autumn

i have a time of it trying to express my thoughts at times. ;-) i was discharged from mil service with a spinal condition and with that listed "depression, secondary to injury". a few months later when first entering VA system, they changed that to "adjustment disorder". i guess what i'm trying to say is i find that odd. more so the more i learn on "hadit.com". that is correct, i have not been hit by the "personality disorder". my brain, in its conditioned way, jumped a conclusion. the "adjustment disorder" to "personality disorder". during those years of many mental labels i had put in my record, there were a few doctors who wrote "anxiety is this vets norm" and a few times, cyclothymia and bi-polar. strange things like that. though, the VA now says those labels were in error. i appreciate you showing me depression is a sub-cat of mood disorders. i have this and have since mil service. i have no issue with that. we're on the same page now, thanks for educating

it was mentioned to me today that veterans can request moving claims to different VARO. why would one do this and is this wise?

i could use some advice regarding this. over the years at VA's i've been dx with bi-polar, depression with pyschotic tendencies, anxiety disorder, "vet's anxiety is his norm", and now, "mood disorder", and a few others i can't spell. all this over 24 years. the navy discharged me with "depression secondary to chronic pain due to spinal injury". VA changed that 3 months after discharge to the above items. the VA recently service connected me with MS. they now say i never had those things listed above except for the depression. but the current shrink loves that "mood disorder" thing in my records. after reading this post, i now see why. i feel for all those that the VA has mis-labled a mental diagnosis just to dodge disability for the veteran, its a real freakin nitemare. anyone have any advice on what i can ask this current shrink to quit doing, such as harping on mood-disorder, i'm all ears. hopefully when the MS secondary issues are finally documented correctly this will be behind me.

found out the hard way with my MS C&P. that was almost a year ago and the VA is still trying to rate secondary MS issues though no actual secondary issue exams have been scheduled. there "sorta" was one, but that C&P doctor wrote back to the rater there were too many secondary issues to look for in an MS patient so he didn't do it. said they don't get many MS patients. certainly a lack of "instructions" there. have no idea if this works in my favor or against,

i have some significant spinal degeneration issues and want to file for an increase in my SC for it. i have another pending claim in and don't want to delay/jeopardize it but i've read one should file as soon as possible some claims so the effective date isn't lost. what to do?

does one's VSO have a copy of the c-file or is that only at RO?

i think the evidence is certainly supportive, we'll see ok, thanks for the insight and patience ;-)

one other question, i've put together supportive medical docs into folders for each claim. portions hilited whereas pertinent, dates, statemensts, assessments, etc. i also put a topsheet on each of group of related docs with a sentence or two of what they show, in support of respective claim. is that top sheet ok to include, and ship it off to c-file? that is, will the raters/board get mad at that or not?

well now. i didn't realize that about the 50%, as you and Carlie, mentioned. i've grown apprehensive, regarding the VA, over the years due to all the walls the VA puts up when trying to get to the answers of one's medical problems. i'll ask pcp to see an ortho specialist. i've learned, no matter what the test results are, if you don't ask they don't do. thanks

thx, i'll get this claim for increase & SC for neck filed soon. a c&p is the only way i've been able to get the va to diagnosis anything with me. which doesn't make any sense to me at all. i'll ask pcp for referral to an ortho. the last time i went there ortho said i needed a neurosurgeon. there was clear evidence as to the cause of certain symptoms. neurologist writes he can't explain my symptoms. neurosurgeon writes too risky with ms, though pt will need surgery more than likely at a later date. IMO writes cervical is causing the particular symptoms, not his ms. i'm trying to get another IMO, but folks, without insurance, its getting harder. medicare will take a few years. yes, for now i'm at 50%. i suspect that will increase once the ms secondary issues have been listed/rated. you can see my wanting a c&p, to at the least, get a firm diagnosis, for better medical treatment. and if compensation is legally/rightfully due, then that too. but gee whiz, how about a correct diagnosis versus the run around. i walk on egg shells due to this spine stuff. LOL thanks for the help and time. i'll pursue it.

i will have it submitted very soon, thanks for the advice

told you it was a slow day, that didn't even enter my mind. ok, i can just file a claim and get all the supporting evidence into my c-file, yes? many thanks

i would like to get a C&P for my spine issues. i'm already SC'd for it but over the years it has become worse. also, only the lumbar is SC'd. though after going through my mil med records, i see where i injured my cervical on active duty, had a handfull of symptom complaints for the area, a few consults for it, and a neurosurgeon at the time stating the issues with my cervical area. i would like to get that SC'd so i can get proper treatment(is this possible at a VA?) for it. i have a current IMO, board cert neuro-surgeon who states some neuro issues with the DDD, stenosis, herniations, etc. and that the ms isn't causing certain issues, its the cervical spine itself so, how do i get a C&P for my neck? really sorry as i should know this, but today is slow mentatlly

i hope you pursue this. and i'll tell you why: i was discharged from active duty medically for herniations & depression secondary to chronic pain three months later the VA said i had no herniation and labeled it "lumbosacral strain". the VA took the "depression, secondary" off and changed it to, "adjustment disorder" my recollection is the VA at the time used x-ray versus CT to do the change. i've had the PVA a few times to get the VA to change the diagnosis to the correct diagnostic codes. the VA never did. that was in 1989 & 1992. my spine has gotten worse. and no VA doctor comments on the MRI images except, well we don't see much, can't really say what is causing your symptoms. this is a bit different than what non-VA doctors tell me. so i have to get a new C&P and hopefully this doc will see the truth and get the codes changed. it makes a huge difference in how the VA medically treats your condition(s) so, fight like heck to get the correct diagnostic codes. the mountain only gets steeper and higher with the VA as the years roll on.

>>If someone is helping me I appreciate it. i'd be more lost if it weren't folks helping me. but i am a bit jaded from past claims submissions, my own lack of beneficial knowledge, and years of VA types telling me nothing is wrong when clearly there was/is. i don't trust em 100% which is why they get frustrated with me calling and checking & asking questions. but you have no choice if you want to stay on top of it. >>The reason the system is what it is mainly cause that is how VA and Service Organizations wanted it. i would know agree with you and add the politics factor in there too. >>I think that any Veteran with a legitimate claim is nuts to trust their claim 100% to someone who does not get paid by their clients and that there only certification is by the people who are in many cases trying to shoot the claim down. i've had a few SOs mention like they are doing me a favor because it is free. i can see that argument but it also has a lot of flaws in it. and too, there just aren't that many really good SOs, and there are millions of claims and veterans seeking help. its almost a crap shoot, which is why i do as much work on my stuff as i can to get it right and help the SO out. >>I think that if the Service Organizations wanted to do right that they would hire Lawyers for the Veterans ... when you look at the pva website, you are somewhat lead to believe that attorney's will be helping. but that however, is only when it gets to be some big political case >>Also don't forget that if you want to use a Service Officer if you plan to handle your claim you owe them a visit by phone or letter letting them know what you are doing. wouldn't do anything to jeopardize their work/efforts. not my style. i will get all this paperwork ready for them for the other claims and get that to them when the time is right and they are telling me now is not the time. so i wait. but my nervous system gets quite frustrated when i see the VA still playing the games. thx

>>Then again- I wasn't really on the ball in those days with the VA crapola and I should have filed the NOD anyhow regardless of whether he wanted me to or not. nor was i in the late 1980's & early 1990's. i knew nothing about any of this. >>I made errors in dealing with those dopes I dealt with at my last POA.I should have just dumped then but I kept waiting for them to redeem themselves.It only enabled them to play around with me with absoltely n faith at all in my claim. I was deligted however to inform their lawyer how much my award came to-which they lost credit for ,because they had revoked my POA before the award letter came. only lately have i read the old claims where some of the c&p's state erroneous info, like why i was discharged from the service completely different than the actual discharge papers, citing incorrect data from nav mil reports, etc. i had just assumed a SO would have caught those. so i'm a bit slow and too trusting in those days. >>But there ARE good vet reps and most vets need their help. i think for sure i have one now at the pva. he is a nso in another state and is not the local SO who blew me off saying i didn't have MS (he isn't a doctor anyways). >>We also do get so personally involved in our claims that we can have what I call blind spots. which is why i've got a new batch of chronological ordered records showing other bonafied illness & injury with disabilities that i hope the pva files after this round of ms stuff. i had no idea i could file for such things if not for this website and actually seeing such things in my med records. i can only assume that is why VA doctors never mention them, that is the illnesses, etc so dummies like me wont file. >>It took me many many months to listen to my daughter and re open my claim for undiagnosed DMII from AO causing my husband's death. aren't the kids quite intelligent many times over! ;-) thank goodness for em! sorry of the demise though >>WTF I am an unpaid volunteer putting up with crap! makes sense, quite volunteering much myself. most people just take advantage and in my case, ms seldom gives me consistent "good" days >>Autumn said: >>"since the va didn't include any retro for those years or secondary issues related to ms, i turned that part over to the pva. so, i can only hope they "go for it" but i know they are giving the va som....." >>Did you formally claim the secondarys? the pva requested them in the Fall 2010 and again in Jan 2011. the VA scheduled a strange "brain c&p" that gave no exam for anything. we talked for 2 hrs. nice guy though. seemed more like a VA recon appt. he even wrote he couldn't exam for MS secondary's as there were just too many of them and they come and go, and for the rater to contact him for further questions. but he did write i had suffered from MS and its symptoms for over 20yrs as evidenced by mil & va records. so that was a big boost. but the MS c&p in 2010 said the basically the same thing. so i'm still getting bounced about like a ping-pong ball in the system. >>Was this claim continuously prosecuted without any re-open? original claims were filed and dismissed in late 1980's and early 1990's as lack of evidence. after many requests over the years for a new lumbar puncture to compare to the navy one's VA finally did that in 2009 after new MRIs showed ms lesions. mind you, the VA dismissed those MRIs. the lumbar was positive just like the 3 in the navy. then started the "no one at VA would diagnose" so i would get the run around. but, i filed a claim after i wrote a senator about it. the VA denied that claim as lacking evidence also. so i got an attorney who filed the NOD thing and presented all the civilian assessments & tests. the VA then granted SC, paid me 2 years retro and closed the case. i felt the attorney dropped the ball when i called to find where my c&p was, because the lawyer didn't know, and behold the file was sitting somewhere collecting dust and not at the VARO raters desk. i dropped the poa with attorney and signed with pva who got the c&p back to the VARO where it was supposed to be. >>"Chuck said: you and Chuck are funny people!

Lord no, i did not go to an appeals court. i had a lawyer for that and all the documented paperwork. the c&p guy only saw me for like 15minutes and said you have ms. i handed my paperwork (c-file stuff) to him and he wrote service connected due to onset for ms documented from navmil documents plus the years since of documented symptoms. wasn't much fuss really and the lawyer did all the correspondance which i totally needed. he got paid, done deal. since the va didn't include any retro for those years or secondary issues related to ms, i turned that part over to the pva. so, i can only hope they "go for it" but i know they are giving the va some time to get stuff together and here, it takes a while to get those appts for secondary issues...though i often wonder if the va really is going to setup those appts or drag em out to eternity. hard to have much faith in an org that goes out of its way not to diagnose veterans if an inkling of SC could be there. so you get to experience ms symptoms and told your nuts. ;-) happens all the time.

love that story, nothing wrong with being incognito/undercover at times...i might need to buy a tie someday soon

more than i, thanks for the link, i'll start that process

sorry to hear that happened though i'm not surprised. i would be looking for someone to help write notes on forms the correct way. i've searched all my records, mil & va & civilian, and put all pertinent info for each claim in nice neat chronological order with notes regarding each. these would be submitted to my c-file. i just don't know what to write, what forms, and what should be sent to c-file versus what should be left out. no one better than me could go through all those records and be cognitive of the selection. i did the same for all the IMOs which is why it didn't take them long and why they were favorable for each claim. the truth and supportive docs are there, they just needed to be put in a correct order and in favorable presentation view, versus 24 yrs of being strung all over the place along with parts hidden in between other non-sensical papers. if i don't find anyone i can trust, i'll give em to the pva piece-meal, one claim at a time.

i simply copied n pasted that from the army website, so that is where the word "any" came from. sorry bout that and thanks for the extra clarification

i have a doc that did this, and it helped immensely. any other doctor could have done it but he is well versed in the "language of the VA"

understood & i've thousands on IMOs all waiting to be filed sad as it is to say, its helpful to know others get the same wild off-the-wall comments from the VA doctors. they must be trained via the VA to do that

is there a website that one can find volunteer SO's ? or something like that? i don't really want to go through another legal firm. took too much % for too little work. i'm not going to toss a wrench in the gears for what the pva has already started but i have other claims i'll need to file and would like to try doing that myself.

hi, is there a way to check on what the pva has filed and/or correspondance that occurs behind the scenes?