cowgirl

Wonder who here will get the surveys? what about a similar 'Hadit' survey to help with the +/- 3 error rate?

Blue, good that you posted. Getting the right effective date is very important. I'll keep an eye to see how it goes for you. When I applied for my earlier effective date - I used a clear copy of the in service diagnosis, VA diagnosis, private diagnosis and submitted it with the rating criteria for the specific sc condition. Guess I learned to keep it simple, 'dismiss' personal gripes, read alot, ask alot and get the medical evidence to prove it all up. Yes timing is of the utmost just now. Heard not too long ago VA's been guided to use fifth grade language skills when writing to us veterans. You did well explaining it here on the board, so I have a good feeling for you both. Do thank him for his service and he's lucky to have a dedicated wife such as you! All the best, Cowgirl'up2009!

Your request for increase (TDIU) triggered the request for re-examinations for sc conditions or those not sc yet. My iu exams covered everything, think the examiners used 'recent' VA clinic visit records - went fast, but doesn't always. My Va xrays for last eight years read the same - probable or vaguely a issue. Can't recall if I ever saw a VA doc use an xray, just the report. Next claim will submit 'outside' xrays. Hardly slept two nights before MDD exam, I was nervous, examiner was patient, thank God. got IU. All the best to ya, Cowgirl'up2009!

All right Jimbo!! Congratulations and I hope the benefits you recieve are most of what you need to live comfortably! What a story, yes, Hadit helped me right along also!! All the best to ya, Cg'up2009!

Sort of leaves Cold War vets out in the cold?! the way I see it the Cold War is a ' period of time' , especially for those after Vietnam and before the Gulf War.

Congrats my freind SFCtrucker !!! At that rate you should recieve dependent benefits, disability insurance offering, eligibiligty for individual unemployability (namely you can apply since you made it over the first hurdle). So if you are unable to work IU will help a bunch. (don't recall if you have ssdi yet ?) but if you are able to work - more power to ya. Just keep your health first. CRDP - why sweetie, (sorry, the holidays are getting to me ! pie!) oh, yeah, lost my train of thought. CRDP is concurrent retired pay that we didn't get years ago. Sure hope you read up on that. When I retired many many moons ago, no VA pay, just a waivered amount for that 'portion' of my retired pay, namely a tax free bite out of my pay. I was paying myself. No 'double dipping' grrrr; that word just sticks in my craw! So now you will get your retired pay and your 90% CRDP (VA disability pay). Until the full concurrent date somewhere 2014, the by law I think the VA cannot pay or DFAS has to set aside a portion thereof retired pay for VA disability pay. I trust you'll read up on it, got a sugar rush from desserts here; may not be making sense (er, cents) here! There is other good news, until CRDP comes into full swing the VA will make up the difference so that you will get the full disability amount. Namely, a DFAS deposit and a VA desposit. The DFAS deposit RAS will display the 'waiver' amount and the CRDP amount. The VA deposit will pay you whats due. Again, I am happy that you are so blessed to get it together so quickly, The best to ya, Cg'up2009!

Congrats Mikee and Red - IU is a true blessing - wow, fast processing times. Took well over decade to IU p&t - still in shock! ;) ! Here's to your 'good' health, c[-] !! Cowgirl

Just thought I'd post some thoughts for support. Something about this rating doesn't sound correct. There is no mention of medical or social problems in the military that caused the discharge or medical treatment while on duty. No insult intended, but suspect something 'caused' thier discharge 'choice' on your behalf. There is also no mention of the infamous GAF score that VA boldly listed on rating decisions for me. Found interesting discussion on DSM and VA ''reduction' use of diagnostic codes, with example of 'adjustment disorder' and possible clues how to help a civilian doctor 'adapt' their 'diagnosis' to that of the VA. A private doc could use a more 'va' type diagnosis to present similar information?. http://books.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_i...85&page=259 (also see pages 257 & 258...) I also found one other interesting case that could bear reading http://www4.va.gov/vetapp03/Files/0323863.txt ......"With regard to a psychiatric disorder, the service medical records from the veteran's 1978-1981 active duty show that he was treated in service for situational anxiety and tension headaches. He was treated with Mellaril, which is generally used to treat both psychotic disorders and depression. At separation from service, a reviewing doctor indicated that the veteran had a history of depression, although at the time of separation he did not have any significant mental illness. Years after service, in the 1990s, the veteran was treated for various psychiatric conditions, including dysthymia (which is a form of depression) and for schizophrenia. While there might be better evidence of continuity of symptomatology since service (see 38 C.F.R. § 3.303(B)), the Board finds that the evidence is in equipoise on the issue of whether the veteran's current dysthymic disorder is a continuation of a condition that was first manifested and treated in active service. Giving the benefit of the doubt to the veteran, the Board concludes that a psychiatric disorder (dysthymic disorder) was incurred in active service, warranting service connection. See 38 U.S.C.A. § 5107(:D." Best to (( ya )) ~ ! Cg

May I welcome you to Hadit if I haven't before? Thanks for posting, could be your post is someone elses question. From what I've learned and keep learning its the medical opinion that 'wins'. The medical opinion is a supported diagnosis, but sometimes I've percieved (or heard) the diagnosis different than what a doc, civilian or the VA wrote. For instance a auto accident, on the job accident, incident can cause anxiety, depression.even though I think ptsd. So...do you get care from the VA now? what is your current diagnosis? depression with ptsd or what? do you have medical or personnel record confirming the 'ptsd' you feel? Ok, no need to answer here on the board unless you wish. For many years I got wrapped up in trying to confirm my 'non-combat' ptsd, but was assigned depression diagnosis. The ptsd is in my records now but I learned to accept the VA or any mental health doc can apply a diagnosis for one or a number of things - but not always individually. I have a few mental health 'diagnosis's' if you will, but the VA seems to rate under the most compelling diagnosis (at least most compelling to them). I agree, noncombat vets shouldnt be overlooked for their service nor 'compete' for VA support versus combat veterans. Imho the servicing agency is responsible to balance the scales for the clients. So, hang in there, keep at it, services are bound to change. Best to ya, Cg'up2009!

Thank you Berta for presenting these facts and defining stressor so clearly. Proof of those type of psychosocial 'stressors' support PTSD as well as diagnoses of MST and Dysthymia, Anxiety, etc. but imho it takes the right Physician or Rater to confirm it. My experience, written correspondence to family and freinds can also help validate stressors to the VA. A letter 'home' 'clinched' the personal effects of serious injury, threat and horror. The person wrote a simple statement confirming the letter and recalled affects on me, the veteran. The award decision referenced three sentences of the letter and 'validated' the stressor 20 years later. Odd, there was no specific reference to official medical or personnel records of injuries, hospitalizations or official actions to the incident(s). Again, good post - only if I'd known this then.... Cowgirl

Ahem. Thought when a person joins the service in good physical shape they're gonna be even better shape after boot camp? Oh, sorry, must'a read a recruiting poster again. Welcome to Hadit if I haven't welcomed you before ~ !? Do you have other service connected leg, foot, knee, back, hip or vein conditions? Or were you seen for care related to such? How soon after you retired from the marines were you diagnosed and treated for this condition? the first twelve months? And since you were retired, I dare say if you are a woman or a guy, that rarely were you issued the correct size and type combat boots. For women even more rare to be 'issued' practical arch supported shoes or sensible dress pumps. Of course, don't forget if assigned to dangerous duty, the boots could have had steel toes as well. I recall, most boots had flat insoles, crummy ankles, either too stiff or too soft, the foot box would s t r e t c h out causing a echo when wearig a single set of socks. Ah, to make the most of it, two pair of wool socks and tighter laces around the ankle adapted but only fixed the fit for 10-15 minutes before loosening up. Okay, I don't have the answers, just sc varicose veins from years of hard work, ill fitting shoewear and marching in ridiculous skirts&pumps after wearing boots for 10 hours all day. If you read around here, its medical records and medical opinions that validate conditions. Keep in touch, hope you get needed compensation for your extremely physically demanding and long career that changed a healthy you. Best to ya, Cg'up2009!

Welcome to Hadit - the place to get answers or better questions! Not a medic here, just someone who recieved lots of help and asks questions here. Now that my disclosure of who I am not is out of the way; a few questions? Feel free to discuss the answers here or just think about the medical examination as being 'clinical' with no followup medical care from the 'examiner' checking you for 'probable' compensation. Sure you were A'ok when you entered the service. All the best to ya, Yes, Hadit is here for a reason and myself, been at it for a decade and more - but claims would be long done if I found Hadit back then. Cg'up2009!(cowgirl)

WOW Congratulations to the Keyes family ~ ~ !! I am awed by how eloquently you described our Berta - BERTA is truly a Godsend - B) ! I hope your life becomes a bit more relaxed and manageable that your family has benefits ~ ! Thank you for your service, Gowgirl'up2009! (new to iu here too!)

feeling my age now, got a few of those pulhes in my handwritten service medical records - must have been around for some time, like me! Put in for a few waivers during my career, pulhes was adjusted for those, temporarily.

Sure why not? read the SSA web site info and go for it if you think its all good. There are short windows of oppurtunity when it comes to Social Security credits. Best to ya, Cowgirl'up2009!

Ok, fergot to drop a nickel in it.....its posted now! giggles~! least my boot tips are up!

Updated and corrected lead post; bottom to top - guess its my story! Other details later...thought I'd start somewhere in hope to help another vet succeed in less time.

How I got to Oz!! starting at the bottom.... Results: "All reasonable doubt has been resolved in your favor and entitlement to IU is granted because you are unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation as a result of sc disabilities. The effective date of entitlement is xxxx following the last day of employment." (iu)(2009) But wait, because I was in receipt of SSDI, I submitted an NOD for the denied IU claiming unable to work due to sc disabilities. The decision letter was awarded with one examiner recognizing that I am 'unemployable due to combined symptoms of service connected conditions' in contrast to the other "examiners opinion" - 'vet is able and capable to obtain and retain gainful employment. You should be able to obtain and retain gainful employment in office sedentary occupation.' So, making it to 70%, I submitted my original IU claim to the Rater denied with exam results and mental health letter saying 'ability to perform sedentary gainful work.' Recieved significant sc increase (total sc = 90%). So next I applied for and recieved SSDI using a self functional report supported totally with VA service connected disability conditions. By then I found another vso and another vso - getting really together after finding HADIT (2006). Finally I got requested increases for sc disabilities with mental health and other conditions - that worked up to compensation with dependents. (40%..60%) good! Years of unemployment weighing me down, I tried temp work with disabling physical and mental health conditions, never gainful and exhausted. Then a few years later went to the VA health clinic for physical care and a nurse suggested mental health. I started seeing counselors, vocational and mental. Vocational rehabilitation processing was exhaustive waste of time for me but the mental counselor got me started figuring it out. At discharge I started my claim story with the VA and was given minimal service connected (sc) ratings and written feedback suggesting I 'sick call' listed in my claim. There were several exams, physical, mental, etc. I did not write a well supported claim, I did not submit good documentation or identify in writing where to locate said conditions in my service medical records. I had poa with a elderly vso with vintage dust on near everything in the office - my claim too. (20%)

Oooh what a scarey looking form. Am reviewing claims trying to wrap myself up since I got IU, and I notice many times I submitted information/evidence with a cover letter listing what documents by name, date etc. But rarely do these documents show up in decision letters as evidence!. For example I submitted SSDI form for a claim, it and many items show on denial but not on NOD approval - just two peices of the many evidence pieces are listed. I suspect since they were on the 'original' is the thinking. BUT wait, the evidence changed, several peices of new data submitted for NOD. I encourage everyone make a list of what you are submitting, use a cover letter telling them what you are sending them. Use Title, date, names, subject ,etc. Who knows, could help 'them' and 'us'! Ha. Cg

Stretch, don't always see you on lately - nice to see you and thank you for the Congratulations!! True statement about changes not occuring - I understand, but am still in acceptance stages! Ya hit the nail on the head there. the best to ya, Cg'up2009!

Whoa - I gotta see this! For the military veteran being discharged, having a persons particular service take care of 'things' for them. Like housing, medical, rations, pay and all - there is a dependence factor the way I see it. teamwork and partnership. The unit takes care of personnel things so the mission can be accomplished. So if there is a statement like this, it could be attractive to a vet to have the VA 'agency' consider the claim soonest, but what about the veteran wanting to discharge soonest and dutifully signing the forms with that 'unit care' blind trust that 'they'll'(VA) take care of it and 'they'll'(VA) properly weigh medical conditions in official service treatment records for benefits. I'd be cautious personally, now that I know what I do, 'cause it's been years and years to get it into my thick skull - that "I gotta work it." Larry, what is the form number? Thanks. Cg'up2009!

If the 30% retro was recent, what does the decision letter say? Is there any reference to insurance? Have you checked the website? I am currently applyiing but the factors are different. While I am processing mine, will keep heads up for dates & details. best to ya, Cg'up2009!

Got SSDI first time in. I got the paperwork in order, application, pay slips, pretabbed medical records to support my self report type statement, job description, just followed the process. Learned the first clerk just interested in numbers, not info. Nice people, even gave me a telephone number to call and spoke to the person listed, no recorder!

I just tell 'em I read alot. True :o

Looks like you are building good care connections and support. Thats helpful for your claim, and its up to you to ensure the rater 'reads' your current VA clinical notes. I've listed dates, name and conditions on a breif list so the rater would know where in my file to look; honest, fastest NOD I've had. Sorry to hear about your knee and medications - sure sounds like unrefutable evidence a comp examiner would have to consider. Recently I had an examiner that read clinic notes from my providers, I know only certain information was contained in those, so that was factual. Good going on the VA records, do you have your Service Records? Read them all for connections and questions for your claim, Lots of helpers here, the best to ya, Cowgirl'up2009!