Denied Tdui And/or 100 % And I Am Almost Crippled!

[1lonewolf]

I got hurt while serving during the Gulf War. They performed reconstructive surgery on both of my Feet(screwed them Together) This has caused me allot of pain and an abnormal gait for all these years. Now I have misalignement and degenerative arthritis in both hips which also catch and pop out every so often. I also have Degenerative Disc Disease, Degenerative Arthritis, 5 bulging discs, a pinch sciatic nerve, and facet syndrome in my lower back. I never went to the VA for treatment for over 19 years other than in 1997 when one of my feet broke and they had to redo it. When My hips and back finally got so bad I could not manage it anymore with over the counter Motrin (Which also caused me to have Barrett's Espophagus). I started going to the VA again. All of my doctors from Podiatry to Ortho said the same thing. That my hips and my back were in the shape they are because of my abnormal gait all these years because I walk on my heels and the sides of my feet for obvious reasons. I am in constant pain and they have prescribed my morphine 60 mg a day and hyrdrocodone 10s 4 times a day. I have to go every 6 months for nerve burns in all five lower vertebra. I also take sleeping pills prescribed by them. I was told by all my doctors that this would only get worse with age and I am only 40 and can barely move now. There was however one very brash and rude older female doctor in Ortho who has always had an overall demeanor with me that my conditions are not related to walking on my heels and my abnormal gate. This is the same doctor who pushed bruised on me and sent my to Physical Therapy before she even knew what was wrong with my back or hips. She is also the Doctor who showed up to perform my C and P examination btw! I knew when I saw her that This was a waiste of my time and what she would do for my claim. Keep in mind that I was granted 10 percent for my right hip last Jan for Degenerative Arthritis and popping. This C and P exam was done by another Honest Doctor who followed procedure and code 38 regs. So here I am with the Doctor who treats all Vets like animals about to do a C and P exam on my back and left hip. She pulled the muscles in my right ribs during trunk rotation by grabbing my arm and extending me and she forced me to squat when I cannot and I cound not back up. Needless to say when I left I was hurting so bad I had to go home and take some med and lay down for a few hours. I hurt for over a week! I just got my claim back today and Not only was it denied but they took the 10 % away for my right hip. She wrote that my conditions were not related to abnormal gate. Not only that she answered the questions using her own opinion and not medical facts and did not even perform all the tests she was supposed to in accordance with the 38 references. They can do and put whatever they want and put your life on hold. Now I have to appeal. Gait causes all kinds of problems! You can find evidence to the contrary as she has but there is plenty of information all over the internet to prove that. It is common sense. Now here I am appealing because of one doctor who should not even have a job treating Vets they way she is. I feel everyones pain and wear ankle braces and walk on a cane both issued by the VAMC! The letter I got today should have been and would have been 100% if it had not been for her and her plight to disprove and mistreat all Vets she treats or examins! Now my life continues to be on hold thanks to her and I have lost everything and can barely walk. I am mad as hell right now and disgusted. All those years I tried my best to not go to the VA and now here I am almost crippled, in constant pain even with the meds they give me, and alone. I cannot work as I cannot sit, stand, walk, or even lay down for any period of time. I sleep very little even with sleeping pills they gave me, and I am denied and they even took the 10 % they gave me in Jan 09 for my right hip. I welcome any and all replies, support, and even guidance. I am at the end of my rope, have lost everything, and I am a former Executive that is penniless and virtually crippled at 40. I have listed my current conditions below and will start my appeals process Monday. If I could move or walk or sit or do anything I would go back to work but now I cannot!

Pes Planus with Plantar Fasciitis, Bilaterally 10 %

Right Hallux Valgus Post resection 10 %

Lef Hallux Valugus Post resection 10 %

a few other feet conditions and resections that go into the descriptions above.

degenerative Arthritis Right Hip 10 % (taken away and severed as of today by the VA)

degenerative Arthritis Left Hip Denied

Degenerative Disc Disease of spine Denied

5 Bulging Discs Denied

Pinched Sciatic Nerve

[1lonewolf]

I am trying to get my Primary Care Doc at the VA to give me a referral for an IMO. If I can get him to do it and it is approved the VA will pay for my IMO! Has anyone ever heard of this? Just wandering if it will actually work??

I am trying to get my Primary Care Doc at the VA to give me a referral for an IMO. If I can get him to do it and it is approved the VA will pay for my IMO! Has anyone ever heard of this? Just wandering if it will actually work??

[Bravo6]

I am trying to get my Primary Care Doc at the VA to give me a referral for an IMO. If I can get him to do it and it is approved the VA will pay for my IMO! Has anyone ever heard of this? Just wandering if it will actually work??

From my experience I couldn't get my VA Primary Care Doctor to write said letter. He told me that the medical director has tied the PC Dr's from letter such a letter for veterans in that clinic. This is what I was told by my outgoing PC doctor that I was seeing on a regular basis which left shortly thereafter.

It took a letter from VRE stating that I was unable to work anymore because of my SC conditions. Once that happened, TDIU was almost automatic. Now bear in mind that this was with my case only! So you never know, you might want to see if you can be screened by VRE and see if they concur with you being unemployable because of your SC conditions.

Good Luck!

B6

[1lonewolf]

What is a VRE? Do you mean an IMO from outside the VA?

[jbasser]

Call a local attorney either close or In COrbin ans ask them who they use for SSA claims as IME DOcs.

This may help.

J

[1lonewolf]

Good idea, I will do that. I called a few other Ortho surgeons today for an IME and so far the cost is around $1200 to get one. I do not know were I can come up with that kind of money but I will have to do what is needed. I tried to put in a request to see if my PCP at the VA will give me the referral and get the VA to pay for the IME but I doubt he can do it from what I am reading and seeing now. I will let you know what happens on that request so everyone will know. I think I know what I have to do now for the most part and I will hopefully talk to my VA rep tomorrow. Here is what I am planning. Please feel free to comment or give suggestions.

1. Attempt to get my Doctors at the VA who have treated me and stated that my abnormal gait has caused my back and hips to be destroyed after 19 years. (long shot because I hear that most Doctors at the VA will not write a Nexus. I have confirmed in my records gait statements including sever lower leg muscle depletion/loss from my Podiatrist, PCP, and Pain management)

2. File an Appeal on my Hip percentage which is severed ASAP.

3. File an NOD/Appeal on my claim and request a new C and P exam by a different Doctor

4. Get an independent medical examination from an outside ortho related Doctor in support of my claim.

Q: Does anyone think I should ask the VA to reconsider based on my medical records. Most of the info is in there but I was thinking that would be a waist of time being as they did not read any of them to begin with in making their decision, just her Examination! Thoughts?

Thanks again for everyone's continued help. You guys are all I have to keep me going. I can only sit for about 3-5 minutes at a time due my back and hips but I will continue to check my email and this post frequently. So am I on the right track?

[1lonewolf]

According to my DAV rep I need to get an IMO/IME asap. This should change my hip condition rating being severed in 60 days and get my claim approved on appeal. Does everyone here agree that this is my best recourse to get this claim approved? It is going to cost me quite a bit of money but according to him it is the best approach to get everything taken care of in a timely manner. I will have to figure out how to scrape up the money to get this done. Does everyone agree with this approach? Please let me know. I was thinking of getting an IMO at the office listed below. All I can do now is pray that this is the right approach. Please let me know your thoughts on this everyone. Thanks.

http://theassessmentcenters.com/facility.htm