vetquest

I had a doctor like that once. Had me on so much medication that a civilian urologist told me I could be in serious trouble for complication of medications. When I asked my VA doc she got so mad because I had a second opinion on her treatment. She refused to treat me after that. I went to patient affairs and was assigned another doctor. You may want to try that before you walk away from the entire program. To fully develop your claim they may be getting a medical opinion about the service connection.

You will find out what you need to know when you get your decision. My appeal had several contentions. One issue was awarded as of Sept. 07. The next issue was awarded as of Dec 17. I got backpay for the issue dated Sept 07 but the last change to current award was for Dec 17.

Yea, I have had some bad C&P exams myself. I had one where the neurologist who I had seen before and gave a bad C&P previously told me "I thought I had taken care of you already." Glad you maintained your cool, losing your temper only hurts you, ask me how I know . If you lose your claim you can ask for a BVA appeal. Some people get an IMO but if you are only 10% I do not know if that would be cost effective, unless your condition has actually gotten worse. Let us know how this progresses.

Buck, I am torn on whether to file. I just got done with the board of appeals and was awarded back pay and a new disability secondary to my original. My lawyer talked me into quitting and he had nothing to gain at that point. What I have just discovered is that my PTSD rated at 70% was awarded as of 11/17 meaning my wife would not get DIC if something happens to me. All other awards were backdated to 2007 but they add up to 95% without the PTSD at 70%. I was thinking about requesting the PTSD award being backdated to the date of appeal, 2007. I am just unsure about the regional office here in TN. They have done everything they could to prevent me getting my disability including threatening to reduce and sever my disabilities. I guess I just could take it back to BVA again. Jeff

Awesome family photos.

I think I will wait. I am at 100% but just barely. I have service connected neuropathy in my arms and legs. The pain originates from there and is documented. I know that it will open up all of my other conditions but they are all ten years except for my PTSD but my last C&P was pretty strong. I am also looking at getting my PTSD backdated. I have some serious thinking to do.

Buck, please provide more information. I have neuropathy in all four extremities and am curious about filing. I take narcotics for pain prescribed by my general. Usually burning, sometimes sharp.

Take a step back and ask yourself which is more important, your wife or your VA case. I know how easy it is to get balled up in your case and lose sight of what is more important. My discharge was illegal and I had to fight for retirement and then 35 years for VA benefits. Make the VA a hobby and stop being OCD on your case. See if the VA will provide marriage counseling for you and your wife or find it outside. Keep moving forward and find some enjoyment in life. I have been there.

If this is not your VA doctor he must say he has reviewed all of your service records and C-file. You can request a c-file through ebennifits but it may take up to a year. There is also some other specific language that is required on the nexus letter such as he believes that it is most likely that your condition is secondary to your service connected disability. Without specific language his letter would only be advice. You could get him to write a letter and see what comes out in the C&P that will be required but that is not always a good choice. The C&P could dismiss your doctor and then you would need an IMO (independent medical opinion), of course you might need an IMO anyway.

If you are not ten years P&T I would try to rate your ischemia. I am looking ten years P&T so I no longer worry about my wife but I would otherwise.

Just follow it up with the peanut butter.

I agree with buck that you need to think long and hard about it. I lost my job due to my service connected disabilities but had to go to the BVA and two remands to get my benefits. That took ten years while I was not working. It can be a very frustrating and difficult road to go down. I agree with buck that I wish I could still work.

Go getem tiger.

If your C&P was done by the VA you can go to the VA hospital personally and request the report and walk out with it. If your C&P was done by a contractor you need to request it at the VA records office and it will take about three to six months.

Thanks for the information. Unfortunately they did not upgrade migraines. Severe economic inadaptability is still 50%.

I would recommend you get a letter from your manager and coworkers about the effects of migraine on your job. These really helped me.

congratulations.

The last line says you have moderate socio-occupational impairment. This looks to me like a 50% evaluation, maybe 70% if they read about your time off of work. For the erectile dysfunction I would file a secondary claim. For the major depression I do not really know how you need to handle this. I have PTSD and major depression but they only rate the two as one on emotional disability claims. You could get an IMO to have it added but I am not sure the monies required would get you any better disability rating.

This is a good thing.

When asking for an increase on my disability I actually was recommended for a reduction in rating and a severance of service connection on my SOC. Both were recommended against VA law though in that the rating they were trying to reduce was twenty years old and the severance was for a service connection that was over ten years old. I do not know if they would have gotten away with it if I was not in a protected status. I am not saying that they would do this to someone else but they really were playing hardball with me.

Funny how things happen at the VA. I once had a doctor write an opinion that my disability did not exist. I got a second opinion. At the C&P the doctor who had made the first opinion was my examiner. Needless to say the decision was thrown out at a remand.

I have found that remands can take longer than normal claims. I do not know if nobody wants to work on something that they have had their hand slapped for or if they just do not like to do them knowing that the board will be looking at their decision critically.

The best care available. Sometimes there is none available. That is why I use Tricare.

It took nine years from my date of discharge and then ten more years after I lost my job due to SC disability.

Unfair, yes, the VA is the definition of unfair. Lose your career due to a disability but get no benefits because your condition is not in the books. Migraines rated at only 50% when you can lose your job over them. To change them will take an act of Congress though and we cannot get congress to agree what the color of the sky is today. We are unfortunately stuck with a broken system we must work within it the best we can. And please do not write me off as another 100% vet who has got his. My first five years I was rated at 0%. I lost everything except my wife. It was twenty-five years after my involuntary separation that I received 100%.