Joe01

Thanks for the help John and Carlie.

Berta: I never got an SOC for my PTSD appeal. After I received my PTSD rating me and my rep filed an NOD and now have this DRO hearing. Was I supposed to get one?

Thanks for the help Berta. I Will get everything organized in folder like you recommended. And yes, I am service connected for back, neck, and PTSD and my SSD is for anxiety disorder (I guess they refer to PTSD because that's what I mention on the application) and back disabilities. You mention voc rehab. Well I'm starting my second semester. On my first semester I was having a lot o issues but I manage to pass two out of three classes. Oh, they weren't college credit hours, they where beginner classes to get me ready for the actual college classes. I talked to my voc rehab counselor wich Is pretty cool, and asked him for another chance this semester and he agreed. So here I am ...

Thanks Pete. So is basically me telling them why I think I deserve a higher rating.

I have two different appeals; one for back and neck disabilities and the other for PTSD. They schedule both hearings on the same day instead of having them in different days. Hope that helps

Im just writing because I just found out that I have been schedule for two DRO hearing's (one for PTSD and the other for neck and back) on the same date. Now, I dont know what to expect or even what to do when I go for my hearings. Do I need to bring any kind of paperwork and what should I expect...On my appeal for neck and back, i had a C&P exam not to long ago, im currently rated 10% each and really dont expect this to increase because i have no loss of range of motion, even know I deal with pain and other issues every day. On PTSD Im rated at 30% and havent work for about a year now due to this and back and neck disabilities. I havent been schedule for a 2nd C&P exam for my PTSD, Just had the initial C&P done and I was working at that time. I was approved SSDI not too long ago due to SC disabilities. What should I expect from this DRO hearing? How should I prepare myself for it?

thanks for the replies guys. I want to add something. Before i posted this topic, i went to my VSO and gave him the SSDI Award letter to include in my ptsd nod, I have the nod since the beginning of this year, so im probably in for a loooong waith. i dont know if what i just wrote makes sense but my medication is just kicking in so.... i hope someone understands. ;)

I am 50% SC: 30% PTSD,10% back, and others. I was just awarded SSDI with PTSD as the primary diagnose and back conditions as secondary. Haven't been working for over 9 months now do to my SC disabilities ie: back and neck pain, and also some PTSD symptoms. Asked VSO about applying for TDIU but he said that I dont meet the % requirements and we need to get PTSD to at least 50% to give TDIU a shot. I am aware of extra schedular rating, as far as i know it barley happens, and if it does happen,it will take forever. What should i do? Is it possible for a person to be increased from 30% to 70% or 100%? If i dont request TDIU now and do it latter, lets say in a year, would the VA back the TDIU date to the date SSDI was approved?

thanks for the info deltaj. On the tdui, I haven't been working for 5 1/2 months due to Ptsd, back and neck pain. I have 2 appeals, one for my PTSD and the other for back and neck. He advice me to not to file for tdiu untill I get my PTSD raiting raise. I ask him for advice on this tdiu thing about 1 month after filling my nod and he said we should waitfor my raiting to b increase, he said tha if we do it now??... Actually I don't remember what other reasons he gave me other than what I mention above.

Thanks a lot everyone. Everyone in this website provides a lot of support for all vet. Something that I really appreciate and wish to do when I aquire more knowlege to help other veterans. About attending school, I missed 3 out of 4 days this week do to not feeling good ie: very deppress and down. I Also previously missed like to days don't remember exactly why, but I know it had to do either with the hedaches I get or anxiety and paranoia. Is really hard for me to go to school and deal with all this PTSd symptoms, pain, depression, etc. I started motivated somehow and now I don't even know if I'm strong enough to make it to the end of this semester.. Thanks for yall support. I will do my best to hang in there.

Just worried. Sorry, yall know how PTSD is, I'm always worring about everything. Anyways, Just want to know if I have to pay the Va money back for college tution or monthly allowance if I fail any of my classes or even if i fail all of them? Hope not. I just don't know if I'll b able to suceed In School specially with my PTSD symptoms an focus, memory, cncentration issues ..... Again, would I have to pay back if I fail?

is a dentist an automatic entitlement or do I have to have something wrong with my theet to get a dentist. And hey Forman, do u know what's the status of any of those bills you mention?

Thanks guys for clearing my questions. I did the math and came out that they only pay me for the couple weeks I attended school in Jan. Just got my other check for the month of feb and it was he full/ correc amount. I still have something that's not clear, will this happen again in may when I only will go to school for a couple of weeks because is the end of the semester? Will I get just a partial amount of the allowance instead of the whole thing? And by the way I was Told by my counselor that I could get tutoring cover by Va voc rehab.

Hi all. I started voc rehab this past January. Got my first allowance check in mid feb for threehundred and some change. I have two dependents, my wife and a baby. I started school on Jan 19,2010. Why did I get paid only $3 hundred and some... I thougt I was going to get $800. Is that because I didn't attend the hole month because classes started on the 19th? I was thinking it was suposed to be a fix rate no matter what. Does that means the same thing s going to happen on spring break when I get a week of? Or at the end of the semmester when I only will attend about half of month? Can anyone help?

Carlie: how should I do that? Is there anything specific I have to write down on the letter? I just had my spine c&p done today. The examiner told me the results are going to b send to Waco VARO. I hope they try to resolv my claim here and keep it llocal instead of sending it to BVA.

that's one of my major problems. I have no private doc nor health insurance to go to one. And I don't know if my Va doc will step up to the plate and document that I'm not able to work do to my PTSD.

also, do I need an IMO saying I can't work? Cuz I have no private doc and don't know if the Va doc will go on record and say I can't work. Any opinions?

I'm 50% SC, of that 30% is for PTSD. I just filed an NOD in January, asking for DRO review. Is been two months since I Filed this, can I now request or add to that NOD a request for increase base on unemployment? Would this be the best way to do it. I know the NOD is basically a request for increase but I want them to know I'm seeking TDIU if they do increase my raiting. Or should I wait to get an increase and then file for TDUI. What you guys think?

:) I Was going trough all the paperwork I have since I filed my NOD last oct. I noticed that on one of the letters my VSO sended to Va, he Requested a traditional appeal proces to take place. Back then I didn't know a thing about the Va appeal process. Now that I know a little bit thanks to hadit, I ask myself and you guys, why my VSO didn't ask for an DRO review first?, and, if that failed, then go to BVA. I'm really mad cuz of this and will talk to my VSO about this next week. Also, I call IRIS and they told me the appeal is already on it's way to the BVA. I have a 2nd NOD for PTSD, that one with DRO review requested and I'm thinking to have another VSO handle that NOD for me. Back to the issue of the NOD that's on it's way to BVA: I have a spine c&p this weekend. What's Going to happen after the c&p? Are they going to take years to make a desicion? What should I expect?

congratulations! I guess hope still alive

thanks A.T. How is the ROM test done?

thanks for the haelp V.

I had appeal the Va decision of 10% for cervical spine and 10% lumbar spine raitings on oct 2009. Had a call from C&P to schedule for next week, so I did. Here's a little bit of history. When I had my first c&p on 2008 I had not much history on this disAbilities other than service records and complains of pain, physical therapy with only short term relive and prescribed muscle relaxants, antinflamatories, and pain meds and a tens unit with st relief too, wich I don't use cuz it make my muscles feal thigther. I'm currently going to chiropractic once a month, again only short term relief from this. A couple month ago I had the first MRI done on back and neck. According to my pain managment doc via a phone conversation, cuz I haven't seen him since before the MRI results came out cuz his schedule is full???,anyways, according to him MRI shows a herniated cervical disc on c5/6 and a degenerative disc disorder on L4/5, wich finally explains my pain on neck and shoulders, now getting worst with arm and hand falling asleep and needles sensations some time. On my lower back I get pain going down one of my legs some times. What should I expect on this c&p? Will it only be for ROM? Will I have time to tell and explain all this to my c&p doc? Because I haven't seen my physiatrist since oct, before the MRI was done, will this affect my case? I would appreciate inputs and suggestions!!

Is dissapointing to know that there are docs that don't want to help vets with this issue. Is not like we want them to make stuff up, is just that wathever the disablity migth b needs to be brake down in detail, what's so hard about that. Is just asking for facts. Now, there's a big difference between getting your disabilities explain in deep and asking for a nexus. I doubt a Va doc will write a nexus for a patient. Correct me if I'm wrong.

I guess is good to know that there are Va docs that do want t help vets. I hope they do the same for me when I go to Dallas Va.