ptsd Question On Cp Exams

[rway]

Hi everyone, I haven't been on this site for awhile. Meds have been taking a toll.

I am currently 60% (Meniere's, Knees, Back, Tinnitis and Migraines). I put in for an increase in each and added new (MD and PTSD) in Dec. 2006. Because of the long duration, symptoms getting worse and this site (with great info) I applied for TDIU and for Total and Permanent in Apr. 2007.

I have had only the routine appointments thus far. Then, the other day I received 2 letters with appointments. One was for the very next day and then another for 2 days later. The 1st appointment was for disbility for unemployability and the 2nd for MD/PTSD. I called and asked about any other future appointments and they said there are none scheduled.

Question---Is this common NOT to go to Ortho, Neuro, etc. and just go to the TDIU appt. Will they just use her info for the increase? She did measure back and knees and had x-rays of back and knees done. She did not talk to me about MD or PTSD thou. She said she had Migraine Log from Neuro. I was definitely not prepared for this appt. I thought I would have individual appt. for each.

I am glad its over though, if that is all I will have to do.

My PTSD exam consisted of a doc that asked yes and no questions. I never went into detail with him. He said he was unable to locate my C-File. I did give him a copy of my PTSD Letter. He just hen pecked at the computer, which gave him a lot of trouble. He did ask me if I heard of some sayings. In which I said I had heard them before. Then he asked me what the sayings meant. That blew me away because, I didn't know any of the meanings. (Just heard Grandparents say them before)???

How do I ask for copies of these appt's? Do I just fill out the same release of info form at my VA?

Thanks for any insight.

rway

[jbasser]

Fill out a release of information at the Meical records department. They should release the Exams. I am not sure about the PTSD exam. They may not release it.

J

[Ricky]

It is common for the VA to simply request a general med exam for TDIU. If the gen med doc determines that the situation warrants she/he will either attempt to schedule it (if allowed by the VARO and included in the instructions for the exam) or the VARO will request it once they read the gen med doc's report of exam. 90 percent of them stop at the gen med level.

As for the records just simply fill out a request for them and provide to the ROI office at the VAMC that conducted the exams. The MH one may or may not be releasable to you via the general request. Depending on what it contains about your disability, it may require the approval of the doc that conducted the MH exam.

[rway]

It is common for the VA to simply request a general med exam for TDIU. If the gen med doc determines that the situation warrants she/he will either attempt to schedule it (if allowed by the VARO and included in the instructions for the exam) or the VARO will request it once they read the gen med doc's report of exam. 90 percent of them stop at the gen med level.

As for the records just simply fill out a request for them and provide to the ROI office at the VAMC that conducted the exams. The MH one may or may not be releasable to you via the general request. Depending on what it contains about your disability, it may require the approval of the doc that conducted the MH exam.

So, if I did not put in for TDIU, I would have probably received seperate CP exams for each disibility???

[Ricky]

So, if I did not put in for TDIU, I would have probably received seperate CP exams for each disibility???

No not at all. The deciding factor is the workload at the VAMC and the claimed disability AND any evidence already submitted by the veteran from medical specialist.

As you can see there are a lot of factors. However, as sad as it is, many only get gen med doc exams for very complicated disabilities. The one exception is MH issues. It takes a MH professional to diagnose a MH issue.

Take PN for example. This is a neurological disorder. However, 99.9 percent of the time vets see a gen med doc during the C&P on a PN claim. He/she, if needed, will send you to a testing clinic for any nerve conduction studies (same as when you need an xray). He then takes the results and says yep vet has PN.

Also as a personal example, I just had another C&P exam for a very rare neurological disability called Dejerine-Roussy Syndrome. Only about 10 percent of the neurologists in the U.S. have heard of this and offer treatment for it. When I meet with the examiner she was a gen med doc and knew nothing about it. He attempted to conduct normal nerve testing and determined that nothing was wrong with my nerves. In part she was correct, however, in the type of Dejerine-Roussy syndrome that I have all of the problems originate within in a specific area of my brain. So the nerves do feel. Problem is they feel way too much. Simple pain or things like viberation, gentle touch, breezes ect drive my pain to about the 100,000 level! At least that is what the brain says for the portion of my brain that relays and figures out the various senses transmitted by different stimuli from my limbs and internal organs is dead. Therefore, the brain can not tell which stimuli is present so it says Hey its gotta be pain! She just did not understand until I grabbed her by the throat. Caused some problems for a bit but she finally spoke with my civilian neurologist and he told her that if she did not stop I would be capable of killing her.

Sorry for the rant but wanted to prove my point. The majority of exams are conducted by gen med docs cause they just do not have enough specialists. Now for the TDIU exam the primary function of the doc is to tell them if he thinks that your already service connected disability effects you enough to cause you to be unable to obtain and maintain employment.

Edited May 4, 2008 by Ricky