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Titan
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Posts posted by Titan
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I don't think so. I know it could be caused by untreated strep though. I'll have to look through my records.
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It seems to be near impossible as to determine what caused it. It's unfortunate because I could definitely use the money with being off of work for months.
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I am 36 and rated 40% for asthma and PTSD. I will be undergoing Mitral valve replacement at the VA in houston in 2 weeks. What are the chances this will be given a rating by the VA? It seems very hard to prove where the valve disease came from and no one has any idea that Ive talked to.
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thanks guys, appreciated
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SECTION I:----------1. Diagnostic Summary---------------------Does the Veteran have a diagnosis of PTSD that conforms to DMS-5 criteriabased on today's evaluation?[ ] Yes [ ] No2. Current Diagnoses--------------------a. Mental Disorder Diagnosis #1: Posttraumatic Stress DisorderMental Disorder Diagnosis #2: Other Specified Depressive Disorder(Depressive episode with insufficient symptoms)Comments, if any:The veteran reported experiencing depressive symptoms for at leastthe past year and noted that these symptoms became more noticeableas his PTSD symptoms increased. His depressive symptoms includedepressed mood, fatigue, restlessness, and worthlessness.The veteran's diagnosis of Other Specified Depressive Disorderisat least as likely as not caused by or a result of his PTSDdiagnosis.b. Medical diagnoses relevant to the understanding or management of theMental Health Disorder (to include TBI): Asthma3. Differentiation of symptoms------------------------------a. Does the Veteran have more than one mental disorder diagnosed?[X] Yes [ ] Nob. Is it possible to differentiate what symptom(s) is/are attributable toeach diagnosis?[X] Yes [ ] No [ ] Not applicable (N/A)If yes, list which symptoms are attributable to each diagnosis:PTSD:- Intrusive thoughts- Distressing dreams- Avoidance of thinking and talking about the trauma- Distorted cognitions of self-blame- Persistent negative emotional state of fear- Feelings of detachment from others- HypervigilanceOther Specified Depressive Disorder:- Depressed mood- Fatigue- Feeling worthlessc. Does the Veteran have a diagnosed traumatic brain injury (TBI)?[ ] Yes [ ] No [X] Not shown in records reviewed4. Occupational and social impairment-------------------------------------a. Which of the following best summarizes the Veteran's level ofoccupationaland social impairment with regards to all mental diagnoses? (Check onlyone)[X] Occupational and social impairment due to mild or transient symptomswhich decrease work efficiency and ability to perform occupationaltasks only during periods of significant stress, or; symptomscontrolled by medicationb. For the indicated level of occupational and social impairment, is itpossible to differentiate what portion of the occupational and socialimpairment indicated above is caused by each mental disorder?[ ] Yes [X] No [ ] No other mental disorder has been diagnosedIf no, provide reason that it is not possible to differentiate whatportion of the indicated level of occupational and social impairmentis attributable to each diagnosis:I cannot determine without resorting to mere speculation. However,social impairment (i.e., marital problems, distance from hisfamily, and lack of social support network) appears to be greaterthan occupational impairment because there is no intermittentperiods of ability to perform occupational tasks.c. If a diagnosis of TBI exists, is it possible to differentiate whatportionof the occupational and social impairment indicated above is caused bytheTBI?[ ] Yes [ ] No [X] No diagnosis of TBI1. Evidence review------------------In order to provide an accurate medical opinion, the Veteran's claimsfoldermust be reviewed.a. Medical record review:-------------------------Was the Veteran's VA e-folder (VBMS or Virtual VA) reviewed?[X] Yes [ ] NoWas the Veteran's VA claims file reviewed?[X] Yes [ ] NoIf yes, list any records that were reviewed but were not included in theVeteran's VA claims file:If no, check all records reviewed:[ ] Military service treatment records[ ] Military service personnel records[ ] Military enlistment examination[ ] Military separation examination[ ] Military post-deployment questionnaire[ ] Department of Defense Form 214 Separation Documents[ ] Veterans Health Administration medical records (VA treatmentrecords)[ ] Civilian medical records[ ] Interviews with collateral witnesses (family and others who haveknown the Veteran before and after military service)[ ] No records were reviewed[ ] Other:b. Was pertinent information from collateral sources reviewed?[ ] Yes [X] No2. History----------a. Relevant Social/Marital/Family history (pre-military, military, andpost-military):FAMILY:Pre-military: The veteran was born and raised in New Orleans, LA byhisfather and stepmother. He has an older and a younger sisters. Hereported having good relationships with his family members growing up.Military: He indicated having good relationships with his familyduringhis military service and stated that he maintained regular contactwithhis parents during deployment. The veteran married his first wife in2001, and they divorced in 2004. He stated that when he returned homefrom Iraq after 15 months on deployment, his wife "had her ownlife,and I didn't fit in." He reported that he has two childrenfrom thismarriage, whom he currently sees every couple months. He stated thatthe children previously spent more time with him, but do not visit asoften as they live three hours away and "their mom causesproblems."Post-military: The veteran described his current relationship with hisparents as "mediocre" and noted that they have"different opinions." Hereported that he does not see his parents often and is not as close tothem as he was before his deployment to Iraq. He said that he does nottalk to his older sister and noted that he has no desire to do so. Hespeaks with his younger sister regularly about family matters, and hesaid that he wishes that he had a closer relationship with her. Theveteran remarried in 2011, and he has two stepsons, ages 14 and 15. Theveteran reported marital problems and said they are currentlyparticipating in marriage counseling through the VA. He attributedtheir problems to him "acting certain ways, being agitated easily,andnot making any sense sometimes like worrying about a lot ofstuff." Theveteran described having good relationships with his stepsons andreported going fishing with them on weekends when they do not go totheir father's house.SOCIAL:Pre-military: He described having a "normal" social life andhad "a lotof friends" in elementary through high school. When asked whatsocialactivities he did with friends, he stated, "Drank and hungout." Theveteran stated that he did not have much time for social activitiesbeginning at age 16 because he worked a part-time job after school andon weekends. He denied any involvement in sports or otherextracurricular activities.Military: He said he had good relationships with other soldiers in hisunit and denied having any difficulties getting along with others. Heindicated that they worked much of the time, but when they were notworking, they drank alcohol and played video games.Post-military: He described his current social life as "not verygood."He said that is one of the main issues in his marriage because hiswifewants to participate in social activities and he wants to stay homemost of the time. He denied involvement in social organization or areligious affiliation. He denied having any close friends.b. Relevant Occupational and Educational history (pre-military, military,andpost-military):EDUCATION:Pre-military: Veteran completed the 12th grade. He described himselfasa C student. He went to summer school once in high school to repeatFrench and Chemistry courses. He denied having any problems withlearning and indicated that he was bored in school and was notmotivated. He said that he enrolled at Collegedirectly after high school, but only attended classes for six weeksbefore quitting to join the Army.Military: Veteran completed all trainings as scheduled. He deniedcompleting any coursework during his military service and indicatedthat he attempted to take college course once, but his school wasinterrupted before he completed one semester when he was deployed toIraq.Post-military: He completed an Associate's degree in RadiologyTechnology in May 2012. He reported that it took him "a reallylongtime" to obtain a degree because he changed his major aftercompletingthe majority of the coursework required to earn a nursing degree. Heindicated that when he began clinicals, he realized that he"hated"nursing. The veteran reported having a B average in college and deniedhaving difficulty with the coursework.OCCUPATIONAL:Pre-military: The veteran worked part time as a cook at an athleticclub from age 16 until he graduated from high school in May 1998. Hereported that he "fixed cars for a short time" before joiningthemilitary in October 1998. He denied problems on the job, poorperformance appraisal, or interpersonal conflict with coworkers.Military: The veteran's DD214 indicates that he served in theArmy10/9/1998 - 10/15/2004. He received an honorable discharge at the rankof SGT (E-5). His specialty was 91W (Combat Medic). His DD214 alsoshows service in Iraq 4/26/2003 - 7/15/2004.Pre-military: He reported being diagnosed with ADHD in elementaryschool and was prescribed Ritalin. He said that he did not want totakethe medication, so his parents allowed him to stop taking it after afew months.Military: The veteran denied mental health problems and mental healthtreatment in the military.Post-military: He saw a psychiatrist at SLVHCS in 2008 (see MENTALHEALTH - PSYCHIATRY note dated 3/21/2008) for medication to treat hisADHD while attending college. He indicated that he received twoprescriptions that lasted him a few years. The veteran presented tothesame psychiatrist in 2014 (see MENTAL HEALTH - PSYCHIATRY note dated3/11/2014) seeking marriage therapy due to "Marked arguing.growingapart fr wife." He was referred to the family program, and he andhiswife have been participating in marriage counseling from 4/18/2014 tothe present time. The veteran noted receiving benefit from themarriagetherapy as he and his wife are communicating more about his mentalhealth problems. The veteran was referred to the PTSD program for anevaluation by the marriage therapist after he scored high on a PTSDself-report measure (see MH OEF/OIF/OND OUTPT CONSULT dated 5/9/2014).He was diagnosed with PTSD during the intake evaluation (see PTSDCONSULT NOTE dated 5/27/2014), and he recently began participating inan evidence-based treatment for PTSD. He denied a history ofpsychiatric medications other than Ritalin which he is no longertaking.Other notable records:Post Deployment Health Assessment dated 7/20/2004: The veteranresponded "yes" to all four PTSD screening questions.DD Form 2801-1 dated 9/16/2004: The veteran denied experiencingdepression, anxiety, and trouble sleeping.CLINIC INTAKE SCREENING NOTE dated 8/31/2006: Negative PTSD andDepression screensNURSING NOTE dated 3/10/2008: Negative PTSD and Depression screensCLINIC INTAKE SCREENING NOTE dated 7/1/2009: Negative PTSD andDepression screensd. Relevant Legal and Behavioral history (pre-military, military, andpost-military):Pre-military: The veteran stated that he received Saturday detentionmultiple times in high school for not completing schoolwork. He deniedother behavioral problems, including fighting.Military: The veteran reported he received one Article 15 for underagedrinking at age 20. His discipline included six weeks of extra dutyandloss of rank.Post-military: Veteran denied a lifetime history of arrest,conviction,or incarceration. He denied destruction of property or physicalaltercations. He denied a history of domestic violence.e. Relevant Substance abuse history (pre-military, military, andpost-military):Pre-military: The veteran denied drug use and indicated he begandrinking alcohol socially at age 16. He denied problematic effects ofdrinking. He denied tobacco use.Military: The veteran denied drug use and stated that he drank alcohol"normally." He denied any alcohol related problems althoughhe receivedan Article 15 for underage drinking.Post-military: He denied illicit drug use or abuse of prescriptionmedication. He stated that he has "drank less and less as time hasgoneon" and estimated consuming one drink every two months.f. Other, if any:SENTINEL EVENT(S):The veteran denied a lifetime history of physical, emotional, andsexual abuse.1. The veteran reported he was involved in a car accidentapproximatelyone month ago. He stated that he was "daydreaming and ran intotwocars." He noted that no one was injured and that this was hisfirstautomobile accident. He stated, "I've tried to blow it off.Insurancewill take care of it."2. The veteran said that he witnessed "people blown up, mortars,rockets, IEDS, grenades" while in Iraq and estimated witnessingthesetypes of events once a week.3. The veteran stated that he witnessed exposure to toxic chemicalswhen he had to go into a "yellow cake uranium factory" inIraq for twoweeks. He was sent there to give the factory workers fluids through IVdue to the extreme heat conditions. He said he wore a lead suit toavoid exposure to the chemicals.4. The veteran noted that he witnessed fire fights almost every daywhen he was a part of a Calvary unit in Iraq.5. The veteran reported having to clean up after two soldierscommittedsuicide by gun, both in the same week. He denied witnessing the actualsuicide, but witnessed "the mess afterwards."6. The veteran stated that he witnessed an Iraqi national blow himselfup with a grenade. He said they had to store "what was left ofthebody" in their storage room for a few days.7. The veteran said that on several occasions while riding in convoysthrough cities, his vehicle would crash into cars in front of them toget them out of the way. He sometimes had to work on the injuredbodies.MEDICAL:Pre-military: Denied.Military: Denied.Post-military: The veteran reported having Asthma and Sleep Apnea. Henoted that his asthma is well controlled by making changes suggestedbydoctors including using a heap filter in his home, removing allcarpet,and using a mattress cover. He indicated that his Sleep Apnea was"fixed" after he had a surgery on his nose in 2009. He deniedtakingany prescription medication at the present time.Veteran denied a history of head injury or loss of consciousness. Heindicated that on a scale from 0 (no pain) to 10 (worst painimaginable), his current pain level is at a 1. The pain is generallylocated in lower back. He stated that he has been prescribed a musclerelaxer; however, he does not take it because it makes him sick. Hereported taking an over-the-counter pain reliever.VA Active Problem LIST:3. Stressors------------a. Stressor #1: The veteran reported three months into his deployment inIraq, he and another medic were called up to the front gate on thebase, where there were two young teenagers each shot in the chest. Heand the other medic drove the boys to the closest hospital. Theveteranreported riding in the back of the vehicle to work on the wounded. Hestated that one of the boys died before they arrived at the hospital.When they arrived at the hospital, the teenagers' families weretherevisibly distraught in the waiting area. He stated that he blameshimself for the one teenager dying because he did not do enough tosavehim. This is one of the events that the veteran reported on VA Form21-0781 (Statement in Support of Claim of PTSD).Does this stressor meet Criterion A (i.e., is it adequate to supportthe diagnosis of PTSD)?[X] Yes [ ] NoIs the stressor related to the Veteran's fear of hostile militaryorterrorist activity?[X] Yes [ ] NoIs the stressor related to personal assault, e.g. military sexualtrauma?[ ] Yes [X] No4. PTSD Diagnostic Criteria---------------------------Please check criteria used for establishing the current PTSD diagnosis. Donot mark symptoms below that are clearly not attributable to the criteria Astressor/PTSD. Instead, overlapping symptoms clearly attributable to otherthings should be noted under #6 - other symptoms. The diagnostic criteriafor PTSD, referred to as Criteria A-H, are from the Diagnostic andStatistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition (DMS-5).Criterion A: Exposure to actual or threatened a) death, b) seriousinjury,c) sexual violatrion, in one or more of the following ways:[X] Witnessing, in person, the traumatic event(s) as they occurred toothersCriterion B: Presence of (one or more) of the following intrusionsymptomsassociated with the traumatic event(s), beginning after thetraumatic event(s) occurred:[X] Recurrent, involuntary, and intrusive distressing memories of thetraumatic event(s).[X] Recurrent distressing dreams in which the content and/or affect ofthe dream are related to the traumatic event(s).Criterion C: Persistent avoidance of stimuli associated with thetraumaticevent(s), beginning after the traumatic events(s) occurred,as evidenced by one or both of the following:[X] Avoidance of or efforts to avoid distressing memories, thoughts,orfeelings about or closely associated with the traumatic event(s).Criterion D: Negative alterations in cognitions and mood associated withthe traumatic event(s), beginning or worsening after thetraumatic event(s) occurred, as evidenced by two (or more) ofthe following:[X] Persistent, distorted cognitions about the cause or consequencesofthe traumatic event(s) that lead to the individual to blamehimself/herself or others.[X] Persistent negative emotional state (e.g., fear, horror, anger,guilt, or shame).[X] Markedly diminished interest or participation in significantactivities.[X] Feelings of detachment or estrangement from others.[X] Persistent inability to experience positive emotions (e.g.,inability to experience happiness, satisfaction, or lovingfeelings.)Criterion E: Marked alterations in arousal and reactivity associated withthe traumatic event(s), beginning or worsening after thetraumatic event(s) occurred, as evidenced by two (or more)ofthe following:[X] Hypervigilance.[X] Sleep disturbance (e.g., difficulty falling or staying asleep orrestless sleep).Criterion F:[X] Duration of the disturbance (Criteria B, C, D, and E) is more than1 month.Criterion G:[X] The disturbance causes clinically significant distress orimpairment in social, occupational, or other important areas offunctioningCriterion H:[X] The disturbance is not attributable to the physiological effectsofa substance (e.g., medication, alcohol) or another medicalcondition.5. Symptoms-----------For VA rating purposes, check all symptoms that apply to the Veteransdiagnoses:[X] Depressed mood[X] Anxiety[X] Chronic sleep impairment6. Behavioral Observations--------------------------Appearance: Neatly groomed and dressed appropriatelyAffect: ConstrictedMood: Depressed and mildly anxious as evidenced by fidgeting and mildrestlessnessEye contact: AdequateSpeech: Fluent in rate and low in volumeApproach to clinical interview: Cooperative7. Other symptoms-----------------Does the Veteran have any other symptoms attributable to PTSD (and othermental disorders) that are not listed above?[X] Yes [ ] NoIf yes, describe:The veteran indicated that he has disturbing memories every day ofhis time in Iraq, specifically the stressor event involving thetwoteenagers. He reported experiencing these intrusive thoughts forthe last 10 years. He stated, "I thought it was memories thatwouldgo away, but it seems like it has only gotten worse." Hereportedthat he has had disturbing dreams about his stressful experiencesin Iraq five times a week. His dream content includes the stressorevent as well as other events of death from his deployment. Healsoreported that his wife has told him on several occasions that hehas woken up in the middle of the night shaking, sweating, and"physically checking her to make sure she's okay."He indicatedthat he does not remember these experiences. He stated that thishas been occurring approximately three nights a week for at leastthe past two years.he veteran stated that he avoids thinking and talking about hismilitary experience by trying to distract himself and stay busy.Henoted that he is currently involved in a therapy that involves himwriting about the traumatic event with the two teenagers. Hereported having significant difficulty completing this assignment.He stated that he had to read the written account of the trauma ina session, and he almost walked out and only read half of theaccount. He noted that he has trouble remembering what occurred"three or four hours" after the traumatic event. Theveteranreported feeling guilt and having thoughts of self-blame about thetraumatic event because he believes that he did not do enough inthe situation to save the boy's life. He reported feelingpersistent negative emotions of fear and concern for otherssafety.He noted that this has caused problems in his marriage-"Idrive mywife crazy. I think about the worse possible scenario that canhappened in a situation. I feel that I have to prepare her foranything. Like when she runs, I make sure she has a stun gun andpepper spray." He stated that his wife goes on business tripsoften, and if he does not speak to her before going to bed, hewillstay up all night worrying about what could have happened to her.He indicated that he also worries about their children'ssafety, aswell as his own. He reported that before his deployment to Iraq hecould fly on a plane with no difficulty, but after he returned, hehad his first and only panic attack on a plane. He has an upcomingtrip planned, and he is worrying about the flight. He deniedworrying about issues other than safety.The veteran stated that after exposure to the stressful militaryexperience, he no longer enjoys going to social gatherings andplaying video games. He said he has no desire to go to socialevents and wants to stay home much of the time. He noted that hesometimes goes to social gatherings with wife, but he ends upleaving because he feels uncomfortable, anxious, and like he doesnot fit in. The said that he feels distant from most people,especially his family and friends. He acknowledged feeling closerto his wife since they began marriage counseling. He noted that hefelt completed cut off from his first wife when he returned fromdeployment, which led to their divorce. The veteran does not feellike he is able to have loving feelings toward his family andstated, "I feel numb, just not a lot of emotions atall."The veteran endorsed having sleep impairment including difficultymaintaining and reinitiating sleep. He reported that he typicallyobtains six hours of broken sleep per night. He indicated wakingthe night at least five times a week and feels very tired thefollowing day. The veteran noted that he sometimes has significantdifficulty reinitiating sleep and can stay up for two or threehours until returning to sleep. He said that he has experiencedincreased irritability and is easily irritated by "normallifethings that I blow way out of proportion and cause a lot ofarguments." He reported that he raises his voice a few times aweekand throws objects occasionally. The veteran reported that he hasdifficulty concentrating; however, he has a history of a diagnosisof ADHD so it cannot be determined if his difficulty concentratingis trauma-related or related to the ADHD. The veteran indicatedthat he is watchful and always on guard. He described looking outof the windows of his home "constantly?even during thenight." Healso said he repeatedly checks that doors are locked. He reportedexperiencing hypervigilance outside of his home, whichleads to avoidance of crowds, stores, and long lines. He notedthathe shops online for most items he needs.The veteran endorsed worrying about dirt and germs forapproximately the past ten years. He indicated that he takes threeshowers a day and frequently imagines germs that could be on doorhandles and in bathrooms. He denied any excessive behavioralcompulsions or mental acts. He noted that he believes that hetakesthree showers daily because he can remember not being able to takeshowers for days during deployment.The veteran endorsed experiencing depressed mood most days. He wasnot able to determine when he first began having depressed moodbutindicated that he "realized" it approximately a year ago.He notedthat his depressed mood became more noticeable as his nightmaresand sleep difficulties increased. The veteran also endorsedrestlessness, which was observed in the evaluation, and fatigue.Heendorsed having negative feelings about himself including feelinglike a failure and feeling worthless. He denied suicidal ideation.PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTING:PCL-5: Veteran scored a 59. No score interpretation will beprovided as cut-points specific to PCL-5 are preliminary and stillbeing validated.PAI: The veteran completed the Personality Assessment Inventory(PAI) before the clinical interview. For this protocol, the numberof uncompleted items is within acceptable limits. His scoressuggest that he attended appropriately to item content; however,there is evidence of some unusual responding (INF = 67).Elevationson this score can be due to reading difficulties, randomresponding, confusion, idiosyncratic item interpretation, orfailure to follow the test instructions. Regardless of the cause,due to some unusual responses, any interpretive hypotheses basedonthis protocol should be reviewed with caution. Notably, there isnoevidence of positive or negative impression management.The veteran's profile reflects an individual experiencingimpairment associated with anxiety and fear surrounding somesituations; this scale elevation is driven by a distressingreaction to traumatic events. His fear is also related to commonphobic fears. These fears may lead him to monitor his environmentin an effort to avoid contact with the feared situation which isconsistent with the veteran's report of worry related togerms,safety, and hypervigilance. Individuals with a similar profilealsoreport experiencing significant anxiety and tension. Theveteran'sprofile indicates that his anxiety manifest primarily in cognitiveand affective sources of anxiety. Individuals with similarprofilesexperience significant worry and are likely to be overconcernedabout situations over which they have no control. Additionally,they tend to be easily fatigued as a result of perceived highstress. This is consistent with the veteran's report ofworriesabout others' safety and experiencing fatigue. Also consistentwithdata from the clinical interview, the veteran's profileindicatesthat he experiences significant depressive symptomatology.Depressed mood, lack of interest in normal activities, sleepimpairment, and feelings of worthlessness and failure areprominent. He perceives himself as isolated, misunderstood, anddetached from others. As verified in the clinical interview, heexperiences discomfort in interpersonal contact. The veteransharedthat he feels like he does not "fit in" in socialsituationsanymore. While the veteran's profile includes an elevation onascale assessing severe personality disorder, as the scaleelevationwas driven only by a high degree of identity problems. People withsimilar scale elevations experience uncertainty about major lifeissues and have difficulty developing and maintaining a sense ofpurpose. Notably, the veteran reported that he has experiencedincreased irritability; however, the aggression and irritabilityscales were not significantly elevated in his profile.Veteran's clinical scale T-scores are provided below forreference.ICN 46INF 67NIM 59PIM 34SOM 52ANX 79ARD 90DEP 83MAN 52PAR 64SCZ 73BOR 70ANT 58ALC 50DRG 42AGG 56SUI 49STR 53NON 72RXR 35DOM 44WRM 248. Competency-------------Is the Veteran capable of managing his or her financial affairs?[X] Yes [ ] No9. Remarks, if any------------------This C&P evaluation was completed by(psychologyintern) and cosigned by (licensed psychologist).The veteran was given an opportunity to provide any additionalinformationregarding his mental health and overall functioning that was not coveredin the structured clinical interview. He indicated that he did not haveanything else to add.The veteran currently meets criteria for a diagnosis of PTSD. Theveteran's PTSD is at least as likely as not caused by or a result ofthereported traumatic stressors experienced during his military service inIraq.Notably, the veteran currently is involved in evidence-basedpsychotherapyfor PTSD, and it is likely that with continued treatment, he mayexperience a significant reduction in symptoms. Also important to note,while engaging in treatment, individuals' symptom frequency andseveritytends to increase especially at the beginning of treatment. Therefore,thecurrent evaluation may not be an accurate reflection of theveteran'ssymptom severity prior to entering treatment nor the severity after hecompletes treatment.Although ADHD was not fully assessed in the present evaluation, theveteran denied significant ADHD symptoms with the exception ofconcentration difficulties. ADHD does not appear to be part of theclinical picture at the present time and as a result, the diagnosis wasnot assigned.NOTE: VA may request additional medical information, including additionalexaminations if necessary to complete VA's review of the Veteran'sapplication.
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Things are moving along faster than I expected, got a call today saying they were sending a letter with my C and P exam date, checked E-benefits when I got home and its scheduled for 7/29. Ive been going every week for treatment and the counselor says Im doing well.
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thanks for the kind words everyone, I start my treatment program this coming Wednesday. During my marriage counseling this past friday my counselor mentioned that he PTSD counselor had called her and told her she was very impressed with me, not really sure what this meant but she said a counselor has never called her before to say anything like this. I told her I didnt know what to think of it and she said it was a good thing, whatever that means.
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one other question is about the new ebenefits site, seems like they put some effort into it and it looks better than when I filed before on vonapp i think it was called. Does anyone actually get an estimated time of completion on here or is this just wishful thinking. Also the site is painfully slow. I had to type my experiences in word and copy and paste due to it refreshing and clearing everything
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thanks for the replies. The couples counseling has far exceeded my expectations in just a short time. The psychologist is trying to come up with a plan for the PTSD treatment because they are saying its very time consuming at least for 12 weeks.
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Just a little background, Im 10% service connected for asthma. Ive been out of the Army for 10 years now. I sought couples therapy a few months ago for myself and my wife through the VA and the counselor was thinking most of my problems were attributed to PTSD. She referred me to the PTSD unit who I had an appointment with yesterday for a screening. Using the info the other counselor gave me and the questions she went through she told me I have PTSD and is going to talk with my other family counselor and call me back to make a treatment plan. So last night I went on the E-benefits site and submitted a new claim. So far I have pretty much told my story which is pretty traumatizing to 2 counselors and to the e-benefits website. Basically my question is will I have to go back to the same place and sit with someone else for the claim and do it all over again and go through the whole thing or do they just use what they have? Im assuming its also the same people who do the claims because its in the same building. Last time I think I waited about a year for processing of my claim, is it still around the same time? I will try to get some sort of copies and post them on here to see what other people think. Thanks for your help
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Just went for a C&P today and 1 of my claims is sleep apnea. They can basically just ask you questions about. Not much else they can really do. Your sleep study test is what proves it.
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Well my exam is in the morning. Hopefully the doctor will be familiar with burn pit illnesses.
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GMED = General Medical
A C&P exam is no time to man - up.
actually, i stopped taking most of my asthma medications 2 days ago to prepare for my pulmonary functions test tomorrow. I cant wait to get back on them though.
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Actually just some tests are tomorrow, Radiology, lab, and pulmonary functions test. I have something called GMED and Psychiatrist next week. I have many problems, including asthma, sleep apnea, gerd, and allergies. These are well documented with the VA where I am treated. Just wondering if anyone can offer any additional tips.
Thanks
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In my case and many others , burn pits seem the likely source. I know Dan Rather did a story on this a while back. I am not overweight 1 bit and I am young with severe sleep apnea, asthma, sinusitis etc. I am 30 years old, 6'2 185lbs. I did not have any of these problems prior to deployment to Iraq. I take around 8-10 medicines per day now. I cannot tolerate the CPAP and I am being referred to ENT for surgical options now. It is very depressing. My fiance is a lawyer and a vet so she helped me submit my claim in March. Hopefully all goes well with it.
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Welcome to Hadit,
Yeah and it was denied. To bad I did not know about this web site at the time, I might have had a better outcome.
Bergie
What symptoms did you have? Do you know why it was denied? How long ago was this??
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Just wanted to say hi. I just submitted a claim in March for asthma, and OSA. We are thinking it came from exposure to burn pits. Luckily my fiance is an attorney and helped me get the application together. I am still doubtful that it will be approved. I have never been sick in my life and now I am taking 10 medicines a day for different problems. Anyone else submit a claim about burn pits???
Thanks
Mitral valve replacement?
in Eligibility - Veterans Compensation Benefit Claims
Posted
a family friend worked for the VA for many years, she told my parents she would try to help so she sent an email to someone. I received a call this morning and the guy asked me a few more questions about my condition. I checked ebenefits and my claim moved to preparation for decision. I filed my claim on 12/3. Any idea what this could mean for me?