Jump to content
VA Disability Community via Hadit.com

VA Disability Claims Articles

Ask Your VA Claims Question | Current Forum Posts Search | Rules | View All Forums
VA Disability Articles | Chats and Other Events | Donate | Blogs | New Users

mav2u

Seaman
  • Posts

    29
  • Joined

  • Last visited

About mav2u

Profile Information

  • Military Rank
    E5

Previous Fields

  • Service Connected Disability
    100%
  • Branch of Service
    Air Force

Recent Profile Visitors

The recent visitors block is disabled and is not being shown to other users.

mav2u's Achievements

  1. I was on Gabapentin, naproxen, an methadone as my last treatment before they stopped them. The naproxen an gabaletin really don’t help much. I’ve been taking them for 9 years an by themselves offer no pain relief. I stopped my pain meds on my own. I have no addiction with pain meds. I have a problem with pain. Even when I took pain meds I took the smallest amount that worked an had them adjust dosage to that level. Ive been without pain meds for 8 months going through all the other options like acupuncture which didn’t work for nerve pain. Physical therapy which Ibevdown many times before an you can’t unpinch the nerve or bulging disks but i has to go again an try anyways. Finally went to a pain managent outside VA to do trigger point type injections which didn’t work very long the last two times I did it, and I was talking about how much pain I was in to the doc an he was going to write a pain script for meds but I had to tell him don’t bother the VA won’t fill it an I can’t afford to pay for them out of pocket. Which kinda blew his mind a bit. He wanted me to go to the in house pain management medication doctor but the VA does not allow outside approval for medical prescriptions on narcotics apparently. So it’s half of the pain management at the clinic outside the VA since I can’t use the medication portion of the management treatment.. My VA doctor an the the VA pain Management doc are hard line NO on any narcotics now at all! Zero will be given under an circumstances! I guess the dozen or docs before them were all wrong in allowing narcotic as a management tool. Vets should not have to suffer in pain if they have legitimate reasons to use a narcotic pain med for pain! I can’t afford to go to an outside doctor for pain management prescription for pain meds. I can’t believe that the VA policy is now so hard line NO to pain meds to treat people with pain that they will not give them out under any circumstances!
  2. Pretty much. It’s happenimg to a couple others at my VA that I know. One dude got pins an shit in his back an crushed vertebra! An he is no longer being given narcotic. All the muscle relaxers he wants but no narcotics! This is bullshit. How can you be a doctor an with hold a working treatment from those who need an follow the rules an pain management guidance then take away the treatment that was working? Yet, my buddies who got to retire from service with Tricare, no issues at getting the needed narcotic medication for Treatment! Surely this can’t be acceptable treatment. Need to look into how to file a complaint on this to my Senators/Congressman. Or someone who can do something.
  3. I was medically discharged, have pinched nerves in back and severe sciatica all the time an upper shoulder pain/neck pain! Ive been fine for last 15 years with pain meds an other meds at VA. But got a new Primary doctor after my other one left. He stopped my narcotics meds which help me get out an do a few things an be able to sleep with the constant nerve pain an muscle pain. I said fine, did the go to therapy again, an try acupuncture stuff but no relief. I had done it before but doc is new so did the stuff to show him I willing to do try other things. Went to New Pain Management Dr as Primary can’t subscribe narcotics apparently anymore. Pain Dr. gives me muscle relaxers for nerve pain? I’m like that is not going to work. So I went through three different muscle relaxers with no relief in pain. I Said now can I go back to what worked, narcotic meds, he says no. I don’t give Narcotics for your pain type with nerves. You’ll have to live with it or take muscle relaxers that’s all I’m giving! Talked to primary doc, he said same thing! My original meds were prescribed by previous pain management consult 3 years ago an through out my 15 years coming to this VA. Why the hell can I not get the right medication to help with pain. Low dose narcotics work great for the pain as they always have. Now, they won’t even entertain prescribing them? Do I have an way to complain about this. What are my options? A person should not have to suffer in life with chronic pain! Do I have to go to an outside doctor an pay out of my pocket to get pain relief now?
  4. That’s just it! Only thing Ive done is give them a filled out SSA form for talking about my conditions that the SSA sent me on what I do around the house an what my disabilities are and list a couple people form to ask about the conditions you have. Thats all they have done was forward that paperwork to SSA for me. Im rated 100% For Bi-polar I disorder, I had back surgery in military, was med boarded for that an bi-polar disorder. Now I still have 3 pinched/narrowed nerves an two bulging disk in my back. Knee I injured in service has gotten so bad I use a cane an my left side Sciatica is in pain 24/7 also. Not to mention my ulnar nerve surgery on right hand that relived some pain/numbness but has gotten worse again and now I have ulnar nerve entrapment in my left arm and mild to severe carpal tunnel in both hands. Tinnitus, Rhinitis that I got allergy shots for that helped quite a bit but still have allergies to dust, mites, pollen, grasses, but just not as severe. Left shoulder an neck pain from head on collision by drunk driver while in service going to work one day. Plus the memory loss an recall issues. An some other stuff. But amazing I still function at all really! lol.. Which is why I’m dumb founded Both stages of SSDI claim we’re denied. Then again I filled out the paperwork with zero f’ing help from the lawyers paralegal. I’ve never actually spoke to a real lawyer at this firm. I have no f’ing idea how to fill this stuff out so a SSA lackie knows what is going on! I just called it low back pain an Bipolar thinking they would actually look at my medical records from the VA. Im almost thinking the lawyers want it to drag on as long as possible to get as much money as possible at this point or I’m just a training aid for their new Paralegals to get practice on, an if my claim flops no big deal to them! I can’t even get them to respond by email within 4 days or return calls without badgering them now.
  5. That’s just it! Only thing Ive done is give them a filled out SSA form for talking about my conditions that the SSA sent me on what I do around the house an what my disabilities are and list a couple people form to ask about the conditions you have. Thats all they have done was forward that paperwork to SSA for me. Im rated 100% For Bi-polar I disorder, I had back surgery in military, was med boarded for that an bi-polar disorder. Now I still have 3 pinched/narrowed nerves an two bulging disk in my back. Knee I injured in service has gotten so bad I use a cane an my left side Sciatica is in pain 24/7 also. Not to mention my ulnar nerve surgery on right hand that relived some pain/numbness but has gotten worse again and now I have ulnar nerve entrapment in my left arm and mild to severe carpal tunnel in both hands. Tinnitus, Rhinitis that I got allergy shots for that helped quite a bit but still have allergies to dust, mites, pollen, grasses, but just not as severe. Left shoulder an neck pain from head on collision by drunk driver while in service going to work one day. Plus the memory loss an recall issues. An some other stuff. But amazing I still function at all really! lol.. Which is why I’m dumb founded Both stages of SSDI claim we’re denied. Then again I filled out the paperwork with zero f’ing help from the lawyers paralegal. I’ve never actually spoke to a real lawyer at this firm. I have no f’ing idea how to fill this stuff out so a SSA lackie knows what is going on! I just called it low back pain an Bipolar thinking they would actually look at my medical records from the VA. Im almost thinking the lawyers want it to drag on as long as possible to get as much money as possible at this point or I’m just a training aid for their new Paralegals to get practice on, an if my claim flops no big deal to them! I can’t even get them to respond by email within 4 days or return calls without badgering them now.
  6. I just want to get things added that should have been added or increased but they denied me saying no evidence of some an others they gave minimum. I guess I’m asking if I ask for certain items to be added/reviewed am I opening a full review of everything again am risking some new rater possibly screwing me? Or can they not touch the other ratings I’m not asking about?
  7. I"m rated 100% for Bipolar disorder and several other ailments of less percentages. My question is, should I file more claims to get them rated for other things that I now have proof were active duty related injuries and request increases for the injuries that have gotten worse? Example: I applied for right arm carpal tunnel and ulnar never rating but was denied saying it wasn't service connected. But shortly after got my 100% rating and didn't pursue the arm rating. But I found the document that shows I went to outside specialist on active duty for pain in right arm/wrist just before I was medically discharged showing I saw a specialist for that particular problem. I battled with the VA for 8 years after getting out on diagnosing my arm/wrist pain and finally got a specialist at the VA that diagnosed that I had ulnar nerve entrapment all these years and mild carpal tunnel in both hands. Which obviously started in active duty. So my question is: Would it hurt to file these new items on my disability to get a rating and to request a percentage increase on the other disabilities that have gotten worse since my initial evaluation? Or is it gambling and I could get my 100% taken away by some angry rater than now deems other items less and I loose my 100% rating?
  8. I got my second denial from SSA for SSDI. I'm 100% T&P Unemployable. I hired a law firm to do my paperwork because I just don't have the ability or concentration do so. So I got my second denial, which I'm not really happy with my Lawyer as I thought I would be getting more help with the filing. I had to fill out the question pamphlet they sent by myself which took forever. I didn't get any help on that. Which I though a lawyer would help with the wording and medical terminology info to make sure it sounded the way the SSA folks needed it to read. Now that I'm on the second denial and going to a judge next I'm going to need some help to make sure I'm getting hosed over by lawyer for being lazy. So I've been reading here that an RFC from a doctor would help greatly. My Question is: Does my VA doctor have to help me with my SSDI by filling out a RFC? Which I guess carries the most weight with the SSA folks for SSDI. More so than just a general letter from a doctor? I assume a RFC from both my Primary and my Mental Health doctors would be needed assuming they are going to do it.
  9. Update: Well been denied for the second time with the SSDI stooges. I'm not sure if my lawyers are really doing much? It's hard for me to do things that are task oriented and I had to fill out the SSDI Life and medical issues paperwork on my own which took about two weeks to do for me. But they offered no help in wording things or the format to which I should state the items. Which to me, if you spell it out in crayon for the SSDI stooges they shouldn't be able to deny anything because all the facts are right in their face. But, they submitted it like I sent it. It's like I'm doing all the work. I get it, they don't make much unless it drags on and then they get a cut of the big pie at the end. It's been nine months since I filed. That's a big slice of cheese now that it goes to the judge for review in the next step. Should I be on my lawyer for helping me more? I don't understand medical lingo or how to present it in a way that a SSDI person would look at it an go "Yep" all these disabilities and the doctors diagnosis shows he can't work. Can I fire my lawyer and get another firm? Make matters worse, I got a new Doctor at the VA who does know my 15 years of history like my old Doctor. I read that having a RFC from a VA doctor helps out greatly. Is my doctor required to fill out a RFC statement for me if I request it? Can I still ask my old doctor to do it?
  10. Got a new primary care doctor who is very condescending and refuses to listen to me about how my care is fine. Been at this VA for 13 years with same Primary care doctor and we had everything dialed in on my Medications and Narcotics for pain. Took one look at my prescriptions and already wanted to change my narcotics the first day. I told her they are fine, just as they have been for the last three years. I just saw my old Primary doctor a month ago for my year narcotics review and everything is on point. She immediately started spouting your taking to much, I'm not ( It was just reduced last year by 10mg a year ago against my adamant objection.) So, she ordered the usual blood and urine song and dance and I went an did it after my appointment at 4 pm in the afternoon. A week later I get a call that I need to go see the pain management clinic. I'm thinking why? I saw them a couple years ago and the current med plan is the one we came up with after months of trying all kinds of choices that would null my pain but still allow some daily activity. It was locked in, they were happy, I was sorta happy, and my primary then was happy that we found a good balance while not perfect was acceptable. Come to find out today, I stopped by after a phone call from my new Primary doctor's nurse to talk to them about my blood and urine test. I figure they found my levels were low or something stupid. NOPE. They found a trace amount of ethanol in my system and thats why I need to go to Pain Management to get off narcotics and start all over. I'm thinking, WTF? I didn't drink that day. I don't ever drink alcohol, don't even have any at my house? So instead of asking me why there was alcohol in my system. They berated me about you can't any alcohol at all why taking narcotics. EVER! NONE! I'm a damned adult! I think I can do as I please if it's not affecting me or my medication consumption. NO, you had alcohol in your system and that is alcohol and narcotics abuse. They both continued to verbally chastise me and tell me if I don't go to the pain management they were going to cancel all my narcotics. Went to patient advocate to tell him this isn't right to treat me like an idiot and hold hostage my pain as a means to wield their power to control how I live my life. He didn't seem to care, only stating that they are right, you can't have any alcohol ever. I also wanted to complain about my new Primary and her bitchy nurse an that they are unacceptable to be my Primary Care Doctor and I want to be assigned to someone else who has been here several years and not some doctor from Russia who got her medical degree from a box of cereal and Online college. Apparently you can only make a request to get a new Primary Doctor if the reason is good enough which is judged by some magical person he wouldn't tell me who gets to make this decision. They would let me know in 30 days. I know the doctor I would like. I had him several times when my Old Primary was out of office and when she needed a second opinion she would bring him in. But that is also against the rules. You cannot pick or choose any doctor you would like because you don't like your current doctor. WTF? So I might have to stay with this horrible doctor? Even though she has a god complex, likes jacking up years of work getting my meds correct, doesn't care what my old doctor has to say nor does she want to talk to her or review her old notes. SO, how can I dump this doctor? Keep My meds the same? Make the Patient Advocate get my doctor changed, an remove their ability to affect my medical records or my life until I get a doctor with common sense? Or pick the doctor I really want and trust?
  11. Found a Law Firm that specializes in VA and SSDI so they should know both sides of the court hopefully. Seems like a crap shoot as lawyers don't have a review page. Why it has to be a uphill battle with everything is crap. VA battle destroyed my marriage. Just so tired of fighting for something I should have received the first day I left the military under Medical discharge that should have been Medical retirement but like always promises are out the door if you get a xxxxxxx who disagrees at the 11th hour. I'll hand the law firm any copies of my phone book size disability bible from the VA fight. See what happens.
  12. Got my 100%VA disability back in 2013. Didn't know I could file for SSDI or even what is was in the meaning I could qualify for it. Heard about it last year and finally getting myself motivated and leaving the notes to myself to get it done so I don't forget. I guess I just have some questions based on my situation and what to expect in the SSDI process. I don't have the ability to stay on top of getting stuff done so I'm going to choose a lawyer that specializes in doing SSDI as it should be a easy process that they have down to a T by now at the law firm. At the same time I don't trust anyone so what things should I look out for if a lawyer isn't doing their job? Either they are looking to drag the process out to get more money or just not doing it in a correct manner. Just don't know what to expect and when to call bullshit on them. Since I'm already Medically Discharged from the military in 2003 and started with 30% and worked my way to getting 100% after a long arduous battle, I finally received 100% in 2013 after fighting forever by myself. How easy do you think my SSDI process will be? I'd think it should be a same day turn around but that is in a dream reality with a yellow brick road I"m sure! lol... But, I'd think it would be pretty slam dunk as far as approval first time around especially if I used a competent lawyer? Yes?! Isn't there the military expedited form process or something now? I just don't have the energy to do exams or hustle around gathering letters, signatures, and stories anymore. I'll do it, just makes me cringe at the thought again of doing it. I haven't worked in so long I don't think that would even be a consideration do you? Last worked part time from July 2012 to March 2013 but had to triple my medications to be able to work so I wouldn't be homeless after my wife divorced me and left me with nothing but debt. Most miserable time ever working a shitty job for the county but thankfully another vet was the manager who hired me despite my disabilities to help me out and gave me the easiest work they could while I waited for my appeal with the VA. Before that I didn't work a real job since Sept. 2008 that I worked for friends who again gave me fairly easy work at their company. I guess the questions are: What kind of lawyer should I look for and how easy should their job be to get me SSDI first try? Should I expect to have an exam since I have 15 years of VA records, hardly and work history, and treatment with no cure in the future or improvement ever expected. Just continued worsening in pain and mental challenges expected till the day I die. Do I have to pay for anything if I use a lawyer to do my SSDI? What paperwork, Doctor letters, and ect.. will ensure a flawless judgment to get a immediate approval of SSDI? What time frame to get SSDI approved if all conditions are going good these days? Do Vets get expedited review now? Thanks everyone. Hopefully it all makes sense. I tried not to ramble on!
  13. Sorry for the long response. Had a family member pass an it took more time to sort than anticipated. I'm meeting with the kid this weekend to go over what paperwork he has. Put together his time table an see if the rumor of the two other kids getting sick also like him is rumor or fact an then try to track them down. Then need to get his medical file from the active military an get a copy of it an get that file to the DAV rep locally. Didn't realize the regs were that harsh on filing a claim. If they hadn't done the ole switch-a-roo on him an dropped his MOC to get him to become an infantry person he would have been sick while active. But I think the fact that: He got sick right after the shot series is a clue. ( Some kind of reaction, it accelerated an already existing problem, or it gave hime the cancer. ) He got worse after the shots an was placed on light duty till discharge. The problem they tried to treat was in his throat or specifically his thyroid to combat his ill feelings an weakness. He entered basic training with a clean bill of health from the MEPS doctors plus his school physical just months before when he wrestled was also clear. The military in the least should pay for the treatment if not take over treatment. But he is already in treatment an the VA wheels turn mighty slow. If nothing else he should be compensated a rating for his cancer with a disability percentage to help pay the massage doctor bills his family had to pay because he wasn't covered by the military the day they discharged him an it was to soon to get on his Dad's health insurance cycle as a dependent. So the Military really screwed them by having him to choose to get out when they didn't provide the job he went on delayed enlistment for an instead offered the ground pounding infantry position. I almost wonder if they already knew his MOC wasn't accepting new recruits but let him go to basic with the hope that he would just accept their offer to still have a job an go be a infantry person. Seems really coincidental that half way through basic his MOC is canceled but magically the only other choice they can offer is infrantry MOC. Hmmmm...... Sounds like an old Bait and Switch game. Oh Well. Hopefully we all can find a way to help this family out an get the kid some help.
  14. I'll be contacting my DAV rep next week. But we have heard two more kids in his class have gotten sick with thyroid type issues! So there might be a larger problem at hand.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

Guidelines and Terms of Use