shortpig

*Update* well they rerated now at 50% PTSD SC. Not 70% because one thing I am still working at the same job for 9yrs and because during my C & P I was clean and sensibly dressed. Theres that staring at my clothes things. Funny they didn't even mention my bosses letter he wrote. They also stated that I'm not violent. Nope the drugs help with that. The next and newest issue now is. Because my VA Advocate didn't follow thru in the beginning and they hadn't received any of the evidence or pkt we put together prior to rating me at 30% SC when they did receive it they immediately reopened my claim. My advocate was very flippant that don't worry we can always file a NOD if they don't get it in time. He then asked me to sign a NOD that had no real information on it. I didn't. Then I get a form from the VARO asking me to sign and return quickly so they can go forward with my new rating. I did and sent it back to them certified return receipt. I also sent my IMO Psychologist report the same way. Only additional evidence added to the pkg. No contact with my Advocate for months. I get the rating pkt in the mail and expected to hear from him but finally two weeks later I get a nasty letter in the mail from my Advocate. Threatening to remove me from the system because I sent in the NOD and used it without sending it back to him. Also he hadn't rec'd my stmt from the psychologist. He is extremely angry in this letter he sent me. Partly because I had to go one step over him to get a response from him regarding the original claim and the fact that he hadn't responded to any of my phone msgs or email in months. I responded back with a quick email saying I would go thru prior contacts and then respond more thoroughly. Next I receive an extremely angry email from him even more threatening than the letter. Now I have to hand carry this information to him by the end of the week or else. Well I sat there and wrote a response stating that due to the email he sent and the letter I wouldn't be hand carrying anything into his office in the near future. He had caused me to have more panic attacks and lose more sleep than I was losing already. I wouldn't be walking into his office to face any kind of confrontation with him and now he had put me in a very precarious situation. My boss suggested that I add how I knew he was working hard to get me the rating I truly deserved and that he really cared. To throw the ball back in his court. I did that but when he wrote back one more time he said he would look over the info I provide and that time decide if my case needed a higher rating. Funny, the first time we met and he listened to my symtoms and life he said I should be rated at either 70% or 90% because I don't do anything but work and come home unless my daughter or her husband are right by my side. Just looking for input from everyone on this and his attitude at this point.

Sorry to hear they are draging their feet on your claim. It sucks that they feel they need to set there and do nothing. And no thank you TAG no Llamas or Emus here. We are full up at this time on critters.

At this time I'm able to work. It is literally the only time I leave home alone. It is one mile from my home in a small town. My understanding of the system is that you can be rated at 70% and still maintain a job. My VSO is actually rated 90% and works full time. I don't want to be rated at 90% but I will say that the C & P didn't put down two of my largest issues. Some things are just too hard to share with a stranger. My IMO will cover this in a statement regarding my diagnosis and my symptoms when I file a NOD.

Thats a great poem. It's so nice to know that we are able to put our feelings on paper even though we can't talk about them. I feel that not only are they therapuetic to us but can also help others with their feelings they are unable to express. Thank you so much for sharing. Marie

Purple I would love to read your poems. Please post some. I'm sure everyone here would enjoy reading them.

Thank you everyone. I have been writing for about 25yrs now different poems and I'm even written a children's book. i just haven't been able to bring myself to send anything to a publisher. For me it has always been easier to write my feelings down than to speak them.

For me the Service Connection part appeared to be the easy part. It was actually written all over my records. It was the C & P Exam that caused the lower percentage. My GAF was 45 but the Dr left out two of the biggest symptoms I have and then stated I had a few long time friends. I'm still looking for those friends because I sure can't find them. Also said I have a good relationship with my family. That's because my daughter and her husband live with me. Sorry but that doesn't include my brothers who don't want to discuss my illness. One of my brothers has been in the area to visit over the last 15yrs many many times and hasn't once come to my home or even seen my home. Been living in this same house now for 17yrs and he's never been here. The biggie of course is the fact that I have worked for the same place for 9yrs. My boss is getting in on that one as she has no idea what he has put up with. He will continue to put up with it as long as I am able to continue working. So next step file the NOD and see if they will bump it up to a higher percentage.

You Are right I won't need the buddy letters after all. Just the report from my IMO as the C & P Exam didn't show a couple of the larger issues I have.

My rating is 30% PTSD. I'm going to get info together to file a NOD. Looks like the only thing I will need is from my IMO and the buddy letters. They won't be needing anymore evidence that part is done at the moment.

As I have learned with much help first file the claim and then line up those ducks!

I have to believe they put my claim on the fast track somehow. I still don't know exactly how the system works. I read bits and pieces about it. If I understand what I have read and pieced together. You send in your claim and it gets a number. They send a letter asking to send in any evidence you might have in support of the claim and give you time to do that. Which by the way we didn't do thanks to my VSO. Next step was they sent me to see the Primary Care Dr. He stated in my records that I had Chronic PTSD and needed to go to the MST Clinic. Which I didn't because I have an IMO I see and told him so. Then wanted me to come back to see him in three months for an exam which I didn't because he wasn't going to touch me. He understood totally. Then is when I contacted my VSO more times than I can count and he responded one time with we need to schedule an appt but didn't. Kept sending him emails and callling but for four months no response. From December to End of April no resonse. Then I went to see his Supervisor and let him know also that I had to go for my C & P Exam and wah lah I get a response to my latest email that I have to come in Monday after my C & P. I go and he rushes my evidence pkg together it is a Monday afternoon. Says it will be sent out next morning to the VARO. On Thursday I go pick a copy of the pkg and the cover is dated 4/30/09 that same day. Now finally yesterday I call the VARO and his office the VARO tells me that the Rater finished my claim yesterday and sent it on to the Review Board for final approval and my VSO sends me an email telling me that the pkg was sent regular mail on 4/30/09 to the VARO when it was supposed to have gone out on 4/28/09. I don't know if the Portland Oregon VARO is fast enough to have rec'd that pkg and put it up on the computer before the Rater finalized his part of the process or not. I do know that this office seems to be all computerized as that is how the Dr at my C & P Exam was looking at my records. She just went online and got the file. I sent an email to my VSO saying that my claim had already been rated he came right back to me with that's ok we can request that they rerate it based on information sent in and not included in the original rating process. I will let you know what the rate is as soon as I get the letter. I realize it could at this point go either way for me depending on how the C & P Exam went. If I have to file a NOD I will by then have the CID Investigators report to add to the pkg but I suspect that it is in my C-File from 1979 when they say I opened the original claim and it was denied. The only reason it was denied back then is because I didn't show up for an appt which I still don't remember ever opening a claim back then. After I get the final determination I am going to request a copy of my C-File in preparation for any further changes or upgrades I might request in the future and prior to filing a NOD. So my final take on all this is. 1) Claim opened 2) Time to gather evidence 3) The claim is sent to the Rater 4) The Rater reads the material and requests a C & P Exam if necessary 5) Goes back to the Rater 6) Goes to the Review Board for final Determination 7) They notify the Claimant of the final decision by letter Does that sound about right?

I had my C & P exam on April 24th. I called the VARO today and found out that my claim was rated today and then sent to the Review Dept they expect I will receive my letter within 2wks stating what the final decision was on the claim. Does this seem a little too fast to anyone but me. Someone on another forum said that once you have your C & P Exam they don't accept any further type of evidence into the C-File. This tells me that all the information my Advocate sent in on 4/30 never reached my C-File and therefore will not play any part in the final decision.

I have now decided to send in my own evidence to the VARO in support of my claim. Today is Thursday and the email request was sent originally on Friday A.M. last week then a follow up email on Monday A.M. and still no response. Even his supervisor hasn't responded to the emails. I have located more evidence in support of my claim thru my primary care provider yesterday. Who knew that she wrote in my medical records that I am a phobic with depression and anxiety. So I will get a copy of those records and send them in also. I will then send a copy to my VSO. I sure appreciate all the advice I have received here. It's like a lifeline for me. Also wanted to add the cutie in the avatar is one of my support and protect crew. 100lbs of total adoration and love from that big boy. Marie/aka shortpig

That's what I'm going to do send my own to the VA, one to him and one for me from this day forward. They still have not responded to my emails. Even the supervisor hasn't responded in anyway. I just hope he hasn't done something to screw up my claim at this point. I made copies today to so I can send one to the VARO to verify they receive it. It must be nice to carry such an important title but actually do nothing.

No it just my evidence to be added to my C-File.

I just got back in from feeding the little horses. They are always so happy to see me come out. But ya got to love em. They are very sweet have special places to be scratched. They bicker over who is going to be petted and can't wait to get in the barn and get their food. The girls will stand in pouring down rain waiting for me to come out and feed them even though their barn doors are always open for them. The boys are a different story. One drop of raining they are running and screaming for the barn. Apparently we have acid rain here in Oregon and the poor little things can't handle it. I sat down in my recliner just to relax and had one cat and two lap puppys on my lap. There is only so much room on my lap so they bicker. But it's all in fun. Why can't people be like this. They spat but they always get along really. At the farm here life is good. Out there in the world life totally sucks. Why do I have to go out there.

Thank you all for your help. I think I will take your advice and send in a copy of what I have here to be put in my C-File. Guess it won't hurt if it is a duplicate copy. I will get copies tomorrow and send registered mail return receipt. I will soon be receiving a corrected copy of the letter that my IMO has written in support of my claim. When I receive it I will send it in for the C-File also. You would think that if they don't submit the documentation to the VARO they would at least be upfront with that information. Why do they feel the need to play games with people. I at least thought that his Supervisor would respond to my email but that doesn't seem to be the case either. They've had two days to respond and still nothing. It was such a simple question. I am so angry that my head has hurt all day today. I called my IMO and she said to calm down or I might push myself into a stroke. Great! Now I can worry about that.

My VARO isn't in my community. There is no way I can go weekly to the VARO. I have to keep my job to support my fury friends and keep my home. If I lose these I no longer really need to be here anymore. My kids can't afford to make the house payments they help as much as they can with the normal utility type bills and pay alittle in rent.

Seriously I am sooo angry over this. How flipping difficult is it to hit reply on an email and say something like. In answer to your question I sent the pkg to VARO on 4/30/09 and it was sent by regular mail or ?? however it was truly sent.

You can refer to me as Marie. I'm sure Shorty will understand. He was such a cute and sweet little swine.

I have found this website that assists people with creating a FOIA letter to just about anyone you just fill in the blanks and can copy paste into your letter writing program, or print from there or ? http://www.rcfp.org/foialetter/index.php Now to remove the POA from this idiot.

I have copies of all pertinent info. How do I remove the POA I signed with this person. I know there has to be a way and I also know that there must be a way to require them to release to me any info they have acquired regarding my claim. Do I have to do it thru a Freedom of Information Act form or something?

So my VSO supposedly sent in my evidence for the claim last week. Everyone pretty much says to fire the guy and handle it myself or get a new one. I sent him an email asking him a few questions. First question was "What day did was the pkg sent to the VARO and how was it sent." His response to that question was. "It left my office this week." Well I went in last week and picked up a copy of the pkg. At least a supposed copy of the pkg. It has a cover on it addressed to the VA. I can't get a straight answer from this guy. He has become rude and abrupt. I have done nothing to deserve this treatment other than ask him to call me back or respond to my emails. Yesterday I sent another email, one to his supervisor letting him know that I would now be copying him on all further emails to this guy then I sent the VSO another email requesting the exact date the pkg was sent to the VARO and how it was sent. Can you believe it I didn't get a response from either one of them. Nothing, not a word. I now fear that the pkg I picked up from them with the cover on it is the only pkg that left his office last week. It sets in my safe. How do I find out if this guy sent the pkg to the VARO or thought it would be funny to let me have without informing me of the same. Once they receive this there is nothing more for me to do at this time. Thanks for any input you have. After this I will find someone else to assist me with this. But how do I get my claim jacket from this guy. He will no longer need it.

Please be prepared for emotions. If you are having a really bad day put this on the back burner and do not read it! Wait for another day please. The Other Veteran Oh how proud I was when I signed up to serve Protect my country, I had such a nerve For some reason though unbeknownst to me I was not warned what my fate would be. I learned to march and be part of a team, They taught me pride, gave me self esteem. They gave me a gun taught me how to aim How to pull the Trigger again and again I felt big and strong all puffed up with pride Until that night and the horrifying ride Yes Sgt please take me back to the base He soon made it clear I was no longer safe When I finally arrived back on the base Beaten and bruised I felt so disgraced I prayed that someone would save my life Stand up for me and and help with my strife Soon I would learn that wasn’t the case I was left all alone in this strange lonely place There was no support for the wounded like me I was then told it was over, so just let it be It wasn’t over for the horror lives on It comes in waves at night and at dawn Now broken and battered and needing that team I’m no longer fit and lost all self esteem They no longer need me as a soldier they say So go pack your things and be on your way Far as we are concerned your life here is done Go back to your family, Hurry up now and run I have since learned after thirty years and more I’m not truly alone for I’ve met so many more So many of us who were used and abused Then thrown away while they kept the accused So many nightmares I cannot control Great fear of people and of the unknown Trigger now means sights, smells and sounds No longer aiming and shooting some rounds My days are now spent much different from most I live with my fears that are shared with a ghost Most spent in seclusion so afraid to come out Panic and fear is what my life is about I’m the Other Veteran with a war yet I can’t win Still fighting and losing the battle to him My body now old will shake out of control The pain and the ache are deep down in my soul Should you someday meet someone who suffers like me Remember their battle that no one can see It’s there big as life for them day after day Even when sleeping it won’t go away The Other Veteran JMS/Shortpig

I assume some of these things can only help not hurt my case. I cannot remember having been put on Valuim while in the Army. But according to med records I was. They also had me on Darvon for my extreme headaches. It is written all over my med records that I had mental problems and psychological issues. This is all following the assault. I was a good little recruit prior to the attack and a total mess afterward up until the last stmt written about me by the military when they basically kicked me out due to it. As I have said before on the med record where I was hauled into the hospital in an ambulance someone went back at a later date and wrote in smaller letters squeezing it in the word alledged. It is so obvious record was chg'd that it jumps off the page.