C&p For Depression

[Maurice]

Help: I went to a C & P for Depression and took a letter that a chief of Medical at another VA Hospital wrote for me and the C & P Doctor would not look at the letter from my VA Doctor. What should I do? Disable veteran without income need answer to his problem with the VA C&P

[john999]

My wife and brother wrote letters for me when my claim was up for an increase. It was quoted along with other evidence. It was quoted directly in the rating decision.

Also, if you get to a hearing during appeals bring your wife and let her testify about your condition. Who knows you better and what you are able to do.

[Pete53]

My wife and brother testified under oat at my hearing.

[tssnave]

WOW! This has been eye opening for me. Since the VA, in my case, completely ignored medical evidence I sent in initially (active duty shrinks letters) I assumed they got to pick and choose what they deemed "evidence".

Betrayed, thanks for the court citations, other resource information, and telling us what it takes to make a sworn statement. You have turned your pain with dealing with the VA into other people's gain and I apprecitate it. I was again humbled by how committed members of hadit are to help one another when I saw what you shared in your wife's letters. I think you are a far better man than you give yourself credit for. You don't have to still be in uniform to serve your country and be leading the troops - you are doing that here on hadit and I respect you for it.

Pete, John - Thanks for the info on having family members testify in person and in writing. It is an avenue I haven't gone down and will certainly consider, though you never know what the VA will and will not pay attention to.

The VA completely ignored my PCP's nexus statement and didn't even list it as evidence. Thankfully the C&P examiner wrote a strong nexus statement but it still irked me that they just ignored what my PCP, who's been treating me for years, had to say. Plus, not one statement I've ever made has been listed as evidence or been cited in a Decision.

Because I never know from one day to the next how I'll be coping, I have decided against any hearings and instead write everything I want to say and send it to them. From Betrayed's other posts about his DRO hearing and how the typed version didn't match what he said I haven't agonized too much about not having a hearing. But I have often wondered if they even read what I write because they don't list it as evidence and they certainly don't quote it in their Decisions.

Again, my thanks to all for the information, experiences, and especially the court case citations.

TS

Edited October 22, 2007 by tssnave