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Stick Slinger

Second Class Petty Officers
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About Stick Slinger

Previous Fields

  • Service Connected Disability
    80%
  • Branch of Service
    USMC
  • Hobby
    fishing

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  1. Yes, I was service connected for PTSD before I ever had a sleep study done, and before the CPAP machine was prescribed. thanks!
  2. Here is the letter.. really confusing to me. But I still am just asking about a referral for a good lawyer VA doc.pdf
  3. I use a CPAP, have DBQ's and Dr letters, sleep studies, etc.. denied on 1st submission and then appealed.. on appeal I got rated for OSA secondary to PTSD but with a ZERO rating. Waiting on a hearing now for over a year. I was referred to Jan Dils attorney to handle the appeal. They looked at all the info and took the case saying that it was a really good case and a good chance to win the appeal. They stayed in touch good for a while, but since Dec, I have had no response from them after emails and VM's were left. Does anyone have a referral for me? I need an attorney to handle this appeal so I am just looking reccommendations. Thanks and Semper Fi! Jim
  4. I am waiting for my appeal decision to come back now. My Primary Dr. and Psychiatrist had both written NEXUS letters, I had a home sleep study done that showed mild sleep apnea, and my Dr had prescribed me a CPAP. In my denial letter they said a CPAP was not a prescription for OSA. My appeal process sent me to a VA Dr and he really only talked to me for 5 minutes or so with no questions really for me.. Then they sent me to a VA sleep study. There I was diagnosed with Moderate Sleep apnea and while I have received nothing in the mail, according to my VA rep, she said the VA Dr said it is 50% more likely than not, secondary to the PTSD. My Ebenefits page said the decision should be ready in April, then in May, now by the end of June. Not sure what will be the outcome, but if I get a positive decision, (which I am assuming I will get after the VA Dr stated greater than 50% more likely then not) I will post more about the letters I sent I. My Phys Dr sent in a letter to show his reasoning they are connected showing several studies. Good Luck and I will be back!
  5. I was sent to a sleep study and was diagnosed with moderate OSA, and REM Hypoventilation. I have been waiting for the decision and though I cant see anything in Ebenefits, my VA rep at Veterans Services called and told me she could see where, after the sleep study results were posted, the Dr I saw has stated that he opines it is 50% more likely than not, that the OSA is secondary to the PTSD. So now I am waiting for the final decision. We will see.. If this is approved as 2nd to PTSD. I will report back..
  6. I am SC for Migraines 2nd to PTSD and am rated at 30% I believe. I had all my paperwork and DBQ filled out from my private DR. I can try to help you with this if I can. It looks tome they said 50% less likely than not so to me that means no service connection. Let me know when you get your answer if you can. Also, I am in appeals on my SC OSA 2nd to PTSD. Were you diagnosed with OSA while in service. I don't know many that have made it where you are on that one. Any help will be appreciated
  7. So I got my sleep study result today. I called the hospital and had them send me a copy. There is a lot of info here but I guess the most important is at the bottom which reads: Impression: this overnight sleep study documented a moderate obstructive sleep apnea syndrome and REM hypoventilation, predominantly in the supine position. Recommendations: Continue using the current CPAP machine at home. Also the patient to return to the sleep lab for CPAP titration. Sounds like the concur with my private sleep study that I do have OSA and I am to continue with my prescribed CPAP machine. I will report back when more info comes in. Thoughts??
  8. The VA denied my claim that my OSA was secondary to PTSD and in the denial they also said that the CPAP was not a medical necessary. My private Dr had done a sleep study and he prescribed the CPAP for me in which my private insurance is now paying for. So, my thoughts are that if I didn't need one, they would not be paying for it. When I asked the C&P Dr about it he said that the CPAP was the correct prescription for OSA so he had no idea why that was in my denial or why they would state that. And please explain what it means that I can CUE this. sorry don't know all the acronyms here yet. Thank you!
  9. SO I went to the sleep study at a civilian hospital and it was done Friday night. The next morning, the nurse told me I did have issues with OSA, and though she was just the nurse and could not give me too much info, she said I did need a CPAP and she could see why I was prescribed one. So it sounds like I passed (or really failed) the sleep study. She gave me some info on where I could see the results in a week or so and they would be also sent to the VA. I will report back when I have more info.
  10. Headed in for my VA appointed sleep study Friday. Anyone had any success with OSA yet? Just curious. If I am diagnosed again with OSA after this sleep study and it is still denied I will get a lawyer I assume.
  11. I am in the appeal process now. I will get a letter from my wife showing the impact. Have you seen any letters that have helped? Do you know anyone that has been successful in getting the initial denial approved? Thanks a lot. I want all the help I can get!
  12. Thanks and I will go again. I had a home sleep study done a while back and the CPAP was prescribed then. Is there anything else you see that I may have left out? And has anyone here been approved yet?
  13. Has anyone here had a favorable rating from this claim? My private psychiatrist said he is seeing this approved quite a bit now. I was initially denied and they stated that a phone interview was conducted with me.. it wasn't. I am rated at 70% for PTSD after being a combat door gunner in the USMC. I had submitted letters from my Dr stating 50% at least as likely than not that the OSA is 2nd to the PTSD. I also had the same letter from my psychologist, and he also stated case studies proving this and how the PTSD is aggravated by the OSA.. and how the OSA is aggravated by the PTSD. I had been diagnosed with OSA and prescribed a CPAP machine after a home sleep study was done and I have a letter from my Dr stating that this machine is medically necessary. I have a BDQ from my private DR stating all the same stuff too and again stating the 50% more likely than not.. After it was denied I appealed and was then sent to my 1st C&P exam for OSA. I drove 50 miles to a chiropractor's office where I met a DR that drives around from place to place just doing these exams. He was renting an office space there for the day. After I got there he asked me like 4 or 5 questions. I have all my paperwork with me. Every letter, studies, etc. He didn't want to see any of them. He typed and studied his laptop and is was silence for minutes with nothing... then he said we were done. I told him, you are kidding me right? I told him I drove 50 miles to get here and he is going to ask me a few questions and I am leaving? no exam? So I asked him what he thought about OSA being 2nd to PTSD. He said since he was working for the VA, he could not discuss his opinion. I told him I was scheduled through the VA for a sleep study next month at a hospital. Should I even go to the exam. It appeared he had already made up his mind. He said, yes go to the sleep study and after that info was entered into my records he could make a final decision.. Also in my initial denial letter, they stated that the CPAP machine was not medically necessary.. I asked him about that and he shook his head stating he didn't know where that came from .He said a CPAP is the correct prescription for OSA and it was medically necessary. So I don't know where I stand with the C&P. I got really mixed feelings about it. I will post the results from the sleep study and what happens next. If I can get the rating I deserve, I will be glad to share the info, DBQ, letters etc.. and show the steps taken to get there.
  14. I go to the next Sleep Study on March 22nd, so after that I should know something. I do wonder why he would tell me to go to the Sleep Study so he could see the results if he was going to deny it.. but then again, it doesn't have to make sense to me I guess...
  15. Good luck.. I just had a joke of a C&P exam myself yesterday. I was denied a while back for OSA secondary to PTSD. I am rated at 70% for PTSD. I submitted the first time and was denied for OSA secondary to PTSD. In the paperwork they referred to a phone interview that never happened.. I appealed and was sent to a DR yesterday. This Dr only does C&P exams for the VA and is an outside Dr. I showed up 45 minutes early for my appt, and they took me right in. This appointment was in a Chiropractor's office. The Dr said he comes to town weekly and rents space here to do the C&P?? He is a regular family doctor from what I understood. I had driven an hour to get here and when we sat down I thought I had all my ducks in a row. I had the same stuff I had originally submitted, I felt lie a lawyer coming in there.. I had my DBQ from my Dr saying 50% more likely than not, A NEXUS letter from my private Dr saying 50% more likely than not that my OSA was secondary to my PTSD. I had the same letter from my private phycologist stating he same thing and he stated case files and study info. I even had a letter from my Dr saying the CPAP was medically necessary. The C&P Dr did not want to see any of it. He said it was in my file already and he had seen them. I tried to give him the last letter stating the CPAP is medically necessary because it was not in there.. and he said to enter it in to MY VET stuff and he will see it there. REALLY? WOW He asked me maybe 4-5 questions and after he looked into the computer for a few minutes said we were done. I said Doc, I drove an hour to get here and in 10 minutes we are done. You don't want to see any of my paperwork I brought and we are just done? I asked if he believed if OSA is linked or secondary to PTSD. He said he couldn't answer that question because he was employed by the VA. I told him the VA had scheduled me another sleep study next month in March, should I even go to it or does it even matter. He said to yes, go and he will see the results and then he can make his decision. He said check with the nurse out front to fill out the pw for the travel pay. I asked her and she said she has no paperwork and doesn't know about travel pay. I just left... I didn't leave there feeling very warm and fuzzy if you know what I mean...
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