Stressor Help

[Fire Courage]

I need a little help. I don't know if any of these are stressors or if the VA will consider them stressors!

Stressor 1. When I was in the Navy during Operation Desert Storm, I saw dead Iraqi soldiers floating by our ship. One of them was even decapitated. 18 years later I can still visualize those images and it makes me nervous. I don't know how I can prove that I saw this though.

Stressor 2. During the war, the USS Tripoli and the USS Princeton were both struck by mines. Our ship was operating in the same area when those ships were damaged. During that same time, our ship also located and destroyed 3 mines by attaching 10 lbs of C-4 to them. I have the mines being detonated by our ship on tape. We operated out of Mine field 5 for 12 consecutive days. It was terrifying!

Stressor 3. Don't know if my skin disorder can be considered. I'm service connected for it. Its a full body skin rash. I only wear long sleeves and long pants. I no longer go swimming with my family because of how much attention and questions the rash bring. I'm very conscious of it and it bothers me a lot when others notice it. Some people even think I'm contagious.

Could either of these be considered a stressor?

Thanks

[Berta]

AGREED!!!!!!!!!!!

[Fire Courage]

Thanks all. I'm at work today, but my son just called and said I have a large brown looking envelope from the VA.

I wonder what they are saying

[Fire Courage]

I submitted my claim for PTSD. With it I turned in notes from the VAMC Neuropsychologist that states "His overall profile was highly consistent with PTSD, anxiety disorder, and dysthymia", a letter from my wife explaining all she has witness since I have been back from the Gulf War- and its not pretty, a DD-214 that shows I was awarded the CAR, and for the heck of it --a stressor letter explaining "Life before military service", "Life during military service", and "Life after military service".

I tried to submit my DVD of the cause of my stressors (Mine explosions and 2 other ships hit by mines during Desert Storm) with this paperwork, but the darn Regional Office here in Jackson, MS said they don't accept DVD's. I hope they can easily verify the mine information.

Is it easily verifiable?

[Vync]

I submitted my claim for PTSD. With it I turned in notes from the VAMC Neuropsychologist that states "His overall profile was highly consistent with PTSD, anxiety disorder, and dysthymia", a letter from my wife explaining all she has witness since I have been back from the Gulf War- and its not pretty, a DD-214 that shows I was awarded the CAR, and for the heck of it --a stressor letter explaining "Life before military service", "Life during military service", and "Life after military service".

I tried to submit my DVD of the cause of my stressors (Mine explosions and 2 other ships hit by mines during Desert Storm) with this paperwork, but the darn Regional Office here in Jackson, MS said they don't accept DVD's. I hope they can easily verify the mine information.

Is it easily verifiable?

I tried to submit a couple of DVDs with MRI scans (from each MRI site) and they also told me they did not need them. Instead, they told me to submit the radiologist write-up. In your case, you might have enough evidence already, but like others say, crush them with evidence. Based on Berta and John's comments, the CAR should suffice. Have you talked with your VAMC neuropsych doc to see if they would be willing to opine on the videos? Make a copy for him and see what he says.

Also, I hope your brown envelope contained good news :D

[Pete53]

Make images prints of what you want to submit.

[halos2]

What ship,were you on? I know someone who was on the ages cruiser that was 1st there and he told me about all the bodies floating in the sea, and how the sailors gave niknames to the remains as they removed them...ie,woody(torso), clubby(no legs) etc he was upset over this but believed that by the guys depersonalizing them it made it somewhat tolerable. It was terrible. I saw pics of the mines and the underwater crews doing something to them so they would not detonate or whatever they did to prevent the explosion...you could clearly see their faces/mines even see their eye color through the masks. See you received a combat ribbon from your service over there. That proves a stressor...

Sounds like it could be a bigger stressor related especially if you could find any of your buddy's from back then If so, and they write a buddy letter it could help. Good luck.

I need a little help. I don't know if any of these are stressors or if the VA will consider them stressors!

Stressor 1. When I was in the Navy during Operation Desert Storm, I saw dead Iraqi soldiers floating by our ship. One of them was even decapitated. 18 years later I can still visualize those images and it makes me nervous. I don't know how I can prove that I saw this though.

Stressor 2. During the war, the USS Tripoli and the USS Princeton were both struck by mines. Our ship was operating in the same area when those ships were damaged. During that same time, our ship also located and destroyed 3 mines by attaching 10 lbs of C-4 to them. I have the mines being detonated by our ship on tape. We operated out of Mine field 5 for 12 consecutive days. It was terrifying!

Stressor 3. Don't know if my skin disorder can be considered. I'm service connected for it. Its a full body skin rash. I only wear long sleeves and long pants. I no longer go swimming with my family because of how much attention and questions the rash bring. I'm very conscious of it and it bothers me a lot when others notice it. Some people even think I'm contagious.

Could either of these be considered a stressor?

Thanks

Edited December 8, 2009 by halos2