ptsd 2Nd C&p Ptsd Exam

[westcoastlv]

Hello All,

My husband has his 2nd C&P Exam for PTSD tomorrow. The first was during the initial claim, this one is for the R2R/Increase Claim.

The 1st claim was with a mental health contractor, and this one is scheduled with a VA doctor at the VA clinic.

Has anyone had experience with a 2nd exam for increase, if yes, how was it similar or different from the 1st?

All of the stressors, etc have already been decided and conceeded. This exam is to see if the condition is worse, so I'm looking for some insight as to how this exam might be different.

Thanks in advance.

[usmcgirl]

Mine C&P was done in april for increase and this is what the doc asked me : Family history, Medical history, work history, military history/stressors, who handles my finances, they will have behavioral observations. present life situations and daily functioning for the past year - what you do, panic attacts ect. How you look (grooming) if you have friends or not. if you talk to people or not. how you deal with people or now. I didn't have to do any "tests" like tracing or remembering or anyting like that. but he did ask me at the end "if you had one wish....what would it be." hope that helps.

[westcoastlv]

OK, just returned from Hubby's 2nd PTSD exam. It went pretty much as USMCGIRL described it. The downside, they didn't let me attend this exam with my husband, which made him very agitated. That's a good thing because they get to see him as he is when he is alone in a stressful situation. Not nearly as bad as he can be, but enough to demonstrate his mood swings.

He did say the examiner ultimately asked did he want to work, and if they found him a job would he work. He answered that he was so volatile and explosive when dealing with others that it wouldn't be good for his coworkers. He said that he couldn't predict when he would 'just go off' and was afraid of really hurting someone at work.

So, being that this was with a VA doctor, I wonder how long it will take me to get a copy of the C&P results.

[jokerwaswild]

it took me about a month. I went to the James Haley here in Tampa to the release of information department and picked up my results.

Good luck

Joker

1321918993' post=263853]

OK, just returned from Hubby's 2nd PTSD exam. It went pretty much as USMCGIRL described it. The downside, they didn't let me attend this exam with my husband, which made him very agitated. That's a good thing because they get to see him as he is when he is alone in a stressful situation. Not nearly as bad as he can be, but enough to demonstrate his mood swings.

He did say the examiner ultimately asked did he want to work, and if they found him a job would he work. He answered that he was so volatile and explosive when dealing with others that it wouldn't be good for his coworkers. He said that he couldn't predict when he would 'just go off' and was afraid of really hurting someone at work.

So, being that this was with a VA doctor, I wonder how long it will take me to get a copy of the C&P results.

[westcoastlv]

Well, we picked up the 'Progress Notes' from the C&P Exam for PTSD increase. The Business Office told us that this is not the actual C&P report. In reading through it, there seems to be some answers that are contradictory to other answers. For example it says, "Occupational and social impairment with occassional decrease in work efficiency and intermittent periods of inability to perform occupational tasks, although generally functioning ,satisfactorily, with normal routine behavior, self care and conversation." But then it goes on to say under PTSD Criterion F: "The PTSD symptoms described above cause clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupation, or other important areas of functioning."

Also, in Axis IV it states: "no social contacts or activities"; In Clinical Findings it states: "vet is opposed and distrustful to make new friendships, he stays home and does not socialize"; In section C of Criterion it states: "marked diminished interest or participation in significant activities; feeling of detachment or estrangement from others; restricted range of affect (unable to have loving feelings); In section D of Criterior it states: "irritability or outbursts of anger; difficulty concentrating; hypervigilance".

However, under the symptoms section, these same items were NOT checked, such as: suspiciousness; inability to establish and maintan effective relationships; impaired impulse control, such as unprovoked irritability with periods of violence;

Not only that, there were other things that were NOT checked that were certainly discussed during the exam such as depression, panic attacks, memory loss; persistent danger of hurting self or others; persistent delusions or hallucinations.

There are so many things that we disagree with in the 'Progress Note'. Is there any way to disagree with these findings??

[usmcgirl]

Those are "progress notes" and not the actuall report that the doc may dictate so I wouldn't put all your eggs in one basket just yet. I would wait until you see what the actual report says and if you disagree with that make sure you tell his case worker at the DAV/VSO and his regular psychologist to have it documented in his med records and why. then get a copy of that appointment and you could maybe submit an IMO to back that up. it will work out!

[westcoastlv]

Hello All,

Just a quick update. I don't post everyday but I do read everday. I pray that everyone gets the fair shake they deserve.

In filing the Reconsideration Request, the VA scheduled my husband for another C&P (for increase) for PTSD. He went, they would not let me attend this exam, and some weeks later we acquired the exam results. The 'results' were progress notes, so I waited another few weeks, called Business Office for actual C&P exam results and ended up with the same thing. After reading through the 'results' there were so many things that were either contradictory or we just flat out didn't agree with, or dare I say, the examiner intentionally left out. All in all, I feel as if the examiner just didn't give a f*** bcuz she got alot of his personal details absolutely wrong. So, as classic me, I took the exam, page by page, and wrote a rebuttal to each item that was wrong. I also took this along to my husband's next psych visit, and told his doctor about this egregious attempt to once again low ball my husband by intentionally being misleading. I totally held no punches in my rebuttal, short of calling the examiner a flat out liar. My husband's doctor said he would carefully word his progress notes to reflect how my husband is really feeling. This claim, orignally filed as an increase, but changed to Reconsideration Request, (which I stated that if not reconsidered, the make it a NOD) was filed in August of 2011. It has finally reached the 'Preparation for Decision' phase. I have no clue how long this phase will take, but we've made it this far in only 6-months. I don't count my chickens before they're hatch, but all in all this hasn't been too long.

The reconsideration request asked that his % be changed to 100 P&T, and that they date it back to the initial claim of 7/2010 because of the many mistakes and screw tactics that the VA likes to employ (not in those words). So, seeing this is a milestone to even get to preparation for decision, I just wanted to share that tidbit of info.

May God bless us all