tdiu I Took The Offer

[halos2]

VSO called within the last 2 hrs and DRO offered 100% IU PT Chapter 35 no future exams if I would drop all of my other claims. Thought about it, talked about it to my good friend Larryj, and to my daughter, and I settled for it today.

If not I was looking forward to 6+ new C&P exams...realizing 1 claim went back to 04, another 05, 2 more 07, and BVA remanded one , and knowing how dirty they have treated me, I asked the eight ball and rolled the dice and got "outlook looks favorable" so I decided I didn't want to risk them taking away what I already had, and took the 100% PT.

I am having second thoughts, but one never knows...it has been consuming me and engulfing me in its grip for all these years...and as we all know with them denying me/declaring me deceased/severing me/low balling me/remanding me...My great advisors said "Follow the yellow brick road to the bank now!"

So I just called my VSO and told him ok as the VA would not use my older TDIU claim dates as they said I was not meeting the criteria for these using those dates but did meet the criteria as of Nov last yr.

So within the last 4 1/2 weeks I went from 50% to 60% to 70% to 100%...

Come on fellow friends tell me you would have accepted this offer.

I am such a "RIGHT" person, and a strong one I was willing to battle on, but the system is not a fair one and they could last longer and hold out longer then I could live, so I accepted the offer also suggested by my VSO.

Why don't I feel great about it now though??

[john999]

100% P&T is winning with the VA. Besides, you can always file new claims to resurrect your old claims after you get your P&T in writing. If you still have claims out there that are going to threaten your life then I would wait and file on those later. I got P&T, but I filed about 6 claims and a CUE since then. I basically filed for things that could result in me dying, or lots of money. I did not chase small claims, but a vet has the right to do that if they want. Once you get your 100% they won't take it back. One year from now the VARO won't even remember your name or your claim. You can start all over again and keep poking them until the day you die. You can always file for housebound after you get your 100%. Kick them every chance you get.

[Berta]

"Why don't I feel great about it now though??" When warriors come out of a victorious battle -it is hard for them to put the weapons down.

We know how you feel. My recent award depressed me-because the veteran isn't alive to see it and because it took them 7 years to read my evidence.

Halos-I feel you did remarkably well here.

Don't forget those DEA and CHAMPVA benefits are worth quite a bit of money.CHAMPVA has paid considerable amount toward my health care over the years and I cost the VA about 12 thousand or more for DEA school benefits under Chapter 35.And that was just for half of my degree.

Congrats and now you can begin to relax because it is OVER!

[retiredat44]

Congrats!

[Josephine]

Congratulatons, I feel that you made the right decision.

Enjoy your life and soon the depression of what might have been will leave.

I did the same thing you did.

Always,

Betty

[LarryJ]

Halos, I do Really know how you feel.

I had fought with the VA for years, also, and I had been "wounded" in body 40 years ago, and I had been destroyed in spirit when, after years of "suckin' it up" like a "good Marine" I had to have help and, instead, received the "screw you, damned Jarhead" from the VA.

I was soooo intent upon making them PAY (not PAY money, but, you know, PAY, by eating their words and suffering the humiliation that I HAD SUFFERED at their hands.) That kinda PAY!

So, I learned THEIR "order of battle" and their sneaky tricks, and I played THEIR GAME, 'cause they weren't gonna play MINE. And, I "entrenched" myself, I dug "defensive positions" all over chap 38 and all over their congressional mandates, etc. HELL YEAH, I was dug in deep and committed to fighting till the bitter end.

Then, along came my "day in court", the day that I'd looked forward to for 6 years............a really honest to G-d hearing where I could REALLY light into them, and hammer my just cause in their faces.

And, I get a call from MY vso in the RO in Waco:

"Hey, Larry, how'd you like to "win" 100% P&T............seems that they don't want to hang around for your hearing on Friday afternoon, they all want to leave early because of the long Labor Day weekend?

Hello, Larry, are you still there............?"

Well, DUH. HEck yeah, I'll take a WIN............then, after I agreed to the "deal" and I got some quite time to think about it, I was SOOOOO DAMNED dis-illusioned and felt so, kinda, "dirty" I guess, and so "useless" and nothing to do, nothing to fight for, anymore...............and, I got to thinking, all my "righteousness" all my rightful "hurt" and all my hopes.............and it all ended because some DRO wanted to get out of town before the traffic got bad on Friday afternoon!

YUP, darlin', been there, done that. AND I BOUGHT MYSELF THE T-SHIRT! I really did, bought TWO of them, MOF!

If you get "down in the dumps" you got my number, and, let me know what size T-shirt you WANT. You EARNED it!

[Notorious Kelly]

halos,

you WON!

Bravo!

I'd definitely have taken 100% to not be checking the mail everyday for years wondering, waiting, stewing...

p.s. - Don't think I got that depression after- just glad to be eating in restaurants instead of scrimping on every dime.

ENJOY YOUR VICTORY- HUZZAH!