ptsd Newbie To Forum And Looking For Help

[ssg_rw_brown]

My husband got out of the military in 05. He spent 12 years active duty with a total of 21 eyars with his reserve and guard time. he spen over a year in Iraq in from Feb. 04 to March. 05.

He initially received a rating for a knee injury he recived from and explosion in Iraq but several months later after passing out (I thought he had a stroke!)at our dinner table and being hospitalized for over a week, and numerours testing he was diagnosed with "neurocardiosyncope". Told him nothing he can really do just make sure he eats 3 meals a day , drinks a lot of gatorade, avoid stress, caffeine, and plenty of rest. Then to make a long story short we ended up at the Va and not sure how it happened but he was finally diagnosed with " mild traumatic brain injury". this was kind of a releif because we now had and answer. They did a tilt test there, and sent him to speech class to help with the memory loss.

From my prospective I had noticed a change in him since the day he returned from Iraq...I chalked it up to the war and things he had seen and done...never sleeps, when he does its on the coach because any moves in the bed wake him up, personality change, irritability, forgetfullness, changes in taste, wanting to stay alone or just with me and the kids (antisocial behavior) little subtle things that I knew were different but never occured to me what or that it was a brain injury.

Fast forwarded he received rating for 10 % for the brain injury. So total he gets 10% knee, 10% tintinus, 50% PSD, 10% Mild Tramatic Brain injury.we have put in claims for different things that came up but were denied. Chronic back pain, tried to increase the knee because of the chronic pain but they say it's nothing and he has full range of motion so no increase. Vision problem, he had 20/20 vision his whole life with no problems and now needs glasses which they say is probly from sun exposure (focusing problem and light sensitivity). I have just stumbled across this site and read with interest the new changes with the brain injury. he was rated for the TBI in September of 2008 and when we received that rating I thought it was crazy. He has a combined rating of I think 60 or 70 percent (we get like 1200 per month with 3 kids under 18). Recently we received a letter saying they were decreasing his compensation to 900 because at his last compensation visit they felt he was "improving" (PTSD) which I thought crazy because he's on meds! that's why he seems better! so i talked to a VA guy and he said to send in a letter to say we were appealing it which I got a reply last week that said because it was only a "proposal" they were not accepting it and that now since we hadn't sent in evidence to contradict these claims it was now official and if we wanted to appeal it we coud. I'm so frustrated! I don't feel that we can find any help to wade through these VA paperwork. I really feel like he should be getting more compensation but not sure how to go about it.

We did talk to a VA guy a month ago who felt he should be getting 100% and pushed him to try, and told us the form to submit but yet i'm at a loss what else to do. I feel that there should be someone to help him wade through his medical papers and find out what he needs to send in and what claims he needs to file. So far we have submitted individual claims in the past for the passing out, back pain, vision problems but all got denie....but I kind of feel that maybe it should be compiled because basically I think it all goes back to the brain injury. He passes out for no apparent reason, we never know when it is coming on but i can usually trace it back to heat, stress, pain, didn't eat that day. he passes out and then when he comes around the first time he thinks he is back in Iraq, and needs a medic, he says he has sand in his mouth and needs a drink...then he starts to cry and without going into detail goes through a lot of guilt ...eventually he will pass out again and the 2nd time he comes around he's back in the real world....i worry he will do this driving or somewhere that he will get hurt so I have always felt he should be getting more compensation but just am at a loss on how or what do do to obtain it. He does not do good with people and public situations, to much anxiety and gets very agitated very quickly but the main fear for me is the passing out. I know this is getting very long and there is so much more I would love some input on but don't want to bore everyone but plese could someone give us some advice on what do and how to go about it. Thank you for listening.

[ssg_rw_brown]

How would one go about getting this testing done? Preferrably by the VA but if I need to I guess thorugh and independent doctor?

Hi, I hope I can help. I'm rated 100% P%T for tbi and it was a difficult task to do.

The number one thing I harp on for TBI diagnoses/claims is neuro-psych testing. There are several reasons I believe this is the most important detail for the veteran, the family, proper health care, and the claims proccess. The first reason is for the veteran. I was aware I had memory problems and mentioned them to doctors and such. I was given the standard responce that this was a common depression, anxiaty and even PTSD problem. Untill testing, I had no idea of the true extent of my cognative problems, nor did anyone around me, including those evaluating me. The results of the testing has done more for me in explaining the problems I have than anything else before and since. For family members, it helps them 'see' an injury that can't be seen, we brain injured people look quite normal. For treatment and the claims proccess the testing is very important. In my case, untill testing, my subjective complaints of memory problems were assotiated with my depression and anxiaty and at one time I was also diagnosed with PTSD. I have all the symptoms of PTSD but no stressor-no stressor no PTSD. After I was tested everything turned around. Now my depresion and anxiaty is diagnosed as being organic(brain damage) caused by the tbi with my cognative problems a direct result of tbi. All that said, under the rating guidelines for tbi a person can only be rated a low percentage for subjective(self reported) complaints on memory and attention but can be rated higher, up to 100%, for memory and attention problems if it is seen on objective tests(neuro-psychological). So it is very hard to justify not having the tests done. To me it's a simple decision. The highest possible rating for cognative problems(memory, attention ect.) is 40% I believe(could even be lower) without objective testing under DC8045. The highest possible rating with objective testing is 100%.

Sorry for the long rant. In my years on this board, my advice for neuro-psych testing is often ignored for some reason I don't understand. I seem to be the only one that recomends it, but anyone pursueing a tbi rating must have it or be limited to a low rating.

My brain is swimming today, but I thought I would address what I think is the most important aspect. I'll come back later and see if I can address other issues.

[Pete53]

Any testing at a VA starts out as a consult from your primary Doc, Ask your primary Doc to order the tests

[Berta]

I sure apologise for my complaint -I had NO IDEA the original post was here that long without a reply-

You are right-outhere 04- a vet or spouse or survivor of vet could get very discouraged if days passed with no acknowledgement of their post.

And you also have a great idea as to somehow flagging posts that need a reply-

I try to get to the topics under claims research forum everyday- but sometimes just cant do that-

and sure dont have time to read every post even in the Claims forum-

I truly apologise to you and to this spouse because so much time DID pass before she got a reply.

[ssg_rw_brown]

Any testing at a VA starts out as a consult from your primary Doc, Ask your primary Doc to order the tests

TY, he has only saw his primary once and she was rude and told him it was his own fault for hurting his knee and hasn't went back. Because he chose to beat his knee out of the Upper ARmored Jeep that ran over the IED. He was under fire from insurgents and vs. staying put he chose to beat his knee out of the console because it was stuck and return fire along with his men. That's why I am now goign to all appt. with him because I told him she would have not gotten away with talking to him like that. He said she was a young prior medic but that is no excuse.

He sees our doctor locally if he needs and see the Psych at the VA and the Speech Doctor who works with him on his memory loss issues. She is the once who suggested the Neuro work up too so didn't know if she would follow through on it or we needed to do it.

[BoonDoc]

You can report the provider to the VA. This usually gets their attention real fast.

Stephen

TY, he has only saw his primary once and she was rude and told him it was his own fault for hurting his knee and hasn't went back. Because he chose to beat his knee out of the Upper ARmored Jeep that ran over the IED. He was under fire from insurgents and vs. staying put he chose to beat his knee out of the console because it was stuck and return fire along with his men. That's why I am now goign to all appt. with him because I told him she would have not gotten away with talking to him like that. He said she was a young prior medic but that is no excuse.

He sees our doctor locally if he needs and see the Psych at the VA and the Speech Doctor who works with him on his memory loss issues. She is the once who suggested the Neuro work up too so didn't know if she would follow through on it or we needed to do it.

[carlie]

ssg,

There is another way to get him re-evaluated for a higher rating

for his TBI since he is only at 10% SC'd for it.

Prior to Oct 2008 the max for trauma to brain (itself) was limited to 10 %.

The criteria for TBI was changed Oct 2008 much more to the benefit of the veteran.

With him having so much cognitive disfunction, speech therapy etc...

I would request he be re-evaluated under the new criteria and you can request

the re-evaluation on a 21-4138:

http://www.vba.va.gov/pubs/forms/VBA-21-4138-ARE.pdf

The post Oct 2008 - new rating criteria is:

8045 Residuals of traumatic brain injury (TBI):

http://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/text/text-....67&idno=38

Here's a link to a TBI re-evaluation letter I received from VA.

You have to play with it a bit to try and read it as it posted really big.

Just use your up - down and left - right arrow keys to read it.

http://www.hadit.com/forums/index.php?act=...ost&id=2628

Hope this helps a vet.

carlie