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vetquest last won the day on March 13 2022
vetquest had the most liked content!
About vetquest
- Birthday 02/24/1961
Profile Information
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Military Rank
E-6
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Interests
Dogs and shooting.
Previous Fields
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Service Connected Disability
100%
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Branch of Service
USMC
Recent Profile Visitors
vetquest's Achievements
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Vync reacted to an answer to a question: Migraine treated with botox
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asdf reacted to a post in a topic: Can't believe what VA Billed my insurance!
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Interesting situation, no one can access my VBMS.
vetquest replied to vetquest's question in VA Disability Claims Research
No Sir, I have never worked for the VA. -
Interesting situation, no one can access my VBMS.
vetquest replied to vetquest's question in VA Disability Claims Research
I did file the necessary paperwork and the State of Tennessee is now my representative. -
Interesting situation, no one can access my VBMS.
vetquest posted a question in VA Disability Claims Research
I have a unique situation, no one can access my VBMS records. I have a representative and he is locked out and gets a security message when trying to access my records. I have filed two IRIS complaints and they have been closed without doing anything for me. I have also contacted my congress critter and they were told twice that the problem was fixed to no avail. It was speculated that since I had a lawyer at one time that this was the reason that it was locked. I do not need to access my record at this time but this situation perplexes me. Has anyone had a like problem or heard of something like this? -
vetquest reacted to an answer to a question: Requesting an increase
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vetquest reacted to a post in a topic: Headache letter
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It seems like every time they make the system "better" it hurts vets. One of my claims through the DAV was denied years ago in that it was not submitted on the correct form, I was told at the DAV that it was a dead claim. After some research I found that any correspondence to the VA was considered as a claim for disability. I was able to win this claim. Now that avenue is no longer open to vets and it is in writing that everything has to be on an accepted form or it is mute. I see the new changes as more of the same. Thanks for the update @Mr cue.
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ShrekTheTank reacted to a post in a topic: Headache letter
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I fully agree with @pacmanx1. You need to get evaluated for headaches and find out what in the doctor's opinion has lead to the headaches. Are there any notations in your service records for being treated for headaches? This is enough to be a nexus in most situations. If a doctor relates your headaches to the in service headaches it gives you a leg to stand on. In a perfect world the VA would do this for you but they most likely will not.
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vetquest reacted to a post in a topic: Headache letter
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ShrekTheTank reacted to an answer to a question: Migraine treated with botox
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Yes and no @brokensoldier244th. I have run into problems in migraine rating and been told by the VA that they look at the effects it causes for work. Some migraine medications even make it harder to work. Depakote a medication that can control migraines can cause slow thinking and cognition, even so the VA never took this into consideration. Between migraines and medication I was no longer able to work and was rated at a max of 50%. I requested extraschedular rating and was denied. Never underestimate the VA's ability to make like hard on the veteran.
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ShrekTheTank reacted to an answer to a question: Migraine treated with botox
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vetquest reacted to an answer to a question: Back Door Help at the VA
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Whether you deployed or stateside when the injury occurred should have no bearing on approval of a disability claim. Bertha requested that you attach a copy of your denial. That could help a lot for people trying to assist you. Remove any personal data first and then upload the denial. Yes, lawyers do take a while since they want to get all of the data and any necessary medical evidence. The process is long and lawyers want to be right the first time.
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- benefit claims
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cwatson reacted to an answer to a question: Migraine treated with botox
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Need to vent again smh
vetquest replied to Mr cue's question in Appealing Your Veterans Compensation Disability Claims NOD, DRO, BVA, USCAVC
Mr. Cue. I respectfully disagree with you about the IMO's. I needed two to win my case even with all of the evidence of record. All of my neurological C&P's were performed by a doctor at the VA who was at least adversarial and at most outright hostile. He told me in my C&P exam that I was a malingerer outright. My first IMO was to the question that I was unemployable due to my conditions. My second IMO was for a nexus for neuropathy. I was worried about the second because it was so short. What the doctor said was golden though. He called out the VA doctor for not following current medical knowledge. I do not believe we should have to get IMO's to win our case but in some situations, it is necessary. Life would be much easier if the VA doctors or contractors read our medical records with an open mind and were impartial but that is not always the case. -
Unfortunately, the VA rates your disability on the effect it has on you seeking work or working. If your headaches are controlled by the Botox they will probably deny an increase. I also suffer migraines from service and they do not rate migraines very well in my opinion. Totally incapacitating migraines are only rated at 50%. If you are having migraines while being treated with Botox do request an increase.
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blahsaysme2u reacted to an answer to a question: could some hadit experts look at the recent combined rating for PTSD and TBI. Do we need to get a second opinion
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GBArmy reacted to an answer to a question: Following Lung Cancer
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I went to the BVA the first time and won with the help of the NCOA. Ten years later I went to the BVA again and decided to hire a lawyer because the VA was playing fast and loose with the laws and CFR's in my case. Only you can make this decision but know that the service organizations are usually busy and can not always give you the time a lawyer can, it just costs you 20% of your award usually. I do not believe we should have to hire a lawyer or get expensive IMO's but sometimes that is what it takes. It's a lot better than the old days when we could not hire a lawyer by law. Those were some dark days.
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vetquest reacted to an answer to a question: BVA Appeal / Lawyer Needed or Not?
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vetquest reacted to an answer to a question: External DBQ's Phased Out ...
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VA appointments during corona virus (telehealth)
vetquest replied to broncovet's question in VA Disability Claims Research
I had an appointment last week at the VA for a second shot of two. I kept the appointment because they were open and I did not want to get the first shot again. We have quite a big annex and they were there, except there were few vets there. I also had an appointment with my psychiatrist through Facetime. Things are really strange out there. -
Next Steps for Secondary Condition Claim
vetquest replied to Kevin Viola's question in VA Disability Claims Research
I would go with broncovet's advice and file now and not wait. Your claim might take a while and it might not be done before you need the surgery. Waiting only costs you money. -
Thoughts on C&P exam
vetquest replied to Chalman's question in Veterans Compensation & Pension Exams
What killed you is this statement. You are looking for the following language for the specified rating. Compare the 70 percent rating instructions and the 50 percent instructions to what the examiner wrote. If you want to move up in rating you will most likely need an IMO that refutes what the VA examiner said about you. Occupational and social impairment, with deficiencies in most areas, such as work, school,family relations, judgment, thinking, or mood, due to such symptoms as: suicidal ideation; obsessional rituals which interfere with routine activities; speech intermittently illogical,obscure, or irrelevant; near-continuous panic or depression affecting the ability to function independently, appropriately and effectively;impaired impulse control (such as unprovoked irritability with periods of violence); spatial disorientation; neglect of personal appearance and hygiene; difficulty in adapting to stressful circumstances (including work or a worklike setting); inability to establish and maintain effective relationships...................... 70 Occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity due to such symptoms as: flattened affect; circumstantial, circumlocutory, or stereotyped speech; panic attacks more than once a week; difficulty in understanding complex commands; impairment of short- and long-term memory (e.g., retention of only highly learned material, forgetting to complete tasks); impaired judgment; impaired abstract thinking; disturbances of motivation and mood; difficulty in establishing and maintaining effective work and social relationships........... 50 Occupational and social impairment with occasional decrease in work efficiency and intermittent periods of inability to perform occupational tasks (although generally functioning satisfactorily, with routine behavior, self-care, and conversation normal), due to such symptoms as: depressed mood, anxiety, suspiciousness, panic attacks (weekly or less often), chronic sleep impairment, mild memory loss (such as forgetting names, directions, recent events)........................................... 30 Occupational and social impairment due to mild or transient symptoms which decrease work efficiency and ability to perform occupational tasks only during periods of significant stress, or; symptoms controlled by continuous medication............... 10 A mental condition has been formally diagnosed, but symptoms are not severe enough either to interfere with occupational and social functioning or to require continuous medication ..10 -
vetquest reacted to a post in a topic: In A Nutshell
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DBQs No Longer Available Online
vetquest replied to JustGettingStarted's question in Veterans Compensation & Pension Exams
I agree with Vync. We need to raise hell about this and prevent the VA from making things harder for vets. They claim to be doing this formerly due to veterans outside of the states, I believe them about as much as I believed the VA when they first denied my claim. -
vetquest reacted to an answer to a question: DBQs No Longer Available Online
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You can find many different kinds of diaries on the net. Your diary carries weight if it is added to your medical records. It is your self reporting of your migraine condition and is considered important evidence unless you impeach yourself by being caught in dishonest reporting. I say this because I had a doctor try to impeach my evidence but he was shot down, they may try.