halos2

Well I have spent another 20 hours working on my appeal case and have some questions that I hope Berta or Hoppy or someone else with extensive experience may be able to offer me and maybe more guidance. The VA already has all copies of reports and 2 IMO's so therefore I am working on the 3rd one ... I will address each diag. as Dr Bash does. These are the issues I will address: Herniated nucleus pulpos Spinal disc herniation Low back pain Spondylolisthesis Degenerative disc disease Back pain Straight leg raises Radicular pain Foot drop Spinal stenosis Chronic back pain Degenerative disc disease SSDI records which pertain to % of deficits with exams in relationship to disabilities I then will contact another physician with all of my facts and documentation and copies of everything to have a prepared report completed to dispute their (VA) refusal to grant. Did I say I am on my 3rd printer since 2003!! Anyway do you think they will finally listen, read, acknowledge the errors of their ways, and grant in my favor? We do not have "real" IMO physicians in this rural area...I have done all of the work thus far and they have reviewed all but I did not specify each and every diag before when I did the report. This time I will. I will do anything and everything that I believe, even if it is over kill with information to get a favorable result. One other question...2 yrs after I filled, I put in for IU, and of coarse it was denied as it was dependent upon my grant of back injury as well as my other approved claim...well if I get this approved do I have to refile for the IU? Remember they tried to stop my disability stating I was "deceased" and also they tried to severe my original granted claim so where does that leave me WHEN this is approved? ( I have to be positive) Thanks for any info from anyone who thinks they can assist me with my favorable outcome.

Hoppy OMG thank you for your reply. I have learned the hard way to do all of the work on my claim . Bought books by Leggett, 2 by Roche, Parrish a few more, and am on my 3rd printer from copying net info and did ask Jim S. with vawatchdog questions too I found his sight on the web in Jan 08 and found this site 2 weeks ago. I didn't know about service connected injury when I got out in 1970. Just got m honorable discharge and went home.(figured I just had to tuff it up all these years) Only started the process first in 2003 then again in 2004. Worked as a nurse over 33 yrs. Didn't know anything about it...just filled out papers in 2003 and again in 2004again and told to get a SO so I got VFW and that was it. Waited for C & P exams 2 of them and waited ...one granted small amt I was deceased and requested myPersonal Hearing. All alone with my trusty books. I read about the IMO and took my records and wrote them up and related them to my SMR and medical records all these yrs and the c&p exams and all the diag tests, x-rays, MRI"s, Ct scans etc and gave the record copies to the Dr's along with my reports and they read and signed them. Now I will relate them to my SSDI records too and go back to them. I had a car accident at 20 mph and further hurt my back as well as 2 falls on wet floors at work and moved a desk in my office and hurt my back more. My original injury was military and the rest occurred throughout my life. I always wore a back brace and still do since 1969. I worked, raised a family went to colege all these years. I had abdominal female surgery in 2002 and developed full blown fibromyalgia, and my service related injurys surfaced with avengence. SSDI told me to file in 2003 I did but VA lost some of my papers so I did again 2004...now you know the rest of the story. Where is there a good SO? I think these sites offer the most respected, intelligent people to deal with the VA around anywhere. Thank again, Hoppy!! I know Dr Bash does exams, I found his sight last year on the web too but don't have the 3 thousand to pay him. WAs hoping to get the missing link...I estasblished the service connected injury...the disability diag today yet they put up road blocks when I show definitive nexus between the 2. Did you notice ubove where I said they declared me deceased and propoed to sever...yep then after my personal hearing they upped my granted one by 20%(the mone they wanted to sever).

I have a sc back injury that is documented in over 2 months in my SMR's with treatments of PT for 20 times, 13 physician visits, pain meds, heat, ice, rest, OT evaluation and continuation of pain documented with no relief noted and corset or back brace ordered and on my discharge summary form # 89 it is noted: 1) worn back brace or back support 2) back trouble of any kind 3) frequent or severe headaches 4) pain or pressure in chest 5) frequent trouble sleeping well the back side of the form However on the reverse side of this form these areas are addressed with no further problems...the specifics I find strange are the date "of my supposed back injury to which they find no further problems is not valid!" There is no such date in my file of such stated injury anywhere in my SMR. The actual date is 2 months later. Also the form information they refer to is typed in and has one Lt Col name on it and then a Maj name on it too, also the major is the one who initialed and signed both areas. Of coarse when I wrote my information down on the front it had no such typed info on the backside... They continue to deny my claim (X3) and I had 2 separate Physician statements, previous treatments at the VA later, and a faulty C & P by a nurse practitioner who wrote false info on my exam, and who the VA removed from doing C & P exams related to inconsistencys and many complaints and discovered incorrect statements by her yet they also refuse to use the physician statements and only use her "opinion." Yet I am very frustrated how the evidence is THERE yet they chose to deny it. I have suffered for over 38 years. Am still going to pursue this as cannot let them continue with their injustices. Did request personal hearing and brought up all evidence issues, and still denied, and copy of hearing is not complete of all the info I presented (knew I should have brought my own tape recorder in with me). Any hinks are greatly appreciated. Best of all to you Great People on this site too!!

The worst part of the issues which may contriubute to VA medical malpractice is more likely related to the fact of not utalizing licensed physicians...anyone who graduates from a medical school anywhere, and has such a diploma, can practice as a dr at any VA center. What kind of a message are we sending out? Look at the problems in Il and Ma. Some of the physicians were licensed and lost their license in their state and moved to another state to work in a VA hospital and look at the deaths. Others never were licensed but grads, and errors occurred too. If you need a license to work in a civilian hospital you should be required to have one to work in "any" facility. Vets are not substandard people. There was a dr some years back who worked in the VA facilities in Il, then left and worked in South Dakota, N.Y., Ma., Africa, had no license, but diploma, and they are still trying to count all the deaths he was responsible for. He tried to poison the paramedics in Quincy Il first before all of the hospital experiences. He just kept moving on a step ahead of the authoritys. Guess no one checked his past employments, or did back ground checks. Makes you wonder, doesn't it? Be leary, be your own advocate, get a second opinion, don't be timid, ask questions. Do you have a license to practice medicine? The nurse's have to be licensed...

Thanks for this informative site. B)