Erich

Ok Bertha Just make sure you read the folowing articles before you choose anything. There are a lot of scams and other questionable opportunities to work at home. My google sponsored links and infolinks are constantly updated and I have little control over them. These two guides will help you: http://www.work-at-home-directory.com/scams.html http://www.work-at-home-directory.com/self-employment.html Erich

I too have a back injury and have a hard time working. But find it helpful to work at home online to suppliment my 60% disab. Erich

Thank You!!

I don't understand how the rating system works in determining compensation. Can someone tell me at what rate I should be paid with the following service connections? 50% PTSD 10% SFW to rt leg 10% SFW to chest 10% Neck Injury Please advise if 60% compensation is correct for these ratings? Thanks...

Purple is absolutely right about taking someone with you. I took my wife for the first part where he went thru what is going on with my wife and family and she came up with many things that I would not have remembered or said. I asked her to leave when he wanted details about what happened in service. The end result was I got 50% effective 7/07 which was related all the way back to Vietnam. I doubt if I would not have got anything if it wasn't for her telling him all the symptoms I have now and what I've had over the years... Just be honest and make sure you respond based on your worst days... not when things are going OK... and let him know that. Good Luck Erich

I am 50% for PTSD but was just recently rated. Can someone advise what the "MST" means? Can the VA drop our ratings if we refuse to go thru these in patient programs? Is this something all PTSD patients are set up to do? Sorry for all the questions... Purple, I don't see how they could expect you to drop everything and go to Florida for this... especially if you don't want too. I hope they back off and leave you alone. Erich

I also have obstructive sleep apnea and the VA denied my claim for a service connection. I was prescribed the C-Pap and tried it several times with no success. I still wake up about every hour or so thru out the night. I am tired and have very little energy during the day which causes big problems in my life. I went back to the VA and told them the C-pap didn't work for me hoping they would do surgery... they esentially said that is all they could offer me. So I am stuck with this and will probably end up like Reggie White some day. I'm told it is difficult to get this condition related to your service so you will probably have a long fight on your hands getting compensation... That doesn't mean you shouldn't try though.

I too have sleep apnea. I've been told it is a rather common condition among overweight veterans. The CPAP machine is the most common treatment mode used by the VA. I personally could not use this because I am a restless sleeper and the air passage "mask" keeps coming off during the night... so I chose to live without it. That is probably not a good choice considering all the risks involved... but who knows?? I've seen a post or two where vets were able to get this service connected but I think they proved it was related to other SC ailments.

"I have been going to the VA psychiatrist for two years now. This whole time I have been telling her that I do not like to be around people and have anxiety attacks when I get around too many people. In fact, sometimes it takes everything I got to leave the house.I told her that I already plan things so that I am not around people if I can help it. Shopping late at night, or early in the day on days when there are not people at the store, when we eat at a restaurant we go when it is not the normal mealtime." =================== Your behaviors are exactly like mine and they finally diagnosed me with PTSD. If you are 80% now then you should absolutely be 100% with the PTSD included. My symptoms go all the way back to Vietnam and I only just recently became aware of the cause. I always knew I had some kind of "nervous condition" that was related to my service but never put all the pieces together. I hope you will not let your condition go like I did because when it finally hits... it will hit you like a ton of bricks... if it hasn't already. Either amend your current claim or else file after this one is decided. In the meantime, go to your local vet center and start the healing process... That is what I am finally going to do... my 2nd appt with the vet center is Tues.

I had my C & P exam and my wife went with me. She stayed for about an hour and gave all her input. Then I told the examiner my story. It was hard for me to tell everything especially about the sexual harrassment and drug dependence. But I told him all that I remembered. A week later I had a clinic appt and the Nurse Practioner told me I was diagnosed with PTSD from C&P exam. I didn't feel comfortable asking him about details of rept. I was just relieved that someone finally heard me and believed what I had to say. I have since been referred to the "Vet Center" and had appt with the Director. He set me up with an individual therapist next Tues. He also said they will probably put me into a weekly group which I am looking forward too. I plan to wait a month or two to let the process work and see if they come up with a fair rating. In the meantime I hope to get better with the support of the Vet Center. Thanks again to everyone for your help and advice

Thanks again for the additional comments. I have not got any outside help for my problems for over 10 yrs. I contacted both of those Dr offices and they don't have any records now. One of those Dr's told my wife that Vietnam had a profound effect on my life... The army must have taken the position my wounds came from a "fragging" since they did not put PH in my records. Our camp did get hit with mortors/rockets a couple of times but nothing close to me... Was also in a convoy that came uder fire but again nothing close to me. I think my focus will be on getting blasted by the grenade because that is "straw that broke my back". Before that it was all a combination of fear, stress, insomnia, malaria, boredom, and the sex harrassment that got to me. Was on duty in perimeter bunker 12 hrs nightly 7 days a week... I felt like I was between rock and hard place with drug problem and Squad Leader targeting me as his next conquest. I still think he was most likely one behind the grenade attack because it happened after I rept him to CO.

Thanks to all for your input... I can't help but feel very anxious and nervous about the exam. I do plan to tell the examiner the truth. I just hope I can remember all the problems this has caused me over the years. Right now I'm afraid my 3rd marriage is going down after 18 years but I don't blame her. I am no good to her sexually, socially, and our kids don't really like me. I spend about 95% of my time in a back room of our house. I hate being stuck in that room but hate leaving even more.

I have a C & P exam scheduled for 10/14/08 and I think it could be to determine if I have PTSD. I filed a claim in Feb 2007 and later amended it to include PTSD. I did this after my last C & P examiner advised me to apply for this. I saw a young woman in her 20's about nine months ago who screened me for PTSD treatment and she later told me that I have PTSD symptoms but my main problem was Depression.... and therefore didn't qualify for their PTSD treatment program. I think there was more going on than that because even though I was wounded by shell fragments from a grenade, I did not get a purple heart credited to my records. I am 20% service connected for these wounds though. I was hit in my chest, buttox, and both legs by shell fragments from a grenade that I think exploded on the roof of the bunker I was in. My CO had already identified me as a "pot head" and was in the process of giving me an "Undesireable Discharge" when I got blasted by grenade. I was not offered drug rehab which sucks... [My discharge was upgraded to Honorable about a year after I got out in 1971] However, to further complicate matters, my Squad Leader was a homosexual who had twice made advances towards me. Both times I woke and he was sitting up next to me on my bed. The 2nd time I rept him to my CO who I believe did nothing. I think there is a good chance this Sgt might have been behind the grenade that got me??? Anyway, when they screened me for PTSD treatment I had to take a 500+ questionaire which was a big problem for me. I was unable to concentrate and focus on the questions after about 30-40 minutes [about halfway thru] and it also gave me a headache. So the last 200+ questions were probably not answered right?? I'm concerned they might ask me to do this again... is this part of the C & P exam for PTSD? I called Indianapolis VARO and asked them if this exam is for PTSD and they wouldn't tell me. The lady just said it was to further evaluate my condition. Then she said she needed to document my file that I had called... I know there is a lot at stake and I'm very nervous. Can anyone tell me what I can expect if this exam is for PTSD? Also... I'm told I can't get Depression service connected because I didn't seek treatment in the service or within 1 year of discharge. Can someone confirm if this is true?

I believe Nevada is also a state with good tax laws...

I have not had C & P exam for PTSD. I had a C & P recently for increase in Disability for Shrapnel Wounds. That Doctor was very nice and advised me to file for PTSD. My wife is a Clinical Social Worker and she went thru the questions she uses to screen for PTSD and said I definitely had it. The PTSD exam I had was to detemine if I qualified for treatment at the local VA program. They have apparently set up strict requirements. I think they only admit vets who were in heavy combat because she asked me questions like "were you ever surrounded by the enemy" and "did you see any friends killed" which the answer to both questions were no. I don't know anything about a GAF score so I guess they will set up another C & P exam for the PTSD. If they deny claim based on the 500 question test and interview with the young woman, I am going to be pissed and will appeal and get IME. I sent back the forms yesterday so I guess the ball is in their court.