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Knees

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pete

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Good morning, I'm going to file a claim for problems in my right knee that I think are due to imbedded shrapnel-it's sore all of the time. I went to VA Doc and he gave me Vicodin which says on the label "Don't drive" while taking. I also have arthritis issues with both knees. Any suggestions on filing this claim? Thanks.

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I belong to the group that feels a new claim will hold an older claim back. I guess that you could request that they defer the new claim till your old one is ruled on?

Good Luck

I concur with you. Too many SO's, and too many years of hearing other veteran's tales, have shown me that a new claim placed after an existing claim, starts the ball game from the 1st inning.

The VA is not our friend. Any excuse, will be used to prevent acknowledgement of your disability to slow the compensation process.

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Hi Berta, I never saw the 2nd Doc-his opinion came from reviewing the c&p Doc's notes. So, he didn't give a GAF score. However, I had a intake interview at the VA Mental Health section by a psychologist or a master degree social worker and in his report he gave me a GAF score of 50. I don't know if his opinion carries any weight, though. In your post did you mean a LOWER GAF score? Thanks, all, for your posts-they have helped settle me down. My heart goes out to all with PTSD. I sometimes think I was better off before I started this whole process. I filed my claim, had all my ducks in a row, 11B, PH, verifiable stressors, many jobs, etc. My infantry duty in Viet Nam chose me--I didn't choose it. Yet, my claim drags on nd on. Go figure.

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Pete- did you submit that report with the 50 GAF to the VARO?

The lower the score the better-(I even think that is ,the 50 is too high- maybe I said that wrong in my last post)

Regardless of the GAF- with good evidence and the stressors- they have to consider the whole picture-

my husband had a GAF of either 26 or 34 (or both-I forget) yet his claim took almost 5 years to go from 30 % to 100% PTSD- even though he had SSA solely due to PTSD and took a battery of shrink tests.

One problem he had was he was VA employee and had to see the VA employee shrink who didnt have a clue about Vietnam-Even after he left the VA they still continued him with the employee shrink-It took Congressional intervention to get him to the real VAMC PTSD doctor.

The VA employee shrink did not document anything either- and of course could not prescribe medication-

WHen he got the real PTSD doc, suddenly there was a wealth of documentation, hynosis sessions, medication, group therapy, stressor details, etc etc----BUT- the VA failed to get any of these records-I had to get them from the PTSD doc and submit them myself.

A prior PTSD C & P doc had given him a 50 GAF. I called the doctor and raised hell- I also wrote to the VA and told them not to use this- because the whole time we were there (the C & P was at a different VAMC)

the employees searched for his c file and could not find it-

the doctor really had nothing to base his report on and only asked the veteran a few questions.

They didn't use it in the SOC.

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Hi Berta, I never saw the 2nd Doc-his opinion came from reviewing the c&p Doc's notes. So, he didn't give a GAF score. However, I had a intake interview at the VA Mental Health section by a psychologist or a master degree social worker and in his report he gave me a GAF score of 50. I don't know if his opinion carries any weight, though. In your post did you mean a LOWER GAF score? Thanks, all, for your posts-they have helped settle me down. My heart goes out to all with PTSD. I sometimes think I was better off before I started this whole process. I filed my claim, had all my ducks in a row, 11B, PH, verifiable stressors, many jobs, etc. My infantry duty in Viet Nam chose me--I didn't choose it. Yet, my claim drags on nd on. Go figure.

me too, Pete (....and on and on and on ....)

I have figured recently, we CAN'T live like this ... waiting for the VA to help us ... waiting for the mail man every day. Submit as much as you can, and forget the claim(s) as best you can. They'll get around to you whenevr they feel like it (no rhyme nor reason when) and when (and if) they get back to you, we know that the odds of them entering a decision in our favor appears to be 50/50 at best. So hold your ground Trooper (take note of whatever ya got going for ya now) and be thankful you and I are still here and haven't ended up in skid row, under a bridge, with only that last bullet left. You and I have known too many Brothers from Nam that have had no choice, thanks to the VA and this non-caring government, and have accepted this last resort.

I assume you've given it your best shot to date, so unless you have the enemy in sight, settle down with a c-rat of beenies and weenies (like we used to do in the bunkers of Khe Sanh) and become numb watching the History Channel. The mail will get here sometime today. No use in watching the mailbox ... or you can sit here reading the posts on Hadit, and really see how lucky some of us are ... hahHAHhaaaaaa

Carry On.

Cpl Bob

B)

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Pete- did you submit that report with the 50 GAF to the VARO?

The lower the score the better-(I even think that is ,the 50 is too high- maybe I said that wrong in my last post)

Regardless of the GAF- with good evidence and the stressors- they have to consider the whole picture-

my husband had a GAF of either 26 or 34 (or both-I forget) yet his claim took almost 5 years to go from 30 % to 100% PTSD- even though he had SSA solely due to PTSD and took a battery of shrink tests.

One problem he had was he was VA employee and had to see the VA employee shrink who didnt have a clue about Vietnam-Even after he left the VA they still continued him with the employee shrink-It took Congressional intervention to get him to the real VAMC PTSD doctor.

The VA employee shrink did not document anything either- and of course could not prescribe medication-

WHen he got the real PTSD doc, suddenly there was a wealth of documentation, hynosis sessions, medication, group therapy, stressor details, etc etc----BUT- the VA failed to get any of these records-I had to get them from the PTSD doc and submit them myself.

A prior PTSD C & P doc had given him a 50 GAF. I called the doctor and raised hell- I also wrote to the VA and told them not to use this- because the whole time we were there (the C & P was at a different VAMC)

the employees searched for his c file and could not find it-

the doctor really had nothing to base his report on and only asked the veteran a few questions.

They didn't use it in the SOC.

I am mentioning all this because they need to have your c file present for these C & Ps to develop a GAF-

they should go through the files but they usually dont .

I do not see how the VA can use this opinion:

"never saw the 2nd Doc-his opinion came from reviewing the c&p Doc's notes" to go against the claim- if they do you could sure question that-

If that is the case they can get a weak or negative opinion on any claim, then get another VA doctor -without a real examination of the veteran- to corroborate it and then say the preponderance of evidence (2 negative opinions) goes against the claim.

(Then again if the second opinion helps the claim-that would make it OK.)

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Guest VetWife Advocate
Good morning, I'm going to file a claim for problems in my right knee that I think are due to imbedded shrapnel-it's sore all of the time. I went to VA Doc and he gave me Vicodin which says on the label "Don't drive" while taking. I also have arthritis issues with both knees. Any suggestions on filing this claim? Thanks.

Pete,

How does your PTSD/MDD effect you in your daily life? Do you have people close to you that can supply your letters stating the differences they see in you? Are you still working? If not, why? Can you get a letter from your last employer if your PTSD was a reason for leaving?

Have you read the VARO ratings on the PTSD and where do YOU think you come in 50/70/100?

The lower the GAF, the higher the rating.

Do you have outside insurance?

Have you gone to the ratings on the knees? And where to you fall in this rating? Was it S/C? Why?

Got some homework, if you think your knees are going to be low? Wait, if not, file and tell them to Waive the 60 day waiting period. More likely, they will order a C&P for you.

Anything else? When do you get out? Do you have your SMR's? You need to get a copy of ALL of your records, xrays, blood work, etc.

Brenda

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