retiredat44

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...

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

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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?

yay,, I was informed the person who supposedly makes the pain shot in the spine appointments is going to be back next monday and I have to call and ask where my appointment is,, and why It is 4 months late!!?? Meanwhile I suffer greatly while they have one person in control who is not at their desk for several weeks at a time! frkkin VA!!!! Then I will finally get my spinal shots that let me walk upright instead of intense spinal pain while I drag my knuckles like Charles Laughten did in the hunchback movies! Why is it they only have on person in control and they are only there once every 29th blue moon?! I can go on but find this all a sucky experience with the VA! I never even got to tell anyone here about the other crazy crap the us gov puts me through! I have stories to ell about the crap they do to me and the messes I have to straighten out with my own limited money and resources, guilty until proven innocent here in the usa ! If anyone wants to hear about my other experiences let me know I have some good real life experience stories about the us gov screwing us! I have a story about my Fema nightmare. I won, though I do get most of my money back, but they will not reimburse me for the engineer I had to hire to prove I am not in a flood zone and have my property designation changed to not in flood zone, to stop them from charging me flood insurance for property on a small hill. Water runs downhill. Duh!!! while that one thing by itself has nothing to do with pain, it is additive and when you suffering al the normal life things are still there... needed work and attention,,, while you are suffering from pain problems, while someone at the va isn't at their desk for weeks, months, whatever... si it affects all aspects of your life,,, and when it has other gov agencies involved it is a big cluster F*(((&^

Why is the VA so frakked up? I really want to use the 'F' word..! Yesterday I go to take some stupid lessons on how to inject some meds through my muscle and fat.... I didn't feel the needle at a, so that went ok,,, I went to some stores for some shopping when I picked up my wife on the way home. Today I wake up and my leg feels like it was kicked by a horse where I injected testosterone, (they said my tests show the level was to low.) I always do as my doctors tell me. I am always open to them, I have never lied... but when the nurse calls me, she is telling me they will not send my monthly pain meds unless I sign some form saying I will not abuse drugs. She says I have to get my last doctor who prescribed my drugs to sign a form, a release saying I will only get pain meds from my VA doctor. I told the nurse that I have only taken meds form the va for the last 20 years. That I was getting my pain meds from my VA primary care doctor where I used to live, at the VA clinic. She says they thought I was getting drugs from outside doctors. I have no frakkin idea where they get this bogus info~... ! They have all my VA records, why don't they read them!!! Arrrgh.. then they tell me my last drug test,, actually I think they just took one of my usual blood tests that I get quite often and used some of the blood to check me, to spy on whatever is in m y blood She was saying something about the VA checks for drugs in your blood. Anways, my blood test are ok and they are consstent with what the va prescribes me. I could tell them that, I only take what the va gives me. Anyways, then she tells me I have to sign a form before they send my pain pills. I drove there yesterday to my primary care was there 45 minutes. Now she says I need to sign a form, but they didn't ell me when I was there! It is a 150 miles, round trip! She says she will mail the forms, then says they don't have my P.O. Box, we don't use a mail box. I tell her well they have to have both my physical address and my P.O. box because the VA sends me meds through both my p.o. box and by ups to my physical address. So, they will send me the g___dam form, I will sign and return it to.. get the drugs that help contro my severe chronic pain, the ones that they are dropping my dose on, saying my pain meds were above the level they would allow! Meanwhile the pain doctor had me go through many appointments and another MRI just to get my spinal shot, that I was getting every three months in San Diego, but she stopped them here and I am suffering so bad I am ready to crawl too get around! The San Diego VA was sending me notices saying hurry up and get my spinal shot, yet the pain doctor stopped them up here! I did everything they ask, yet they have bogus info, assume wrong info , and refuse to listen, and then spy on me to see if I am doctor shopping! I hope some reams there asses! I hope someone is listening who can helps us poor vets are getting FD..ed every which way. They are really crazy whoever is running the VA! The San Diego treated me very good, up here they are totally screwed up! again, I don't take illegal drugs, I only need to continue the excellent treatment I got down south... is that to much to ask!!?? Not all doctors are messed up or nurses but something is totally wrong up here they can't seem to get their records straight, refuse to read the VA records a vet has from other va clinics.. and refuses to continue ongoing treatments without putting you through hell!

the va is pulling all kinds of b.s. up here in Oregon, with me,, they totally screwed up the good thing I had going with the va in San Diego... wherever the medical school is that is sending these doctors out needs a good ass kicking... don't get me wrong, there were very good to me in the past, at a different va, but some of them up here in the North are messing up people whop were doing fine.. even with chronic disease, I miss just the crhronic disease, and having someone making me suffer even more is intolerable... thing is who you gonna tell? Who's watching the watchers?

I have a dead brother from dugs.. I know.. I know lots of people who are either in bad shape, or are dead.. the dea is a bunch of nincompoops.. regardless.. I am being put into a position where I need pain control because of the dea b.s...

will a va doctor fill out an Oregon Marijuana form 'attending physician's statement' ? (My doctors at the last VA in California who cared for me were very good and had taken care of me), but the new doctors like at the new pain clinic I now go to in Oregon are going to screw me up badly on my pain problems. I don't want to take any Marijuana, but they are going to force me to look for additional pain relief when they cut my pain meds. ()starting March 2014 (they doctor said I am over the Oregon legal limit for morphine (I hope those scum get some rotten disease that makes them suffer, whoever makes up rules..). Will doctors at the VA fill out an Oregon Medical Marijuana Form, so I can submit it for some 'm" ?. Again, I really have no desire to take any more drugs, but the pain will kill me if they start pulling pain meds.. the pain clinic here is crazy if they think I can live with a dose I have lived with for 20 years. I can get many boxes checked for extremely painful diseases I suffer from, so that isn't the question, I just want to know if VA doctor will sign this Oregon pot form.. I have no desire to get stoned,, but I can't live in horrendous pain, as it is right now I am back to losing too much weight... Thanx

if the link will not work, only other thing is offer the heading on Newsweek (the url is basically the heading.. am tired of trying to copy this text, ggggrrrrrrr :( ) "08/29/12" updated 03/20/13"

it would not copy and paste, at all, tried and tried used word, notebook, etc,, not working,, manually typed , linkl still does not work

www.newsweek.com/interactive-map-tracking-wait-time-veterans-disability-claims-64563

I keep trying to post a link to a breakdown, but this forum keeps rejecting the link

Is there a breakdown of the states backlog numbers or percentage for each state. Compare the amount of backlog for each state. Most of my claims were filed in California and denied. But then I moved to Oregon. Wondering if the wait is shorter in Oregon, than California.

I suppose it will be around April or May of 2014 for a TDIU decision (that would be around 200 days), after that the rest of the claims will finally go the appeal stage... but until all claims are either ok'd or denied, they will not move to appeals... in a way it is my fault for having so many open claims that were denied.. the later claims holding up the early claims,, as they all must be in the same stage of the process. So, as soon as TDIU is determined (officially filed November 2013) then all of my claims can move to the next step where they can bundle them for the appeals board. Also, my claims originated in Southern California. The TDIU is the first of my 8 claims that is in another state. But having claims filed in more than one State should have no bearing. Not sure what the backlog is for Oregon. it has to be better than California, one would think.

my case is so complicated...... I did file for hardship, because the disease(s) I suffer from are not only intolerable... but also can kill a person without notice or just let them linger... but to much to re-hash... the only reason is my case has not gone to appeals is because everything I filed tied up at regional office.. then I moved to another state, and my ne claim rep sees things a little differently then the old claim rep... so they are looking at the outcome of TDIU,,, which they only decided to file after 5 years of in the appeal process in another state... short answer,,, I suppose is yes... but the VA never acknowledged it's hardship... but the doctors and surgeons at the VA definitely did... My prognosis while hospitalized and at release: 'poor' when they released me they state your overall health... they said they could no longer do anything for me, and only time will till what's next... I lost the ability to work in early 1990's... SSDI was granted 1995.

how long for TDIU decisions? 3, 6, 9, months longer? depends on the workload of each office and state etc? thanx

I transferred all my appeals and new claims to Oregon from San Diego... my new service officer says she does not know how they handle transfers, but says she will let the appeals process figure it out.. not one of my appeals had made it to the BVA yet after 5 years... update: BVA Portland Oregon still hasn't made a decision 09-16-19

My new claim rep put my TDIU claim in. After I moved, I got a new representative in Oregon. I signed a new POV with them in Oregon. I used to have American Legion in San Diego. I have many issues that are still in appeals and have yet to go through the appeals. The new claim rep says it's time to put that in and she says it should have been put in before. The old rep didn't want to. So, as it stand I have many issues on appeal ands TDIU now has been added. Not sure if anything moves faster in Oregon, but California was a nightmare. Actually the new rep's office is at the States Veterans offices.. and they took over the American Legion's claims a while back. So, the wait continues, just in a new state. So I still have about 6 outstanding claims with many, many complications mixed in. Extremely comp0licated. A side note: my care has continued here. They don't have many facilities outside of Portland so I get almost al my care in Portland. I get a ride with DAV most the time. It's almost a 3 hour round trip, not counting the wait for when there are later appointments. The DAV ride must Portland VAMC leave by 2 p.m. so it is a full day when I do have to go to al the appointments. The necrotizing pancreatitis is slowly getting worse. .. although I am still functioning, eating, dinking, take massive amounts of meds and pain killers. But.... it's a day-2-day thing. So, just waiting and waiting.. in a couple weeks I hope the new spinal appointments will get me back to my spinal injections. I had to go 5 weeks (MONTHS) made a mistake and wrote weeks.. without an injection for pain in the spine because of my move and waiting for new doctors here. So, I am starting to get the hunchback and terrible pain when I don't get the spinal injections in time. We had snow at the house a while back but it finally melted, and it may snow again pretty soon. in any case at least we get decent rain. I get peace here I could not get in California. I can rest good when I need it.

I got the letter from it,, I never knew that existed until now... it really doesn't say anything different then the award letters when you win a fight for an increase.. except they package it up into a nice looking letter,, its a bit bloated though... and while official looking, it isn't like a birth certificate in the way an official birth certificate (For Example) has stamps or embossed to show it is original, this is just printed and can be black and white or color, depending on the ink you choose on your printer. I am pretty surprised no one told me about certificates until now. I would not call it a certificate, myself, if I had named it, I would only be called it a letter. IMHO