It's exactly a year since I posted here, and things are finally moving again.
There was a delay caused by the USPS. My local PO is notorious for misdelivering and losing mail, and this time it really bit me.
In any case, here's what my claim looks like now:
Pending Disabilities
Disability Submitted Type Actions
Attorney Fee Memo 03/19/2020 NEW View Pending Claim Gathering of Evidence
Attorney Fee Eligibility 03/19/2020 NEW View Pending Claim Preparation for Notification
Bilateral Hip Condition 10/02/2019 NEW View Pending Claim Preparation for Notification
Degenerative Arthritis Cervical Spine 10/01/2019 INC View Pending Claim Preparation for Notification
Diabetes Mellitus Type 2 10/01/2019 SEC View Pending Claim Preparation for Notification
Headaches 10/01/2019 SEC View Pending Claim Preparation for Notification
Radiculopathy Left Upper Extremity 10/01/2019 SEC View Pending Claim Preparation for Notification
It was stuck in Gathering of Evidence for months, then Review of Evidence for weeks. Then, last week it moved rapidly to Preparation for Notification on 3/19. The Attorney memos also appeared on 3/19 – and I have no experience with them, so I have no idea what they mean except what I found in other peoples posts.
I lost my initial TDIU claim, and I now know why – I have the C-file and the C&P examiner wrote that I was unable to function in a “physical work environment.” But I’m not pissed, because I didn’t have the strongest evidence on three of my four initial physical claims, and he gave me service connection – which will help me forever. The TDIU is currently in appeal (secondary consideration) with an attorney, and he now appears on all of my claims, even though he’s only covering the TDIU appeal going back to May 2017. I’m hoping I don’t have to fight to keep him from getting the fees for the newer claim – which he never touched. I will happily pay the fees for the entire time if the claim he’s handling gets approved first – and it may, because it’s also in Preparation for Notification.
These things appear in the claim, but I won’t speculate as to what they mean:
There is a “Secondary Approval Required,” now closed out in the “needed” section.
All the dates for the new physical claims were 10/02/2019, but they’ve changed four of the five to 10/01/2019.
I went to two C&P exams, and I think the first examiner was a dud (the reports are very poorly written), but no one ever examined my hips. Fingers crossed that they just gave me a “bye” on them because I submitted a crap-ton of medical evidence, including xrays.
I’m happy to read any input or answer any questions, and I’ll check in when I know more.