ptsd This All Seems So Hopeless

[kate7772]

I so understand why veterans give up. My husband was denied in Sept. 2013 for several conditions, including chronic kidney disease and depression. This was filed through the veteran's service commission and was so messed up. The kidney disease was supposed to be linked to Camp Lejeune toxic water and that fact was never mentioned. The VA basically said there was no service connection for anything.

Since the original filing, my husband has also been diagnosed with PTSD by the VA. Due to that, he is not dealing well with all this and so it all falls to me. And this is really adding to his PTSD symptoms.

We are attempting to get his medical service records to be used for an IMO. My husband does not feel there is anything in the records relating to his problems now. Is it necessary for the doctor doing the IMO to review the service records if we are not claiming anything from them? We are getting a runaround on this. The VSO is adamant in saying we don't need them and in fact, don't need a nexus letter. I think that is bull and don't want to wait another two years, only to be turned down again. This is so confusing.

The VSO says that since 2012, renal toxicity is an automatically approved condition. I think she is talking about health care but even that, I think he will still need a service connection.

Is there anyone that actually knows anything or is it just a bunch of people being paid for showing up?

I am not sure where to proceed from here. I have several doctors lined up for IMO's. I spoke with Dr. Bash and a toxicologist that does IMO's also. Just not sure where I begin to refile.

Is it an appeal, reconsideration, etc? Would like to keep original file date intact for back compensation. But also need to add PTSD. He originally claimed depression, anxiety, irritability (didn't realize it was PTSD related.)

We also spoke with DAV but they were vague and not helpful.

We really need to get this restarted. My husband is only able to work about 16 hrs a week now, due to the kidney disease and I am also limited in hours due to an injury. We are both in our sixties. I don't know how long we can survive.

Is there an answer to all this?

Thanks,

Kate

[stillhere]

Well it certainly is not easy for us but if you stick with it you will win. Your first when it is awarded will make you feel good and ready to go on.

Try and get with either a good VSO in your area or find you a good advocate online or within your friends to help.

In your case getting his medical records should not be that much of a challenge since most of his medical is private, also gettiing the C file from your RO will take a while but not that long.

The benefits you are fighting for we have all gone through and some of us even older than 60's. Is your husband on SS?

Stillhere

[killemall]

Kate. God will send someone to help you Im sure.

[boomer2]

Kate

If your husband was at Camp Lejeune, then all you should need is orders showing he was there and the dates. There probably is nothing in his SMR's that show kidney problems when he was there. The water at Lejuene was contaminated so you are not going to get problems until later in life. It is kinda like AO when I was in Viet Nam I didn't have any prostate problems but, now I have prostate cancer and it is a presumptive just as most of the diseases from Camp Lejuene. All you need is a doc. to give you a nexus saying "it is at least as likely as not" that his kidney disease is caused by the problems from Camp Lejuene. But by all means get all the documentation that you can.

[john999]

Kate

If you have filed your notice of disagreement you can hire a lawyer to help you. Then you can put this on the lawyer's plate. You can still get your IME's/IMO's and , in fact, your lawyer may know some doctors who know how to write decent IMO's. You don't need to do all this on your own. The lawyer gets paid out of retro pay, so no money upfront.

John

[63SIERRA]

ITs not hopeless, they try to walk you into a corner and make you give up. you have alot of options,. dont give up. educate your self and fight on.

[Navy04]

63,

You are right bud. They want us to give up and make it easy for them. I have an FDC and SSDI claims currently, and between the both claims, the last 6 months has drained what little energy that I have left after being sick, LOL.