Sapper

I was granted SSDI this year, on the 1st of this month actually, backdated until July of last year (2009), and after the 5 month file waiting time, it was backpaid from January. Surprisingly I didn't get denied once for SSDI. I consider myself very lucky about this, since I've read a lot of horror stories about their rating boards. I'm still in the TDIU process currently, but getting close to an answer within the next month or two. (I hope!)

Call the 800 number as Tbird has suggested, although I always push 1-1-0. That usually gets me through to a person. Although 1-2-3 might also work :) Good luck!

I know exactly what you mean by this statement. Calling them sometimes just results in them telling you what you might want to hear it seems. I called three times in one week, for different reasons. The first guy told me that my PTSD claim was at the review board for over a month, then the second time I called they told me they had all of the documents they needed to send to the review board. The third time I was told they were sending me a letter and requesting documents about a migraine attack I had earlier this year, and that would be needed to finish getting the claim ready for the board. Three calls, three different answers. Don't pay much attention to them. The only thing that I have noticed they seem to be helpful about is finding out if a rating has been found by the review board. They of course won't tell you the outcome (approval or disapproval) but they'll tell you if they've reached a decision. It seems your VSO or representing organization usually gets a fax right after they make their decision, so contacting them is your best bet after you find out that an answer has indeed been found. Sorry for the confusing sentences, I'm not that good with writing sometimes. Just wanted to let you know I sympathize with you struggling with dealing with some of these people. Some of the people on the hotline are genuinely helpful, and some are just rude and snappy.

Thank you Berta for your encouraging comments. I really appriciate your input, and I also know that you have helped many veterans with your advice. Thanks agian for going over my information!

Hello Everyone once again. Today I got some mail asking for documents from the ER visit I had for a migraine attack, so I got the usual big white envelope, full of blank statement forms and the usual. I have already jumped the gun on the hospital documents, I picked them up on Friday and had them faxed to the VARO from my VSO. I'll still attatch them when I send out this statement along with their other forms. Ok, so an update on everything that's been going on. I am currently in the process of a TDIU claim. I already did my new C&P for PTSD, Neck, and Back Pain. I can copy and paste on how that all went. I will also attatch the statement I am sending to the VA as evidence of my migraine attacks. I said something about migraines in my last letter to the VA in support of my claim, so now I guess they want to get me rated for it, and use it to support my TDIU claim. I'm sure this is going to drag out my TDIU claim even longer now, and I'm also guessing they'll send me back out to the VARO clinic for a C&P on it. (Grr) Please feel free to give me any advice, what you think the process and outcome will be, as my letter won't be sent until tomorrow, and also let me know what you think about my claim. Thank you all again! Original TDIU C&P Results Post... Hi All, I had to go to the VA today for an appointment, so while I was there I asked for a printout of my C&P from last week at the VARO clinic. I went to two exams, one for neck and back, and one for PTSD. I won't type out the whole report as I have done in the past, just some of the things that caught my eye. First off, the neck and back appointment appeared to have no dramatic changes, but I'll list what appeared to be different or eye catching. Just to inform you all, I am at 10% neck and 10% back. Hopefully some of you can help with this section as I don't speak back doctor language. Thoroco-Lumbar Posture: Abnormal, loss of lumbar lordosis and theoracic kyphosis. NO idea what this means? They also note that "When compared witht he previous study, no significant change is seen. There is straigtening of the cervical lordosis. The pre vertebral soft tissues are normal. The odontoid is unremarkable. Vertebral body height, disk spaces, and alignment are maintained. The intervertebral foramina are widely patent. Work Capacity Related to medical conditions listed above: Work LImitations: none Able to work in chosen profession?: Yes Able to perform substantial gainful employment? Yes So the back and neck problems look like a no go for IU, but the PTSD exam appeared a bit more hopeful. If you have read my earlier post from April, you'll see alot of what was already stated on this exam, except for these few changes. First, my GAF was up a bit, to 53. Is the veteran currently employed? No Retired? No Duration of current employment: Less than 1 year Reason (S) for unemployment: Sleep problems resulted in calling in sick. Veteran Contends unemployment is due to the mental disorder's effects: Yes Does the veteran meet the DSM-IV stressor criterion? Yes Changes in Functional Status and Quality of life since last exam: Performance in employment, routine responsibilities of self car, Family role functioning, Social/interpersonal relationships, Recreation/leisre pursuits And here's the big difference, which I don't know if it will ensure me IU or not, but we'll see... and I really hope to get some replies as to what this means. Is there total occupational and social impairment due to PTSD signs and symptoms? YES Examples and pertinent symptoms, including those already reported: He cannot get along with people; he has history of over reacting to things peopl esay and he is easily annoyed and impatient; he is at times rude and has had complaints about his negative behaviors and he has had anger outbursts at work; he is too anxious to drive and at work when he is anxious he cannot focus or concentrate and he has poor productivity and increases aner. He has significant sleep issues so calls in sick about once to 2 times a month; he has difficulty accepting supervision and does not like being told what to do. He is not managing well at home. (I'll cut the rest out because it's personal, but you kind of get the point) That's all I got for now. Please feel free to let me know what you think. Hopefully I hear something back soon, but I won't hold my breath since the VA has taken ages just to get this far in the claim. Thank you for reading and I look forward to seeing some replies. And this is the letter I'm sending in support of my migraine claim... This statement is made for my current claim for migraines. I hope this statement helps you in making a decision on the claim. When I was deployed to Iraq in July 2006-2007, I first began noticing I would get really bad headaches during the daytime while out on mission. I would have to guess they started around roughly midway through my deployment. (January or February of 2007) That is when I first started noticing my vision would get worse when I would get these headaches, with such symptoms as blurred or "holographic" vision, where things seem to move around while they were actually still, not being able to focus my eyesight, and not being able to read sometimes. I was almost always wearing sunglasses while I was deployed, because this seemed to help the headaches in severity sometimes. I was stationed at ******* in ****, and I did Route Clearance and Convoy Security missions into Iraq. I never went to the TMC at ******* for this condition because I always figured it was just from the heat, so I would drink more water. I figured everyone gets headaches, so it was normal. Once I returned home from my deployment in July of 2007, I began to notice that I would still get these headaches quite frequently, about 4-5 days a week. I didn't really think it was odd, because by then I was used to having them, so I would take over the counter headache medication, "Tylenol or Excederin Migraine". I would get really bad ones where it would begin effecting my vision roughly once a month. Usually the headaches would come when I would be under stress. The bad attacks where they effected my vision seemed to come when I would have panic attacks, or have very bad anxiety. As time went on, I have gotten used to having these attacks, and did not believe it was not normal. Finally, one day while I was at work, on June __ of 2010, I was beginning to have a very stressful day. My head was beginning to hurt. I noticed my vision was almost completely disoriented, and I was not even able to focus on things anywhere. I went outside for a quick break, and called the VA Medical Center in *****. I told them of my symptoms, and they told me it could be a number of things, so I should get checked out immediately. I began to panic, thinking maybe I was having a stroke or something catastrophic. I went back into work, and told my boss I was going to the Emergency Room to get this taken care of. He didn't seem concerned. I had my wife drive me to the ER at *****, and saw a doctor. He checked my eyes, and even had a CT scan performed on my head. After I was finished, he diagnosed me with migraines. He informed me that it was not normal to have headaches as frequently as I did, and when I would have these attacks in the past, they were probably migraines also. This finally made sense of why I was having problems with this. (Cont. on Pg. 2_) I now seem to be getting migraines more and more frequently, having bad headaches at least 3-5 times a week, and having migraine attacks where they effect my vision at least 2-4 times a month. When I get a migraine, they usually last anywhere from 1 to 4 hours. I have to lay down because I become dizzy, and turn off all of the lights in the room I am in. I usually take a Tylenol or Excedrin and go to the bedroom and close the blinds in the windows, close the door, and wait for it to pass. I did make an appointment at the C****** to get an initial exam and also tell them about my migraine problems to see if there was any other medication or treatment for them, although I had to cancel it due to vehicle problems. I am currently in the process of rescheduling an appointment. This is what I have written to them so far. If there are any comments you would add, or suggestions on anything, to add, take out, or change the wording, please let me know. I would like for this one to sound as best as it can. Thank you all again for any input. (Also sorry about the editing on the locations, just figured not to bore you all with where I'm from...lol Thanks again!

I'll quote Social Security in their findings letter for you. You said that you have been unable to work due to depression, PTSD, tinnitus, back injury, neck injury and anxiety since 7/20/07 Based on our review of your medical and other information, we find you disabled as of 7/8/09. Prior to that date, your conditions were not totally disabling under the Social Security rules, but your conditions worsened. So basically everything that I am currently recieving VA Disability for right now qualified me for SSDI.

I also called my VSO today after finding this out. I told them I could go pick up the paperwork tomorrow from the hospital and bring it to them to fax to the VARO. They have been pretty awesome about getting documents sent for me, so I'm guessing this is the best way to go about this. Jumping the gun so to speak. I was told it can take up to 30 days for the hospital to mail out info for claims, so I figured if it could save me a month of waiting, I might as well drive the 2 hours round trip to get this taken care of.

Now new news. I called the hotline today, and they're sending out a form to my hospital in regards to a migrane attack I had when I was working. They said that they have just mailed out the forms to me and the hospital. What's the best way of handling this, as I have not been to a C&P for migranes, or even the VA clinic yet for that matter. I just went to the ER one day because I couldn't see and they diagnosed me with them. I'm curious to see what the letter they sent me will say. I'm guessing that the hospital will send out the reports no problem, but I'm also guessing that it would be faster if I just went there and got everything myself. Let me know what you all think, and thank you!

Hi Berta, They awarded mainly for PTSD, although I have back and neck pain also. They emphasized about not being able to work well with others, and having bad anxiety and depression. (Also part of my PTSD). My PTSD has been confirmed, as I was recieving disability for it for quite some time, my last trip to the VA brought the rating to 70% for it. And I did have verifiable stressors, sworn statements for IED's and a bad TCN truck tanker fire where I provided aid also. Thank you for your reply!

Hi Everyone, just dropping another line letting you all know how this is going. So far, my anxiety has been through the roof waiting for the VA to get going on this. I've found myself calling the hotline at least once a week to check up on it. (I hope that's not a bad thing) It seems they waited and waited to review it, and it still hasn't even made it to the review board. I had to remind them several times that I wanted to proceed with my claim without one of my last employers statements, as he is a jerk and isn't going to lift a finger to do anything for me, even though I sent in a signed statement on their official form telling them to move forward with the claim. (Another great piece of advice I recieved on this site) I called two days ago, spoke to someone, and they told me that on Sept. 20th it went to the board. This didn't sound right to me, so I called back later that day and was told that it was ready to go to the review board. They can't seem to keep their stories straight. On a better note, In case some readers didn't see my last post, I did recieve SSDI on the 1st of October. It was backdated until last July, but due to the whole 5 month waiting period, the backpay started on January of 2010. I can't complain though, I'm glad I didn't have to scratch and claw for that one. It actually seemed to go pretty smooth. (Now if the VA would hurry the heck up I think I would be able to focus a bit more during the day. I was really glad to see that everyone pretty much agreed that the rating should be 100% Schedular, this really gave me a boost in confidence with my claim. Thank you all for your responses. Just incase some of you didn't see what was going on, for the whole story, I'll fill you in on the last piece of this puzzle by copying and pasting my last post about my C&P exam. Thanks again for all of your help! Ok so below is my original post. Thanks again to everyone! Hi All, I had to go to the VA today for an appointment, so while I was there I asked for a printout of my C&P from last week at the VARO clinic. I went to two exams, one for neck and back, and one for PTSD. I won't type out the whole report as I have done in the past, just some of the things that caught my eye. First off, the neck and back appointment appeared to have no dramatic changes, but I'll list what appeared to be different or eye catching. Just to inform you all, I am at 10% neck and 10% back. Hopefully some of you can help with this section as I don't speak back doctor language. Thoroco-Lumbar Posture: Abnormal, loss of lumbar lordosis and theoracic kyphosis. NO idea what this means? They also note that "When compared witht he previous study, no significant change is seen. There is straigtening of the cervical lordosis. The pre vertebral soft tissues are normal. The odontoid is unremarkable. Vertebral body height, disk spaces, and alignment are maintained. The intervertebral foramina are widely patent. Work Capacity Related to medical conditions listed above: Work LImitations: none Able to work in chosen profession?: Yes Able to perform substantial gainful employment? Yes So the back and neck problems look like a no go for IU, but the PTSD exam appeared a bit more hopeful. If you have read my earlier post from April, you'll see alot of what was already stated on this exam, except for these few changes. First, my GAF was up a bit, to 53. Is the veteran currently employed? No Retired? No Duration of current employment: Less than 1 year Reason (S) for unemployment: Sleep problems resulted in calling in sick. Veteran Contends unemployment is due to the mental disorder's effects: Yes Does the veteran meet the DSM-IV stressor criterion? Yes Changes in Functional Status and Quality of life since last exam: Performance in employment, routine responsibilities of self car, Family role functioning, Social/interpersonal relationships, Recreation/leisre pursuits And here's the big difference, which I don't know if it will ensure me IU or not, but we'll see... and I really hope to get some replies as to what this means. Is there total occupational and social impairment due to PTSD signs and symptoms? YES Examples and pertinent symptoms, including those already reported: He cannot get along with people; he has history of over reacting to things peopl esay and he is easily annoyed and impatient; he is at times rude and has had complaints about his negative behaviors and he has had anger outbursts at work; he is too anxious to drive and at work when he is anxious he cannot focus or concentrate and he has poor productivity and increases aner. He has significant sleep issues so calls in sick about once to 2 times a month; he has difficulty accepting supervision and does not like being told what to do. He is not managing well at home. (I'll cut the rest out because it's personal, but you kind of get the point) That's all I got for now. Please feel free to let me know what you think. Hopefully I hear something back soon, but I won't hold my breath since the VA has taken ages just to get this far in the claim. Thank you for reading and I look forward to seeing some replies.

Bill is giving good advice. Look over the criteria for 70% and point out the obvious to them about why you should be 70%. I went through this process earlier this year, same rating and everything. I recieved some great adivce on here, so I'll say what I can to help from what I've learned. Also, as Bill has stated, your GAF is what they rate you at for it for the day of the exam. I have seen people with higher GAF'S get increases while lowers don't. I do not believe it weighs as much as some think on their claim, although it dosen't hurt. Go ahead and put in another appeal, and if this has effected employment, make sure your VSO (Or whoever you have representing you) puts in a TDIU claim also. (This will save some big time down the road) I didn't put in for TDIU when I went for my appeal when I got 70%, and now I'm still stuck in that process right now. Tell them all the symptoms you have, and dress appropriately. (This isn't a job interview, dress just as you do at home, and shower when you regularly do) Don't change anything, let them see you how you are every day. Don't change how you act or anything. Don't be rude, but you don't have to be super polite either. I've noticed when I'm cooperative with the examiners, they seem to be a bit more understanding. Next, if you are married, have your spouse write a letter in support of your claim for PTSD, telling about all the signs they have noticed. Spouses often notice much more than yourself as I have also learned. If you're not married, have a close family member or friend write one up. If you have problems driving, make sure you tell them also that it makes it hard on day to day life not being able to get around like you used to. If you have sleep problems, tell them everything about them. (Night Terrors, Waking up and checking locks on doors, vehicle locks, etc) I appologize for not remembering all the advice I was given, but it was alot. I hope this helps somewhat though. Also, did you file for Social Security Disability? You can do so online in about 1 1/2 hours or so. I would file for this right away as it backdates, and if it turns out you're eligible, you won't be throwing more money away by waiting. Remember, it never hurts to try for benefits you're entitled to if you're disabled. Make the system work for you. The last piece of advice I can give, is DON'T GIVE UP! The VA will wear and tear on you, and make you wait and wait, but stay positive and keep your chin up. It gets almost depressing and can make your anxiety go through the roof, I know, but if you keep at it and don't let them slam the door in your face, odds are you will get what you are working towards. Thank you for your service and good luck!

Just an update. I just checked the mail, and although I had nothing from the VA in there, there was a letter from Social Security. They have found me eligbile for disability, and it sounds like they're backpaying me from January. Even though this wasn't my 100% letter, I still feel great, like more weight is off of my shoulders. I was surprised that they didn't deny me first and make me fight, as we're so used to doing. Just a bit of good news to drop in on this forum. Hopefully I'll hear something back from the VA soon and I'll keep you all posted! Thank you again Hadit.com for all of your help and support!

Yeah I'm hoping so. I hope they don't jerk me around also though, but I'm keeping my head held high now, and trying to be positive. I feel like I'm seeing the light at the end of this long tunnel, and it's almost over. Even the VA Examiner for the PTSD interview asked why they sent me back out after having a C&P for it in April. Thanks again!

I applied for Social Security Disability. They seem to be taking longer than the VA, but I put in the claim the day I put in for IU. They tell me it's at the rating phase, although it's been there for over a month now I believe.

Ok that makes alot of sense. If I do end up getting 100% I wouldn't be looking for work anyways, so that's not a big issue with me. The big thing was the Champ VA program, since if my rating does go up, it will put me up and over the allowed income rating for me and my family to keep our health insurance. (State Issued Insurance where I live) I guess I'll just have to find another form of insurance if the approval does come through. Thank you all for your helpful replies!

Ok, another question I do have, is that if I am awarded 100% schedular, will that entitle me to Champ VA health insurance for myself and my family? I know I'm getting ahead of myself here, but I'm just figuring all of this out before the fact so I can be prepared. I don't know if they'll P&T me or not, we'll have to wait and see. Also will my family be entitled to any education benefits if I am 100% schedular and not P&T? I know it's alot of questions, and I should find out beforehand what I am rated, but there could be others also who read the post with similar questions. The main thing I'm curious about is what's the benefit of being 100% schedular and not 100% IU? I know that with schedular you are able to work, but that's all I really know. Thanks again in advance for all of the replies!

Here's what it says Does the veteran know the amount of their benefit Payment? Yes Know the amount of monthly bills? Yes Prudently handle payments? No Personally handle money and pays bills? No Capable of managing financial affairs? Yes Examples to support the conclusion: Wife manages money, vet could if had to. I always wonder why they asked that. Thank you for your reply!

That's what I thought, although since this was for an IU claim, I'm wondering if they'd actually just raise it to 100% Schedular. I would think they could, since the reason they gave me for having to go out for another exam for my IU was it is actually a request for increase claim. I swear sometimes they just try to confuse the you know what out of me...

I am currently at 70% for PTSD, and 10 for Tinnitus, Back Strain, and Neck Strain

Hi All, I had to go to the VA today for an appointment, so while I was there I asked for a printout of my C&P from last week at the VARO clinic. I went to two exams, one for neck and back, and one for PTSD. I won't type out the whole report as I have done in the past, just some of the things that caught my eye. First off, the neck and back appointment appeared to have no dramatic changes, but I'll list what appeared to be different or eye catching. Just to inform you all, I am at 10% neck and 10% back. Hopefully some of you can help with this section as I don't speak back doctor language. Thoroco-Lumbar Posture: Abnormal, loss of lumbar lordosis and theoracic kyphosis. NO idea what this means? They also note that "When compared witht he previous study, no significant change is seen. There is straigtening of the cervical lordosis. The pre vertebral soft tissues are normal. The odontoid is unremarkable. Vertebral body height, disk spaces, and alignment are maintained. The intervertebral foramina are widely patent. Work Capacity Related to medical conditions listed above: Work LImitations: none Able to work in chosen profession?: Yes Able to perform substantial gainful employment? Yes So the back and neck problems look like a no go for IU, but the PTSD exam appeared a bit more hopeful. If you have read my earlier post from April, you'll see alot of what was already stated on this exam, except for these few changes. First, my GAF was up a bit, to 53. Is the veteran currently employed? No Retired? No Duration of current employment: Less than 1 year Reason (S) for unemployment: Sleep problems resulted in calling in sick. Veteran Contends unemployment is due to the mental disorder's effects: Yes Does the veteran meet the DSM-IV stressor criterion? Yes Changes in Functional Status and Quality of life since last exam: Performance in employment, routine responsibilities of self car, Family role functioning, Social/interpersonal relationships, Recreation/leisre pursuits And here's the big difference, which I don't know if it will ensure me IU or not, but we'll see... and I really hope to get some replies as to what this means. Is there total occupational and social impairment due to PTSD signs and symptoms? YES Examples and pertinent symptoms, including those already reported: He cannot get along with people; he has history of over reacting to things peopl esay and he is easily annoyed and impatient; he is at times rude and has had complaints about his negative behaviors and he has had anger outbursts at work; he is too anxious to drive and at work when he is anxious he cannot focus or concentrate and he has poor productivity and increases aner. He has significant sleep issues so calls in sick about once to 2 times a month; he has difficulty accepting supervision and does not like being told what to do. He is not managing well at home. (I'll cut the rest out because it's personal, but you kind of get the point) That's all I got for now. Please feel free to let me know what you think. Hopefully I hear something back soon, but I won't hold my breath since the VA has taken ages just to get this far in the claim. Thank you for reading and I look forward to seeing some replies.

Hi Everyone, Well Tuesday the 14th was the big day. Yes, I had to go back out to the VA for another exam, one for my PTSD and one for my neck and back. Both were for Unemployability. I'm not sure how well they went. I took some good advice, dressed as I do at home, answered all questions truthfully, and didn't sugar coat anything. I'm starting to think that the PTSD examiners try to make you angry just to see how you react. She came out to get me from the waiting room a half hour late, then almost giggled, saying she got, "Caught up reading an article online" I'll bite my tongue on what I wanted to call her, but you can probably fill in the blanks there. At the end, she asked me why I was unemployable. I replied, telling her, I don't get along with anyone, I don't take orders and direction well at all, I can't multi-task, I can't drive, etc. Hopefully she got the point. She told me I was finished and I may leave, not thanking me for any service, or even shaking a hand or opening a door for me. (That's a first) As for the back and neck exam, the doctor was very polite. She told me that I had a problem with my back that wasn't documented in anything in my file. She informed me that my curve that should be in my lower spine was no longer there, at least to her feeling my back. This makes sense, since my lower back kills me alot of the time. When she asked why I was unemployable, I told her, due to not being able to stand for a longer period of time, or sit also, and the driving thing. The one thing I did forget to tell her about was my migranes, but I believe I told the PTSD lady about that, so hopefully the rating board catches it. I let her know I was admitted to the ER for a panic attack and migrane just before I quit my job in June. As always, I look forward to reading your replies. I have a few posts on here if you need to catch up on any part of this wonderful journey (sarcasm) with the VA. I think pretty much everything is covered. It dosen't sound like they have my appointment summaries at the VA yet, but as soon as I find out that they do have them in their system I'll give another update on what they typed in their little computers while I griped at them. On a last note, thank you again to everyone who has given advice, support, and well wishes. The VA ladder is a pain in the butt to climb alone, and even with my wife, it's still very assuring and nice to have fellow veterans with similar experiences to turn to for advice and support. I probably would have cracked and given up by now, but with everyone's help, I have kept going forward with this process. I just think you should all know that when you type something in the replies box, it makes a connection, and gives me and probably many others the encouragement to drive on. Thank you all again and take care!

Hello Fellow Hadit Members, I know I might be a bit off topic here, as this area is for claims, but this involves PTSD very much. Yesterday, a fellow soldier I deployed to Iraq with in my unit, shot his 8 1/2 month pregnant wife, and 13 month old daughter. He even shot his 3 dogs before killing himself. http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latest-news/more-magdzas-iraq-war-veteran-purple-heart-recipient . I knew Matt pretty well while I was in both units with him. He was always a soldier who lived and breathed to serve. I've spoken to him within the last 5 months, and everything seemed fine. I know for a fact he was in convoys that were hit with IED's, and he has seen some things that couldn't have been pleasant. What I'm trying to get at is please, if you have friends who show ANY signs of depression, PTSD, or anything similar, please, please get them help before it is too late. If you yourself have PTSD or Depression after your deployment, and you feel any signs of suicide or homicide, please, seek help. When I first got back things seemed fine, and then went downhill. After weeks and weeks of arguing with my Vietnam Veteran Step-Dad, I finally went to seek help through the VA and Counseling. It does help. It never needs to go this far, ever. No matter what you've done or what you've seen, it's never worth taking your family's or your own life. Please, keep the families of these people in your minds and prayers as they go through these very hard and confusing times. Thank you for taking the time to read this and god bless.

I know what you mean about waiting on the former employers form. I'm still waiting for them to figure out mine, even though I sent in a statement asking them to go forward with my claim without them filling out the form. (Me and my former employer don't get along at all) So I called in and they said they were still waiting for the form and exam results from the VA... I don't know anything about this "Exam". So I had the operator note in my file that I wanted them to again, move forward without the former employer form. Hopefully this will work. I feel like I'm getting worn down more and more over this. It's nice to see that some people get what they work so hard for though, I wanted to say congrats, and hopefully I'll be making a similar post sometime in the near future. :)

Thanks Tbird, Yes I am currently seeing a counselor. He's actually the one who got me to push for more benefits, which I thought was very helpful. You're correct about all the waiting and reliving all of the crap I've gone through in the past, and now having to go through it all again. I'm just so sick of doing C&P exams, as I just went through one just a few months ago. Sometimes I really gotta wonder what they're thinking. Thank you though for your support, and I'll keep everyone updated!

Sorry to keep pestering you, as I have stated in the past, I'm still a bit new to all of the terminology. It sounded like an interview or something when they said exam. I asked if it would be like a C&P and the lady told me it probably was. Who is the VARO? Is that my VSO? I sent the VSO an e-mail with my statement asking them to rate my claim without my former employer's response. Should I be calling the VA on this, should I write something up, or should I just report to the appointment they will be scheduling me for? Once again I'm really sorry to sound so dumb, I'm just inexperienced. Thank you again for all of your replies and advice!