hypertension No Help From Vfw

[Hambone11B]

First off I want to say again that this site is a goldmine of information and I have told just about everyone I was in service with about it. In recent months I have come to realize that the best way to go about a claim is to educate yourself on your disabilities and be your own champion and this site is the best place for that. Anyhow...

After going thru 3 different people in the course of 18 months at the VFW (all of which proved to be wrong in one way or another) I am asking how I can find out info on my own claim thru the VA. Th first guy just submitted my claims and when half came back denied he said" Well, we tried." He was fired a few months later. The next guy told me I only had 60 days to file an NOD and had it not been for you guys letting me know that was completely false I would've missed out on a considerable amount of backpay after he just opened new claims on the things I was denied. Now the new VFW rep I have is never available and is now gone for the week. A month ago I was told to look for my TDIU appt and haven't heard anything since and I haven't been able to ask anyone at the VFW because my rep was busy all last week and now is gone all this week. Is there a number I could call or is there a site I can email? I've tried emailing thru the VA website but it comes back as a CGI Error and doesnt go through.

Another question is that I recently recieved a letter from the SSA saying my original claim for SSD was denied, is there any recommendations as to who to contact to aid in the appeal process? I've looked online at a few places to go through but not sure what I should be looking for or if theres any I'm not aware of that help veterans.

Another question I have is after all the nonsense I've gone thru with the VFW, should I be looking for a new VSO or is it more that I've just been unlucky with my branch so far and the same could happen at any of the other VSO's?

Any info regarding any of these issues will be greatly appreciated and I'd like to thank you for reading this and replying if you have anything to add

My SC disabilities are as follows:

PTSD

Sleep Apnea

Degenerative Disc Disease

Cervical Strain (neck)

Left Shoulder Strain

Hypertension

Tinnitus

Edited May 19, 2011 by Hambone11B

[Hambone11B]

To Carlie:

For my TBI claim I'm not actually asking for an increase, I'm asking for a re-evaluation on a claim I submitted that was denied. In the claim response they had noted that I was recieving treatment for headaches, fainting spells and balance problems in accordance with post-concussion syndrome and that I was exposed to IED's and explosions while in service but at the time of discharge the issues had resolved. At the time of discharge I had stopped recieving treatment because I was being discharged and not because they had resolved.

For my GERD I had never really thought about seeking an increase and it is something that I will most definitely submit. At the current time, my PCN and I are currently going thru the steps of getting an upper and lower GI as every time I see him I complain of heartburn. My last appt we tried the last medicine he needed to put me on before he could order such procedures so when I go in on OCT 18 it is one of many things he will be ordering for me. About 2 months ago I checked myself into the ER for headaches and it was discovered in a brain scan that I had calcium deposits on my brain and he had said that I have Calcification and would order more scans to see how widespread it is. Is this something that you've ever heard of and if so is it something that you've heard of someone getting a SC decision on? No need to do any research on it, I'm just wondering if you've ever heard of it is all.

Now, for my siezures, this is also something that I brought up with my PCN when he saw me for headaches 2 months ago. About 4 times in the last year, I found myself waking up in awkward positions in the middle of the days with cuts and scrapes on my body and not knowing what had happened and thought it was just more of the fainting spells I mentioned above. It wasn't until my wife had seen me have a siezure that I realized that I wasn't fainting and that I was having siezures. My PCN told me it was something we'd talk about when I came back in Oct and to take note of any more episodes. It was then that he told me that it could be from TBI or asbestos exposure which were both listed in my files. I was discharged in FEB 2009 and the siezures have been going on since I got back from Iraq in APR 2008.

As far as the 30% PTSD rating with a CIB, when I was at one of my C&P appts an ex-Colonel from the Army that was doing the exam was looking at my file and said he was surprised that I hadn't put in for PTSD. He told me that with a CIB I would get a 30% rating just based on that. Afterwards I told a lot of my battle buddies and so far everyone one of them have gotten at least a 30% rating. After I had put in the claim for PTSD I got a call from the VA asking if I had anything to submit in as far as support for the claim and I told him that I had no files that weren't from the Army and he said OK and then noted that I had a CIB on file and said that was enough to warrant an exam. He then told me I would get a letter for a C&P appt in the mail but I never got the letter and I never had an appt. I did however still recieve a 30% rating. So whether the Colonel was just stating a generalization that people with CIB's get 30% or whether he meant that a CIB alone warranted a 30% rating in the same way Sleep apnea warrants a 50% rating (which ensures that you are able to receive the tubes and stuff that goes with it free for life) I do not know.

For the SSA, in the letter they sent back they did not go into detail as to why I was denied, they just said "We have determined that your condition is not severe enough to keep you from working. We considered the medical and other information, your age, your education, training, and work experience in determining how your condition affected your ability to work." They then attached 3 pages on how to appeal. So, I think its just something that I have to keep after and after researching online and hearing from you, I know that I need to get myself an SSD lawyer to help with my claim and maybe they can help me find out why it was denied.

On a side note, I would like to tell a funny story of when I went to the ER for my headaches. The day I went to the ER, I was admitted and after waiting about 6 hours, they gave me Blood Pressure medicine and sent me on my way telling me to come in on Monday and see my PCN. I was like what the heck. So, come Monday, I go to my Primary Care Clinic and ask to be seen for my headaches which were still going on. They sent me in to see the on call PCN, and I complained that they sent me away from the ER with blood pressure pills for my headache and asked her to please give me something to help take this away. She then asked me a few questions and asked me to wait in her office while she went to get me something for the headache. She came back into the room, reached in her pocket, and to my amazement, she pulled out 2 Hershey Kisses and said " Here, eat these because they might help and then come back in tomorrow" and she then walked out. As I stood there I couldn't help but ask my wife, " Did my skin turn orange and my hair turn green while we were here or something? It doesn't look like I'm wearing white overalls does it?" lol.

Anyways, thanks for any help anyone has and please feel free to correct anything I might be doing wrong. Any suggestions are much appreciated.

[Hambone11B]

My apologies for the length of that last reply, I didn't realize how much I had written when I copied and pasted it into the reply box.

[john999]

Ham

There is no automatic 30% PTSD award for having a CIB. If you have a CIB the VA will concede your stressor. You don't have to prove you were in life threatening situations. The person who does your C&P exam does not make your rating.

[Testvet]

I got a bridge in Brooklyn I can sell cheap

[rotorhead]

Darn TestVet, this must be my lucky day. I woke up this morning and said" man I sure would like to buy a bridge today", and here you are got one for sale.

Just thought we needed some humor today.

Dave

Edited October 16, 2010 by rotorhead

[LarryJ]

Darn TestVet, this must be my lucky day. I woke up this morning and said" man I sure would like to buy a bridge today", and here you are got one for sale.

Just thought we needed some humor today.

Dave

Well, actually, I woke up today (that's a good sign, isn't it?). And, I was thinking about you two guy's and your bridge. Did you know that more than half that bridge is NOT in Brooklyn, but, instead, is in Manhattan? But, "The Manahattan Bridge" just don't sound right, does it? Wasn't long ago I went across that bridge, it was so foggy that when I got on it you couldn't tell it was a bridge, it was kinda like being suspended in a huge cotton ball. Eerie experience. Cool bridge.