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Unsure About Ptsd Claim

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westcoastlv

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My husbad was in the Persian Gulf. His DD214 shows Combat Action Ribbon and Southwest Asia Service Medal w/bronze Star, Kuwait Liberation Medal Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. We have recently (July 2010) filed a claim for PTSD. We have received the VCAA notice, and a letter stating they are still working on the claim. We have a service rep at the VAC who told us that the next letter to expect is to schedule the C&P Exam.

About 5 years ago my husband was diagnosed with BiPolar Disorder by a private psychiatrist. He has been taking medicine for it ever since. Little did we know at the time that the symptoms for Bi Polar and PTSD are very similar, with the exception of the stressor. The private psych didn't ask about any stressors, and we didn't even think there was a connection to the Gulf War. After some research and long thought, we started to pinpoint when my husbands behavior actually began to change. This 'disorder' began during his shore duty, after his time on the ship. He has just started seeing at VA pysch, and we told her about the PTSD, but also had to mention the bipolar (which we said was a misdiagnosis) so that he could keep on his meds. We obtained a copy of his first and only visit with the VA pysch and she mentioned the PTSD and bipolar, had a GAF of 65, and stated that there were some other mental health issues. This has been requested and received by the VA Comp as well. It did not give a definitive diagnosis of PTSD. We have NOT sent any private pysch clinic notes. I spoke with my husbands previous private pysch, and he agrees that his issues are most likely PTSD, but has no notes to that effect because the stressors were never discussed, and he based his diagnosis on what we told him had been previously diagnosed. We have another VA appt tomorrow, and I am thinking that we should stress the PTSD (at least to get it in her notes).

The VAC service rep said that we would most likely get 70% for the PTSD because of the Combat Action Ribbon, but I am concerned that is may not be such a slam dunk. My husband is in desparate need of a rating because he is unable to work. He has an extremely hard time coping with life, even with the medications.

My questions are: should we request that the VA pysch give him a complete PTSD evaluation tomorrow? How does the civilian diagnosis of BiPolar affect the PTSD claim? Or, will this all be resolved in the C&P exam regardless of previous diagnosis? Should we also go to a private pysch and request the PTSD evaluation?

I have written a letter about how my husband's life has been affected by this, and also a letter from him. Who do I show these to?

We've requested other ratings as well: Tinnitus, Bilateral Hearing Loss, and Elbow.

Any advice or insight would be helpful.

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Finally I talked to the VARO. I had to call back through the 800# to send a message for them to call me back. The 800# rep explained to me that the VARO requested the military service records on 8/17 with a 30-day return. If not received, they should have given it a 30-day extension, which would have been 10/16. Well that's since passed. There is no note of the extension request. So, my question became, is this an open-ended request? How long is too long to wait for these records before someone makes the decision to move on without them, and what specifically is in the records that is helpful? The DD-214 shows Gulf War services and a combat action ribbon, which I understood to be a presumptive. Obviously not. So, I posed these questions to the VARO rep and he explained that there is no time limit, that yes, the records request is open-ended and that it could reasonably take up to 1-year to receive. Really? I spoke with the Archives people and they told me that if we requested the records we would get them in about 8 weeks or less. The VARO told me that I should NOT request the records independently, but I did it a week ago.

I can't believe that it could take up to 1-year to transfer records from one agency to another. And they are paper copies at that. Why haven't these docs been digitally scanned? If the VA is hoping to streamline its process, wouldn't that make sense?

Has anyone else had experience in their claim where the personnel records took forever? How long?

Well it took me over two years to get ony a portion of my records, and the parts that were redacted or demamed a clearance problem I will never get. as for a speedy resolution remember this is the government and progress is slow on the best of days as for the scaning of documents remember these are union employees and any thing that would speed up the system is not to be used speed dose not benifit the employee so thers the answer for that.

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ARRRRRGGGGGHHHHH!!!! I am extremely frustrated, however, I want to share this with anyone who may be going through the Military Service Records Search NIGHTMARE. History: 8/17 VA requested Service Records through PIES to the Archives in St. Louis. 30, 60 almost 90-days go by, and they have not received the records, and have not made a 2nd request. I was told again today that the ETA if the records is open-ended and to just keep waiting. Can't. I then called Archives myself to see if our request for the records has been received and they told me that my request had been forwarded to the Department of the Navy. Why? Because Archives does not have the records, they are with the Department of the Navy because my husband's discharge date is after 1995. It would make sense that a VA Rater would know this especially seeing they do this everyday.

So, I call the Dept of Navy, and was told that I could request the records with a simple fax, and would receive a CD within 2-weeks. Really? Really? This boggles my mind. Had the VA person responsible for gathering this info bothered to know where to look, then they would have had these records, oh say, months ago.

Again, I am just frustrated, but at the same time glad that there are still people out there that take pride in their jobs, and are willing to help a vet. God Bless to all of you that care about Vets.

Well glad you got his records! Make sure you print out a copy for yourselves before sending them along to the RO. I would even make a copy of the CD to send along and keep the one you have.

Hope things start rolling along for him now!

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Thanks Stillhere, so do I. I find it so difficult to accept that the President and other government officials tout how important it is to support our Veterans, when it seems as if our government workers do all they can to subterfuge the benefits our vets deserve. I almost feel as if the VARO rep sent the request to the wrong agency on purpose, so that months later they can claim that they can't find them, therefore sending us on a witchhunt of sorts. Or maybe using that as a basis to deny his claim. For every one step forward, there is someone willing to push you two steps back.

Once I receive the records from Dept of Navy, I will send a copy of the CD along with a printed copy of every document, but I will also fax the docs directly to the VARO. I suspect that I will then be told that the need an 'official' copy.

I certainly don't want to get the VARO rater angry, however, I would love to include a little note in my package explaining that they requested the records from the wrong agency, therefore there has been a delay in decision due to their negligence. I wonder where would we be had I sent all that they've asked us for to the wrong agency, NOWHERE. I would have to accept all the blame on that one, but I doubt if the VARO will.

They told me that this was the only thing they were waiting on, seeing they have been given all medical records, statements in support of claim, and ptsd questionairres. Anyone have any idea what happens next? Is a C&P exam inevitable? Then what?

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Thanks Stillhere, so do I. I find it so difficult to accept that the President and other government officials tout how important it is to support our Veterans, when it seems as if our government workers do all they can to subterfuge the benefits our vets deserve. I almost feel as if the VARO rep sent the request to the wrong agency on purpose, so that months later they can claim that they can't find them, therefore sending us on a witchhunt of sorts. Or maybe using that as a basis to deny his claim. For every one step forward, there is someone willing to push you two steps back.

Once I receive the records from Dept of Navy, I will send a copy of the CD along with a printed copy of every document, but I will also fax the docs directly to the VARO. I suspect that I will then be told that the need an 'official' copy.

I certainly don't want to get the VARO rater angry, however, I would love to include a little note in my package explaining that they requested the records from the wrong agency, therefore there has been a delay in decision due to their negligence. I wonder where would we be had I sent all that they've asked us for to the wrong agency, NOWHERE. I would have to accept all the blame on that one, but I doubt if the VARO will.

They told me that this was the only thing they were waiting on, seeing they have been given all medical records, statements in support of claim, and ptsd questionairres. Anyone have any idea what happens next? Is a C&P exam inevitable? Then what?

Make sure that you do (nicely) tell them where the records are from though.

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In less than 2-short weeks, I have managed to do what the VARO seems not to be able to. I have received my husbands Military Service Records (VARO requested these same records 98-days ago). I am getting ready to fax these docs to them, having already called the 800# to make note of their receipt.

My husband has a PTSD evaluation tomorrow, ordered by his mental health doctor, not VARO. We have reviewed his doctor's previous notes, which only mentions PTSD (mentions, not a diagnosis), along with mood disorder and anxiety disorder. Also states there are 'other' mental issues. At his last visit, we specifically asked the doctor to make the PTSD diagnosis, but it doesn't seem as if she can, or will. She stated that she only goes off what we tell her, hence, the PTSD eval tomorrow.

Question, based on this appointment, and assuming this doctor makes an official diagnosis of what we know to be true, will the VARO still proceed with ordering a C&P exam? Also, how do the other mentionings of mood and anxiety disorders play into this?

I think my husband needs to make a list of his stressors, with details, so that he can make sure to mention all of what he's remembered so far (his memory is really bad)? Is that appropriate? Or would it be better to let the evaluator read it?

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"Question, based on this appointment, and assuming this doctor makes an official diagnosis of what we know to be true, will the VARO still proceed with ordering a C&P exam? Also, how do the other mentionings of mood and anxiety disorders play into this?"

Under the new regs, the diagnosis of PTSD must come from a VA doctor. PTSD is in fact an anxiety disorder.

"I think my husband needs to make a list of his stressors, with details, so that he can make sure to mention all of what he's remembered so far (his memory is really bad)? Is that appropriate? Or would it be better to let the evaluator read it? " I dont know if the evluator will read it but the VA should when they rate the claim.

With the CAR he should not even have to have his stressors verified but if they do that anyhow- he should have a list with the most easiest ones to verify first.

He might fall under the new PTSD regs- as well as the old ones. Only time will tell if these new regs for PTSD are really helping veterans get their proper awards for PTSD.

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