goofycow

Clonazepam has been a real life saver for me! My shrink finally decided that I might actually have anxiety so she finally put me on clonazepan. I still don't like being around other people but at least I can do a fairly good inpersonation of a human being when in public now. ;)

No, I'm not taking any narcotics or anything like that. I only take valium when I have to go to primary care cause doctors creep me out so much. And I can't get any pain meds because VA doesn't consider my pain bad enough. Liz

Col. Hunt is right on!!! I always enjoy listening to him when he is on Fox news but somehow I missed this one. Liz

I had an appointment with my "shrink" yesterday. My depression just seems to keep getting worse & worse so now she is putting me on effexor. Anyone else had any experience with this medication. Thanks Liz

Yada! Yada! Yada1 More talk, no action. How long has the DoD & VA ignored this problem?

The Va doesn't go by GAF alone. On my latest C & P I got a GAF of 33 but was rated at 70% for major depressive disorder. I am afraid of asking for an increase when it comes to MDD because I don't want some VA appointed putz fooling around in my financial affairs. Liz

You really do want low GAF if you are trying for a mental typ[e disability. liz

Well, after 14 months, I finally get word back from VA. They denied my request for DIC because they claim my husband's death was not related to his service connected disability. However, they also have deferred a final decision about exposure to AO awaiting a final outcome on the Haas case. they did acknowedge the 40% disabilty rating he got in 1978 for reiters sydrome and that he was properly rated at that time. So what are my options here? Can I ask for an increase in rating? I know he had issues with high blood pressure very early in his carrer. Of course I wasn't married to him at the time. The navy almost didn't let him reenlist for the 1st time because his blood pressure was too high. He was in Fitron 31 at the time and this was September, 1964. Meanwhile hubby, in his excitement of getting a re-up bonus, goes out and buys a brand-new shinny red covair. Somehow the car dealership or bank gets wind of the fact that Ron might not be able to re-enlist so they try to get their car back. Meanwhile the dispensory keeps taking his blood pressure until it is at an acceptable level. His re-up physical shows no evidence that anything is wrong. Now I don't know if Ron was telling me the truth or he was just telling me a "sea story". If this is true, how can I prove it? would it be worth proving it? Thanks for listening. Liz

:huh:Oh good grief!! At least SOMEONE finally found your records. maybe you will finally get the results you have been waiting for so long Liz

I concur with Pete, it's another way to save money for the VA. I have been on 300 MG on and off for about 5 years now. Sometimes I sleep but most of the time to make it work, I have to have a couple of belts of alcohol too or I toss & turn for hours. Doesn't do any good to talk to the docs because they consider me a borderline type & an alcoholic. Get nightmares too. Va reaction....too bad, so sad. Liz

Cowgirl: My outburst on this subject wasn't directed at you personally. I think you brought up a veery good point. I am just so mad about the way the VA and the DOD misuse this so-called diagnosis. I have been labeled with personality disorder after all these years and I feel it interferes with my treatment for other physical issues. Like when I manage to work up enough courage to go to primary care for back & joint pain. The doc thinks I am overstating the severity(sp?) of my pain because according to my records I have historonic traits. Liz

This happened to me. When my husband died, the VA piddled around until I got a $1100.00 indebtedness. I tried filing for q waiver claiming that the debt wasn't my fault. They insisted on getting financial data from me. Bottom line is they dnied my request for waiver because I was too financially well off. Liz

I just HATE this whole issue of personality disorder. I wasn't even diagnosed with personality disorders until I sought treatment from the VA 10 years AFTER I retired from the military. If anything I would say that since going to VA mental health, my depression has gotten worse, not better. I did just a little research on borderline PD because that seems to be one of VA's favorite. This one site stated that women tend to get stuck with this label if they are considered a pain in the butt by their providers. Pain in the butt? Who? Me? Liz

This is news to me. What a sad story.

cowgirl; I can find no one in the VA organization to takem my side. I have written to my congressmean & senator. They defer to VA's spin. Surprised? The issue of personality disorder never came up during my 20 year navy career. I had a top secret clearnace. Not only did they allow me to re-enlist on several occassions, they actually PAID me to do it. When I was battling weight issues toward the end, the Navy could have saved a ton of cash by kicking my butterbutt out the front gate. Instead they sent me to a 6 week inpatient faciliity for eating disorders at considerable expense. Why did the Navy send so much money & time on a malcontent? Everytime I ask for a new shrink, it just gets worse. If i could sue the bastards, I would! :)

geb: Welcome to Hadit. Unfortunately, I am having the same experience with a shrink at my own VA. To read her progress notes on me, you would think I grew up as a low-life criminal. She described HER childhood to me. I came away with the impression that she has a LOT more problems than I do. However, this has helped to make my depression even worse. I have tried to address my concerns with my VA on numerous occasions but now I'm considered a trouble maker. I hope you get the help you need & deserve. Just be careful when dealing with the VA. They do not have your best interests at heart. Liz

I really am sorry for losing my temper. It's just that I get so tired of VA docs gaffing me off when it comes to pain. Like HELLO.....maybe my personality wouldn't have as much of an edge to it if they would listen to me & stop trying to make fit into the mold of a low life thug. Just going to the VA for treatment has made me worse. And if there were any real doctors around this area, I would go to them. Again, sorry for the little outburst. Liz

Test vet: If I had wanted to hear from an anal orifice, I would have just simply flatulated! Liz

I have had lumps around the joints of my right pinkie finger for several years now. I have no use of the digit at all. It has been painful but now a lot of times half of my right hand is numb and tingley all the way up to my elbow. Told this to my primary care doc in july. She just blew it all off, the numbness being a result of the way I sleep. Now my left pinky is hurting too but at least it doesn't look so obviously deformed......yet. Just typical VA care. Liz

Shame on all of you B) i'm not diabetic(yet) but I do have a serious eating disorder.....called love of food. And a good batch of fudge does sound like a great idea. Liz

Thanks all for the advice. As a matter of fact I do attempt to quilt & do other crafts from time to time but my eye sight & joint problems in my hands make it a challenge sometimes. as for completing school equating to a job, don't I know it!!! 10 years ago I completed my BS in accounting with a 3.6 GPA & I am also a licensed CPA (who can't spell worth a crap)in the state of Arkansas. That and 2 bucks still didn't land me a job. Liz

Lately my shrink has been pushing a program called compensated work therapy. She thinks it would be good for me. I tend to agree.......However, I am TDIU P & T. So I am very nervous about undertaking any type of work along this line. I am even afraid to go back to school for a masters degree even though that is one of my life long dreams. I'm afraid some VA bean counter would notice this upp tick in activity on my part & declared me "cured"! Anyone else heard of this program?

Watch out there Pete53! I haave been thinking of moving to TX, even been in contact with a realtor. I like to moan & groan about Arkansas a lot but at least they do have a 100% property tax exemption for 100% disabled vets, even us TDIU types.

The VA overpaid me $1100.00 after my husband died. Even though I told them in a timely manner, they still kept over paying me. I finally got them to stop over paying me but no amount of bargaining, pleading or reasoning could convince them to forgive the debt. But at least they offered to set up some type of payment plan. The reason they gave me for turning down my request for waiver was that I finantually befinited from this over payment & the overpaynment did not meet intended purpose once my husband was dead. Liz

I thought I would ask if this has happened to anyone else out there. This Wednesday, I had a rather spectacular fender bender in a Walgreens parking lot. I was driving cautiously and had just turned a corner when my car engine revved up really high then took off like a rocket. This happened in the blink of an eye. Unfortunately, someone was backing out & I couldn't avoid them. Now my new car is in the shop awaitng repairs & I feel like a senile old bat who shouldn't be behind the wheel of a car. At first I was convinced that it had to be my car. But when I got on the Web, I found no recalls. In fact about 98% of the owners love their modelof the car I drive. So, this makes me wonder.....could have have actually blacked out for a split second & mashed down on the acceleraor?? I wasn't drinking. Just wondered if a person could be unconcious(sp) for such a short period of time. Thanks. Lizv