ptsd Doctors Letter

[diver]

Hello all. I was told by my DAV rep who I can never get a hold of and when I do he tries to get me off the phone as fast as he can. And he will be dumped as soon as my claim is done. Sorry. He told me that my ptsd, hearing, and my heel spurs are deferred and that even with a hand written imo with proper contact info that my hips are denied service connection for chronic pain. This is the seccond time they just threw out my hips as a claim. I don't know how to proceed. In 96 I was taken to the USNS Mercy for seafare weekend by the VA. The Dr on the ship told me I had bone spurs. I was there for my knees so I pushed for an increase for the spurs and the doctors kept telling me that there are none in my knees. Well recently I had xrays of my ankles and they showed large spurs on my heals. Now that they are deferred what should I do about my heel spurs and my hips. I am scheduled to see yet another new Dr at my VA clinic and I am going to try to get a new letter from them but I have yet to find a VA Dr in Seattle that is willing to give me a letter in support of my hips.

[k5one]

If possible go to a private physician. Take your VA and service medical records and let him review them. Explain to him in detail what you need. You will have to find a physician who will complete the DBQ's and a nexxus letter. I was fortunate, and found a good physician who is very vet friendly. Good Luck!

[Berta]

I strongly feel that your best bet is to get an IMO from a real doctor, a doctor with podiatric and/or an osteo background.

I am really not sure what that type of doctor is called. Maybe orthopedic specialist.

Foot problems can cause knee , hip, and back problems.

I know that well because I have severe pronation.

"my heel spurs are deferred and that even with a hand written imo with proper contact info that my hips are denied service connection for chronic pain. "

That might not be at all an IMO that VA would consider. The IMO format is here in our IMO forum.

This article is one of many medicl article on the net that involve heel spurs.

http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=a00149

The article explains how some heel spurs can develop.

I found some similar claims at the BVA but they were all on remand.

"The Dr on the ship told me I had bone spurs. I was there for my knees so I pushed for an increase for the spurs and the doctors kept telling me that there are none in my knees."

Do you have that documented in your SMRs?

Foot problems can become serious because they can cause other conditions.

Many years ago I posted here a BVA decision.

The vet started out with 10% SC for flat feet. His disability progressed to affect his knees, hips, and back. He was finally awarded TDIU because he could no longer work due to these conditions.

The IMO can to determine the cause of your heel spurs, (which I believe are a symptom of a different condition) and then state how this has caused secondary disability in either your knees, hips, a or even your back
or it all has aggravated another established SC condition you have.

With 90-% now have you appied for TDIU or are you still able to work?

I am a civilian and get great orthopedic care but I actually thought I has MS a few years ago because of the way my foot condition (undiagosed at that time) was affecting me. Within 24 hours after I got orthotics a chronic back ache I had completely disappeared.

This is not the same as what you have but I know VA cannot connect the dots on stuff like this well.

A real doctor can do that.

"The Dr on the ship told me I had bone spurs. I was there for my knees so I pushed for an increase for the spurs and the doctors kept telling me that there are none in my knees. Well recently I had xrays of my ankles and they showed large spurs on my heals."

Is the doctor's diagnosis stated within your SMRs?

Still, if the cause affects other parts of your body, that is not enough for VA to really figure that out.

[Berta]

K5one was one line same time as me He is right.

What are your other SCs for? There might be connection there to them as well.

[diver]

Thank you both! To answer you question Berta. I am being sent to vocational rehabilitation starting on 4/7 I am only 41 and I am trying to make sure that I have enough money to stay in our home for my kids. I am working until I started school. As for my service connected disability I have.

50% depression, 40% lumbar strain, 20% right ankle flex, 10% left ankle flex, 10% tinnitus, 10 left knee instability, 10% left knee chrondromalacia, 10% right knee chrondromalacia, 10% left knee flex, and 10% right knee flex.

When I am done with this claim I plan on putting in for an increase for my chrondromalacia in both knees and the flex in both knees

[Berta]

Good because I bet those heel spurs are directly due to these ankle,knee, lumbar disabilities.

I personally think TDIU is easier for VA to handle sometimes then multiple issues like these above for increases.

When you do stop work, make sure you apply for TDIU.

You said "He (DAV rep)told me that my ptsd, hearing, and my heel spurs are deferred"

Defered is much better than denied.

I hope you can meet the 2010 PTSD criteria here at hadit.

A VA MH diagnosis pf PTSD is critical and then proof of stressor ,which can be conceded ,if it falls into the "fear of hostile fire" stuff in the regs.

[diver]

I had never considered that the heel spurs could be caused by my knees and ankles will I need to file a new claim or explain to the podiatrist C&P Dr that it is secondary?