SLEDGE

Richt That doesn't help. sledge

What list do ya get on if you were crawling around on nuclear bombs as part of the job? What's a badge? sledge

I have a strange feeling that this is one of those things that I will find just as ignert after I figure it out. I asked my Granddaughter about it. She says my car's cd player and my computer are not compatible. We have to find a CODEC (snort, cringe, drool) that works on both. This is interesting. My old, slow, outdated dinosour tower painted blue that quit on me, had no problem making cd's that my car would play. Press 'enter' in the tools application twice, sneer only once, bite your elbow, smack F7 and then wait between 4 and 6 seconds to select code 'A' by pressing zx and spitting twice. If zx is not available, go to Wal-Mart and buy one. If the CODEC does not load, please return in 2 hours and 31 minutes to retry. If the screen goes blank, puke on the left shoe only and reverse your glasses, wait 1 hour and 32 minutes to retry. How the hell does this BS make my life better? sledge My 8-Trac player had ONE button to push and volume control in a twist knob.

I've got a fairly new HP and I want to burn some music onto cds for road music. I'm getting the job done but, they won't play in the car. So I'm obviously not getting it done. It usta work. What the hell am I doing wrong? I don't even know which questions to ask. sledge

I asked a communications expert about those companies that keep calling after you tell them to take you off of their list. They do their calling from another country like India and bounce the calls through two or three piggy-backed servers before the call reaches us. I like to use rude and crude profanity when the jerks keep calling. After one or two times getting cussed-out they stop. I always feel better after cussing and slamming down the phone. sledge

Go for it! If it's legally yours, go for it. I'm a life member of the DAV and I fired them 10 years ago. sledge

Asbestos was used on every ship until it was banned. Most ships built before the ban still have it on board but a lot have encased it. My own experiences, Back in the 60's we were cutting blocks of the stuff on table saws and using ropes of it as 'blowout' seals in molten metal applications like injection molding of aluminum bar-b-cue grill kettles. We had protective clothing made out of the stuff. We used to walk around in a lite fog of that stuff in shop class in high school. While it is associated with specific health problems and widely recognized as such, the number of people who have developed cancer is a lot smaller than the tv lawyers would have us believe. The truth is, anything can be toxic to the right person or set of people. Proving which toxin 'gotcha' ain't all that hard either. Leaded paint, dioxin, asbestos, solvents, noise, bright lights, peanuts or a rabid skunk can all be deadly to the unlucky. Why are my lungs still clear? Why haven't I developed lyme disease? Why 'do I' have rampaging degenerative arthritis? Did PTSD cause fibromyalgia or just speed up the natural way of things? Corrolate the year that a ship was launched with the date that asbestos was banned to establish likely exposures. Keep in mind that some ship building countries have not banned that stuff altogether, they just modified their own rules on the applications in which it can be safely used. As the ban took effect I believe the price of asbestos went through the floor. If a captive situation is established between two pieces of metal I'm sure asbestos is still the number one insulator used as long as contact with our breathing air is not possible. I avoid that stuff like the plague and everybody else should too. Why push your luck? sledge

Monster, Hang in there. Everything is going along much, much better than I would expect and I have been there. You are on the path to getting healed and your doctors are willing to help you get there. Just keep chugging along a little while longer. I see a better quality of life in your immediate future. sledge

When talking about nerves you have to consider one thing first, is one problem causing or hiding another? It takes a specialist to figure it out and opine as to which problem needs to be adressed first. Getting my neck fixed affected several other conditions below the neck. Doc said that nothing (diagnosis) can be trusted downstream from any nerve involvement. Dang near everything is downstream from the cervical area. sledge

" You can't really test a damaged nerve, it is pretty subjective and I am sure they would look at the ncs/emg that was fine but doesn't mean anthing for nerve damage at the root that causes constant pain-not the loss of use." A specialist examined me for 'nerve' problems, mainly because the VA refused, and he not only told me everything I was experiencing, including pain, he told me how long the problem had existed, accurately. Before the exam he had no records to revue or even a conversation with me, we were strangers. The plan was to 'discover' and document for treatment by 3 other specialties. It's really amazing what they can tell about nerve damage these days outside the VA. Even the VA told me not to drive because of the meds. Then the VA scheduled 3 appointments for me at facilities that were over 200 miles from my residence. sledge

A verbal beatdown in a congressional hearing just makes the congressman look good and the VA look bad for a few minutes. I think the whole thing is scripted like pro wrestling. Plenty of words and no real action. A waste of tax dollars. Smoke and mirrors. Give me a break. sledge

New programs for compiling information have one serious drawback. The same people who process claims with little regard for doing it right the first time are the same people who are using the new info systems. Better access to information is worthless when the goals of the information managers and info users is still to screw vets, if screwing vets saves money. The basic premise/mandate of the VA system is to help veterans 'while' protecting the interests of the government. We could be better served if the information was stored on cuniform, clay tablets if our claims were done right the first time. Instead, we now have a two-part information system where the 2 parts do not talk to each other. How does that change the overall system over to accuracy before quantity, the only meaningful change that would make any real difference to injured patriots? Change, for the sake of change, is just another political way to feed more money to outside contractors while causing as much confusion and loss of accuracy as possible. Situation Normal, All Fouled Up. (SNAFU) To those VA employees who really care about doing the job right, THANK YOU and keep up the good work. I light a candle for you every day. sledge

Most of our shots (1970-1974) were injected with that type of equipment. Nobody ever cleaned anything that I ever saw. Twitching would leave a gash on your arm because they never grabbed any part of the person getting the shot. I was kept at World-Wide shot status for 3 years. It seemed that we got shots once a month. sledge

It's about time. sledge

Carlie, you are correct. But the examiner is still a jerk who should be reported, at the least, to the patient rep. Based upon his attitude, is this guy really a doctor? sledge

Huh? "they told me I would need to get my DD-214 changed before they could provide me with any mental help, counseling/medication/etc." That sounds like the old crock-of-s--t. Your diagnosis and character of discharge are two things that the VA will have to look at before your treatment starts. Your discharge isn't under 'less than honorable' so the VA can't turn you away if you have the PD listed, that's BS. I do not understand this getting your dd214 changed before the VA will see you. This statement, "which awarded me with a suprising 100% Direct Service Connected disability for Paranoid Schizophrenia." makes qualifying for VA medical care a moot issue. 100 percent opens every VA door. However, if somebody can show that exclusion from care as a result of the PD diagnosis on the dd214, I would like to see where it comes from. I think it's another case of some jerk using BS to keep a veteran from seeking care. sledge

Michellee, The head dude in charge of the spine doctors is the idiot who discounted my SEVERE spinal stenosis and recommended physical thereapy after the MRI, CatScan, x-rays and several other doctors recommended immediate surgical intervention to stabilize my neck. That's when I knew the VA would never touch anything related to my nerves or structures. My condition was like yours, only much worse. I required surgery, you may not. If I were you, I would find a very good, well recommended spinal doctor and then go for the treatment that's called for. Have the outside medical records added to your VA medical file. I would certainly report the jerk! I think it's amazing that he actually has a job as a doctor. I'm not surprised that the VA hired him. sledge

I would recomend NOVA (National Organization of Veterans Attorneys) first. My PTSD specialist is a charter member and as far as I know he is always maxed-out with clients. By contacting NOVA or a NOVA lawyer you should get a list of attorneys that can do the job. Don't hire any lawyer that wants money up front before you win any retro benefit money. The same is true with SSD lawyers. Mine asked for nothing up front and his payday came straight from the government as a percentage of my retro. He does not turn away anyone so his win record is only about 95%. Lawyers that know how to win are not starving and will not require anything up front before you are awarded. sledge

Actually, you should consider yourself fortunate in that you found out immediately what kind of AH the examiner is. Now you have the advance opportunity to disqualify his examination before you wait years for the Regional Office decision. Send the AH a thank-you letter expressing your complete satisfaction with his examination. Then, without telling the AH, point out to the Regional Office where he made mistakes using the other doctor's examination notes before the Regional Office decision takes place. You are way ahead of most other vets with regard to really knowing what an examiner has noted in your C-File. You can use the other, more correct exams to ask for another C&P exam due to the disparities from one doctor to another. Good Luck, sledge

I misspoke below. My lawyer got my TDIU for free, pro bono, no cost. He has filed for EAJA funds and may have already received that check. I know I will never be overcharged by 'my lawyer' and he is still doing his thing. sledge

"I know that some object to hiring lawyers after all the Service Organizations and the VA claims that Veterans don't need them. The cost is usually 20% of retro. I think that hiring a lawyer would have saved me a lot of grief and hardship over the 5 and 1/2 years that I struggled fighting the VA. First of all just the worry and anxiety was beyond anything I thought that I could endure." "the Service Organizations and the VA claims that Veterans don't need them." The service orgs are all in bed with the VA. If one of them keeps screwing up your claim and you pitch-a-bitch, they will drop you like a hot rock. THey don't need us to justify their existance, just need the VA office space. "I think that hiring a lawyer would have saved me a lot of grief and hardship over the 5 and 1/2 years that I struggled fighting the VA." Oh how true Pete. After 21 years of VA games I hired a lawyer. He won my award of TDIU in less than 2 more years. Anxiety?? The VA's most popular dirty trick is to cause the veteran anxiety and panic attacks. When your main problem is an anxiety disorder, like PTSD, the VA games can drive you over the edge. Many of our comrades have dropped their claims because the VA totally insulted their intelligence, patriotism, honesty and sanity. Others, like me, have kept their claims going 'because' the VA insulted us. The VA is people. People who do what they are told to do regardless of what the law prescribes. We have no control over their pay and benefits. Screwing-up our claims does not impact their lives because they never see our faces or how badly our service affected us and they are faithfully 'protecting the interests of the government'. Finding a lawyer that will take 20% of your retro benefit as payment for legal services could be the most important single action that you could ever take. If the VARO people are obviously ignoring your evidence, a lawyer can shake their tree just enough to make a denial turn into an award. Being awarded 80% of something beats the daylights out of pure zero any day of the week. Since my original claim was finally awarded and the lawyer was paid the maximum of 20%, anything after that will pay the lawyer 30% or more of my new retro. And I'll grin all of the way to the bank. By the way, my 3-08-2010 award from the BVA is screwed-up just like everything else that the VA has ever sent to me. My lawyer is on it like stink on manure. sledge

If anyone had any doubts about the new guy being a politician 'FIRST', this seals the deal. Smoke and mirrors and more payroll padding will only serve to slow it down even more. Using the older troops to train the new troops will only perpetuate what we have been fighting. A complete disregard for accuracy and quality. sledge

Winning a CUE claim tolls everything that came about before the CUE win. The VA is not allowed to deprive anyone of their benefits that would have been available back on the new effective date, as the result of a VA mistake... If your kid was going to college during the effected time frame, between now and back to the new effective date, the VA is screwed. Administrative errors by the VARO don't cause anyone to lose anything. But, it will probably take some time to receive it. That's the VA. I suspect 2 of my college graduated kids will be chasing their retro when the administrative errors in my case are recognized and corrected. So far, just recently recognized (March, 2010). Waiting on the correction. sledge

I would encourage you to check out NOVA first. sledge

woodenturkey, Here we have discussed many SSOC's, decisions, ratings etc. that have to originate somewhere in the VA. My SSOC's and decisions have always been seriously flawed, adding at least 20 years to the claims process. My representative told me not to do any horror stories 'yet'. Are we talking about records, medical decisions, RO paperwork or fill in the blanks? I can dictate my stories and submitt them at a future date. Have you ever seen one, at the office, that got screwed-up instead of doing it right the first time, obviously on purpose? I know what retaliation is like and I'm not looking for any particular veteran's paperwork or any particular VA employee. I can't believe so much 'stupid' could exist in one organization without looking for idiots during the hiring process. I know several dedicated VA employees who do everything at their very best for every veteran and I'm sure I have not met all of the good folks yet. If the veteran could participate in the adjudication process, in the first instance, the veteran could help correct errors before any decision is applied. sledge