autumn

regarding what is in a past appeal claims i showed you

it's been quite awhile since that denied appeal. i was quite green to the VA VSOorg claims way of things back then or maybe i was told it was a dead end. i've found a few old claims/appeals to VA via a vsorg. if one believes there has been an error in the written statements is there protocol for a veteran to get that amended or something? or does a veteran write VA with a counter statement or ?? thx

just make clear, 4th claim, being previous 3 were denied.

that is great! i'm sure this happens from time to time.

just from my own particular experiences with this, my gut is usually uneasy, though it never knows the specifics, its just uneasy. i've never filed a claim on my own, maybe i should try it

i stand corrected, it wasn't meant to be a blanket statement. though true facts in my last particular case.

having MS too, bed rest is quite a daily thing, most days. hmm, the nerve thing, i guess that could be in my favor. i have a IMO that states i have some neuro deficits due to the lumbar and cervical areas. though VA has a different take. recently submitted new documentation and old documentation for increase claim. this will be the 4th claim in 23 years for this particular set of issues. though a first with outside IMO's (never knew i could do that until a few years ago). so that is why i asked. honestly, i don't want to split hairs with VARO on this, just to get the most correct code(s) for me.

would anyone know what is the difference in rating/pay between these two: "intervetebral disc syndrome" vs "lumbosacral strain" or "back strain"? mil medically discharged me with herniated disks a few months later, VA switched it to back strain over the years i have yet to have mri's that showed anything but bulging disks, severe degenerative disease, radiculopathy. so would "back strain" be correct or would "intervetebral disc syndrome" with regards to correct rating?

who are "they" in this case? the VSO or VA with regards to what goes on at the RO? no doubt VSOs are way overbooked with claims which makes it even more prudent to be on hadit.com to get educated and stay on top of things

i'm leaning more and more in this direction. when a VSO tells me to wait cuz we're going to give the VA the benefit of the doubt to do the right thing and then the VA wont even schedule correct appt's without a senator intervening, i really question the VSO process.

i appreciate your efforts and service and issues. my question and issues are not directed at all VSOs but some. to me and others navigate this mine field called the VA claims system.

certainly no proof, but i would like to ask the question as to whether the VA tries to pressure VSO's to backoff with some claims and that some VSO org's will do so as to not rock the boat with their symbiotic relationship? that make any sense the way i asked that? anyone else ever kinda thought this? is the recourse to file your own claim? thx

i emailed Bergmann-Moore requesting help/advice. it is with a NSO. he was going to file a EED is what i meant to say. for some reason, all of a sudden, not. we'er still waiting on the secondary issues to be signed off on. supposedly they have been rated, just not signed off on, so they informed me. NSO dosn't know why it is taking so long, they just keep telling me to wait. RO may have granted secondaries and they may not have, i don't know yet. i didn't feel like i could keep waiting to file the other claims by waiting and waiting on the secondary issue rating, so asked the NSO, if he agreed. to file for the new stuff. he agreed, filed, and said he was filing for EED too. that was a few days ago. they asked today if i had filed for a MS claim prior to 2008 and I said not for MS cuz the VA kept saying all these years i didn't have it so how could i have filed for MS? the navy med records showed clearly i had MS back then, so they SC'd me in 2008. they said since i hadn't filed for MS sooner they couldn't do a EED. well, they just all of a sudden think that? just wondering what changed all of a sudden for the EED request. i don't want to speculate cuz i'm too close the issue. trying to get my ducks in a row before i speak with him mon again. hard to know who has my six and who doesn't, but that's me.

have you used their services before? they really offer "free" advice? thx

all of a sudden, my rep now says they can't file a CUE or ED. this after a year and half of saying they can and would. i recently requested him to file for SC and increase on two other health issues unrelated to the CUE/ED thing. i did this because the RO is taking so long to sign off on secondary symptoms related to MS. he agreed. as early as last week he said he was filing for CUE though he had wanted to wait to see the secondaries ratings first, but that it was taking so long he was going to file CUE. so today i'm told they aren't going to do it because they have no evidence to support it and wanted to know if i did, or something to that effect. why all of a sudden? so i come here to ask how one files for CUE/ED? i'll do it myself since it seems i basically do it all myself anyways. yes, i'm a bit ticked that all of a sudden they tell me this. thx

yep that is true. though i will add, all mil basic schools have time frames, VARO's have no time frames in place -- can take a few months to many years onto black holes.

i'm glad this was posted. again, it helped me to see in words what, for whatever reasons, i can't express verbally or write down, in a few sittings. it will help others too who drop by this topic and hopefully lessen their VA stressors i suspect,with all the new veterans making their way home now and in the near future, the VA claims systems will not have changed, maybe even get worse? i vote for mass demonstrations by veterans and their families(care givers) at VAROs. has anything else worked? veterans in the past were forced do so and got some changes. at least we have this forum to help each other and share knowledge and stuff. way more than we had some few years ago.

thank you for the post. actually i can relate to your story, really. it helps. a little about me if ok. maybe it helps someone else. -lived with untreated/undiagnosed MS for 22yrs. VA acknowleged it only after IMO -years the VA sends me to shrinks for most things as, "its all in your head, man" or "you have something but we can't see what" -tried suicide twice over 20yrs ago. boy did the VA use that to their advantage. pretty dark time back then. too much drink and too many weird body aches/pains. quit drinking then -stumbled onto hadit.com and started gathering records and learned of IMO's. -followed through on many suggestions from hadit.com -filed for C&P to get a diagnosis -got diagnosis and out of the blue, examiner wrote "service connected" -VA service connected me for MS in 2010 and "considered the matter closed". now waiting on secondary condition ratings, had to get congressional help to get the appropriate medical appoints for that too. VA/VARO mentioned they just didn't know that much about MS here or so the examiner told me in not so many words. - got SSD no questions asked after seeing medical records. wonder what they see that the VA won't see? -over a year now, and no ratings for MS secondary conditions thanks for the posts here folks. its a bit therapeutic and informative to put things into perspective. maybe it'll help another

sure seems that way. no intention of quitting this fight, which a fight it is. this fight does have collateral damages. health gets a bit worse, friends leave, relationships go by the wayside, etc. too late to give a 'sh!t' about such things for me. that sure seems like that is their mission, as their actions back that up. though they smile and talk junk, their actions speak otherwise as you say and have experienced. this happens to soo many veterans for soo many years. well, the public is now storming banks and protesting, how much longer will it be before veterans do the same at VARO's?

very much what i was trying to get into words. as you know my foot dropped recently due to ms exacerbation. 3 months later and i still don't have a foot brace. had to get a pt advocate to get a doc to write a rx for it due to run around at va (my perception). so yes, i do worry about the future and who/what can one rely on besides the va when stuff hits the fan. non va support costs money, so again, a bit of a stressor.

not all mind you for i have met some great people at some va's across the country. BUT, when it comes to filing claims and seeking help from VA for such matters, i''ve met some the most adversarial stonewalling folks in my life. and there is absolutely no reason at all for it. you folks know what i'm speaking of too. and yes, i really would venture to stretch the word, "criminal" to some areas of the organization due to i don't have another word in my brain to describe it.

i think of that often, that is, before the internet. i never had one claim approved before the internet. the internet, researching ms and stuff, emailing other veterans with such issues, and hadit.com, i don't think i would still be here. so very thankful for such help.

**if this topic should be moved elsewhere, just let me know moderator as i didn't know whey to put it when we veterans have our claims sent in with (documentation, corroboration, history, med reports, imo, etc) why is this process so stressful? or let me say stressful to me"me". the whole process has actually increased some of my symptoms that i'm SC'd for. i'm sure many of you can relate to that. just a fact, no complaint. i can't really put it into words or perspective, this stressor of filing claims with the VA. its not only mental & physical, its financial stress, i.e. some of us have to get outside imo due to no one at VA will document the real deal, medically speaking. like a truthful supportive counter argument to what VA writes. i thought i would ask this for myself and any other newbie to the system in that it might help them & me understand (if anything at the VA is understandable regarding claims)

i will write them and my congressman who supposedly is helping with why it is taking so long for secondary rating. the writing will help ease some anxiety within me and will be another brick to helping others (maybe) i often see the illiterates as you do. and boy can they be adversarial. that is why i use the phrase "criminal org" loosely with some humor. these reps you speak of, i know there are some good ones but really -- what can they do but send a few letters and then wait? VA won't even listen to Shenski, so what good is a rep unless they have inside people, which some do. in my case my rep is out of state cuz this states rep wasn't in my corner. thanks

rarely ever hated until i ran into the VA. the more my illness progressed the more the VA folks became adversarial especially regarding disability