paulstrgn

@Buck52 I agree you never know what the eaters look at or are will to do. I hate that we even need to pay for these rivals and then the IMO...vets have to spend to much money to have benefits awarded that they earned. We should be able to claim the expenses we incur it proving our claims.

@GeekySquid thank you for the information. Like you I do not like to discuss these things, I am glad I can use ED instead of spelling it out. My back is causing me major nerve issues from the waist down. I hate talking these issues, I hate more writing them down. I was raise like most of the baby boomers were men don’t have these issues and you sure as hell never went to a doctor for them. I have similar issues of leakage, as you said you find work around’s. I am not sure what causes the leakage but it is there.

@GeekySquid @Buck52 I agree we are all brothers and sisters and as a family we can do anything. The support from this site is amazing!!!

@GeekySquid thank you.

I apologize if some of the things I am typing don’t make since, I am typing this on my iPhone. I usually use my computer but my wife is having surgery and I wanted to reply while waiting for her.

When I retire in October I will be 62, I will get my SS plus I have two young boys who will also get SS (I remarried and now have a 6 & 10). If I continue working I might lose my SS but my boys will get theirs (it will be their college fund). My SS will be reduced by what I earn, that is why I say I will lose mine. I do appreciate all of the answers and responses above, that is what I like about this site it is full of knowledge and amazing advice. I am praying that I get to 100% P&T before I retire. I don’t mind working if I can get the right job I can do without hurting so much. The pain from my back, legs and feet really do wear on me. I will need to find a job that will meet my physical needs. @Buck52 I understand where you did not want to face your PTSD, I struggled with depression for years because of my pain. It took my wife pushing me to finally get treatment. @GeekySquid I will explore TDIU also, not sure if I can get it if I am already at 100% but it would be nice to also have SMC S. I am in the process for applying for SMC K for ED. Once again I really thank everyone for their advice, suggestions, and opinions they all really do help. Thanks, Paul

I was talking about this in another thread but as @Buck52 said I don't want to hijack someone else thread. I will be retiring from the federal government around the end of October, I will be receiving a retirement check from them, I am also retired from the Air Force. My quest is can I get IU even though I am retired? Once I retire I will also go to the VA Voc ReHab. I am also hoping (like everyone else on this site) to get to 100% P&T I almost there now. If I do get 100% P&T is there any need to pursue IU?

@Buck52 I will start another thread. Thanks

@Buck52 I will retire at the end of this year, I have been on medical accommodations for 1 1/2 years I am unable to drive, sit, or stand for any length of time. I work for the federal government as a management & program analyst (I have a desk job) so they are more flexible with accommodations than the private sector. I also currently telework and do not go into the office (I work in DC which is 3 1/2 drive from where I live). TO make a long story short, would I be able to file for IU after I retire because of the physical limitations I have? I don't think I will have the skills to work somewhere else plus having the physical limitations I have. I have to continually stand, sit, or lie down because of the issues I have with the pain and nerve issues. And does it matter if I am at 100% P&T (I am hoping to get there soon). Thanks for the info Buck as always.

Also keep in mind that you can be rated 90% for VA purposes but in reality it is between 86% - 94% to have 90%. In my case I am rated at 90% but I actually have 86% which rounds up to the 90%.my case I have 87% which rounds to 90%. I was just awarded another 50% disability, you would think I would be at 100%, but with VA I am not, I am still rated at 90%. Is the way it works is 50% of the remaining 14% comes out to 7%, when you add the 86% to the 7% It comes out to 93% which rounds down to 90%. As everyone can tell you on this site, VA math stinks but we must live with it. All I can say is hang in there for you can make it.

I will contact the Hampton Roads VA next week and see what they say, after all the worse thing they can do is say "sorry" we can't help you. Thanks @shrekthetank1

@Berta I will call the White House hotline and tell them my complaint about the C&P I received from the QTC doctor. I honestly wish I could sue this doctor for malpractice and being incompetent. It's doctors like this that give the rest bad names. @shrekthetank1 I might do that, but to be honest I have only been to the VA hospital three times, once to get an ID (which I could not get since I did not have a utility bill with me), the second time was for an eye exam and the third one for an annual check up. The doctor who gave me the check up never looked at me and only read lab results from a previous annual exam I had at Ft. Eustis. At the end we will see you next year, needless to say I never went back. But if it corrects the issue it would be worth going back to the VA hospital again.

I am going over my C-File again and just realized that the DBQ submitted by the QTC doctor is full of false information. First I will take full responsibility for not calling the doctor out at the the time for trusting him. I am looking at the DBQ for my knees which shows he did all types of test, he did not perform any tests at all. He only asked he a couple of questions which I answered. I told him the pain I had walking and climbing of stairs because my gait has changed because of my back. I walked stooped over most of the time while also limping to compensate for the pain in my back. He did a DBQ for my back as well (I was asking for an increase) which is also full of non-performed exams/tests. I feel like I should call QTC 800 number and report this doctor for all the false information he put in my DBQ (my only concern it might hurt me on future C&Ps). I will raise this issue in the HLR though. Plus because of this crap DBQ they are proposing to reduce my back from 20% to 10% because it has gone better (how I wish my back was better) and to lower my nerve issue in both thighs from 20% to 0% because they have improved. Now mind you my thighs were never examined or even looked at, plus in my C-file they all show "Static" which I thought meant they would not im As all veterans fully know, it is hard enough getting the ratings for our disabilities as it is, we certainly don't need doctors putting fake information on the DBQ. I am frustrated so much by reading this (it makes me want to scream). I know at times when I write I ramble on so forgive me for that, I am just so pissed right now. Now I need a drink!!!! prove.

That does make sense Vetquest. I am hoping they don't need to go to the BVA, but with that said I am probably wrong and will wind up there with an appeal.

I am filing a HLR for the decision on my hand, I discovered after I received my C-File from the VA that in my opinion the VA did not rate me properly for my hand and fingers.During the medical appointment the individual had marked my right hand range of motion as abnormal, and the gap for my index finger was 5 cm. My current rating on my hand is 10%, I believe it should be at least 20% now (30% might be a stretch if at all possible). My question is I also need to file a HLR for my knees which were denied, do I file these two together or separately (the decision on the hand is from 7/2018 and the knees 2/2019)? I believe (which means nothing) that the hand can be evaluated without another medical evaluation where the knees will need a new one (they were not properly evaluated). In my mind it is best to file them separately and at different times (the hand right away since the one year is almost up) and the knees once a decision is made on the hand. Should I wait (since the effective date would be the same no matter when I file) or do them both now?

I had over 740 hours of sick leave saved up (I work for the federal government) about 1 1/2 years ago, I am now down to 85 hours. I used up the vast majority for being put on sick leave for extreme pain caused from my back (I tried to apply for n increase in IVDS from 20% to 60% but was denied since it did not include bed rest. I had mentioned this to my doctor and he told me it would not be good to be put on bed rest for my back problems. But it is so true the VA does not care about all the sick leave one uses because of their disabilities.

So very true vetquest, most people would rather work than to. My goal is to retire at the end of this year, 17 years 3 months military (early retirement program) and 22 years 2 months from my current job as a federal employee. I know I will need to make a new routine to replace going to work. I am glad the VA has TDIU for those who can't work, for 99.9999% of veterans would rather work than to be disabled from their military service!!!

I entered the service with a pre-existing condition but it got worse during military service (I had gone to sick call several times from hurting my back. As long as you can show it got worse while in the service you should have no problem. Look at your medical records and see if you had gone to sick call for pes planus. Good luck.

When you look at the pending claim in eBenefits you have the option to upload it. You can get to your pending claims in eBenefits by first clicking on disabilities and at the bottom it will show which ones are pending. By clicking on the pending claim it will take you to your claim and there will be an option to upload evidence. I would show you a screen shot but I don't have any pending claims. Good luck with your claim.

Bronco thanks for the info. I will apply right away. When it comes to SMC it always confuses me.

I was granted SC for depression (not PTSD) with an effective date of 8/2018. I have been suffering with depression for many years but only recently filed for it. I also have hypertension which currently is not SC, between the depression and hypertension I have ED. My question IF approved for SMC K will it only go back to 8/2018 or will it go back further. It has been mentioned in one of my C&P even though I had not claimed it. But I do show evidence of having ED and and being treated with medication. What are the chances that I will get an earlier effective date? I do have a claim which I started back in February which I have not yet filed anything on. If anyone might know or at least have an educated guess I would appreciate it.

I have never heard of any limits of disabilities you can claim at once, I believe in filing for all I believe I qualify for. I don't worry about quotas, I only worry about what I am truly eligible for. I won't claim for things I am not eligible for, but I will claim any and everything I am eligible for. I have been lucky so far in getting my claims approved, I must admit some are low. But even the low ones I keep working on when they get worse or when I have been low balled. When I file a claim I also start a new claim but not file it (I only want to establish an effective date). When I submitted my last claim in February 2019, I started a new one right after that (it is only started and nothing is submitted). Always remember as veterans these benefits we file for we have earned!!! Good luck and file for everything even if you do have lots of $$$ laying around.

Vetquest, I know they love to low on their ratings. The four nerve issues went from 10% to 20% after I kept complaining about them. My back is at 20% but it really should be much higher for I have a lot of pain from my bask and it really limits my life style and movements. I had over 6 weeks of sick leave in a 12 month period (last year) and I thought it should have increased my back to 60% for IVDS (I thought that even though it should have included bed rest it should still be approved). They cane back and said even if they had agreed with the 6 weeks that they could not because it would have been pyramiding because of the nerve issues in my legs (they said I would have lost ground, gone from 70% to 60%). I am still thinking of filing a higher level review for the 6 weeks of sick leave, I still have time.

Also the four nerve issues in the legs, the two hips and flat feet are considered bi-lateral for rating purposes.

@brokensoldier244th If you do 90% and 50% then yes it would be 100%. Unfortunately in my case 11 separate disabilities and using the calculator at https://www.microhealthllc.com/veterans-central/bilateral-va-disability-rating-compensation-calculator/ (I like this one for it also does the bilateral ratings as well as the regular ratings) it comes up to 93% now, before it was 86% which both round to 90%. I am attaching the latest list of disabilities from eBenefits. Disabilities as of 4-30-2019.pdf