ptsd How To Proceed

[jim n ok]

now that i am sc's for 50 percent ptsd,30 percent migrain,10 % tinnitus and 10% double vision from tbi, how do i get in to get meds and treatment? i have never used the facilities at okc and need treatment.

also question 2: how can they rate the tbi zero,but give me 30 for migrain and 10 for double vision. seems odd to me.

[Pete53]

Jim:

You need to get enrolled in a clinic and get a Primary Doc. The entire system is built on that foundation. To do that you need to go to the VAMC and go through triage. It will take a couple of hours but once it is done you will get an appointment with the Doc that they assign you. If you know of a Doc that you want best to ask for them.

[kw34]

Jim,

I recieve all my meds by mail as soon as i get them I send the slip back and get freash supply about a week prior the them running out my PCP set it up.

[jim n ok]

thanks pete and kw,

i want to get enrolled quickly and get started. i don't want them haveing an out by saying i did not seek care for my ptsd.

i will get r done.....i didn't know if you went there or requested it by the 800 number.

[Berta]

Jim- this seems odd to me to-the 60&.

I am not good at VA math at all-

But if it came out to 70 they would have inferred TDIU.

On the TBI they only seem to rate the residuals of TBI.

Same as with a major stroke.

The residuals are what are the disabling affects.

Hope others chime in here- I had read the %s over and over and I am baffled how they arrived at only 60 %.

[jim n ok]

forgive me berta,i was 60 until 8th of june then was awarded 30.i'm not sure what that computes to yet.

[poolguy11550]

Currently TBI is a condition that is baffling the VBA. The condition as a whole does not get rated, but rather the disabling secondary conditions do. Is that unfair? I think so, its sort of like the bilateral ratings where in my opinion all secondary condition steeming from TBI should be added up together. Unfourtunitly, that would make a lot sence and the VBA steams to not want that in the rating process.

[Berta]

OH- that makes sense-

they should be considering you for TDIU if you are not working.

I have impression you dont have the formal award letter yet----?

Jim this recent BVA decision shows the way they are supposed to rate TBI residuals under the fairly new regulations.

http://www.va.gov/vetapp09/files1/0907036.txt

If they award you TDIU that would be great (the 100% comp rate) but if they dont-they could have rated the TBI residuals wrong- if they overlooked any residuals you have that are explained in this decision.

TBI can affect a veteran's physical, and emotional life and certainly their employability.

This is a physivcal damage to th brain that can have numerous residuals.

I am still stunned over when a Iraq vet was interviewed about 2 years ago on TV and the VA had tried to tell him he had a personality disorder when the reality was he was profoundly disabled by a TBI from an IED.Unless a vet can get a PD while being hospitalized at Walter Reed ( :D )

Fortunately the VA since then has altered the TBI regulations but I bet they still dont get it right on some of the impairments TBIs can cause.

[jim n ok]

berta,

i received the brain injury in 1974 while on duty. 4 months later i was unable to function, my commander had me sent to a phsyc ward and evaluated,i was dx'd with an adjustment disorder and allowed to stay in until 1977 when i was discharged for the same "self medicating" problems that got me into the first evaluation. my question may be out of line and i truly understand if it is," was my discharge done because of the wrong diagnosis? they discharged me because of adjustment problems. can this be corrected?

[Berta]

A type of inaccurate discharge can be corrected under certain circumstances.

I certainly would pursue this if you can.

There are Statute of Limits and other considerations to doing this.

Ed Crosby-whose site is at:

http://www.landscaper.net/discharg.htm

is an expert on this stuff-

I see he mentions a 1973 cut off date but dont know why he did-many it is the Statute of Limits problem that these types of cases involve.

also there are many other sites regarding Discharge Upgrades or changing 'bad paper'.

I am pretty sure his email addy is at the site- if not I will find it here on my PC-there is plenty of good info at this site-and also in SVR Radio Archives his past shows are there too.

I am getting the impression that due to your SC TBI the mil pushed you out with an erroneous diagnosis.They didnt understand TBI much in the 1970s and I bet many Vietnam combat vets have TBI residuals that VA has deemed as other mental disabilitites yet TBI is a physical trauma that can cause mental disabilities.

I would imagine that many vets got erroneous diagnoses and even bad paper discharges who were deprived of VA health care due to those errors as well as a proper diagnosis and compensation.

That is a travesty of justice that the BMCR (Board of Military Correction of Records) can often resolve but I dont know what the time frame is for filing this type of claim.

If you google Correction of Military Discharges a lot should pop up.

Did you file any past VA claims for benefits that were denied?

[Berta]

http://www.va.gov/vetapp09/files1/0902956.txt

This recent case shows that the 15 year statute can be extended.

This was a POW with obvious service connected disabilities who somehow got a bad paper discharge.

And got it changed.

If you do mean you want the discharge changed, there certainly could be a way to attempt to do that.