Imo Qualifications/costs

[cannoncocker]

My interests are very close to Rockhounds I started to add my experience to his thread but didn't want to hijack his thread. Here is my IME person:

For Lumbar Injury which the VA denied and has now gone to the DRO and I have requested a conference. I expect zero help from anybody so I'll be toeing the mark alone. If the DAV even shows up they need, no i'll bring my own, crash cart.

Her credentials:

Mxxxxxx O. Bxxxxxx, M.D.

Certification:

American Board of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Spinal Cord Injury Medicine

American Board of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation

Residency:

Physical Medicine, Ohio State University Hospitals

Internship:

Riverside Methodist Hospital, Columbus, OH

Medical School:

University of Maryland Medical School

Cost $500.00

I gave her the following documentation:

2 MRI Disc images With Flex x-rays

2 Radiology Evaluations for the MRI

1 Neurology notes from consult

Fee basis eoidural injection approcal form

Surgery option by neurologist at consult.

2 VA denials, both stating different reasons.

Nobody really denies my back is messed up but the VA dodged that as good as they could but those /dr's and MrI's kept interferring with that. So I have documented:

1. Sciatica from pinched S1

2. Protruded herniations

3. extruded herniations

4. degenerative disc disease multiple level

5. ventral wedging

6. osteophytes

7.kyphosis

8. annular fissure

9.facet hypertrophy

etc..............

you get the idea

The real issue is this SC?

So how do I approach this appointment? It is next Wednesday at which point I hand them 500 bucks for who knows what.

1. Should I go bare handed and just run my mouth

2. bring an example of what the VA is looking for as in the way of form and wording/

3. Should I and is it true point out that it does not have to be that each item idicated is SC, that one of those is possibly SCand should be noted if that is actually SC.

I am open for suggestions on this. Doesn't have to be all or none right? for example 6.5 years of humping 174 lb FA projos had to play some part in the degenerative disease item. Way outside federal lifting guidlines! Seems like that or at least one of those items should be conceeded!

Do I just sit there and keep my mouth shut? are try to make my point?

Of course all you guys are appreciated.

[cannoncocker]

Berta, I am blind. just looked down and saw the getting an IMO was right there. Still the template would help too unless it is in there. I will look at your post and look for the template if not in your post.

Edited September 18, 2009 by cannoncocker

[Berta]

I re posted the IMO topic I meant- here a few minutes ago.

My claim was for AO diabetes contributing to death.

The word and diagnosis diabetes never appears in my deceased husband's records.

I proved malpractice on 1997 over other conditions and they awarded under Section 1151 and settled with me for wrongful death.

My daughter home on leave from USAF in 2002 told me she had started to believe dad had diabetes mellitus and asked me to re-open the claim.

After the 1151 and FTCA ordeal I was reluctant to do that.She kept on me for 3 months- finally I opened the medical records files again and the other horrible stuff-

and looked at it all in a different way-

Bingo- she was right-I filed the claim.

Dr. BAsh concurred with my findings and also I tracked down a former Neuro VA doc -this took many months- and he remembered Rod and provided me with a short email that supported my claim. Dr. Bsh contacted him for the statement on his letterhead and attached it to his first IMO.$2,000 was Dr. Bash's usual rate in those days, and then 2,000 for a rebuttal IMO to a VA endocrinologist opinion.

I could not believe how much evidence I found that supported what my daughter said-

On the re-open I had the internet -which I dodnt have for the original FTCA and Sec 1151 claim.

Also there was immense info on the net as to diabetes mellitus.No one in his family or my family ever had diabetes so I didnt recognize the signs and symptoms.

The coroner however seemed astonished that he was never diagnosed with diabetes.

This was a reg flag I didnt pick up on.

I thought it was a good thing that he had a stroke and no diagnosed heart disease or diabetes.

I proved that he had been misdiagnosed with TIAs,CVA, heart disease, improper medications, HBP,

and in recent BVA award-that his AO induced diabetes mellitus had caused his death.

Peace with Honor.

Those of you who are parents of veterans I thing know what I mean when we have to consider our child could get killed in the military but a direct SC death has Honor and this makes it easier to consider this terrible outcome of military service.

I felt this way regarding my husband too-

there is no honor in a death by VA.

I still can hardly believe my claim is finally over.I know now that he rests in Peace.

The costs of my IMOs helped him get that so I dont regret the fee.

I just wish you vets did not have to even consider IMOs-

and I feel the VA or some entity should pay for them-or reimburse for them-but that will probably never happen.

[cannoncocker]

I re posted the IMO topic I meant- here a few minutes ago.

My claim was for AO diabetes contributing to death.

The word and diagnosis diabetes never appears in my deceased husband's records.

I proved malpractice on 1997 over other conditions and they awarded under Section 1151 and settled with me for wrongful death.

My daughter home on leave from USAF in 2002 told me she had started to believe dad had diabetes mellitus and asked me to re-open the claim.

After the 1151 and FTCA ordeal I was reluctant to do that.She kept on me for 3 months- finally I opened the medical records files again and the other horrible stuff-

and looked at it all in a different way-

Bingo- she was right-I filed the claim.

Dr. BAsh concurred with my findings and also I tracked down a former Neuro VA doc -this took many months- and he remembered Rod and provided me with a short email that supported my claim. Dr. Bsh contacted him for the statement on his letterhead and attached it to his first IMO.$2,000 was Dr. Bash's usual rate in those days, and then 2,000 for a rebuttal IMO to a VA endocrinologist opinion.

I could not believe how much evidence I found that supported what my daughter said-

On the re-open I had the internet -which I dodnt have for the original FTCA and Sec 1151 claim.

Also there was immense info on the net as to diabetes mellitus.No one in his family or my family ever had diabetes so I didnt recognize the signs and symptoms.

The coroner however seemed astonished that he was never diagnosed with diabetes.

This was a reg flag I didnt pick up on.

I thought it was a good thing that he had a stroke and no diagnosed heart disease or diabetes.

I proved that he had been misdiagnosed with TIAs,CVA, heart disease, improper medications, HBP,

and in recent BVA award-that his AO induced diabetes mellitus had caused his death.

Peace with Honor.

Those of you who are parents of veterans I thing know what I mean when we have to consider our child could get killed in the military but a direct SC death has Honor and this makes it easier to consider this terrible outcome of military service.

I felt this way regarding my husband too-

there is no honor in a death by VA.

I still can hardly believe my claim is finally over.I know now that he rests in Peace.

The costs of my IMOs helped him get that so I dont regret the fee.

I just wish you vets did not have to even consider IMOs-

and I feel the VA or some entity should pay for them-or reimburse for them-but that will probably never happen.

It is clear enough for me now and won't bother you with this any further. I'll use your post, reworded/reworked. you've done plently. Very glad it worked out for you.

The va conceeded my loss of hearing bilateral at 0%. of course it cost them 0 usd from the budget, like they don't have the presses running full speed for their buddies, but that would be another story. It is just too sorry for them to conceed one that has no more merit than the other. Did I go to the er for loss of hearing, of course not. I have infinetly more evidence my lumbar injury is SC than my ears, other than the obvious. Is it not equally obvious that a kid weighing 128 lbs humping ammo that weighed 130 to 170 lbs had an impact on my back. that doesn't even desrve an answer.

but no, we have to pit our wallets vs the us treasury! But this is exactly like going to vegas. I don't know her, nor do i know how she feels about vets. for all I know she, well, doesn't care for us much.

Vindictive, liars..............

VA repay? That's a thought! not in my lifetime or they would have just approved this to start with. Actually they approved me for a bunch of stuff I didn't even apply for, but denied the one thing I did apply for that was dog obvious!

Edited September 18, 2009 by cannoncocker

[dav_marine72]

Hi Cannoncocker,

I just got TDIU for my back (50% currently). I filed for and was service connected in 2000. Everyone said there was no way it could happen because I filed 5 years out of service and didn't have enough in my service records. My service time was 1991-1995. I have a letter from a surgeon and a podiatrist I asked to write to help my claim. If you'd like to see them I will send offline. I also had 2 IMO done but they were for increases. I'll share them to if you like. Granted I went after service connection as direct and 2nd to my service connected feet. Let me know.

[cannoncocker]

Hi Cannoncocker,

I just got TDIU for my back (50% currently). I filed for and was service connected in 2000. Everyone said there was no way it could happen because I filed 5 years out of service and didn't have enough in my service records. My service time was 1991-1995. I have a letter from a surgeon and a podiatrist I asked to write to help my claim. If you'd like to see them I will send offline. I also had 2 IMO done but they were for increases. I'll share them to if you like. Granted I went after service connection as direct and 2nd to my service connected feet. Let me know.

thank you for being so generous1 I will pm you with my email but anything that I could reword for my doctor and hand to her and make it dead simple. what would you rather work on, the one that is spelled out or the one yo have to think about. Goal being to make it so clear and easy. The doctor and I have zero history so I have the burden here to make this easy and straight to her.

[Pete53]

This is a very important thread. Thanks for all who participated. Especially Berta who tirelessly is willing to help Veterans