Treatment Changes

[JewBacha]

Hello everyone,

Since being seen at the VA I have had some changes in my treatment, and not real sure if it is better. Before I retired I was seeing pscyh/therapist two/three times monhtly. Also active in group session, and my regiment for medication was steady without changes or lapse rx scripts. Went through group reintegration training, anger management and spouse retreats to work on my marriage. My work schedule was flexible with mmy appointments as well, but now trying to do a 40 hour week, make apppointments, get work done, not get in an arguement or get reprimanded or lose my job is very challenging.

Now (with the VA) I am seen once every 30/60 days, and many of my rx were changed. The dr's seem not at all interested (1 exception) about prior treatment. The rx's I was active on were working well, and I was not zombified. I could function easier without the zero-to-angry everyday. Seems I am digressing and the dr's are fine with this. Here, have some more mood candy. You just need to sleep, here are som ehorse tranquilizers. Here is something for your apetite, you can eat all day or eat nothing for a week. Take this for you migraines and dont worry about remembering anything. This one will really help suppress your thoughts, who are you again? Wtfunk... My wife got me a resuce dog almost two years ago, and I tell ya (besides staying with me) its the best thing shes ever done for me. Well, I lost my pup to heart worms this winter and when I mentioned this and all the pain and problems to my new supporting cast, it was addressed in a very condescending manner.

I have only been seen few short months, and I am sure there is still a feeling out process and the dr's have several other patients to tend too which I get. I am just wondering why all the treatment I completed the last years (At least to me & the misses) is not being looked at or maintained, as I seemed to be coming along so to speak in some areas. I am really hoping this process is not the same several claims I have pending as there are many years of medical records for several other ailments. Not even sure what my question is... Seems I just put a bunch of bs out here. Alright here is a question - Do VA dr's have to read thru my smr or are they good with going their on way?

-JB

[Berta]

"I am really hoping this process is not the same several claims I have pending as there are many years of medical records for several other ailments. Not even sure what my question is... Seems I just put a bunch of bs out here. Alright here is a question - Do VA dr's have to read thru my smr or are they good with going their on way?"

I strongly suggest that you obtain a copy of your SMRs and complete personnel file from NARA and familiarize yourself with them and refer to any evidence of medical nexus to your claimed disabilities.

I had a local vet once who went to RO, BVA, CAVC, back to BVA, RO CAVC, ....and no one, not his lawyers at the CAVC, or the rep he had who asked me to help him, or anyone else, to include the veteran himself , had ever really read his SMRs.

They did not contain a diagnose of his claimed condition, diabetes., so I guess they never delved into the SMRS at all.

It took me weeks to review them...all handwritten, and some wrong diagnoses in them......long story.

He got an IMO that focused on the med info I found in his SMRs and subsequent diagnosis and treatment records .and the VA awarded him, over ten years later.

His lawyers at CAVC wanted 8 thousand bucks for 2 or 3 letters they wrote.VA had withheld this amount from his retro but he had appeal rights for the lawyer fee.

I prepared a letter for the veteran ,focusing solely on the conditions that VA will pay and will NOT pay legal fees.

There is a specific regulations that covers disagreeing with a legal fee.

I also testified to VA that I had read the SMRs myself , and prepared lay medical information for his IMO doctor ,based on the SMR info, and the lawyers he had, obviously never even read the SMRs at all..

The veteran said he would contact me if the RO released that 8 thousand to these lawyers. I never heard from him again so maybe the RO didn't pay them and sent him the money.

My point is, in order to establish an inservice nexus (unless the disability is claimed as secondary to an already established SC, or is presumptive due to service, or within the Chronic Presumptive regulations), then it is in the claimant's best interests to get their inservice Med recs themselves (and personnel records too) because the VA sure isnt going to take the time to thoroughly review the SMRs most of the time.

This vet I mentioned had already had multiple C & P exams, whereby the examiner stated they read his SMRs.

I am not a doctor but when I read the 201 file and the SMRs I knew right away he had a potential nexus to his service.But it took me about 3 weeks of many hours a day to figure out the records (my daughter home on leave (USAF Crypto Intel) helped me with one entry), other entries I had to blow up, and other entries required me to find out why they were treating him often for VD, when in fact, the whole picture revealed he had inservice diabetes,undiagnosed and untreated and never had VD.

It involved a lot of medical research on my part too because his IMO doc initially had not prepared a good IMO and finally the doc fixed the IMO and he won his claim with ten years of retro.

This all happened before we even had an IMO forum here at hadit.

IMO docs read SMRs very thoroughly if they need to for a claim.

Claimants however can do that themselves as well, and begin to establish their inservice nexus ,if VA might fail to , by skimming over their service records.

Like VA med recs, SMRs can often reveal a lot of info a claimant needs.

[USMC_HVEQ]

From my personal perspective, I would review and make a copy of your SMR's if you don't already have it. I often find that the VA merely skims over a lot of it depending on the issue. They are more often than not making the service connection, seems simple. They also look to see what you have done for treatment since that injury occured. I could be wrong, so If I am, I do apologize. If you don't have VA treatment notes or diagnosis for some conditions then you might have to go the route of the IMO, where an independent doctor, connects the dots for the VA. I believe it also matters what type of doctor, their creditials, their history with the VA etc, whether they hold that opinion as valid. It seems many charge a fee for doing this....Now if you have had treatment or have diagnosis, then they want the current level of disability depending on the issue. If they have no timeline to look at then the battle becomes uphill but it isn't to be avoided. YOU, yourself need to put the work in. Leaving it up to an advocate is nice, but often comes up short as they are overloaded with many verterans. I would definitley consult them, to help your cases. I would also become a student of your own case. What do the SMRs say? what am I applying for? what is the criteria? what needs to be submitted for evidence, if you don't currently have it. ....I'll pose the question...if not you? then who? good luck bud

semper Fi

[JewBacha]

Berta & USMC_HVEQ,

Thank you for the replies. To start/continue I do have my smr's. I have all copies of all them (inpatient & outpatinet), my mris/xrays/ct's, my labs & bloodwork, and my dental. I have them organized by year(s) in carry-along tote. I have also taken the time to scan every page to pdf and save on a port-hd, and all this I have on a master locked away (I know overkill).

This is all now a result of my obesessive ways, which I never used to be. After completing tours to very crappy areas the one thing I really learned was trust nothing. It has carried over and forged its way into my dna. I have some of the most obscure obesessions to the way shoes have to go, how trash can be in the trash can and some other shit that people just look at you like wtf whenever I mention.

Back to the topic at hand (another problem I have now is my attetnion span). I have taken advice from others and brought copies of past treatment to new dr appoitnments with hopes of sharing, and again all but one doctor has turned down my smr input.

Berta;

"My point is, in order to establish an inservice nexus (unless the disability is claimed as secondary to an already established SC, or is presumptive due to service, or within the Chronic Presumptive regulations), then it is in the claimant's best interests to get their inservice Med recs themselves (and personnel records too) because the VA sure isnt going to take the time to thoroughly review the SMRs most of the time". - All problems I am cliaming are documented, some more thoroughly than others, but they are there. As for the secondary claims, I was informed I have to wait until my initial claims are approved/denied until I can process a disability claim for secondary condition.

USMC_HVEQ;

"Now if you have had treatment or have diagnosis, then they want the current level of disability depending on the issue. If they have no timeline to look at then the battle becomes uphill but it isn't to be avoided. YOU, yourself need to put the work in. Leaving it up to an advocate is nice, but often comes up short as they are overloaded with many verterans". - I understand the current level diagnosis, which is why my wife & I were in awe that dr's choose not to review any history. I have had treatment, diagnosis' & I have lengthy timelines & I feel I am putting in the work getting all my smr's and all other associated med docs and take these docs with me to help assist the prcoess & treatment the best I can, but if dr's refuse any input what am I to do, get mad?

Thank you again for the input, I look forward to continually buugging yall with questions throughtout. Maybe one day I will be in the position to advocate for others and work the process as it should. Have a blessed day,

-JB