goofycow

So, the short answer is no.

So.......like.....has anyone ever won a claim filing a secondary claim for heart desease relative to major depressive disorder and won?? Just curious. For some reason, I was given a physical as part of my last C & P exam for PTSD. They took x-rays of my lower back & placque deposits in my admoninal aortic artery showed up. I also have untreated high blood pressure & high levels of choresteral. I did not win my claim for PTSd but I was rated at 70% for major depressive disorder. Does anyone think I might have a valid claim for a secondary condition? Tks Liz

Oh yes!! My mental health record entries from the clinic at Fort Smith AR could be classified as award winning fiction The counselor I saw there had a very creative way of twisting what I said so that it appeared that I said the exact opposite of what i met to say. It was especially amusing the way the cllinic tried to cover up their lack of concern over my husband's death & how that might affect myoutlook on life. All they saw was a woman with a "rather severe personality disorder." before I started going to that clinic I had been seen breifly by the people in St. cloud, MN. So maybe it is not surprising that I have been underwhelmed with the qulaity of care I have received at VA thus far.

My shrink put me on clonazepam last week. it was mailed to me and I had to sign for it. Anyone else out there on this medication or have any experience with it?? Tks. Liz

If you have any luck getting a good IMO on personality disorder VS anxiety, will you let me know?? I am still very angry over the way I have been treated by the mental health people at the clinic in Fort Smith. They say I have a rather severe personality disorder. Imagine finding this out at age 58! I also retired from the Navy after 20 years of serice. I was married to my husband(yes, the same man) for 33.5 when he died 5 mo. ago today. I do not have a criminal record, clean driving record, credit score in the low 800s, had a top secret clearance most of my 20 yr military career.....didn't have a juvenile record, no trouble in school.....Anyway, you get the picture. I think the military & the VA plays too fast & furious with the personality disorder thing, esp. if you are a woman. Lucky for me, I got my last disability rating from the RO in Minnesota, not here in AR. Again, good luck in your continuing saga. You've been at it for quite some while!! Liz

Ric54 Thank you for the attaachment. I have printed it out & will study it carefully. I have already talked to my patient rep at Fayetteville about getting MST counseling. She was absolutely no help. I am also very upset with the total lack of compassion shown to me right after my husband's death. I know that the VA staff is overworked, etc but would it have been too much for either the shrink or the in-take nurse to have said sorry for you rlos? I know, I just expect too much Thanks again. maybe this will help someone else too.

I have been trying to get treatment forMST for several years now. I already have a 70% rating for major depressive disorder.....but heck!!! I can't even get treatment for that!! Good luck in getting your claim for PTSD granted. According to their own standards, you should have the VA dead to rights, but sadly VA seems to play by thier own rules only when it suits their purpose.

So far no one has answered my question regarding SOC. This came up in the topic of Kudos for the VA and quality of treatment. Well, I am not getting quality of care at my VAMCs at Fayetteville & Ft. Smit AR. Some one suggested that I file something like a SOC for denial of services???? Can someone enlighten me, please?????

What the heck is an SOC??????Sorry about showing my ignorance here. I do believe that the VA is denying me service. I am 100% IU P & T. The mental health clinic at Fayetteville refuses to give me MST counseling. The last time I went to the mental health clinic at Fort Smity AR, it was 6 days after my husband's funeral. No one I saw on staff bothered to say "Sorry for your loss." even though according to my progress notes, it was known that I had just lost my husband. Instead the male shrink I saw for medication wrote in mky records that I had a "rather severe personality disorder" & assignedme a gaf of 71. This is the kind of care VA gets kudos for????? Take me out & shoot me

Oh, pluuuuuuuuuuease!!!! All these kudos for the great healthcare VA provides makes me want to hurl!! Try getting treatment for PTSD if you happen to be a female vet in Arkansas! Who makes up this BS anyway?????

I take travatan (eye drops) for glaucoma in both eyes once daily. However, I run out of the stuff several weeks before the pharmacy at VA will send me a refill. I talked about this with my eye doctor today & she said the pharmacy will not get bigger bottles & they will not ship 2 bottles at a time...They just expect me to make do with what I get. The doctor has also tried talking to the pharmacy about this problem with little success. Anyone else having this problem getting enough meds? I'm kid of miffed because VA seems to be trying to balance their budget at the expense of my eye sight. Liz

Hey John: I don't see how VA deserves all this praise either. I am finally off Paxil but it was rough going for a while. Wish I could find some competent private medical care out there. Liz

Kathy: I am so sorry for your loss. My husband died Aug 31 so I know about the feelings of loss and wandering around feeling loss. It will get better with time. Liz

Josephine: Yep, that is another label they have put on me too.. Wonder if it is all the mini skirts & low-cut tops I wear to my appointments???I didn't realize that asking for health care was being histrionic.

VA here in AR does not admit that I have anxiety. Instead they have labeled me me with all kinds of personality disorders. Soo my most recent post under "Peed off" to find out how I have been doing the last few days. I would love to go to a private doc but private mental health care types are few & far between here in AR.

I was not working when I had this c & p. As for having panic attacks 100% of the time, that describes me for the last 3 days. Nightmares, feelings of nausea & light headedness, constant knot in the oit of my stomach, crying jags. That's how my past week has been. How about the rest of you guys & gals???

Actually, it was private sector care docs in FL who gave me the one-time prescription for Xanax. They seemed more interested in saving my life than afraid of rewarding "bad' behavior or giving validitity to my fears. As far as VA is concerned, they would rather let a vet die than save him/her. saves them a whole boat load of cash in unpaid bennies. Liz

Berta: I just posted my own rant a few minutes ago. It makes me wonder. I have the label of having borderline personality traits since being treated here at the VAMC at Fayetteville, AR. It is intersting to note that one of the things borderline types tend to do is demand attention & even make suicidal gestures if it suits their purpose. In my case, I think the VAMC here, is going out of their way not to document anything in my case that may justify a rise in disablity. Also, I have been told by the woman's care coordinator here that I am the only woman vet who has complained about her care at mental health. Just my way of trying to be special, I guess. Also I am no longer allowed to talk to the patient rep at Fayetteville; if I have a problem or complaint, I get to talk to the women care coordinator.....What ever. Just my thoughts. Liz

I had a gaf of 33 at my last C&P exam, had documentation of being suicidal and only got 70%.

I have been really relating to Josephene(sp) and her troubles with her C&P. I can sooooo relate. The VAMC refuses to acknowledge my problems & fears of doctors, especially male doctors. They constantly expect me to go to primary care but will not do anything to help with with the anxiety that goes with this & that it triggers me & makes me act like a person wit all types of undesirable personality traits. They had had me in a room with male doctors without a nurse present. Several years ago, when i was facing a stay in the hospital, private sector doctors gave me a combination of Xanax & Prozac just to get me tru the front door of the hospital. this probably saved my life. Of course these doctors in the prrivate world assumed that I had some value & worth as a human being. HAAAAAHAAAAA! I have high blood pressure, grossly overweight, probably have all kinds of artery goo, had renal cells in one urine sample. Nothing was ever done....If i don't start getting care, at some point, I know I will go the way of my husband. Yet, the mental health "professionals" seem so determined not to acknowledge my problem with docs/gyns, that they are willing to let me die rather than get any medical care. Since going to VA, it seems my depression has gotten much worse, but if you read my progress charts, I am such an evil, mean, bad and nasty person, it's a wonder I don't have a wrap sheet a mile long. What really makes me mad is, I have no recourse legal or otherwise. Yes, dears I've been totally off paxil for 3 days now & my fangs & talons are coming out. Plus i think my barbed tail is also trying to emerge. Isn't it interesting that they cannot or will not prescribe Xanax because it is addictive but being on paxil is acceptable???? OK, done with my rant. Liz

I have an issue with VA in general prescribing drugs they want to without regard to the side effects they can cause. Sure, mild side effects such as dry mouth are no big deal. But right now I am coming down off of Paxil....not fun. When I complained about the very uncomfortable side effects of this and other wonder drugs VA has put me on over the years to avoid dealing with what is really bothering me, these docs just more or less sneer at me. Liz

John: This sounds so much like what happened to my husband, except his lack of care was at the hands of a private doctor. He always avoided VA like the plague! But in my husband's case, even "real" doctors are sometimes worthless. My husband complained of being short winded, light headed & having swollen feet at his last doctor's visit this past July. The doctor didn't even listen to his heart. He has had DMII for at least 5 years. He died aug 31. I hope it is not too late for your friend. By all means he should check into survivor's benefits for his wife. I have filed a DIC claim with VA because of my husband's DMII and serving several tours of duty in Viet Nam. However, I don't hold out a snow ball's chance in hell of winning.

hey Pete! That's great news!! Glad to hear that you are feeling so much better!!

I called my county service officer today regarding filing a DIC claim in regards to my husband and AO. First off, she didn't think I could draw both the 100% I am getting now AND DIC. I asked her why, I am a widow now. So, this may be another cruve the va might throw at me. The concept of women actually being vets, not to mention being married to a fellow vet is still a vague & foreign concept to Arkies. However, she had heard of the Haas ruling & thinks the law will be rewritten very soon. That would be a shame for blue water sailors who served off the coast of Vietnam. Liz

Help! I have been trying to decide if I should apply for DIC. My hubby died a little over 2 weeks ago but never filed a claim with VA after retiring from the navy in 1984. At the time he was retired from the Navy with a medical condition of the back and given a service connected 20% rating fm the Navy. One of the factors causing his death on the death certificate was DMII. With the "blue water" ruling he might have had a claim due to exposure to AO. Going over his last DD214 I notice he was awarded 2 different Vietnam Serviuce metals, a vietnam campaign medal and a vietnam Gallantry Cross. One thing that confuses me is that I downloaded the claim from 21-534 yesterday & after going over this, it looks like this is granted on financial need as it asks for all kind of information on bank accounts, sources of income, etc. I didn't spend my back pay from VA & SS, I hoarded it all in a savings account. Also, the form does not say if I should claim my monthly VA or not. I am afraid if I filed this claim and filled it out listing all my assets & income, I would come across as a greedy rich bitch (The greedy & bitch part may be true) Do I have a chance of winning a claim? Liz