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Uno

Seaman
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About Uno

Profile Information

  • Military Rank
    SGT E-5
  • Location
    Petoskey, MI

Previous Fields

  • Service Connected Disability
    70%
  • Branch of Service
    Army

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  1. Good morning Berta This is a private Dr. not a VA Dr. I don't think she like responsibility or she just want the least work as possible. Even as a Dr. she doesn't do a lot if you walk in there and say my I hurt my wrist she wont even look at it you will be going to an orthopedic Dr. About the only thing she does is maintain common problems such as HBP and other common issues. The problem I have is that because she didn't do anything useful for me and the fact that I thought it to be wrong to send anyone's paperwork back blank I decided to find another Dr. The problem is now SSDI wonders why you switched Doctors. Its been my experience working on this at least through private doctors is that many say one thing and write some completely different in your file or only write only a small amount if information with no real detail or you may tell them something of detail and they add nothing to your record.
  2. I have to say for me one of the most frustrating things is finding a Dr. who cares enough to take the time to listen to what you are saying and do what you ask no mater how simple it is. I told my PCP I filed for SSDI and she told me right then without hesitation the when she gets the paperwork from SSDI she sends it back the same way she gets it BLANK, she said not that she thinks I shouldn't get it as she sends all of them back blank because she doesn't fill any of them out. What a big help there. I went to Orthopedic Surgeon for an exam of both shoulders and took some other exams with me and he looked at the exams I took and then began talking about surgery, Once I convinced him im not here to discuss surgery and if I was having surgery I would have VA do because it wouldn't cost me anything he walked out of the room and wrote down Subluxing Bicep Tendon can heal itself. He didn't look at anything else. I change PCP and got a new on who does an exam, fills out the SSDI Paperwork and prescribes Tramadol for occasional use to allow me to do still get things done around the house but fails to document with any detail in the records anything about the exam or even that she prescribed tramadol and she has now moved to Port Huron leaving me to find yet another PCP. I have a new PCP who happens to be a PA and asked her to set me up with a referral to a Dr. who was a D.O. to have a second opinion exam for shoulder conditions so she does. I go to this Dr. and show her the C&P exam and she says its to confusing to read the VA Stuff and she will just do her own exam and starts with X-Ray so she schedules XRays of both shoulders with follow up for exam. She gets the X-Rays back and sends a letter saying no need for follow up I have osteoarthritis which I already told her that existed along with other stuff. What happened to the Medical Field, to me this is actually more frustrating the dealing with the VA. Once upon a time before me here in Petoskey there was a Dr. that spent a portion of his time helping Vets because he was one himself. He would even help vets that didn't have insurance fight the VA but he was old and since passed away. Believe it or not each one of these are actually a setback in both the VA and the SSDI process, for example to you thing my first PCP wrote in my records that the intends to send the SSDI Paperwork back blank because that's what she does with all SSDI packets she gets, of course not so to SSDI it looks like you switched Dr. because she didn't think you should get it.
  3. Ahh but what I keep in mind are the dates, you see she keeps wanting to base her opinion on impingement syndrome first diagnosed in 2015 but the fact is it was 1993. I even pointed out during the initial claim that impingement was first diagnosed in 1993 and VA should have asked that Dr. if it was connected and they dropped the ball on that so we are now sitting at a 50-50 chance that he would say it is. The problem is nobody wants to read that part of the exam which is why I keep filing paperwork for them to change the date for rotator cuff issues and impingement to 1993 but they just ignore my request to update records. The only reason I have that exam is because of the VSO, the VA kept telling they gave me all my records and they cant find one from 1993. That's why the opinion says my last exam was 1990 then next was 2014. I used a VSO for the initial claim but turned in the appeal on my own as she just didn't have much use to me other than she can see my records at VA. I will be going to an Orthopedic surgeon for a second opinion and will go from there. It is frustrating but I am always up for a challenge. I may just make an appointment with the VSO and see if she will check to see what it says. Not sure at what point I was supposed to request a hearing as the form only had two check boxes one for DRO Review and one for BVA Thanks everyone for the feedback, its always good info
  4. You are very close to exact on the dates. Funny thing about review or hearing. When I did some reading on DRO it sounded like the process was Informal hearing to discuss what's needed, Review by DRO the Hearing to discuss what's decided. The more I read here on this site everyone seemed to talk about picking hearing so I checked my form and there is no checkbox for DRO Hearing just BVA or DRO Review. So recently I typed a letter requesting an informal hearing to discuss what's needed. I will post the opinions but before I do let me give you a summary timeline. These are very important dates when you begin to read the opinions 1987 medically discharged from Army for Subluxing Bicep Tendon Bilateral 1988 confirmed in VA exam 1990 Confirmed in VA Exam but not impacting range of motion 1993 appears original condition has resolved itself however left with significant rotator cuff grating and impingement syndrome in both shoulders right worse than left 2014 shoulders progressively worsened over the years right worse then left. opened claim for right shoulder and was awarded 20% for impingement syndrome and 20% for shoulder instability. This exam was done at the Gaylord medical center about 20 miles from my house. 2016 Left shoulder began catching up to right shoulder, opened claim for left shoulder. C&P exam found Osteoarthritis, impingement syndrome, torn rotator cuffs, guarding all shoulder movements, crepitus, Flare Ups and so on. This exam was done in Clare 1.5 hours away as the PA in Gaylord no longer works for the VA(wonder why that is). end of 2016 denied service connection for left shoulder filed NOD 2018 Another exam requested for NOD went to same NP in Clare MI and she found nothing wrong except for Impingement Syndrome and Osteoarthritis, Even the Crepitus was gone. today birds chirping. L Shoulder va Opinion 6-24-16.pdf Dr letter IMO redacted.pdf L Shoulder Opinion2018.pdf
  5. I filed a NOD sometime ago and after sitting there for a year or so It came to life in Jan 2018 and a new C&P Exam was requested which was completed on FEB 2 2018, The question is since it has been a few months with nothing is it a safe bet the they are preparing a SOC or does it actually take this ling to get back to reviewing the C&P Exam?
  6. Thanks broncovet, what you are saying actually make sense. We will have to wait and see how it plays out. I still must play an active role as the back seat just isnt an option. Im in the DRO stage right now, that is who requested another exam. So i was looking over your links and they have some really good information. The question I have is where it says if you pick a Higher-Level/DRO Review it says that you cant submit new evidence if that is the case then would that also mean that the DRO cannot request another C&P Exam. That is exactly what happened in my case under the legacy system.
  7. Yes finding the Dr. from the 93 exam would be hard as he was around 55 to 60 years of age which means he is most likely retired. I did however do a search and found nothing in the area of Michigan or anywhere for that matter. I do have a lawyer but like many lawyers im beginning to feel like they are dragging their feet hoping it goes down the long road as it means more money for them. I did tell myself when it started that I wont be riding in the back seat this time around and will be working diligently to educate myself and file what is see as items that need to be filed.
  8. I have to say I don’t really have a question YET, but I wanted to share my story as It makes for an interesting read. Feel free to comment… In 1987 I was medically discharged from the Army for Subluxing Bicep tendon Bilateral. I went to the VA and they agreed and issued 10% rating for each shoulder. In 1993 I had a C&P Exam and I was all better so they say and reduced it to 0% in each shoulder. Now keep in mind nothing was on the internet because it didn’t exist and I was young and uninformed so it never occurred to me to get my medical exams. I knew something was still wrong as I lived with shoulder problems since then. Lets fast forward to 2013 when my shoulders were beginning to get worse with the right shoulder leading the way I decided to see a VSO and he opened a claim for my right shoulder. I went to the c&P Exam and the PA found it was Subluxing bicep tendon, he also mentioned that he was looking at my records on his system and said my last exam was 1993, a few months later I received a decision that said they found right shoulder impingement syndrome and shoulder instability and rated each at 20% and left the original Subluxing Bicep Tendon at 0%. The VSO also filled out paperwork for me to get a copy of all my C&P Exams. As time passed I received some of the C&P Exams but not the one from 1993 so I requested it gain by the exact year and received a phone call from a lady saying she cannot find one from that year and she even looked in the boxes in the basement. Going forward about a year or so later my left shoulder began to worsen so I went to a different VSO and they filled out a claim for the left shoulder. After the C&P Exam I went back to the VSO and they printed me off a copy of the exam and opinion and while I was there I mentioned that the VA has misplaced an exam I had from 1993 and after a few clicks on their system they said here it is and they printed off a copy and also mentioned that I shouldn’t tell anyone as they are not supposed to do that. So after reviewing the new exam it said I had rotator cuff tears, shoulder instability, impingement syndrome and guarding all movement of both shoulders. I also reviewed the exam from 1993 and it said they didn’t find subluxing bicep tendon but they did find significant rotator cuff grinding and impingement syndrome of both shoulders right worse the left. I also read the opinion from the recent left shoulder exam and it said it was less likey connected because there is no known mechanism that would put what I have now with what I was discharged for. So like you have to do with all exams I began typing up by corrections to the exam and I also noted that the significant rotator cuff grating and impingement was first diagnosed in 1993 and it was the VA’s responsibility to request at that time whether it was service connected and since it wasn’t done then we have to say that there is a 50/50 chance that the Dr. would have said it was since we cant go back and ask him now and I sent it in. So a few months later I get a decision that says its not service connected and didn’t say way and it didn’t recited any laws or anything like that so I file a NOD while getting the NOD ready I did a search on the internet about Subluxing bicep tendon and rotator cuff tears and found a lot of information connecting the two so I printed off one and also got a Doctor of Physical Therapy to review my records including the 1993 exam and she wrote a very detailed opinion on the connection between the two with a conclusion of its more likely than not directly connected and I sent it all in with the nod requesting a DRO . Fast forward a year or so and I get a call from the VA to schedule another C&P Exam and I could see where this is going so I pick the same place knowing I would get the same examiner. After the exam I download a copy of it and wouldn’t you know I no longer have torn rotator cuff and I am not guarding all movement along with many other things that have disappeared from the last exam and to top it all off they asked the NP who’s certification and specialty is family practice to opine on a statement from a Dr. who’s specialty is the musculoskeletal system which of course she keeps saying throughout her opinion that I was first diagnosed with impingement syndrome in 2015 when it is actually 1993 so now I have to again write and state that they need to change that date to the correct one which is 1993. I can’t believe that people will go through so much effort to not acknowledge a date the changes everything. Its tooo funny and sad at the same time. What’s really funny is that somehow they found the connection in 2014 but can’t seem to find it now.
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