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??

[JamesBreckenridge]

We're not supposed to wheel and deal.

That said, there have been MANY times when I have been faced with a claim consisting of multiple MULTIPLE issues, and I wished that I was allowed to ask the vet to drop some of them. For example, if the veteran was going to be 100 percent anyway due to the issues I could grant, and all of the others were just going to be denials, it would save everyone time if I could just grant the ones I knew I could grant, and have the vet drop the ones that were going to be losers anyway.

But I think that would be the first step down a road we really don't want to go down. We don't want a culture of wheeling and dealing. Also, if you drop a claimed issue, it isn't denied, and there won't be any appeal rights that attach; you'll just have to claim it over again later. Also, it's important to actually rate out conditions even when the veteran is already at 100 percent, because a separate 60 percent would entitle them to statutory housebound benefits.

What I *am* in favor of is calling a vet or their POA on the front end when we get their claim for 56 vaguely described issues and cleaning them up and combining them into something that makes sense and fits the rating schedule.

[JustPLS]

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 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??

I think you did fine, and made the right choice. It's easy to have second thoughts, especially after fighting for so long with just one goal in mind. You can go back and re-file after the shock wears off. Enjoy your success and good luck!

[babyray]

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??

great decision, i would have taken it too. it takes the weight of the world off ru shoulders. God bless u. congrats!

[johnjjr]

Hey Halos2,

CONGRATS. Great decision

Remember the PMS combined with GPS joke? You don't need it any more with the VA!! (HAHA) Time to enjoy a stress free life with all the benefits and let the VA find you the 1st of every month.

[East]

You made the right choice. Congrats. :)

[hedgey]

I'm so happy for you, Halos! I understand how you're feeling, too. I think it will pass in a while. Trying to make yourself forget about it will just make it worse, I think. Just feel what you feel, and let your emotions run their course. It's been a long hard road and it will be a while before you can really believe you don't have to fight anymore. It's like you've just gotten a call from your lawyer, that your ex has agreed to terms but they still walk away with their favorite toys and a good reputation intact, even though they were monsters to you when the camera wasn't on them and the family wasn't visiting.

Go ahead and feel your grief and outrage. Don't try to suppress those feelings because they turn into bitterness and eat you from the inside out. And spend their money (NO, YOUR MONEY) in ways that bring you happiness and peace.