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retiredat44
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Posts posted by retiredat44
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I started my last group of claims in 2009. I wanted to in 2008, but after almost dying and hospitalized for many months... the VSO at the service agency said they could not get me an appointment for many months. I started with many claims again, I was sick on active duty from chemicals. I worked with fuels, and other. I filed for more disability claims, I had already won a claim for 50% for headaches on active duty for chemicals. I got sick from jet fuel, leaded gasoline, diesel fuel, and then trichloroethylene. I was told and my command were told I could no longer with chemicals because of severe reactions, severe swelling and headaches. and rashes. They USAF then made me with more chemicals, Trichloroethylene. I got sick again. I had to leave the USAF after 5 years. Anyways, I my filed claims, the VSO typed fuels in the claims form. All of the decisions come back with only jet fuel listed in the denials.
Brings me to now. I left San Diego, last year and moved to Oregon. I moved my claims to the VSO in Salem. They said just try for TDIU. I was ambushed by a C&P exam doctor who was just out to use anything she could against me! No impartial exam here! I was denied. I got an appointment with the VSO again, and the supervisor and her sat me down, and tried to tell me the VA has no obligation to list al of the chemicals I worked with. As they only list jet fuel. They say the IMO I gave them was very good, but that since the studies included did not include al chemicals and the ones that did only had animal studies for chemical exposure, they were not good enough. I was told life is tough suck it up! I was told to get more IMO's as it is a battle of experts. And that we just have to have more then the VA. They also infer there is no relationship between the fuels and disease. They just hammered me like they were actually pure advocates for the VA and not me! I was and I am total shock that they had no sympathy for me! Horrible! I wish I had a tape or transcript for the world to see the abuse we get in the VA claims process!
They read to me what happened in the VA failed VA surgery, not sure which one, the first or second attempt to removed a large cyst on my pancreas that had been growing for at least 20 years while I begged for help while they treated me like I was mentally ill ending me to head doctors, instead of helping my pancreas disease! Apparently they punctured a part of my pancreas with a needle or surgical instrument and which sent me into a 6 month death spiral in the hospital. It left me with a dying inoperable pancreas disease on one notch from cancer. I have necrotizing pancreatitis, no hope of any future surgeries. I will kill me at any time, the surgeons cannot tell me how long I have left. I live by eating with morphine for pain. BTW, the pain doctor at the VA in Oregon sucks! crazy people here... They think you can just will your way out of pain! Who's the loon !!??
Again, I wish I could have transcripts, so everyone can see the abuse! The VSO here is an advocate for the VA and against claimants! I am not making this stuff up!
They demand I get more evidence, more IMHO's at $2,000 a pop! (that is a scheme to drain your resources and kill the will of the claimant, as the VA has no accountability in the process. no oversight) Period. There is no way to know what they base their decisions on if in fact they do not have to list al evidence as according to the direct words of the supervisor of my VSO!
I am way out of my depth here as we should not need to have a lawyer preset every time we speak to anyone for any VA agency, yet they take every word and twist it into complete b.s. and lies! We need help in fighting the VA, it is not possible for sick people go into this process and be ambushed by ever those who are suppose to help us with claims! Yet they are actually sabotaging our claims.
They supervisor actually had the nerve to say I had necrotizing pancreatitis long before the failed operations at the VA. Telling me that something life sucks and to suck it up. One more thing, my father who was a Navy disabled vet who died young from CPOD. They said he had a nerve condition which I inherited. There is no proof, only that at one time they questioned me about my family's health and that I had stated he was shaky and sick, as so most people who are dying of CPOD. They said I said he was shaky so that means he gave the gene to me. Total B.S.
They asked what the edema is, that I still from, as I did from the chemicals on active duty. I was so swollen, my limbs broke open bleeding. My arms and legs are still swollen, Sore take forever to heal. I am still being treated for these conditions at the VA. The VSO asked me if I still l am swollen, and I said yes I am. it is permanent, on more condition form pancreas disease.
I did file an 1151 for the medical problems and near death, and a fatal disease. I was told by the VSO that unless it causes death by negligence they will not help me pursue that either!
The VSO stated with will no longer move my claims to appeals without more evidence.
I am so angry, so mad, I really want to send this letter to a congressmen to let them know the abuse we take by the VA scum!
If someone if offended too bad! I If I said what I really think, I would be kicked off this board for going way way too far! but believe me, to far isn't far enough! This struggle is too much for me too take, everyday I wake up to sick to die, shove the pain pills, and 15 other pills down. And to top this off I know the day I die is coning, I just don't know if it's 5 minutes or???? The surgeons tell me it usually comes with jaundice, and to watch for yellow skin and eyes. I forgot the mention my blood pressure can be very erratic, either very high of very low in an attack. In an attack I am helpless to do anything! Not even stand. Just curl up crying for hours or days.
dealing with rotten people should be an advocates job, not a sick Veteran's!
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I sent this to my service officer to clear up some of the continuing lies, from the VA, in my claims:
I Steven *** have been trying to get this claim problem straightened out with the VA, since my first claims filed, since my first claims in the 1990's. There is either a misunderstanding, or the VA is a purposely refusing to acknowledge that I worked with and was sickened by all of the following chemicals on active duty.
Gasoline (Leaded), Jet-Fuel, Diesel Fuel, Trichloroethylene.
I worked as a Fuels Specialist, and worked with Gasoline (leaded), Jet-Fuel, Diesel Fuel daily. I was soaked in those chemicals daily. I was sickened by those chemicals, and the U.S.A.F. doctors determined they made me very sick. The command was notified, and I was removed from that job. I was placed in a new job, at a weather squadron, at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. My duty had no chemical exposure. After a few weeks I was told to report to a new job. I was again working with petroleum chemicals (Trichloroethylene), which were used to clean printing presses. I again became very sick. I had no choice but to leave the U.S.A.F. because I had lost all jobs due to illnesses from chemicals. (5 years active duty).
When I claimed for V.A. disability, I told the VA it was for all of the chemicals. Every decision the V.A. denies, they only deny Jet-Fuel related claims. They always fail to discuss all of the chemicals which made me sick. I told the V.A. so many times, I cannot count the times. At the DRO hearing (San Diego), I told them over and over about all of the chemicals. I told the DRO hearing that the other fuels were also a part of my every day contact, and that I was soaked in them every day. I was soaked in them from filling fuel tanks, with open and closed nozzles, distributing fuels, testing fuels, leaky valves, and more. My clothing and skin were soaked every day on active duty with these chemicals.
I was then again soaked with Trichloroethylene from cleaning printing presses, the injuring continued from exposure (Repro-graphics specialist).
The headaches, the extremely swollen skin and limbs. So swollen, that my limbs were bleeding from the skin unable to expand further.
I want this part of the record. I have made printed and oral statements to correct the record with V.A. claims, but every attempt has been ignored.
Please, finally make this part of the record. Add it to or find the records, if my earlier statement were destroyed, ignored, whatever. I am pleading for this to be done honestly and correctly, as this misunderstanding is from no-fault of my own, I am not a lawyer, and have no idea how to make sure these omissions by the V.A. can be corrected by any others way, except to make again one more statement, among many, about this huge problem with my claim not handled properly.
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Hi,
Finally found a thread (that was no closed )and place to add my question or statement about travel vouchers..
I use travel vouchers, and leave them at the VA clinics and hospitals to reimburse my travel expenses.
It looks like they changed them again! at the Portland Oregon VA Hospital, I went to fill out a form, and it was changed again, it is no longer simple. I have very shaky hands and am pissed to find they added lots more Redundant B.S. to the form, where it appears you have to answer the same question posed in several questions! No help on what they want. Just put it in there and hope it doesn't mess with your voucher. As usual, it is impossible to get help, they travel office is either closed, or too many people flood it during the day. Then you leave it in a drop box, unless you want to camp out al day to ask them questions. I do not know why they totally complicated the damned form! Does some idiot look at the forms and looks for ways to screw them up? By the time I get a few lines down, my hands shake so bad, it is so hard to make it legible. They should just ask name, SS, contact info, and location and date. Type of appointment is ok. But now it asks who is filling out the form, and if the same as the vet, then why do we have to fill out both sections? The form does not give an option to say same person, and who cares who is filling it out??? wtf?? They just keep making the process a pia!
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If you have ever tried to call the VA you know that a regular Doc will not put up with waiting for a long time to get a low fee for their service. Also prior approval and VA having to ok everything is not going to work
I had prior approval form the va for an outside hospital. The VA sent me to the outside hospital in an ambulance. That hospital was not paid, and I had to go to fee *** (I forgot that office name at the va, I think the name is 'fee basis' ?) I received all the bills, and had to submit all the bills to the VA fee Basis office (the Fee Basis office was not an office you could walk into, only by phone, mail, and fax). The bills all rolled into my mailbox, and they rolled in for a year... the va did not pay them so they sent the bills to bill collectors... and I kept send them back to the va... This was when I was in the hospital for 6 months fighting for my life.. it took over one year for the bills to be paid. Only then did the outside hospital and doctors get off my back. and they were the ones who physically sent me there in an ambulance during an emergency when the VA hospital ran out of beds. So, the VA did not pay them until long after they tried to ruin my credit. It was hell trying to do al this while still getting back on my feet after I lost the ability to walk, eat, talk... taking 90 pills a day and morphine.. so I do not trust the va to send us to any outside doctors!
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what really pisses me off is that no one at the VA claims divisions are on the vets side, they are all against us. or am I paranoid?
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So, I was watching some TV station, a whistleblower had turned in some VA agency for destroying VA disability claim files.. has anyone else seen it, has a link, etc?
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Would those Vets that put TDIU claim in, and it took along while, do you happen to know why it took so long? the normal, VA claims just sucks, like everything else, or was it because they needed something, slow region, any tangible reason? I am really wondering what is taking so long, I put mine in last November 2013, and it is now almost July 2014. Usually I get a denial within 4-6 months.. Not saying I expect a denial, but it seems to be taking forever. I moved from the extremely slow California, to Oregon, and it appears Oregon is no faster with VA Claims. Thanx
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I wonder if anyone else here is in Oregon? is it normal for the VA in Oregon to be as slow as in California? I find that pretty bad if it is the same everywhere... California should set the benchmark for F'd up and slow...
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Snake Eyes,, your question makes me think of how they reviewed one of my ratings to see if they could change it so they could reduce or remove one of my conditions and ratings so I would no qualify for TDIU filing.. so now it looks like al that time was wasted, as it was also used as a stall to avoid giving me TDIU, or at least delay it... so now I have to wait even longer because of al the time wasted when they sent me for a C&P exam for an old issue I won a claim for many years ago... so now I am back to where my claim started before that run-around...
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well, I got the decision on the ambush exam to see if I still suffer from headaches. They said I still suffer. So it was an ambush review to try to stop me from my tdiu claim and all my other claims. They tried to review my permanent disability to avoid giving me my benefits. And future benefits. At least I won. Which means I am still where I started. Still no decision on my other claims. The years just crawl by. So, if you think they will never review your old claims they will, and they will see if they can reverse any old decisions. They are evil.
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I think maybe they are considering to shut down va hospitals and send us to regular hospitals.. that would be a huge mistake. The VA hospitals are not the problems, it is the system that manages them, and are control freaks.
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Well, it has been 6 weeks or more, still no decision... since the crappy C&P exam. and for my TDIU decision. Although I have many open claims, this is the last before they go to appeals. I really expect a decision at around 2 months after the last exam, which means in the next few weeks. Oregon seems to be not any faster than California, in regards to the pace at which claims are gone through.
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I just went through a c&p exam (the big ambush I posted about recently)). My rep said let's do a TDIU. I asked my previous rep who said don't. I was pissed. I have many appeals in the oven. So, I am awaiting the TDIU decision. I have been on SSDI for 25 years. I can never work again, my medical records totally back me up. I am just waiting for the TDIU decision, and my claims need to get to appeals after this decision, no matter what I want them all to go through appeals. Not sure how long for the decision. I had the last c&p in April 2014.
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I complained about a huge bulge in my stomach for many years while I suffered in bed without the ability to work for 20 years. They finally listened after I kept having them feel my stomach with their hands for several years. You could see the huge bulge under my ribs, and they would not do the proper tests.. just told me I was crazy and sent me to the head doctors... well, I ended up with necrotizing pancreatitis, and spent 6 months in hospital bed on feeding tube and severe complications... well, you can understand how I feel when they continue the fight against me. I cannot tell even people how I feel here because I cannot find words to use here that would not keep me from being banned...
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same with me, like I said several times, I have too many records and so they just refuse to read them, and I get the rubber stamp and rubber boot... on my neck
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My last claim for all of my claims, is for TDIU. my current representative said go for it, even though my prior rep said no to asking for tdiu. The rational from the last rep was because I was only at 60%. I told the last rep it didn't matter, because 70% was only a guide. Anyways, I had a C&P exam (the exam I was ambushed at, see my post for that, about 1 month ago). Anyways, I have many claims in appeal. I have not worked for 20 years and can never work again. My medical records are firm on this. My question is mainly how much longer for the decision after a C&P ? I really truly think they are totally overwhelmed by my records. I have more medical records than almost anyone. (I am not trying to sound like a jackass, it's just the truth). I really do think they bit off more than they can chew and will go insane trying to read them all. Not good, because they can actually not read everything, as usual and just rubber stamp a no. Then pass the buck to the next stage, just so they can not get a headache. There is no checks in the system to make anyone do their job properly. No one cares, no one pays for bad job performance. Well, the vet pays with being screwed. Sorry, I am wandering. In any case, they have to be getting close to making the last decision, before appeals. In the past, I think them took about 60 days after a C&P to send a decision out. One more thing. Most of my experiences were in San Diego. But am beginning to think Oregon is slow too because they really don't have enough resource here either. Even less population, they have less resources. At least the medical services here are thin.
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I was severely impacted by illness from petro products on active duty, and had to be removed from contact, by doctors orders on active duty, yet the va is fighting me... I expect the appeals will get me the granted disability claims for the petro chemicals and illnesses I suffer. But, the va will continue to deny my claims until they go through appeals. They just refuse to grant me before the appeals process. I just need them to grant me while I am still alive, the scumbags.
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I just had a c&p, and the va doctor got all over me because I won a claim for headaches and got 50%. 20 years later this c&p exam the examining doctor trashed me badly asking why I had not been seeking headache treatments since then... I had to defend why I had not been treated lately. I said that I am fighting for my life with pancreas disease, and also the doctors told me they could not help... I am overwhelmed with fighting for my life and only take over the counter meds for the headaches. Also, I take a lot of morphine, and it helps a little bit, the side effects for the morphine for the pancreas disease. Anyways, this doctor was all over me because I didn't pursue any more help for headaches. I was ambushed!
What can I do, fighting for my life with more diseases!
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btw. the doctor tried to take notes from a doctor who I had with the va (she was one who refused to help with a huge bump in my stomach which turned out to be a 5 inch cyst on my pancreas, as she ignored it and after I kept begging for help they finally tried to operate on it, but failed 2x a year later..) and this doctor tried to say that I told her I was passing out, when I only told her I was very tired at home and falling asleep at the computer (scouts honor,), and wanted to know why I was so fatigued. (2007) She tried to say I had a stroke, so they not only had me in the hospital 6 months dying (2008).. but lived. But they had me on heart monitors for 2 months showing I NEVER HAD AHEART PROBLEM, ALL BECAUSE THIS DOCTOR WOULD NOT LISTEN. Yet this va exam doctor was asking is my heart was ok, and if I was lying. And then asking if I drove to the exam. And if so it would do me no good since you can't bring your spouse into the exam. My heart has nothing to do with any exam. There is no claim for heart related problems. At all! She went after everything said and written. She was .. ahh screw it.... I can't write what I want to write. Just imagine a bully with a stethoscope. Looking for any excuse to pick you apart and cast doubt on your while existence.
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I can't tell the forum how I feel I was treated, be3cuase if I used the words I want to use, I might get booted.. as some people might not be happy with how I would describe the doctor and how I was treated. It was a farce as the doctor came out with guns blazing, a big gotcha! Trying to get me to say things, like every person who walks in needs a lawyer to make sure they don't say anything, and it is where the 5th amendment has been axed. Nothing a vet says is right, and it is guilty until proven innocent. The doctor was only there to be an advocate for the VA, not a true exam. It was only to make sure intimidation was carried out in an exam setting. Being very sick, fighting for my life. And to be put this charade is so outrageous, yet no one is helping the vets get though this charade.
I had gotten a spinal injection a couple days before the exam and was very sick in bed for a couple days. I had to go 1.5 hours to drive there. I had a temperature. My blood pressure had gone way up. I went there in this condition with a bunch of health problems. Necrotizing Pancreatitis is only one of my health issues. The doctor just kept trying to get me to say things, instead of a real exam. It would not matter who showed up and said what, they were in for hell. She picked apart everything and was only interested in trying to destroy me. The VA should pay each vet to hire an independent lawyer to go in with every vet to protect them.
btw, if you look at a list of people with pancreatic cancer, I have 90% of the symptoms. One big thing I do not have at this time is jaundice. I am under doctors orders to watch for it. it is coming they cannot tell me when. Everyday I wake up reaching for meds so I can get through another day. The abuse from the VA is intolerable. I hope some influential people read this and take note. It's sad when we are put through this. I am skeptical that complaining would help.
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I went to an exam and was treated badly, Ambushed! the VA is getting even worse in the way it treats vets when they go for C&P exams. I am extremely angry at the one I just had. I have had a few over the years. I am already very sick, and suffering terribly, but they are getting away with ambushing vets, plays physiological games and demanding answers they want! I would like to know if there is an organization that vets and write and contact to voice their concerns about horrible treatment at these exams. I am very angry, and what makes it worse I do not have the health to waste on anger. But, they need to be reined in, and the people who runt he VA fired and get some compassionate people, not just some evil bully. I know they would round file my single complaint, but if enough victims complained, and get media attention, maybe the bad people would have lights on them like cockroaches.
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my pain doctor... is a pain,,, no seriously,, she prescribed me this Gapapentin med, and at night I sleep, but if I take it during the day it makes me lay down and pass out!~ I will not take it during the day and she wants me to take it for my back problems,, she finally gave them to go ahead to resume my spinal shots, 4 months late!!! grrrrr!!! I cannot take it 3x a day like she wants, but I will not tell her yet that I can't I need my spinal shots that I was getting every three months before she took over.. I have no clue why she thinks it will help my back pain... when it only knocks me out for 6 straight hours.. crazy!!! like I SAID in another post the person who schedules the shots is not even taking phone calls until this coming week, meanwhile I just suffer.. that medicine, this Gab stuff hits me hard and I have no clue why she make me take it, but I am not taking some strong stuff that puts me into a coma... I think that's abusive! I have no idea what it does to other people.. the VA is out of control with doctors making people take dangerous stuff... it is so confusing how they can stop you from taking stuff that helps you, but make you take stuff that put you In a coma all day!!! btw, does anyone that cares and that can fix the va ever read these forums?
I Am Not Sure Where To Put This, Thew Ongoing Struggle With The Va Has Left Me So Messed Up
in Appealing Your Veterans Compensation Disability Claims NOD, DRO, BVA, USCAVC
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I am going to try very hard to read over all of everything,, mu brain is so foggy with this VA paperwork, like I said I am out of my depth... I am considering just doing al claims on my own,, and stop being treated so badly by VSO's. I don't think I could be any worse on drugs and not thinking straight... I have an ongoing issue with swollen limbs and need to make an appointment... I have had swelling for many years and right now it is pretty bad.. I could not make an appointment last week because my life is hell.. I lost my car when the engine blew last week. now I have transportation again,, I will submit the new round of exams for the swelling after I get those appointments.. as that will be new evidence.. and like I said,, probably file on my own.... I just hate thinking I will word things wrong.. but the VSO was so mean and evil, it sounded like they told me to go away... they said don't come back unless I get more evidence... you know that photo of my table of documents.. I showed them that... I bet they wouldn't read it if their life depended on it...
Also, what about them not needing to list al evidence, that is inferred they weighed it only because they received it...??? how can you get proof if evidence has not been listed in decisions?? makes absolutely no sense to me.. wish I could get these people disbarred,, but they have no real license anyways...
I am sorry I don't understand everything you try to help me with.. I will sort through overt the coming days.. as my 1151 is still open, I was told by the VSO, until October... not sure what else I can submit... for the 1151. I forgot the add the VSO thought they turned down my TDIU because I am only at 60%. but, I was so angry I am not sure if I was hearing things, or what...