him the paperwork yet. When I first saw the numbers I said out loud "this is a wash". ...and it goes on...this afternoon (out of the blue) the VA C n P office called to schedule a check up for my big fat 0% rated bi-lateral cateracts. Rated at 0% for cateracts since 2006. In ebennies and the paperwork it states the cateracts are secondary. The cats developed because of the prednisone infusions and pred pills over the years, oh and the steroids in the asthma inhalers all provided to me by the VA. My now retired VA neurologist would look in my eyes and say "you know you have cataracts". I did have surgery to fix the cats---one eye about 2 years ago and the other one about a year ago. Currently, my claim sits open. Thank you Broncovet, I appreciate it very much. H.

Hello All, Yesterday, I received part of my claim decision. I was reduced from 60% on neurogenic bladder to 40%...this concerns me as I see it possibly affecting my SMC-L. Also, there was an increase of 20% for anxiety disorder effectively making this a "wash". So, I call the 1-800 number this morning and tell the rep (who was helpful) and he told me I will soon receive a letter for an exam for cataracts (I have a 0% rating for cataracts due to all of the steroid drugs I have taken over the years for MS flares). Strange that I have a ratings decision from 2016 increasing my neurogenic bladder from 20% to 60%, it also states "static", what is a person to do? I do not understand why these ratings contradict each other, it is not like there is a cure for MS. Obviously, I do not agree with the rating reduction and should I file a NOD or as the rep mentioned a "reconsideration"? Really? A reconsideration? Yeah, right. I was not born yesterday. Thanks for reading my rant and if you have any suggestions I would appreciate it. I am 100% P&T plus L. Turned 56 years of age several moths ago and have been P & T since 2003. P.S. Happy Thanksgiving. H.

Hi, Hope all is good. I have a question and if anyone has info, thoughts, opinions I would greatly appreciate it. Here is the situation: I put in for a claim for worsening MS and I do not understand how a 60% rating for neurogenic bladder can be decreased to 40% (MS has no cure and my bladder issues have gotten way worse but if I have to leave the house I take a medicine called Toviaz which works too well; one time I took it and did not urinate for 18 hours) I do not take this every day. I guess I have only myself to blame as the VA primary care wrote down words to the effect that bladder is well controlled by Toviaz. Dumb a&% me. So now ebennies has my bladder at 40%. Seems something aint right or is it just me? Thank you for reading and your thoughts. HG

Thank you all for your input.....now is the time for patience so I will be patient. Thank you again. H

Hi All, It is probably just me but I was wondering why a claim in California would be sent to Providence, R.I.? for review? Any and all thoughts appreciated. HG God bless the folks in Texas.

...every little bit helps.

Hi Jefmil50, it is a few years late to respond to your post but I was researching LOU---I too have MS, or as my husband says:we haveMS'...he is very supportive. As the disease goes, mine has gotten worse...just had (and still have not gotten back to where I was before the ER visit and all the steroid pills and the 3 day solu-medrol treatment), I have a new problem---tremors in left hand and even more intense LOU in left hand along with all the other issues. It is a scary disease. Hang in. HG

Hi, This is good to see Dr. Shulkin "walks the walk not just talks the talk". HG

Hi Allansc2005, it is coming along...I have to get some more evidence from a civilian doctor next week plus meet my new VA Gp. I already feel exhausted. Take care and have a good weekend. HG

Dear Tbird, I will keep positive thoughts about you getting the walk-in tub. Thank you for the very informative info today. Take good care. Holllie

Hi Buck52, You are soooo right, that SO at the county appears to not care and won't answer questions. It was bad all around. I will work my claim myself--great idea---thank you very much Buck52. Thank you and have a good day! HG

Vync, Thank you for the info...it will help. Have a good day everyone. HG

Hi, hang in there. Don't give up ok? HG

Hey Brokensoldier244th, Thank you for the info. I have had 3 C&P exams already---in Palo Alto, CA which is about 3 hours away. Those situations worked out but I have a bad feeling about this situation, like the universe is telling me "Holllie, every which way you turn you hit a brick wall so just stop" Seriously. My long time civilian GP is concierge, my VA neurologist of 15 years retired; basically I am doctorless except for the VA. Here are the forms: 1) VA FORM 21-0960C-10 2) VA FORM 21-0960C-9 3) VA FORM 21-2680 (please note I am already A&A albeit SMC L-1) Have a good day! HG :)

Hi Brokensoldier244th and Buck52, Thank you for your thoughts. My husband and I are going over the errors this clown made (so far I am a male, did not have a previous name in the military, left off number for my SSN) and who knows what else we will find. I will have the document numbers when we are done. I need a new VSO. He said my paperwork is on hold but who knows what he has truly done. HG