ptsd Odd C&p Exam

[ntyler0341]

I had my C&P Exam this morning. A couple of things I found odd. First things first, the examiner told me I HAVE to be seen by the VA, pertaining to my claims of GWI. Am I missing something here? I have my own Primary Care Provider, and submitted documented evidence. #2 he questioned my rash claim, as if it seemed like he was trying to discount my claims. Granted, I had no irashes during my appointment. Once again, this is documented through my Primary Care Provider.

I had an awkward feeling, so I had asked him for a copy of my Gulf War Registry Exam I had taken almost 4 years ago. So I go to med records and get them. My claims arent any different today than what they were 4 years ago. What I had come across was very high white blood cell counts every time I drew blood, meaning my body is fighting an infection. Also, this guy had diagnosed me with PTSD. At no time, was I notified of this. Odd.

So, whats the opinion on HAVING to be seen by a VA doctor?

[Chuck75]

It's generally NOT a requirement. Having said that, the VA C&P examiner was probably miffed due to the lack of VA medical records, and easy access to them.

After all, it might be that you don't live in a location that has easy access to VA medical facilities.

You mentioned "High White Cell counts" as a persistent problem. I certainly hope that your private provider has tried to find out why, and if necessary, referred you to those able to determine the cause.

The PTSD bit gets into a contentious area, and may have been behind the "have to be seen" statement. The VA claims that they are the only ones (by VA regulation) able to diagnose PTSD.

This is in opposition to past practice, court rulings, and language in the laws that govern the VA. The validity of the new VA PTSD regs, to my limited knowledge, has not yet been tested in federal courts.

Years ago, the VSOs often advised veterans to at least utilize the "veteran's drug act", in order to have at least minimal VA medical records of treatment on file.

Personally, I usually darken the VA's doorstep once or twice a year, although the benefits and the hassles are about equal. At least, the VA in my case, provides "free" prescriptions. When I started this practice, with no SC'd conditions, I was paying a co-pay of $2.50, much less than my insurance co-pay. At one point, I got into a small "fight" when the VA was trying to charge a "visit" co-pay. I successfully challenged that, based on the fact that the VA was not "treating" me, just reviewing and re-issuing prescriptions originated by my private physicians. An issue I never investigated or totally resolved was that all the conditions I take prescription drugs for were retroactively SC'd. But, the EDD was later than when I started taking the drugs, first using the usual insurance route, then as available, from the VA. To this day, I don't know if the VA refunded the drug co-pays back to the EDD date, or back to the date the VA originally started providing them subject to co-pay. The VA's accounting statements did not have enough detail to determine what dates they used. I also never found out what if anything, the VA refunded to the insurance companies.

Edited October 16, 2012 by Chuck75

[ntyler0341]

My apologies. I did tell this doctor that it took me over 5 hours to get here. I am as remote as it gets, guaranteed. The documents i received from the VA, past visits, show all my blood work. So I will be bringing these documents to my PCP.

This doctors exact words, after my visit, "compensation isnt as important as getting care. You need to see a VA doctor for your illnesses."

It was as if it were a threat, the compensation part. I have a doctor. It just so happens he isnt a VA doctor. He is 5 minutes from my house. Not over 6 hours and a ferry ride.

[sleeper692]

This doc would be correct IF the VA doctors had a friggin' clue as to how to treat GWI. I saw my neurologist yesterday and gave him a handful of recent GWI research reports. The first thing he did was look for treatment recommendations because he basically admitted that he didn't know what to do other than treat my symptoms. As far as I can tell, for now anyway, an outside doc is just as good as a VA doc in the level of care and expertise they can provide.

Sometimes I think that the docs that are relegated to doing C&P exams full time are there because they aren't up to snuff to treat patients or they screwed up somehow and that is the only position they will let them have. Regardless, not a one of my C&P docs have ever had a clue what I was talking about when I brought up toxic exposures and GWI. Its pretty sad.

[63SIERRA]

The doctor who did my GWI exam at the waco va, told me they are seeing alot of patterns in the ilnesses among gulf war vets, and she would be very surprized, if alot more presumptive ilnesses were not added to the list in the coming years. Kidney cancer is one of the more prevelant ones.