ptsd Ptsd And C & P Exam

[ArmyWife]

Hey ya'll

I had posted here a few months ago about my husband having trouble getting his exams. Well here we are a year and a half later and we FINALLY got our exams THIS FRIDAY and the following Monday. Only problem is, we are pretty nervous. We went over everything we are going to mention, and hoping that the TRUTH will ensure us a good rating. I do know some stretch the truth, in order to get a good rating. We aren't all about that, but are there tricks or something? I am so afraid this Dr. will be short with us and not fully understand what my husband is trying to convey. My husband is claiming PTSD, he cannot bend his toes,he lost full ROM in his back,he has terrible knees,his feet are worthless,he doesn't sleep,he stays in his man cave most of the time, doesn't have a job, and he has trouble connecting with me and people,and he hits the MJ probably too much,he is on anti-depressants and sleeping pills (which don't work) his hygiene is non existent to say the least, he also has been seeing a VA psychologist and psychiatrist (no help at all). (Long story short)

He was in 1st Cav in Iraq...then he went to the 25th for Afghanistan. 11B (Infantry). He was in for 6 years.

Lets just put it this way, he has seen a lot of sh*t and has had numerous close calls. Been in numerous fire fights and seen a lot of blood and guts.

Uh anyways...so how do we properly convey that to this guy? I am going with him to the appt. We have gone over which stories to tell, should we just go with the flow? Not sure how these appts. work!

Also for the C & P exam. Do you literally have to have documentation for every single thing you claim? Because in his platoon, they weren't to keen on "sick calls". You had to pretty much suck it up. So its going to be pretty disappointing if they want every single documentation because quite frankly there aren't many. And when he did finally get to go to the medic...they would just give him pain medication for his back and wouldn't give him ANY x-rays. He went asking for X-Rays THREE TIMES.

Wellp...thats my post, pray for us!!!

[Notorious Kelly]

Glad you're getting your turn at bat.

Normal to be nervous, and best to be completely honest.

The doc you draw and the angle he takes is a dart throw so try not to sweat it; just keep the worst days and aspects in mind when answering questions and things will work out.

Good luck!

[Berta]

Do you know what specific exam this will be for? Is it for the PTSD?

VA let me in at some C & Ps for the husband , but never at any PTSD C & Ps for higher ratings..



"Uh anyways...so how do we properly convey that to this guy? I am going with him to the appt. We have gone over which stories to tell, should we just go with the flow? Not sure how these appts. work!."

Please don't take this the wrong way.If the examiner lets you attend the C & P, the exam,

the exam is solely based on the veteran's statements most of the time.

You will have a chance in the future if the VA needs info from you.

"We have gone over which stories to tell, should we just go with the flow? Not sure how these appts. work!."

"We" weren't there. He was.

Obviously he should state the circumstances of any stressor(s) he can prove ,when asked.

I dont doubt anything you posted here or what the vet went through but I advise you to carefully read over the new 2010 PTSD criteria here in our PTSD forum ( I will bump it up)

because the stressor criteria in claims filed after 2010 has changed.

I didnt know my husband when he got his first PTSD C & P ,3 decades ago and the VAMC Chief of Psychiatry had already conceded one of his stressors on his first visit to this VAMC, because the shrink, a Vietnam Vet himself , had treated incountry,some of the men in his unit who also did this 'volunteer job' for the USMC in Vietnam.It was horrific and in all the newspapers,but he never had to prove it.The shrink stated in his med recs that my husband had details of the incident ,that only those who were there,like the shrink was, working in this same unit, same time of the incident , could know about.

However years later he had to do another stressor letter as SOP (for the 21 Day inhouse program) and every other stressor he listed was provable .I found documented proof of 3 or 4 of the other stressors but VA never asked for more proof.

I will bump up the 2010 PTSD regs in our PTSD forum.

[Berta]

I couldn.t bump it up .because it was archived..... here it is:

[ArmyWife]

Well thanks for your help?

We don't have time to read over a million pages of regulations.

His combat infantry badge should hopefully be enough.

Should I take a picture of the hole in the wall to show the VA Dr. for proof of PTSD?

Maybe a video of him ducking every time he hears a loud noise.

Perhaps a recording of the hundreds of arguments we've had about him never wanting to talk about his feelings,staying reclused in his office for hours at a time.

Getting high every day because of his anxiety issues.

Maybe he should have taken a picture of the dead Afghan soldier he had to drag at three in the morning while getting shot at...

or when two of his good friends almost died and he had to lay on top of them in the helicopter so dirt wouldn't get in their wounds.

Those are just a couple of things. Of the many things.

My husband was out for missions weeks at a time, he wasn't a POG sitting on some FOB.

JW how much proof the VA needs.

And of course I wasn't there Berta, -obviously- but when our husbands are in pain we feel it too, it affects us too.

Its pretty upsetting how difficult the VA makes this process. We don't even know what stressor letters are. We have been to two different people at the DAV and they did not help us AT ALL, because they had no idea what they were doing.

I just want him to get the disability rating he deserves.

[Berta]

"Well thanks for your help?

We don't have time to read over a million pages of regulations.

His combat infantry badge should hopefully be enough."

I can sure relate to what you said . I am the widow of a Vietnam Combat vet, 100% SC PTSD P & T.

His greatest fear is that I would not get DIC if he died.He mentioned that on a dreary fall morning 20 years ago....and dropped dead 4 hours later.

Death by VA (1151 DIC award)

Death due to DMII contributing SC DIC award

Death due to Agent Orange IHD award.

Multiple other issues awarded.to my husband , with my help.or to me.

I worked for the VA as a volunteer with PTSD veterans as well as married one but the only way either he or I and even my daughter, a veteran , got proper awards (Chap 35 in my daughter's case)was because I took the time to read close to maybe

"over a million pages of regulations" in the past 30 years.

Not to mention how that effort helped vets here and at other sites I was at since 1988 ( Pre internet Vet Link via modem.

"His combat infantry badge should hopefully be enough."

Yes it should be but I don't have a Crystal Ball and didn't pick up on that fact in your recent post.here.

The sole reason I went to a military school ( I am a civilian) is to understand how to fight on the battlefield of the VA. Your remark about my 'help' (which you could have made to any one or more of the other advocates here, not knowing he had the CIB ) is offensive.

You already know how it all is truly is a battlefield.

And believe me, I know living with a PTSD vet can be almost a battlefield too.

VA should concede the stressor since he has the CIB on his DD 214.

I have just read 3 BVA decisions whereby the vet was denied for PTSD although he had the CIB on his DD 214.

They were very unusual cases however. And also we have had a hadit vet with the CIB who was denied for PTSD...forget why...maybe a year ago....

I really don't think you need to worry about that as long as the C & P exam goes OK.

And I will certainly pray for you both as you requested.

Edited April 11, 2014 by Berta

[Notorious Kelly]

Please vent to Congress and the media; it truly is a travesty.