troyez

I've signed the pain med contractseveral different times over the last 10 years that I've been prescribed opiods (oxycodone) through the VA in Illinois - I'm currently rated 60% disabled for 3 herniated (1 ruptured) discs in my lower back, elbow tendonitis, and plantar fascitis in both feet. The pain meds are mostly for my back, which has progressively gotten worse, and thus I need to take more and more meds, and for the last year I've asked to see a pain management doctor to get the dosage increased - I've taken the same amount for 3+ years now, which isn't working - in order to do my job I have to take half of my day's dose first thing in the morning! I was just urine tested Tuesday morning and I got a call from my VA doctor yesterday telling me that I tested negative for marijuana AND for opiods, and that the last urine test showed no opiods in my system either (I wasn't told though)! The doc told me that pain management wanted to stop the pain meds and I was completely floored - oxycodone is the only medication that actually helps with the debilitating pain and sciatica and they want to stop giving it to me! I told my doctor just that and that their tests had to be wrong and that I'd take a polygraph or whatever would prove that I was taking my meds! The doc discussed the matter with Pain mgmt., called me back, and told me that he believed me (and told them as much) and got them to fill the script week-to-week, with a weekly urine test to see what was going on. He said that I might be metabolizing the meds at a different rate and that we'd figure this out. I was actually shaking with anger after he initially told me that they were going to discontinue the medication - I take them as prescribed (sometimes more when the pain is worse - it happens too often lately with the amount of pain I've been having), I am NOT selling them "on the street," and I've only ran out early and asked for a re-fill once (last month actually). Maybe the last time I had to provide urine I had taken too much medication, and it showed up as too much in my system, I don't know. Does the VA play head games, trying to get you to stumble so they can snatch the rug out from under you? Why do they treat vets like criminals, like we can't be trusted, and that we'll lie before telling the truth?!?! I held a top secret security clearance (TS/SCI) the entire time I was in the Army, and it can actually still be used should I get a job needing it today! But this bureaucratic government entity can flippantly call me (and countless other honest vets) a liar and make me jump through hoops, just to relieve the pain that was caused while I was their employee!!!!! That's why I was shaking (as I am right now!) as I tried to fathom this insult. Thank God my doctor is a stand-up guy who actually cares about his patients. I hope he can figure out why the meds aren't showing up on the urine test, if not I guess I'll be blacklisted and forced to find a civilian doctor, which I can't afford. Anyone had the same (non) results on their drug screening? If so, what happened? Can/will my state representative help me? I don't know what to do here, this is absurd to me.

After a chest X-ray for a respiratory infection, and subsequent CT scan, I found out that I have a calcified granuloma in my right lung. I've heard that it is caused by some foreign body that was inhaled into the lung (mold, asbestos, etc.), and that it may or may not be serious. I've had moderate pain in the area for the last 2+ years, but thought it was from an old rib injury. I lived in several different barracks (old) while in the Army, and the last building had black mold growing on all the air ducts, above the dropped ceiling tiles there was asbestos tape on the pipes, and rats infested the building. I am not exaggerating one iota; it was B quad of Schofield Barracks (the old buildings), in case you're wondering. I lived in the barracks the entire 3 yrs I was in the Army, so I breathed whatever was in my room(s). We who lived in the barracks complained to our chain of command about the mold, asbestos, and rats, but our 1SG told us we could always stay in tents instead of the rooms. Before I was discharged I filmed the black mold on the vents, and did a home mold test on the room, and have kept the tape and the mold test results. My question is, do I have a case with the VA for calcified granuloma in my lung? I'm pretty worried about whether it is from asbestos or mold (or rat crap!). Ideas?

I am a regular Army veteran who was medically discharged in 2003 (after 3 yrs active duty), for L4 - L5 disc ruptures, plantar fascitis (both feet), and elbow tendonitis (no rating). I was given 30% disability for my back and feet and I have been fighting/waiting since 2004 for my rating to go up. I saw a VA neurologist in September 2008 about my ruptured discs (L-4, L-5) (in the last year the pain has caused me to switch to a different job at part-time) After looking over my last MRI and examining my reflexes (knees), he found that my nerves/reflexes had degenerated to the point that my right leg did not respond to the hammer. He told me I needed surgery (laminectomy) to halt the loss of feeling/reflexes in my leg. I received a letter from the Danville (IL) VA fee basis office with a voucher to see a civilian neurosurgeon. I did some homework online, found a great, nationally recognized, neurosurgeon at Rush Hospital in Chicago, and went to my first appointment. The doc told me what the VA neurologist told me and we set a date for surgery. I called the fee basis office and gave them the surgery date, but they told me I had to get approved by my primary care provider before I could schedule a surgery. I had to cancel the surgery and get approval, which my primary dr gave me, and then try to re-schedule the surgery. The neurosurgeon wasn't happy with my cancellation (plus he has a huge client list) and I wasn't able to re-schedule with him. I found a neurosurgeon THREE DOORS AWAY from my VA medical center about six weeks ago and tried to get approval to see this dr. I jumped through all the hoops in the proper order this time (seeing my primary dr and the VA neurologist again in the process), getting my MRI films and med records sent to the new neurosurgeon, and last week I got a call from fee basis telling me to have the new neuro send his "notes," to my primary dr. I have not even seen the new neuro, but he has looked at my MRI, and he has notes on me. Last week I got a letter from the VA hospital (150 miles away, one-way), telling me to show up there next week for physical therapy!!! It seems that my primary dr has disregarded the recommendations of two neurologists and recommended physical therapy! I have never been able to talk to him directly unless I make an appt.; I always have to talk to his nurse, who treats me like dirt. I tried to get hold of a VA advocate most of the day last Friday, but the two who serve my area were both out of the office all day. Who do I talk to to get authorization to see a neurosurgeon?! I'm WAY past the need for physical therapy; my right leg has lost feeling in my big and second toes! I've spent the last 5+ years trying to get authorization for surgery, and now they yank it away! ANY suggestions?! Troy

I am still working; down to 1-2 days a week, but I pay for it. How do I get my "C" (Claim) File? And why didn't my rep tell me about it?

I was told by the IL VA guy that switching back would not affect the time it takes to get a decision. The DAV in Chicago is lame, I had to switch.

I am a regular Army veteran who was medically discharged in 2003 (after 3 yrs active duty), for L4 - L5 disc ruptures, plantar fascitis (both feet), and elbow tendonitis (no rating). I was given 30% disability for my back and feet and I have been fighting/waiting since 2004 for my rating to go up. I have been denied once, in 2006, and have been waiting for some word ever since. My back has degenerated to the point that my VA neurologist says I MUST have surgery, my feet have not improved, and my elbows are worse; I filed for a de novo review in 2006 and have been forgotten since then. I was represented by a local IL VA rep from 2003 to 2005, but I had to tell the guy(s) how to fill out paper work, and how to spell to complete the forms! I switched to Disabled American Vets in 2005, but they would not answer my mesages and only sent form responses to my letters. I've since switched back to a local IL VA rep, because this guy is on the ball, and seems to care what happens to vets. Since I was discharged in 2003, my health/finances have declined to the point of desperation; I can only work part-time because of pain/decrease in mobility, so I subsist below the poverty line. I guess the point of this post is to complain about the piss-poor state of the VA in Illinois. I'm thinking that they want vets to die off so they don't have to give us what they owe. Any/all suggestions would be greatly appreciated, but I won't hold my breath. T