halos2

What did you do to get "removed by the VA police"? Did they tell you not to come back for your appointments? What reasons did they give for "not refilling meds"? What measures is your attorney addressing to help you with these current issues?

SO we sit and suffer because of their incompetence. Wow what an injustice. It is a shame the VA hires any Dr who graduates any medical school to administer "care"? to vets...no license is required just a diploma that they graducted a medical school. Why is it vets are treated worse then the general population...other hospitals and clinics make sure the physicians are licensed or licensed pending but overseen by a licensed Dr till they pass their boards but the VA no way. Why does the VA think substandard care is ok for vets? Don't know the answer but still utalize my independent non physicians too. ;)

You, Bertha offer such good advice to vets and you are so multi-knowledgable with different areas of their claims processes. It is is good to know we have people like you to offer the steps to take to proceed with in our claims process endeavors.. I for one am grateful for you sharing your experiences with all. Thank you. :P

Have any other vets had their medical C & P exams done by nurse practitioners versus Dr.? Mine was and there were so many errors and descripencies in the exam..she lied and I called her up 2x and she said "she didn't write that and they must have gotten records mixed up" yeah sure than why didn't she correct them! Turned her into pt advocate and found out she was fired from doing C & P exams but moved to an undisclosed area of the hosp to work. FOIA officer said it took her 3 days to find the nurse pract in the hosp and she said "it was in 2005 I don't remember!" SO I sit and wait for my dear BVA to proceed. 2 medical physician IMO's done but they believe the va's nurse pract. Funny how they did not have all the information I told in my personal hearing about her and the faulty exam on my trancripts! Anything I said about the va exams, providers, etc. were not on the transcript at all. Have any others had similiar experiences they are fighting with because of non Dr exams? There is so much more I could write but I would like to hear if others have had this occur to them, and their advice or actions that may have helped them in their battle. :P

I dial 1-800-827-1000 THEN 1 1 0 AND PUT MY EXTENTION IN 1 3 1 0 1 and I have the "call center" on the 3rd or 4th floor for ST LOUIS

With all of us vets trying to help eachother that's where. HERE.

One of the othersites besides all the help from the vets on this one is, www.vawatchdog.org and founder Larry Scott and Advisor Jim Strickland are great to get back to the vets. Check out their site and you might be pleasantly surprised. Also books by John D. Roche is what I used too as I was on my own...as Jim tells you a VSO has thousands of vets and you need to be diligent and seek all the info in your claim to be successful. I have been with them a few years now. I am also glad to have found this site while web searching. How great we are to be able to work together to secure our most important goal..."success for vets" with the ulilization of all vets sites, and the sharing of personal experiences and information. Too bad our politicians wouldn't work as hard and honest as we do. :P quote name='ruby' date='Jul 8 2008, 03:17 PM' post='97643'] I was reading another Vet site and one of the threads someone made a site to help show you how to file claims, research etc. Its a good site to look at. Perhaps you can sticky this site somewhere on this site. http://www.howtoassemblevaclaims.com/ Ruby

Allan, My IMO's were done by private Dr's. One I have been seeing since the early 70's and hie dad the year before and the other since the mid 80's. Will need to go back over their SOC denial and rebute what they say. Too bad we have such a xxxxxxxsystem. Our land and country is a land of divisions especially with the differences of the mighty VA but we have the unity amongsts us. Let us stay together and shape our destiny. I should have applied for benefits when I went to the VA 85-88, oh well learning educational process. Thanks. :P

Allan, Remember in each graduation class their is the smartest one(validictorian) and the last one to graduate marginally. Too bad the VA pick the last one accademically in that class to eval the exams. ;)

Allan OMG how right you are. I had the worst Nurse practioner do my C&P...she was 3 hrs late let me believe she was a DR as I called her Dr she lied and lied on C&P exam, called her 2x on the phone when I got my copy of exam report from medical records and she swore she didn't write what was on report...she said they must have mixed up reports yet did nothing to correct it. So I went to Patient advocate and found out this NP was removed from doing any C&P's ever because of complaints and untruth info. but still with 2 IMO's VA believe her lies Told VA in hearing about her lies and misrepresentation of not being a doctor, gave them her name and nurse's license number too yet none of this was on my transcript and they denied my claim related to her determination.....Going to BVA :P

So tell me your secret to getting a reply from IRIS? I never get a response. Thanks. :P

ALso it is probably a good idea to check out www.vawatchdog.org for some more assistance. Remember you cannot diagnose the mental problems however you can and should describe the actions..Instead of saying "he is depressed" which you shouldn't as Dr give Diag. you might say is frequently sad, prefers to be alone may cry at times and yet this is not manifested by watching a sad show(or whatever you want to put here) but occurs sporatically not at any particular time as day/night has no control of when or where this happens. He prefers to be alone, avoids contact with his family and others, prefers to stay in his bedroom with the drapes drawn and in the dark. Does not go out except with much prodding from me(mother, whoever) for Dr. appointments. HE sometimes tells me "he can't stop thinking about it, it makes me wonder why I didn't die over there, and I feel quilty some of my friends did not return or are severely injured(missing limbs)." Or maybe he doesn't eat or drinks alcohol trying to deaden the pain and horrible feelings. Maybe keeps weapns to protect family...or may say life would be better for everyone else if he was dead...or does not want to talk to any one at all, and is tired and fatigued all of the time has no energy and thinks someone is out to get him (paranoid but you don't say that). Just look at all of the symptoms he displays, sad, mad,angry,secretive,hidding,hoarding,explosive temper, yelling, cursing,avoidance of activities previously enjoyed prior to this occurance,hyperviligant,overreactant behavior, chasing women,smoking,road rage(tailgating, yelling at people flipping them off, etc.). Anything or any behavior that is different from what is so called "normal". Just think about the changes and describe them but don't type over 3 or 4 pages or they won't read it all. Be as specific as you can. Good luck in your endeavor to help him and you as you enter the realm of the VA processes. :P quote name='SouthernBelle' date='Jun 28 2008, 02:47 AM' post='96491'] Okay, I'm new here, and I have perused this site for hours trying to find an example of a "Spouse's Statement" I am preparing to write a statement to add to my husband's request for increase in disability rating (PTSD w/ Anxiety, currently clinically depressed) and for the life of me, I cannot decide how I should approach this. I'm a freelance journalist, and I am so accustomed to writing with from an unbiased stance that I cannot make my brain do this without some kind of prompt. Any help would be greatly appreciated. I have considered simply listing his symptoms and how they affect him, me and our child, but I'm just not sure. Thanks! SouthernBelle

I had a GAF of 50 and many s/s and first got 30% and someone I know from Viet Nam bronze star "V" valor killed many and has many probs got 40GAF and also got 30% at same hosp but diff examiners...I NOD'ed and raised to 50 after they wanted to sever. He is waiting for RO as filed NOD and had another c&p mths ago...so it is hard to tell what a person will get.

I asked for the RO extension # for my area over 2 yrs ago and call them HOWEVER it is the call answering center on the 3rd or 4th floor who I always get boo hoo we know how that goes...For any female's out there ask and work with the female VA coordinator and they "sometimes" can help. :P

So can you say how favorable your claim results were by using Dr.Bash's IMO along with the rest?

I started in 2003 had DRO sept 07 and got decision Mar 08 one went to 50 from 30 and other denied again going to BVA now. Did you request copy of transcript? I did it took till jun08 to get incomplete copy...Good luck with yours. Did you have someone go with you?

Hoppy yes both related to service connection and one sent treatment records again for all the yrs I saw him and his dad early 1970 but they said : "An opinion that does not take into consideration the veteran's entire medical history and other potential sources of the claimed disability is not considered credible for rating purposes...the Dr's statements are not credible in that they were not based on a complete review of your complete medical records or medical history. All of the records of previous treatment by them were included! "There is no mention of the normal clinical evaluation on the military separation examination conducted in 1970...nor is there any mention of the doumented intercurrent low back injuries in 1985 and 1998." The Dr in his files to them documented auto accident @ 20mph and 2 falls in 1985 and pulled back moving desk in 1998, yet they say there is no mention but that is how they knew it by my records from him. My separation exam was a joke...wrong date of injury on it,it says "one time injury jul and there is no such injury then!" It was 2 mths later. not signed by the DR who did it but initialed by someone else and signed by the other person not the doctor. But front of form 89 states back injury of any kind; back brace or support; pain medication... Yes me and my books started this alone then I found one VA supervisor who started to help me from when they declared me deceased and through the sever problems to the DRO hearing process, but they have been shifting him(demoting in job duties) to other areas(I think they found out he was helping vets too much) and now his personal # he gave me is invalid but I know he is still there. He is of our age bracket too. Also by chance I found vawatchdog.org and Jim Strickland and he has helped me too. Then I found this site by searching 1 1/2 weeks ago. I do have a SO, and thats all I can say about that.

Also even though you sign a release of info for them to get all the records don't trust that they do it. It is always wise to get copies yourself, as you did, to hand in to them too, and of course make sure you always keep a copy of anything you give to them too for your files. They try to use trickery but it is best to be one up on them as you did and wise to take back up with you too, as your son. Good luck with your process.

Forgot to mention the bilateral knee braces too. And please do not think I am seeking a who's is worse case scenario, I am just trying to let all VETS know how the processes are blatantly flawed for all and how much do they think a person can take. Mostly to let people know even though you get jacked anound by the VA, you are not alone, as others do too. Thanks to all. :(

Totally Randall...Have a good one dude.

Hello, I am as all of you, very frustrated with the lack of VA responses, treatment, and falsifications,etc. Beginning: On special drill team while in tech school and injured legs... well looks like you have some vericose veins now take it easy dr response Went on bivouac while in tech training and got pink eye in both, so sent me back to barracks 2 days early( by the way all the bombs going off outside the tents made my ears ring(tinnitis) and I slept through the granades as the ringing was louder so others had to "shake and wake" to get me up. And what about those gas masks and how they took them off of you in the large dark buildings and you had to find your way out crying and choking and feeling your way through the dark). Well you graduate and get sent to anotherbase and now we need dental techs more then medics so youget OJT. Time goes by yrs and you hurt your back...Dr puts you on bedrest, ice, pain meds, no work for days...jump ahead after dr visits for 2 months(14) pt for 20 days, more meds, more exercises to do,more evals from pt and ortho and they give you back braces to wear...and say well?? I guess standing agravates it so wear your brace and take your pain pills... Then something else traumatic occurs...mths later you get your honorable discharge and go home wearinyour back brace and taking your pain meds... You see drs all these years for your back...pain pills and braces and tens units...go to VA as expensive for back and get more of the same for 3 yrs but drive is 135 miles one way...so you go to dr by you and some the original ones from when you got out. All the years you work go to college raise your family then have an operation and BAM- you are totally disabled You wait thinking it willget better but 8 mths later you resign you job. You tried accupuncture, heat, ice, pt, exercises, chiropracture treatments, more meds, then holistic approaches vitamins/massage/herbal etc... no relief You apply for SSDI and immediately get 100% granted, they tell you go back to VA but you think itcan't last... Gets WORSE ever. So you call VA they send you forms mar 2003, you wait, you get as SO and he says VA can't find forms give them to me...I did he looses them I have to refile dec 2004... Go to VA aug 2005 for C&P examiner is 3 hrs late rushes you through and says your back is terrible, but writes I coul almost do cartwheels(exaggeration but you get the pic as looks ok) Then I go for my other C&P and wait...finally get decision back denied and 30% for other condition, meanwhile I thought the SO was working or doing something with my case-10 mths later I file NOD for both conditions and discover I HAVE TO DO THE WORK ON MY CASE, that is if I want to win... While waiting I get a letter I am deceased, then they want to sever my 30% and tell me back denied did not file in time yet both on same form...So I request DRO personal hearing nd De novo wait mths...tell all and give evidence from 1969-1970 to current 2007....In the meantime I bought many books and searched the net and am on my 3rd printer as it has become m obsession to do all of the work with my claim. They realized their mistake to sever as VA made assumption on file did not read specifics documented so they offered 50% and deny back again. Did not allow 2 IMO's but used the one from the VA C&P??? What a slap in the face! I requested copy of transcript took months and many requests to get...some info where I gave name of examiner and faulty exam and how VA removed her from doing exams as not a DR, and VA employee who ASSUMED and tried to sever and such is not on the transcript at all. So I filled for BVA for back...I tried to condense this down didn't mention the steroid shots, x-rays. CT's, MRI's and other but how does you injury and claim compare? Oh yeah was stationd by AO for almost 2 yrs it was in over 15,000 plus drums leaking out at the base. Many cancers in those who lived in the area, also birth defects, and when Katrina hit here it came up again seeping out of the ground...govt did a 635 pg report on it but nothing says it may cause fibro... Tinnitis denied as they said dental was not near loud noises and didn't see bivouac in file, plus hearing records good on enlistment ans decreased significantly on discharge... Oh well keeps my mind working figuring out why the VA wear blinders when dealing with files! Oh by the way they did the forms they sent me from 2003 but the did not send me the right forms to file so they said they couldn't use that date!! And how is your day fellow vets? Lets hang in there and never give up. Love, Luck, Health, Happiness to all! :P :(

Did they leave something in that that they shouldn't have in surg? You should have gotten 100% if they screwed up! How did they "pay you for silence?"

Sorry MRRRR5 I typed your handle incorrectly my bag

Chuck75 and MRRRRS I put i for BVA with the claim they denied 2x. The info left out was the truth about the faulty lying C&P exam and examier and the fact that she no longer does the exams...all info about my back claim...the award was for the other claim and also when I told them on tape the raters name and her ASSUMPTIONS not facts that is not on the transcript either... So I went BVA as I bet they probably lost the tape as it took months and months to transcribe... One fish cannot compete with a school of sharks...but the fish will not give up, just change tatics!

I have been promoted...I have windows vista and have never tried to do this before with any computer ever and tried alot now for a couple of days and still can't...I don't know how to do it, it's on my end, notTbirds. Thanks anyway.