cowgirl

Aw, blushin' here, just thankful you are provided for. Got to tell you, I am experiencing some 'adjustments' to having tdiu, first I was shocked, depressed - who knows why? The relief for the family has been so good, I'm calm knowing they're provided for. So now my counselor is advising me to 'get busy' doing routinely good things for my newest job - me! :0) Wishin you everything you need and deserve, Cg

Ok, my two cents. Be a self advocate, if you need a clear diagnosis from a VA provider, ask specifically. If you are not sure, ask again. Then head to the Release of Information office for a printed copy. In the past when I attended a primary provider VA appointment the nurse has asked me if I am depressed, along with other questions. Those intake questions are listed on teh computer screen for each and every visit. In my VA clinic record copy I have many different printouts of those - patient 'reports' this or patient 'denies' this..simple but important questions to have true answers to. Thinking of VA records as quasi legal documentation for your care and benefits. Depression can be a difficult word to 'accept' sometimes. I've had days of 'why me' 'why my back' especially when I see other people my same age working out or actively playing with thier kiddos. Then to top it off, taking medicines for that, wearing special shoe inserts, using back support cushions and working hard to climb high into the ole truck - thankful for the handles. (yup, I make trips into town worthwhile for gas and energy used!) Got a good to great VA counselor here, good to talk to and makes sense often when I don't. Sorta tells me whats on my mind when I havent been able to think straight. Even help me understand some of my forgetfullness was due to poor sleeping worrying about how my disabilities are affecting my thinking. Side note, my VSO is mostly ok, but I learned the hard way - if I submit papers to the VA through the VSO to 'always' have a cover letter identifying what I submitting as evidence. Or they just put, veteran is submitting additional paperwork to the VA for consideration, sure don't help my memory or tell the VA what I gave em. Best to ya, Cowgirl!

congratulations - your experience was shorter than many but certainly long enough for you and yours! All the best for your expanding family plans too. Cowgirl'up!

Being tdiu was granted with reasonable doubt seems 50/50 so 30% mdd should have increased (50% minimum). My guess don't mess with tdiu or reopening it all - shivers.

Julie, all the best to you and your success. Yes, its a nice feeling to have the bills be paid and be able to breathe a sigh of relief for the moment. It will be a constant for you to keep aware of all things DIC and VA related issues when it comes to widows. So keep your guard up. I hope you will get all the burial expenses, headstone and otherwise due to you. Please be sure his medical and personnel records, service records, social security records and VA are correct and a copy in your possession. It took a while to gather those things when I needed them. Also most doctors I know don't keep files more than 7 years. Just thinking of all the hard work you've done and achieved - Ya done good! All the best and hugs!, Cowgirl

Whoa, I mean Wow, I mean Way to Go BabyRay !!!- Oh Jeepers ------ I am so very very thrilled for you and yours! God Bless ~ ! another prayer answered and this cowgirl's doin the hokeypokey for ya! Cowgirl!

This is new to me, just followed up on a letter I recieved, called the 1-800 and was given a Control Number as well as projected completion timeframe - 30-45 days. Glad I was sitting down with a pen in hand. Will post results. Am still sitting here trying to close my mouth so the flies don't get in:) Cowgirl'up!

I am looking around for dental information on how IU p&t vets are provided for. For instance, can a vet tdiu p&t get non-va dental care? Also, will or would the VA reimburse for dental care copayments to the claim effective date? Getting copay (a few hundred) reimbursed would be good since my iu was backdated a few years. Thanks anyone for feedback, and hope this helps someone else too, Your Hadit Cowgirl

I have forgetfullness but remember when I can, but can't always remember unless I've filled the prescription, reordered the refill and keep the bottles visual until I move them looking for something then my daily focus is messed up then I can forget that I needed to take medicine to keep focused. I do take my prescribed medications and appreciate the effects, for now. As a patient I believe some medications I've been on for a while are not as effective as orginally applied. I believe my conditions have changed, for better or worse and not being a chemist or doctor, I wonder what next long term dangerous effects are due. So far so good. Still have history documenting being prescribed Vioxx, civilian doctors only keep records 7 years but VA are supposed to keep records indefinitely I think.

Just read over a VA form describing MST and secondary PTSD. Now I wonder, has anyone here been specifically diagnosed and rate for MST with PTSD secondary. If so how, are the two issues grouped together under one Mental Health rating or seperate as the page described. Thank you, Cowgirl

Nice to see a facility for homeless female Veterans and children, now if we can only move Women Veterans off the bottom of the page as a 'special program'. Someday we'll be considered equally a Female Veteran for VA care. Sure took alot to get where we're at. When calling the VA even in 2010, I am asked 9 of 10 times 'are you the veteran'? Or in person at a VA desk, person facing person "quote/unquote "can I have THE veterans ssan?" a rare vent, no apologies, but the truth. Grateful for each veteran and family member getting benefits due. Cowgirl

Thinking good thoughts for fair decision on your behalf, recall my last rating delay, my 24/7 monitoring bugged my family so I had to turn off the computer and put my hands to work doing something else. ha. Best to ya, Cowgirl

I believe it is a shameless system that doesn't find and help EACH veteran get benefits due. There ought to be a law, like those cards the kiddos 'have to' return to school every year for feds funds. The stress is put on the kid to return the card or else! Ya think the feds can require the VA to 'have to' return a card proving services rendered every veteran. ER, can't a cowgirl dream?

Happy Valentines Day - you deserve it !

http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/health/wom...are-falls-short not sure if this was posted before, but we'll only get better care if we 'work it'. Cowgirl'up!

Sorry to the board for any confusion in my question. Restated: "since tdiu was granted based on what I understand as 'equitable' mental and physical disabilities' shouldn't the mental health rating 30% increase to 50%?" . Evidence provided to help va determine tdiu included ssdi and non-employment, unemployment facts. difficulty in establishing and maintaining effective work and ............... 50 occasional decrease in work efficiency................30 (portions of mental health rating schedule Decision granted by reasonable doubt based on mental health examiner opinion "all sc disabiliites (mental&physical) cause this vet to be unemeployable" Thank you, and if this doesn't make sense, maybe it doesn't. Thats ok with me, Cg

Sorry to hear about that issue, so glad things worked out so far and I sure hope the report reads true. My other half attended one exam but was refused on a different exam. Sure wish VA would regulate so a veteran knows what to expect.

Couple of thoughts for you. Attorney fees - sorry, don't know. Were you unemployed in 1994? Did you recieve SSDI at that time? Do the diagnosis's match from 1994 and 2001? under the same percentage&rating (code 5293) Do you have a copy of your claim file? and see what the VA stated as a decision in your IU rating? Can you post that decision here? (no personal information) Hope the best for ya, cg

Oh the superbowl, that #65 Betty White was something! halftime uh, nice lights? New Orleanians - stay wise and bank the revenue! Who'Dat? Maybe Colts next time? ok.

Wings excellent post for 'two step analysis to qualify for a tdiu rating' ! Sorry to the board for any confusion in my question. Restated: "was awarded tdiu but with mental health rating 30%. Should this have been increased?" Decision for tdiu based on mental health examiner opinion. difficulty in establishing and maintaining effective work and ............... 50 occasional decrease in work efficiency................30 (portions of mental health rating schedule)

Say a vet has several service connected issues depression already rated 30% and is on ssdi for SC physical conditions. Tdiu is awarded due to mental health examiner opinion that all these do cause the vet to be unemeployable. No mention of ssdi, not sure if that is normal. Question: Does the 50% in the rating schedule seem to say 'unemployable' basically unable to work? thanks for your thoughts. Occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity due to such symptoms as: flattened affect; circumstantial, circumlocutory, or stereotyped speech; panic attacks more than once a week; difficulty in understanding complex commands; impairment of short- and long-term memory (e.g., retention of only highly learned material, forgetting to complete tasks); impaired judgment; impaired abstract thinking; disturbances of motivation and mood; difficulty in establishing and maintaining effective work and social relationships ............... 50 Occupational and social impairment with occasional decrease in work efficiency and intermittent periods of inability to perform occupational tasks (although generally functioning satisfactorily, with routine behavior, self-care, and conversation normal), due to such symptoms as: depressed mood, anxiety, suspiciousness, panic attacks (weekly or less often), chronic sleep impairment, mild memory loss (such as forgetting names, directions, recent events) 30

I wish you well and am glad you are getting help. I was unemployed for years, college degree or not, my sc disabilities got 'awarded' ssdi and tdiu recently after much effort. Sure miss'ed' working, interacting with other somewhat normal people and providing for my young family. Kiddos freinds families ask sometimes about my 'work'. My 'work' is me, family and VA services (Meds, counseling, other ongoing care). I'd prefer to work, it'd be best for everything, normal sort of. Best to ya, Cowgrl

Could be equipment malfunction and sensitivity. Could be limited number of machines authorized. Could be a clerks initials aren't enough. A few times, honest, I've had a clerk that had to get a supervisor to take the papers and timedate stamp them on the machine right in front me at the desk. Additionally, I know as a customer the VA requires my printed name and signature to release VA documents to me or anyone else. But if I request a 'copy' its only initialed. What reference do a clerks initials provide on a official document? Upon inquiry, I've been asked who provided services to me? If I recalled them, then I would ask for them by name, or could be redirected to that specific individual for services. Maybe a VA employee business card or cellphone pic would help.

My thoughts, the format seems ok ..... For 'soon to be discharged' veterans filing or preparing to file fa disability compensation claim within the first year after discharge, the weight of proof seems to be service medical records (STR) and secondly that of the VA examiner. I would recommend a veteran spend time reading STRs and becoming intimately familiar with thier in service injuries or chronic conditions. If at all possible get the medical conditions confirmed and medically recorded before and or during the discharge physical. My experience, nearly all my claims have been supported by diagnosis's and military history in my Veteran Treatment Record(VTR) from providers at a Veterans Administration Medical Clinic (VAMC) or Military Treatment Facility (MTF). The few times I've provided civilian providers with a similar format of 'likely as not, 'related to' like Carlie said, it depends on the doctor. One doctor did use wording from the format but she further described the condition as currently mild and probably inherited. Another doctor didn't prefer to even see the format and wrote a hurricane tight IMO. Finally another accepted the format and wrote a few sentences with no substance. These doctors were already providers and not specifically IMO only exams. One time I prepared to get an IMO from a recommended doctor, but would have had to submit to a few visits to 'confirm' my diagnosis. The condition was clearly stated in MTR and VTR but I wanted a civilian diagnosis to specify it exactly to win on the first NOD for it. Because of the cost xxxx.00 and the stress, I decided against getting the IMO and somehow won with records on hand. Others here have had different results, I do wish you well and am content that you know a claims truth - Medical Opinion! From what I've learned, a Medical Opinion should work if its from a physician who specializes treating the condition, has read prior clinical records, knows the patient, specifically describes the condition and notes in the opinion, the information contained in the veteran’s claims folder or other records *supports the medical conclusion. I would think a copy of the VA exam worksheet for that condition would assist the physician. Hope any of my words help, learned from the best - Hadit. cg

Thank you Halos - a good example and as I learn about this stuff, I'll post more too. Cg'up!