SLEDGE

Comrades, Cerebral Electrotherapy Stimulation. For several weeks I have been using and evaluating this medical device. It's approved by our government for the treatment of depression and I have only good results to report. Mainly because the effects are decreased levels of depression AND anxiety. I'm leery of endorsing anything because we are all different and we got to where we are through somewhat different pathways. However, the CES unit has no side effects. Unless you consider less pain and better cognition as side effects. I heard about this thing 'here' and found that my private sector shrink was interested but knew nothing about it. Therefore, I figure the VA won't know anything about it for another 25 years instead of the usual 20 years. I'll list the website where anyone can get started. http://home.comcast.net/~charlesmccusker/website.htm Be your own judge, I'm keeping mine. sledge

Back in the good old days the VA had actually sent the Federal Marshals to get me. They had a warrant but the charges turned out to be bogus and they left me alone. Even though the charges were dropped without any court appearance, I'm still on the spit list everywhere I go. Some people still won't let me into their homes or speak to me on the street. Still others give me every break that they can because of the way that the government treats us. Sometimes it's better to get rained out than play the game. sledge

My wife got her dependent card renewed yesterday. TDIU means that you are service connected-disabled and can't work because of your service connected conditions. In the case of TDIU the schedule of disabilities does not give you 100 percent, but 'the VA recognizes' the fact that you can't work because of your disabilities. In most cases TDIU vets have more than 100 percent in schedular disabilities but the stupid VA math will never let them hit 100 percent. I have 10+10+30+30+70. VA math cuts my 150 down to 80. I'd like to see the law that distinguishes between a 100 percent and a TDIU award as they relate to dependent benefits. sledge

Well, This subject has initiated another round of BS between us. Somebody in congress called in a favor to get more controversy going to muddy the waters again. I don't believe anyone outside the government owes us anything. If you get a break from a private sector entity, smile all the way to your favorite business and blow it. If you need a free ride to the store, call me. sledge

VA investigators are normally kept busy looking for wire fraud by veterans and employees are always innocent until proven guilty. Disabled veterans that ask for benefits after becoming unemployable are guilty of fraud until proven otherwise. Nothing is secure at any government agency because they answer only to God. Having your ID stolen can be a positive experience. I can't make a purchase without a warm body calling me to make sure it was myself and not a crook. sledge

The VA seems to be pulling out all of the stops. Would the VA go through all of these delays if their position was undeniably solid and based upon the facts of my case? 4/6/2007 Record on Appeal (M - 4/6/2007) (HAYESR) 4/13/2007 Notice to File Brief within 60 days (HAYESR) 6/11/2007 Appellant's Brief (M - 6/8/2007) (HAYESR) 8/13/2007 Mot of appellee to ext time to file brief by 9/12/07 (M - 8/13/2007) (HAYESR) 8/16/2007 Clerk's ord granting Appellee's 8/13/07 Mot until 9/12/07 (Nunc Pro Tunc to 8/13/07) (HAYESR) (HAYESR) 9/11/2007 Mot of appellee to ext time to file brief by 9/27/07 (M - 9/11/2007) (HAYESR) 9/14/2007 Clerk's ord granting Appellee's 9/11/07 Mot until 9/27/07 (Nunc Pro Tunc to 9/12/07) (HAYESR) (HAYESR) 9/24/2007 Joint mot to stay of proceedings until 10/27/07 (Possible Jnt Resolution) (M - 9/24/2007) (HAYESR) 9/27/2007 Clerk's ord granting parties 9/24/07 Mot until 10/27/07 (HAYESR) (HAYESR) 10/29/2007 Appellee's Brief (M - 10/29/2007) (HAYESR) 10/29/2007 Mot of appellee for leave to file, out of time, Mot to Supplement ROA (M - 10/29/2007) (HAYESR) 10/29/2007 RECEIVED: Mot of appellee to Suppplement the ROA (M - 10/29/2007) (HAYESR) 11/2/2007 Clerk's ord granting Appellee's 11/2/07 Mot for leave (STYGLA) (HAYESR) 11/2/2007 Mot of appellee to Supplement the ROA (M - 10/29/2007) (HAYESR) 11/2/2007 Clerk's ord granting Appellee's 11/2/07 Mot to Supplement ROA (STYGLA) (HAYESR) 11/2/2007 Supple record on appeal (M - 10/29/2007) (HAYESR)

I believe I see a 10 million dollar false imprisonment settlement, out of court, in this vet's future. With a gag order on the vet and his family. sledge

I have a very similar situation going on with my meds. Let's see what that patient rep has to say. sledge

It gave me nightmares too. sledge

This quote: "What is difficult for us to comprehend is why the Department ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- of Veterans Affairs, having entered into a settlement agreement and agreed to a consent order some 16 years ago, continues to resist its implementation so vigorously, as well as to resist equally vigorously the payment of desperately needed benefits to Vietnam War veterans who fought for their country and suffered grievous injury as a result of our government's own conduct." and a couple of bucks will get you less than a gallon of gas. It reminds me of all of the government officials that claim "Our veterans get the best health care". Those statements carry no force of law and the paper that they are written on is actually worth more to veterans than the message. I'm not impressed. sledge

Changing the name of Battle Fatigue to PTSD did not change the cause or cure, it just gave the government another reason to fund more surveys and studies whose end results can be manipulated to the satisfaction of the administration. SIX MONTHS average for a decision?? ONLY if it's negative. Try 19 years so far on my active PTSD claim. 7 years in court so far that started off with an application for a writ of mandamus. When forming the next budget the only logical way to properly fund our health care and compensation is to do it in a retroactive sense. How big was the shortfall in the previous budget? Correct the shortfall and then add 10 percent of the total on again for the next budget, each year, until funding matches the requirements. sledge for president.

Has this been here before? VHA Directive 2007-013, Screening and Evaluation of Possible it is critical that. patients not be labeled with the diagnosis of TBI on the ... sledge

I have seen the internal notes and experienced the lack of mental and physical care. My own case exhibits VA screw-ups in every office at every level. The notes in my file order each VA employee to 'not do anything' for 'this veteran'. The reasons they give come from a sick mind, but not mine. The system is designed to reward inside mistakes and encourage severe confusion for all parties involved. And when the system fails you, the VA is not even required to follow court orders. I have a private sector bunch of doctors working to straighten out my years of 'lack of VA treatment' and a lawyer working on the comp situation. If one person within the VA does not like your face, or your name, or anything else about you, you will receive nothing for as long as they can stretch it out. sledge

I believe I finally fixed the problem. I put the disc back in and downloaded another mouse driver. sledge

I doubt if anything is ever completely free. Does anyone know about itisblue? sledge

How many past changes have served to speed up or make the claims process more accurate? Smoke and mirrors. sledge

How many veterans file an appeal after their claims are fully awarded? Out of 250,000, how many veterans wish to return money or medical treatment back to the government? For every veteran that elects to appeal a bad decision by the VA, how many other veterans just stop fighting the claims process in disgust? Acting like finding errors in the claims process is new or that the numbers of errors are astounding is an insult to our collective intelligence. Public attention is myopic, what issues are pushed onto the back burner while we discuss the new revelations about errors and large awards? Basically, they admit to making errors in 230 claims. They don't say how those errors affected the veterans and their loved ones who were involved. They do say that another appeallable stumbling block has been officially added to the adversarial process. I am not favorably impressed, again. sledge

I'm to old for this crap. Several times the movement of the mouse/cursor has reversed itself. Push the mouse up and the cursor goes up Push the mouse up and the cursor goes down. With no input from the operator, after sitting for a while. Push the mouse up and the cursor goes up. Since the mouse and the cursor are supposed to go the same direction ALL OF THE TIME this can be unnerving. Intellimouse in Vista on a HP. Why does it do that? How does one stop it from doing that? Weird ain't it? sledge

Hire a lawyer and let things happen if you are really fed up. Talking to 'seeking fame and fortune through fleeting sensationalism' reporters will not get your bennies any faster, but it 'may' give the VA cause to re-evaluate whatever you have managed to receive so far. When you show up on the VA radar you do not gain an advantage. sledge

This is an abbreviated copy of my court record. sledge It looks like something is supposed to happen on the 27th. Check out all of the motions for extensions. Date Explanation Received Disbursed Date Filings and Proceedings 9/7/2006 Notice of Appeal (STYGLA) (STYGLA) 9/7/2006 Declaration of Financial Hardship (M - 9/13/2006) (GASKIA) 9/7/2006 Appearance of Kenneth M. Carpenter, Esq., for the appellant (STYGLA)(M - 9/13/2006) (GASKIA) 9/12/2006 Fee Agreement (M - 9/7/2006) (HAYESR) 9/13/2006 Notice of Docketing for Fee agreement w/in 14 days; BVA's decision w/in 30 days; DR w/in 60 days (GASKIA) 9/14/2006 Copy of BVA Decision (STYGLA) (M - 9/14/2006) (HAYESR) 10/10/2006 Appearance of Richard Daley, Esq. as attorney for Appellee (M - 10/10/2006) (HAYESR) 11/13/2006 Mot of appellee to ext time to file DR by 12/13/06 (M - 11/13/2006) (HAYESR) 11/20/2006 Clerk's ord granting Appellee's 11/13/06 Mot until 12/13/06 (Nunc Pro Tunc to 11/13/06) (HAYESR) (HAYESR) 12/7/2006 Mot of appellee to ext time to file DR by 12/28/06 (M - 12/7/2006) (HAYESR) 12/12/2006 Clerk's ord granting Appellee's 12/7/06 Mot until 12/28/06 (HAYESR) (HAYESR) 12/28/2006 Designation of Record (STYGLA) (M - 12/28/2006) (HAYESR) 2/1/2007 Counter Designation of Record (M - 1/31/2007) (HAYESR) 3/7/2007 Mot of appellee to ext time to file record by 4/6/07 (M - 3/7/2007) (HAYESR) 3/9/2007 Clerk's ord granting Appellee's 3/7/07 Mot until 4/6/07 (Nunc Pro Tunc to 3/8/07) (HAYESR) (HAYESR) 4/6/2007 Record on Appeal (M - 4/6/2007) (HAYESR) 4/13/2007 Notice to File Brief within 60 days (HAYESR) 6/11/2007 Appellant's Brief (M - 6/8/2007) (HAYESR) 8/13/2007 Mot of appellee to ext time to file brief by 9/12/07 (M - 8/13/2007) (HAYESR) 8/16/2007 Clerk's ord granting Appellee's 8/13/07 Mot until 9/12/07 (Nunc Pro Tunc to 8/13/07) (HAYESR) (HAYESR) 9/11/2007 Mot of appellee to ext time to file brief by 9/27/07 (M - 9/11/2007) (HAYESR) 9/14/2007 Clerk's ord granting Appellee's 9/11/07 Mot until 9/27/07 (Nunc Pro Tunc to 9/12/07) (HAYESR) (HAYESR) 9/24/2007 Joint mot to stay of proceedings until 10/27/07 (Possible Jnt Resolution) (M - 9/24/2007) (HAYESR) 9/27/2007 Clerk's ord granting parties 9/24/07 Mot until 10/27/07 (HAYESR) (HAYESR) End of Docket

Smoke and mirrors sledge

Quote from Rocky, "There are three things that are needed to be successful in a claim for PTSD and they are: 1) Verifiable Stressor Event 2) Diagnosis of PTSD 3) Nexus of service connection If you have all three of these the VA cannot and will not deny your claim for PTSD. You are not being singled out nor treated any differently than any other vet that is claiming service connected PTSD." Rocky, I've been at the court for seven years because the VA does not follow your plan/rules/opinion. 1) Verifiability is COMPLETELY up to the VA office types. 2) One VA quack can, and frequently does, nullify years of any diagnosis and treatment by the proper, qualified specialists. Quacks are with the VA because the VA hires quacks who do what their told, shoot down anyone that the RO wants to have shot down and do what they want with the rest based upon personal preferences. (Do no harm) 3) Refer to 1). Vets that act like they have PTSD are probably acting just to get benefits?? Huh? Any examiner that believes that BS has a severe personality disorder and should not be around sick people. And that covers the RO too! PTSD does not co-exist with parliamentary rules of behavior. PTSD is a rewired brain, a mental aberration, a mental and physical disease. Without the proper treatment regimen, which comes after a proper diagnosis, PTSD is bad news for anyone who comes into contact with it. Just my opinion. sledge

Nine years worth of my previous VA co-pays is equal to ten months co-pays on the outside for me, if the insurance company approves the medication. Our vets get the best medical care as long as that care falls within the preset, current budget. If you aren't on the spit list. If you don't mind traveling all over the country. If your doctor is really a doctor. If you can get by on FORMULARY drugs. One doctor sent me on a 2 hour drive for an MRI, then a 3 hour drive to get the MRI read, then an 8 hour drive for treatment, which was refused. After telling me NOT TO DRIVE. For the next medical condition I was sent on the 3 hour drive to see the specialist again, he recommended the 8 hour drive for treatment again and this time I laughed in his face. They tell me that my knee should be replaced but they refuse to prescribe anything for the pain. Call this a rant if you must but it's all true. sledge

I only receive one months worth of anything and I do not co-pay. However, the VA does not allow my doctor to prescribe anything that equals or exceeds the co-pays dollar value. I got 3 months worth of one medication one time and then they cut me off, again. When you question the cost of the medication, on a per-month basis, you are upsetting their system with a logical, sensible inquiry. The VA operates on confusion, budget constraints and, 'that's how we have always done it'. Government agencies are geared for the 'herd', not the individual client. If they claim that the cost is equitable when the strength of the medication required by one patient is half that required of another patient, they are simply following the regulations regarding allowable co-pays. Regardless of the cost, one months worth of any strength of any medication is equal to one co-pay. From what I have seen in this thread, they are confusing the issue with quotes from statutes that do not address the actual question. The VA is not even addressing the actual question. Why does the same amount of pills/medicine cost some veterans twice as much as charged to other veterans? I have not seen any evidence that the question has been answered by the VA. Am I missing something? Anyway, all they have to do is inflate the cost of the medication in question to get out of a straight answer. The co-pay is equitable because the VA says so, your input is not required. sledge

Check this out. --- Article -- VA chief: Do not increase VA budget, pass it By Rick Maze - Staff writer Posted : Friday Aug 31, 2007 14:41:45 EDT The Department of Veterans Affairs does not need more money; it just needs a budget to quickly pass Congress, VA Secretary Jim Nicholson said in a letter to key lawmakers. Nicholson, who will be leaving the VA post by Oct. 1, the start of the fiscal year, says in the letter, released Friday, that time is short to avoid disruption in veterans' programs. Passing a funding bill by the start of the fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1, "is essential" to avoid the problems that would result from operating under a temporary budget, where spending is capped and new programs cannot be started. "I know you agree that we owe it to veterans to complete work on time," Nicholson said, noting that when Congress returns to work Sept. 4, there will be just 19 legislative days before the new fiscal year begins. The House already has passed its version of the veterans' spending bill and the Senate expects to begin debate on its version Sept. 4. Nicholson asked lawmakers to resist adding more money to the $39.4 billion requested by President Bush. The Bush request, a $2.9 billion increase over the 2007 budget, is part of "a fiscally responsible path to fund the nation's highest veterans priorities," Nicholson said. "I am confident the top-line amount set for VA would enable the department to successfully accomplish our noble mission of serving our nation's veterans with the quality and commitment Americans expect," he said. The letter is addressed to Sen. Tim Johnson, D-S.D., and Rep. Chet Edwards, D-Tex., the chairmen of the House and Senate appropriations committees responsible for preparing the VA spending bill. Johnson will be returning to the Senate on Sept. 4 after a slow recovery from a brain hemorrhage in December that left him unable to work. Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., has been filling in as acting chairman. The House version of the VA spending bill includes $3.8 billion more than the Bush administration requested, which prompted a warning from the White House's Office of Management and Budget that it would veto other appropriations bills unless cuts in other programs were found to offset the increase for veterans' programs. http://www.navytime s.com/news/ 2007/08/military _VAbudget_ nicholson_ 0708 31w/ --end--