tinnitus New Member

[masters101]

I am currently rated at 50% with the VA. (40 % Back/10% Neck/ 0% Tinnitus/Hearing Loss/ 0% eyes)

I have asked for an increase with the help of the DAV on June 15, 2009 for the following:

1. Tinnitus- I have two doctors letters clearly establishing my extreme tinnitus and connection with my USAF active duty days. In addition the VA has issued me hearing aids.

2. Fibromyalgia: I have two separate doctors who have completed an IME and both say it is more likely than not do to my accident in the USAF. My Fibromyalgia is very painful and has made my body into a cage of pain.

3. Neck pain has increased to severe levels. The pain is constant and I cannot do many normal things. My pain and inability to move my neck has lead to being relieved from my job. My latest MRI report shows severe stenosis and several bulging disk. I have two Doctors letters clearly stating the injury was from my USAF active duty and my condition is severe.

4. Depression, my Psychologist wrote a two page IME and has diagnosed me with severe depression due to my service connected injury. In addition two of my other Doctors have concurred and I included those Doctor reports to the VA. I am highly medicated by my Doctor

5. Severe debilitating migraines: I included two separate Doctor reports which clearly show my neck and back injury are the reason for my migraine headaches.

6. Loss of feeling and numbness in my arms and legs.

7. I have applied for social security but have not heard back from them as of 21 October 2009.

8. I am unable to work with all of my medical conditions; the medicaitons i take keep me in a constant gray area. In addition i am having issues with both short and long term memory.

I would like to get some advice from my fellow Veterans. Any advice or thoughts are welcomed both positive and negative. I realize I am fighting an up-hill battle with the VA. Because I have so many issues will my file fall to the waist side? Any chance of my file being complete within 1 year? I have not been set up for any C&P exams as of today. Is it possible to have a rating completed without several C&P’s? What weight does a C&P have over two and three highly credible Doctors? I have several IME some of them are 7 to 10 pages longs.

[Testvet]

The best advice I can give you is to not GIVE UP appeal appeal and appeal, if needed get another IMO, the only way you lose is when you get frustrated and quit persistence is the name of the game make sure you have a good nexus and the evidence to support it then just don't quit until you exhaust all appeals don't get in a rush I promise you the VA isn't

[Pete53]

Masters

Welcome to Hadit

[carlie]

I am currently rated at 50% with the VA. (40 % Back/10% Neck/ 0% Tinnitus/Hearing Loss/ 0% eyes)

I have asked for an increase with the help of the DAV on June 15, 2009 for the following:

1. Tinnitus- I have two doctors letters clearly establishing my extreme tinnitus and connection with my USAF active duty days. In addition the VA has issued me hearing aids.

masters,

I would double check on the Tinnitus rating.

The way I understand your post, is that

you are rated SC'd for Tinnitus at zero percent.

Tinnitus granted SC - only has one compensation level

and it is 10 %.

There is no SC compensation level for Tinnitus

at zero percent, to my knowledge.

jmho,

carlie

6260 Tinnitus, recurrent 10

Note

(1): A separate evaluation for tinnitus may be combined with an evaluation under diagnostic codes 6100, 6200, 6204, or other diagnostic code, except when tinnitus supports an evaluation under one of those diagnostic codes.

Note

(2): Assign only a single evaluation for recurrent tinnitus, whether the sound is perceived in one ear, both ears, or in the head.

Note

(3): Do not evaluate objective tinnitus (in which the sound is audible to other people and has a definable cause that may or may not be pathologic) under this diagnostic code, but evaluate it as part of any underlying condition causing it.

[masters101]

Hi, and thank you so much for your help. I have felt all alone for a long time and someone told me about this website. I really do not know how to express my complete gratitude to everyone. Pain, depression and the inability to provide for your family are no fun.

I did receive my VCAA letter from the VA with a 27 August 2009 Date. They had lost one of my most valuable IME. I had the DAV send another one out and I also sent it via USPS and had them sign for the IME. The IME lost by the VA is by far my strongest one and is over 14 pages of detailed information on my current medical condition. I sincerely hope it was an honest mistake on the VA's part. He clearly stated I was not fit to work due to severe pain and high levels of medication.

Maam, I am also surprised my DAV representative did not file the paper work for TDIU. I have taken your advice and have filled it out and will be at my DAV's office tomorrow morning. The DAV representative has been a real light in the dark for me and I highly respect him. He is over worked and under paid, but very much appreciated by myself and other Veteran. I a sure it was an oversight and we will get it fixed tomorrow.

Here is one of the letters my Psychiatrist wrote: His second letter said I was unfit to work due to my service connected injury.

Mr. Blank is currently a patient being seen at my clinic for depression. His back and neck injury sustained on active duty in the USAF appears more likely than not to be the cause of his depression. Mr. Blank’s accident has caused him severe pain and suffering and continues to play a role in his daily life.

Mr. Blank suffers from the following conditions due to his depression; both occupational and social impairment with major issues with family relations, mood swings, reduced reliability and productivity due to panic attacks daily; difficulty in understanding complex commands; impairment of short and long term memory; he has difficulty remembering task and major issue’s with impaired judgment; disorientation to time or place; memory loss for names of close relatives and close co workers. Impaired abstract thinking; disturbances of motivation and mood; difficulty in establishing and maintaining effective work and social relationships. Deficiencies in most areas, such as work, school, family relations, judgment, thinking or mood, due to such symptoms as: obsession rituals which interfere with routine activities; speech intermittently illogical, obscure , or irrelevant; or depression affecting the ability to function independently, appropriately and effectively; impaired impulse control such as unproved irritability with periods of violence; spatial disorientation; neglect or personal appearance and hygiene; difficulty in adapting to stressful circumstances at home and work. Inability to establish and maintain effective relationships at work and home. Mr. Blank also suffers from the loss of consortium, the loss of society.

Based on the case history and above test findings, it appears injury sustained in the military is the contributing factor to patient’s depression and has been ongoing for years and will continue for lifetime.

Current medication: 60 MG Cymbalta daily, 30 MG Temazepam daily, 300 MG lithium Carbonate daily.

I also sent off a request via the IRIS site this morning and received the following email reply.

Right now we are in the development stage of your claim, which is where we obtain information and gather evidence to substantiate your claim of disabilities that were incurred or aggravated during your service to our country. Our records indicate that we have received all requested information.

Your file is currently pending review to ensure we have all necessary evidence and documentation to submit your claim to the rating board, which is where we will review your file and make a decision on service connection and disability percentages.

The claims process can be lengthy due to the many processes that must take place. We appreciate your patience and understanding as we work our way through the claims processing procedures.

Thank you again for your help and guidance.

[masters101]

masters,

I would double check on the Tinnitus rating.

The way I understand your post, is that

you are rated SC'd for Tinnitus at zero percent.

Tinnitus granted SC - only has one compensation level

and it is 10 %.

There is no SC compensation level for Tinnitus

at zero percent, to my knowledge.

jmho,

carlie

6260 Tinnitus, recurrent 10

Note

(1): A separate evaluation for tinnitus may be combined with an evaluation under diagnostic codes 6100, 6200, 6204, or other

diagnostic code, except when tinnitus supports an evaluation under one of those diagnostic codes.

Thank you so much for your response. Yes I am rated for tinitus and hearing loss but at zero percent. My DAV representative told me I needed to get more documentation so I went to a civilian Doctor and he tied my hearing loss and tinnitus to my active duty time. I also got a statement from my primary care Doctor.

Note

(2): Assign only a single evaluation for recurrent tinnitus, whether the sound is perceived in one ear, both ears, or in the head.

Note

(3): Do not evaluate objective tinnitus (in which the sound is audible to other people and has a definable cause that may or may not be pathologic) under this diagnostic code, but evaluate it as part of any underlying condition causing it.

[masters101]

Masters

Welcome to Hadit

Thank you very much Sir.