ptsd 9 Years Later

[chinavet]

I will make a long story short. I am a Vietnam Vet with PTSD and autoimmune issues.

The VA lost my files and dismissed my case many years ago and I opted not to fight them

I applied again 9 years ago when symptoms got worse. I was living in China on pension. I had been on SSI and that ended with my pension.

I had a C & P and the doc saw me for 10 minutes. He said it was a 15% chance it was service connected.My GAF was 60

The VA denied the claim and I appealed. They ordered a travel board hearing. I wrote them to ask if we could schedule it at a different time. They gave me 2 weeks notice to appear. They denied the request and then denied my claim because I did not "desire" to show for my hearing. Nuts.

The BOVA remanded the case.

They scheduled a new travel board hearing and I flew to chicago and they did not have my records. They said they did not expect me to show up. The hearing officer used language from the doctor and said my PTSD was hard to figure out and my current symptoms were probably caused by other more recent stressors. and since I had held highl evel jobs I was probably not disabled--he did not note that i never held a job more than a few weeks.

I wrote angry objections to the finding and BOVA ordered a 2nd C&P

The examiner saw me for an hour and had worked with my case for 7 years. He said he was 100% sure I was disabled because of the Army, My diagnosis was PTSD and severe depression and my GAF was 30.

The regional office developed the case and said it was ready to rate in November of 2010.

A second doctor concurred with the C&P and it was added to evidence.

I asked Senator Kirk to get involved and he sent a letter and asked them to expedite die to financial hardship and sickness. My autoimmune is killing me.

They have not yet looked at the autoimmune issue.I filed that 2 years ago and they said they will have to rate the PTSD first.

The case was assigned to a rating specialist last month on the 21st. He requested clarification of the diagnoses.

He received a positive response about my condition--one that supported my diagnosis on the 14th.

Whew.

So two questions:

How much longer do you think it will be?

What are the odds of a positive rating?

9 years and counting.

Edited November 10, 2011 by chinavet

[john999]

What was your MOS in Vietnam and did you have any combat medals or badges?

[carlie]

So two questions:

How much longer do you think it will be?

What are the odds of a positive rating?

china,

After reading everything posted in the thread so far,

my guess is that you will have some VA decisions and resolve

sometime within about the next 6-12 months.

This is only a guess as there is no way to provide an accurate answer.

In regards to you question about the odds of a positive rating,

as requested earlier - if you can either type in exactly or scan in a copy

of the C&P exam, then members will be able to provide better answers on this.

[chinavet]

91B CMB

But the stressor was stateside. I went to OCS then EOD training after 55D school. Explosion blinded me for a year in one eye and my house was destroyed by fire in the same 2 month period. Haven't been right since, though I would love to be.

I worked on a lot of trauma cases but ER and emergency never phased me.

What was your MOS in Vietnam and did you have any combat medals or badges?

[82nd 3/504]

I think its sad that they lost your records because the VA doesn't seem to give any disability to many vets that they don't have med records on. The bad part is that they will probably make you wait months before thy send you a denial. A lot of vets from your era had thr records lost. I hate it for u keep fighting and with a senator involved will help. I too am waiting - nearly a year and counting for a reply sitting in a decision phase for 11 months have you signed up for e-vet verify? Cause u can go in and see everything about ur claim its a free portal to the Va

[chinavet]

Thanks! I got married and did the 70's thing and hyphenated my name. That screwed up my DOD and VA files...They want a legal name change doc to combine the records even though the SSN is the same...So, now I am afraid to mess with my folder until they make a decision...I would love to be able to access inline...It is a reall hassle to call the VSO or the800# from China...

They have had it in decision phase about 5 months....They asked for the C&P clarification last month and got a positive answer.

I am wondering how they can say no (it is rhetorical cause I know they say no all the time) if their doc said in the C&P it was service related.....It seems like that would be easy to fight in court...But, I have no experience or knowledge on this stuff...I have been in a haze for 7 years....The VA put me in Klonopin and it stopped my 5 panic attacks a day, but turned me into an angry vegetable....

Just want it to be over...

I was in the 82nd a whole 3 months....Got assigned instructor duty at Ft Sam and did not go back after jump school at Benning....

Good luck on yours too...Let me know what happens!

I think its sad that they lost your records because the VA doesn't seem to give any disability to many vets that they don't have med records on. The bad part is that they will probably make you wait months before thy send you a denial. A lot of vets from your era had thr records lost. I hate it for u keep fighting and with a senator involved will help. I too am waiting - nearly a year and counting for a reply sitting in a decision phase for 11 months have you signed up for e-vet verify? Cause u can go in and see everything about ur claim its a free portal to the Va

[chinavet]

I finally found the C&P info by a board certified psychiatrist at Hines Hospital

backed up by an IME a month later

Axis I PTSD, Depression (first C&P said same, but GAF by nurse was 60)

Axis II Deferred

Axis III Autoimmune disorder, severe arthritis symptoms

Axis IIII Deferred

Axis IV Financial problems, unemployed, Group situations impossible, largely housebound

Axis V GAF 30

Total occupational and social impairment, but able to handle own funds

Stressors listed were all service related and supported PTSD

The first nurse in 2002 that did my C&P did not even ask me a relevant question...The second doc, last year in Nov, has known me and treated me for 7+ years

I've been on Klonopin for 17 years

Edited November 10, 2011 by chinavet