DD_Carter

My next exam is September 12th. Yes I am married and have one child. They bumped my back up to 100% as apart of the convalescence compensation. My overall rating is 90% normally.

I am working again, but my employer lets me work from home and tells me to take it easy. The only thing I go in for is the the occasional meeting.

I talked with them again, They said because my doc has not cleared me yet, I am still receiving convalescence compensation till he does. It is based on 100% SMC-S due to housebound. They said I will continue to receive it till my doc clears me fully. Which will never happen. I know I can leave the house but I will never be 100% again.

Maybe it is due to my back sugary. I did post about it a while back but the letter said that it was suppose to end a few months back. I have no idea. I am confused. I called and they just said it was correct.

No I dont see anything about IU.

I found this on ebenefits. Bummer.

This is showing up on the myhealthevet site in my records. I have been getting paid at 100% for about 3 months now but I never received a letter. anyone have any ideas on what I should do?

Okay, I understand now. At this point im not sure what avenue I am going to take. it seems unlikely they will increase my back as this has been a battle from the beginning. I will be talking to some individuals about what I can do from here. Thanks

Im not sure what you are referring to when you say ROM.

I got ya. But the last thing that does not make sense is why am I just now receiving the pay? If the housebound ended on July 1, 2017, I should have received the last payment on July 1 2017 correct?

Meddac is right on this. I have 230% using simple math but im at 90% according to VA math. My initial rating was 80% and then they reduced me to 60% so I filled an NOD and they bumped me up to 90% after it was all said and done.

@MikeHunt Ya im just really confused. The lady on the phone said it was correct and sent me that letter. Hopefully someone else can give me some insight into what this all means. Thanks for your reply.

I am very confused now. I called and she said that my payment was correct and she asked if I had received the letter. I told her no I had not so she offered to either mail me a copy or fax me a copy. I opted to have it faxed. It was the Convalescence compensation but it says on here: We made the following decision(s): Entitlement to special monthly compensation based on housebound. Mar 20, 2017 Entitlement to special monthly compensation is warrented in this case because criteria regarding housebound were met until July 1, 2017 Lumbar strain with interverebral dis syndrome and spondylolysis of L5 vertebrae 20% 100% Mar 20, 2017 Lumbar strain with interverebral dis syndrome and spondylolysis of L5 vertebrae 100% 20% Jun 1, 2017 An evaluation of 100 percent has been assigned effective March 20, 2017 based on surgical or other treatment necessitating convalescence. We have assigned a 20 percent evaluation for your lumbar strain based on 1. Combined range of motion of the thoracolumbar spine not greater than 120 degrees 2. Forwardflexion of the thoracolumbar spine greater than 30 degrees but not greater than 60 degrees. Additional symptom(s) include: 1. With no incapacitating episodes during the past 12 months, 2. Painful motion upon examination. the provisions of 38 CFR 4.40 and 4.45 concerning functional loss due to pain, fatigue, weakness, or lack of endurance, incoordination, and flare-ups, as cited in DeLuca v. Brown and Mitchell v. Shinseki, have been considered and applied under 38 CFR 4.59 A higher evaluation of 40 percent is not warrented for interverebral disc syndrome unless the evidence shows: Favorable ankylosis of the entire thoracolumbar spine; or, forward flexion of the thoracolumbar spine 30 degrees or less. A higher evaluation of 40 percent is not warrented for interverebral disc syndrome unless the evidence shows: Intervertebral disc syndrome with incapacitating episodes having a total duration of at least four weeks but less than six weeks during the past 12 months. what the hell does all this mean?

Thanks for the advice everyone, I will be calling them today. I did refile for the Convalescence compensation but I am yet to get a letter about it. Would it show on my e benefits if they had approved anything? I cant seem to find it. The open claim is gone and my disabilities page still says 90%. Thanks

So it has been awhile. But the last two months I have gotten paid at 100% even though my e benefits says I am 90%. I had applied awhile back for convalescence compensation but it was denied and I received a letter stating that. I am super confused and not sure what I should do. Thanks, Lee

I am assuming that docs through Veterans Choice will be eligible for prescriptions? Just wondering because after my surgery, I have been taking my prescriptions to VAMC and getting them filled. I have had no issues other than they say they will only fill them once per month even though my doc was giving me 2 week supplies at first.

@jbasser Thanks for the information and point of contact.

"I have an odd question....Do you know Major Brian Gudsmundson?" I cant say I do.

Thanks Buck, I will still be around just not as involved. asknod did have some valid points. and things that I had not thought about before. There really is no way for me to get 100% P&T. Which makes it basically pointless to try. Other than just to get my NSC's changed to SC. At this point that is my only goal. 100% was never truly my goal anyway it just would have been an added bonus. You never know my NSC respiratory issues could end up being lung cancer down the road, it kills me and then my wife gets nothing. I dont care if they give me 0% at least it will be service connected and that will help my family later on.

I was wrong to talk bad about Alex on here. My issues are with him and that is no ones business but mine and his. @Buck52 @Tbird @broncovet @Berta, thank you for the advice you have given me but this forum is not the place for me. I will continue to depend on myself as usual. I may still read some things from here just to educate myself but aside from that I think I am done.

I see what you are saying Bronco, my overall goal is not to be 100% its to make sure that everything is service connected that should be in the event I need it to be. You see thats the issue, same as Alex, people assume I am doing it for the money when that is not what it is about. Its about the VA taking responsibility for conditions that were caused during service.

Asknod treated me as if I was just a rating chaser and I am falsifying information to try and get a higher rating. He is wrong that is not what I am doing, but if he thinks that and he knows nothing about me, what is the examiner going to think? Instead of stir the pot maybe I should leave it as it is and not worry about it.

I just graduated from school with a degree in Information Technology Systems Administrator and landed a really good job. But my past career was thrown down the trash due to a SC disability. Asknod told me it was not even worth trying to file anything else because there was no way I could get to 100% with my ratings the way they are. He said the only possible avenue is through my PTSD but after looking at the schedule of ratings, I have a little over half the symptoms for 70% and only a couple for the 100% rating. I am currently at 50% for it so I think its fair to say im about tapped out on that. I feel my back should be higher than the 20% due to the recent surgery and given the fact that I am still having issues with it. Also the fact that they said I will never be able to lift over 40 or so lbs again. I dont know. After talking to Asknod, I feel far more discouraged than I did before.

I understand, and I did send him a message back in regards to what he said. I am not doubting how good he is. As I have said before I am not looking for anything I do not deserve. I am a fair and honest person that only expects a fair outcome. I feel at this point I am not receiving that. But then again maybe that will be my downfall. Same reason my past business ventures never worked out. I was a fair and honest person that refused to rip people off. He had was making assumptions based on only seeing what my disabilities are and nothing else. You just cant do that. He came off like I was an individual that was undeserving of the ratings I had received and I was trying to get out of working for the rest of my life. Once again, that is not my goal. If someone tells me that 90% is a fair rating for my conditions, I will stop pursuing an increase in rating. But I feel that I am being cheated on my NSC's and my back. But he made the assumptions prior to hearing that I just recently had surgery on my back and I was told that I will never be able to lift more than 35 or 40 pounds again. We all know that limits the job opportunities (especially for a man) by 95%. It 100% eliminates my current career choice. I am going to loose my CDL license and Hazmat endorsement because of this which means I have to to be re-trained in a new profession. This means at 31 years old I have start from square one in a new career. This is a HUGE setback in my life/retirement goals. Not to mention the over year I was out of work and lost time towards meeting those goals. On top of that I am now $25,000 further in debt from trying to learn a new trade.

I have contacted Asknod. He sent me a message with a lot of information. Most I see where he is coming from (he knows far more than me about how the VA operates) but some stuff I do not agree with. He began making assumptions about me not only from my service connected disabilities but about my character. He is not an individual I would be willing to work with, nor do I think he wants to work with me. He may not of intended to come off that way but he did. I will seek assistance elsewhere. Thanks,