Question Of Nexus

[Josephine]

Is this why the BVA may be questioning my nexus?

6. Dr. P. should be contacted and asked to provide the basis for his diagnosis of

the veteran, and whether he has any medical training or expertise in treating

or evaluating psychiatric disability.

Letter 1 by Dr. P. April 5, 2004

Department of Veterans Affairs:Re:

To whom it may concern:

______ has been a patient of mine since August 1979.

At the time of her initial presentation her major problem was chronic anxiety/depression. She reports a (five year history) of psychiatric care.

She recently has applied for disability benefits to the Department of Veterans Affairs by reason of her prior time in military service with the Navy 1963/1964

Her ongoing request for disability benefits center on whether or not her anxiety/depression is related to her prior time in service.

She has been granted entitlement to non-service pension.

I have a copy of her U.S. medical records, I also have a copy of a letter documenting an honorable discharge by reason of unsuitability, dated April 7, 1964. This time reflects the fact that she did have emotional problems while in service and had been referred for psychiatric consultation by a board certified psychiatrist.

It is my considered medical opinion that her subsequent problems with anxiety/depression have been of a magnitude to adversely affect her overall health and result in disability. It is also my considered medical opinion those problems had their origin during the time of military service.

I urge reconsideration of a decision for service connected disability by reason of her chronic anxiety with depression.

I just noticed this typing error, it should read (fifteen year).

Letter 2 by Dr. P. April 28, 2006

To whom it may concern:

The above is currently undergoing an appeal process with The board of Veterans Affairs.

This letter is written as an addendum to previously written letters dated April 5, 2004, in regards to her current appeal with the Department of Veterans Affairs.

The basis for my previous noted diagnosis of this veteran was based on knowledge of personal interactions, history taking and physical examinations going back to 1979. I am aware of the fact by reviewing all the military records of the veteran that the patient was treated with Librium and Caffergot while in the military service. 1964, presumptively for treatment of anxiety and depression and associated headaches, by Dr. BCC, followed by two psychiatric consultations thus leading to her early discharge.

The veteran has been on anti-anxiety medication from 1967 to date thus make it plausible that I am correct. I have maintained all of the veteran's civilian records from 1965 to date and all of her military records to date.

As I have previously stated, It is my considered medical opinion that her subsequent problems with anxiety/depression have been of a significant magnitude to adversely affect her overall health and result in disability.

I have no specific training in Psychiatry, but I have the usual level of expertise that would be expected in an internist, board certified, in 1976 and actively practicing internal medicine since that time.

I graduated from the University of Florida Medical School in 1973, was board certified in internal medicine in 1976 and have remained in active practice since that time.

Sincerely,

J.M. P

7. After the above development has been completed, the veteran's claims file

should returned to the board of VA psychiatrists who participated in the

April 2005 examination for clarification of the provided opinion. They should be

requested to review the record and reconcile their opinion as to etiology in

light of the evidence added since their examination of the veteran, including the

May 2005 statement of Dr. B C. C and the January 2006 statement of

Dr. M P.

This is why my claims file is at the Medical Center on the Male Psychiarist desk to follow this section of the remand.

To my knowledge, there is to be no further examination.

Thanks,

Josephine

Edited October 22, 2006 by Josephine

[Josephine]

I'm not saying this didn't happen, I have read cases of SEXUAL ASSAULT during an Exam!!

How do you expect us to react to your allegations that you were hypnotized against your will during a VA Exam?!

My PTSD would have THEM wetting their pants !!

Sister, if you're certain this happened to you, and your not just talking through your mental illness, then PLEASE REPORT IT TO THE AUTHORITIES !! And I don't mean write a letter of complaint to the VARO. Have you filed a 1151 Claim; spoken with the Inspector General; contacted a Woman Veterans Coordinator; emailed the Center for Women Veterans; how about your Congress Woman?! Did you make a police report?!

Seems like you have a good, long-term friend in your Private Psychiatrist - - what's he got to say about the hypnosis incident?!

I feel BAD for your struggle through the claims process, and we are here to help as we are able, but what you are reporting here is a BIG TRIGGER for other Women Vets - - you are suggesting some VERY SERIOUS allegations.

I don't ever want another women veteran to be or feel alone and afraid at the VAMC. With a history of personal assault, you should not get medical attention from only female examiners!

PLEASE do not yank my chain and make me jump into a fight if you are not 100% certain ... I will have your back, but you better be talking from the better side of sanity !!

What have you done about this incident so far??? ~Wings

Wings,

This is exactly what I have done. I sent a notarized letter to the Medical Center to the Supervisor of the Patient Advocate. I spoke with him and his assistant. He filed a report and I received a letter back from the Director to file my complaint with the Office of the General Council.

I called first, as I had my letter typed and the first thing she said. You will never be able to prove anything, as there was two of them and one of you, so you would be just wasting your time. She said before you ever enter a room again with two doctors of any kind, scream, kick or be removed by the guards, but never do it again.

She is absolutely correct!

Where is the proof?

Next, I sent all the details to the BVA with a diagram of the room, as to where the male sit and where the lady shrink set and where I was seated.

I wrote them of everything that I could remember that went on in that room. There is a lot that I do not remember.

I never even knew that I was going for a C&P examination, as I had one C&P earlier with a male psychologist and we were alone!! No one else was in that room and he was of the highest intergrity.

As soon as his report came into the R.O. I was transferred to another state, as my niece is supervior of the DRO'S. She told me that she had signed off on my file when I was in the rating board, and I had no reason to not believe her.

I received a letter in the mail, to which I have the original, reminder of your clinic appointment at the medical center.

I was to be there at 8:00 and my husband drove me the 130 miles. When I arrived the receptionist wanted to know what I was doing there.

I showed her the piece of paper and she beeped and a lady doctor came up and insisted on a financial statement.

The receptionist then told me to have a seat. I went back to the empty waiting room and the lady doctor came for me and my husband ask to be present.

She said No.

I followed her down this long hall way and went into this room, and the male doctor came in. The chairs were all green leather and arranged in the strangest manner that I have ever seen.

I picked the chair to the far corner under the window, as I remember the venetian blinds. The lady doc, took the chair in the opposite corner facing me and the male sit at a desk to my far right.

I had to turn around in my seat to see him.

I was always looking at her.

He always spoke, she never said one word, the whole time that I was in the room, or when she walked me out to leave.

We had idle conversation at first and then all of a sudden, the male doctors voice changed and I thought it was so strange and that is when he said " tell me about the pool"?

This is where things go to a blur.

I see myself walking across the room to the wall and the next thing that I know, I remember standing in the center of the floor and screaming about the pool. " I caught myself and looked at them and ask them" can you swim"?

I have no ideal of how I got out of that chair, how I walked to the middle of the floor and how I even stood in the middle of the floor, as my balance is so badly, that the walls have to hold me up.

I could never do this. I have no ideal of how I made it back to the chair. The exam was carried in this manner.

I remember him saying" show me how to kick a wall"? I remember doing it.He said "Tell me about Doris"?

What about your dad"?

He only spoke in sentences of 3 or 4 words.

Again, I say the lady psychiatrist never once said a word the whole time that I was in the room.

I know that I said to them" You may think that I do not know who you are, but you are doctors for the Veterans Administration".

I have no ideal of why I said this.

I can hear the male doctor saying" we will have your results in in about 3 days.

The lady walked me out.

My husband was in the waiting room. He walked me to the car. The first thing he said in the car" tell me about the examination. Then I realized that I couldn't even remember their names and I was so confused.

I ran back into the medical center and told the receptionist that something was wrong that I needed to see a doctor or someone. A nurse came for me and ask me what was wrong. I told her that I couldn't remember a thing about my C&P, she said oh, your treatment. I said maybe I have had a stroke. She checked my blood pressure and my sugar level and they were fine.

She told me to wait until I felt better before I left.

My husband drove me to our daughers home about 35 miles away and I kept repeated to them. " I will never have another C&P examination, for the money isn't worth it.

My husband called the male doctor and he said that I would be fine in about 3 days and that I would begin to remember his name and things.

I stayed there about an hour and then went 10 miles to my other daughters home. The same thing happened. This went on all day. My husband called the doctor again, and he said that he had told me to take a nap.

Of course, I didn't, because I was afraid to.

Went home the next morning and the nurse from the medical center called to see how I was and my husband told her about the same.

Wings,

I have reported it all to the BVA and I have been told to let the doctors work through this. My file is with them now. I have no ideal of why the male doctor refused to sign the examination and the BVA wants a new opinion. I have a signed letter from the nurse that saw me that day of how I was after my treatment.

What does my doctor say" Why did you sign to let them do it? I didn't.

It happened and there is nothing that I can do about it. There was no tape recorder, no camera, the patient advocate said that they did not take any notes.

My advice is for no one to walk into a room with two doctors alone.

No matter what sex you are.

I certainly don't have any intentions of frightening anyone into going to a VAMC, but this is what happened to me.

Josephine

Edited October 24, 2006 by Josephine

[john999]

Josephine

My advice is to get your service connection. Worry about the "out of body experience" later. Get service connected and then start a fight with the VA about hyponosis. Focus on getting SC'ed for anxiety and depression that is supported by your SMR's and the doctor who knew you when you were in service. Keep it to that so you can get your foot in the door. Once you get SC'ed then go directly towards IU.

[Hoppy]

My opinion is that psychiatrists are just a prone to corruption as any other group of people. I went to school with these people. I took pre-med classes and a lot of psychology classes. Some of these folks are bent on proving something. Cloud be anything, they are just trying to prove something. The feds shut down a cardiac clinic at the VA in West LA because they were performing experimental procedures on cardiac patients without their consent.

I am sure many of us remember all the chat on hadit about the LSD experiments that came out on CBS. That was back in the late 60's and 70's. They were giving active duty people LSD without their knowledge because they were trying to develop a truth serum to use of the enemy combatants.

Last night it actually occurred to me if Josephine ran into some renegade shrink who was working on some theory he had and gave her a drug without her knowing it. Some of these date rape drugs leave people in a daze for a real long time.

It would be hard to prove, but like Wings said having it investigated would not hurt. That is as long as you stay cool. Some times I think that Josephine should be in group treatment to work some of these things out. I think it would be hard to trust an individual therapist after what we go through with these claims.

[Josephine]

John999,

My claims file is with the two psychiatrist, at the medical center, and has been with them since the first of October. This is by the order of the BVA.

Reconcile your differences, as there are legal issues to resolve. Explain the tranposing of medical information and go directly by the medical records.

As to whether or not they rule in my favor this time, is entirely in their hands.

The statement nothing bothered her in service is not plausible with the medications of librium and caffergot in the sick bay records and the letter by my military treating physician.

I have already been declared 100% disabled since 1983, when they awarded me the pension.

Thanks bunches!!

Josephine

[Josephine]

Hoppy,

The strangest thing about all of this, I would have no hesitation of every entering a room again with the first Phd. Psychologist that gave me my first C&P.

There was a certain trust that he conveyed to me.

As I told the BVA, he conducted himself with the highest of integrity.

As I told the BVA. I would never enter a room at the center with two doctors again. They have assured me that this will never happen again.

If I am to have another C&P, I also want a letter stating that I am to be having a C&P to whom it is with and how many doctors, and that I do not want it to be a reminder of my clinic appointment.

As I told John, my claims file is with the two psychiatrist and it is all in their hands now.

The AMC and BVa have assured me that they are representing me in this.

Thanks bunches!

Josephine

[Wings]

x

x

x

Josephine, I am not going to aplogize for being horrified at the thought of your being hypnotized or God forbid, drugged at a VA Hospital - without your consent!! You do not need to apologize to anyone for your claim or your feelings . . .

I would very much like for you to feel safe and respected during your VA medical treatment. I will remain distraught and affected over your reports until I hear of some resolution!! May God be with you.

Here's some additional names, numbers available as options.

I once called Ms. Fox (below); she spoke with me for some time about the VA's policy on "informed consent". She was a nice lady or I caught her on a good day; I felt respected and was treated cordially.

The other number you may already have: VAOIG

There's a snippet on VA 1151 claim and an offer for a free consultation, why not call?

If there's anything I can do to help, please feel free to ask. ~Wings

1. Call the VAOIG Hotline: 1-800-488-8244

8:30am–4:00pm Eastern Time, Monday–Friday

Write the VAOIG Hotline:

VA INSPECTOR GENERAL HOTLINE (53E)

P.O. BOX 50410

WASHINGTON, DC 20091-0410

E-mail the VAOIG Hotline: vaoighotline@va.gov

2. READ: Department of Veterans Affairs VHA HANDBOOK 1004.1, Washington, DC 20420 January 29, 2003, VHA INFORMED CONSENT FOR CLINICAL TREATMENTS AND PROCEDURES

http://www.ethics.va.gov/ETHICS/docs/polic...cy_20030129.pdf

Speak to: Ellen Fox, MD: Director of VA National Center for Ethics in Health Care

Ellen Fox, MD, is a general internist who has concentrated on issues of health care ethics throughout her career. Her scholarly work has focused on three main areas: medical ethics education, end of life issues, and evaluation of ethics consultation practices. Originally from Arlington, VA, she majored in Psychology at Yale, graduated from Harvard Medical School, and received her Internal Medicine Residency training at Yale, where she also served as Chief Resident. After completing a fellowship in ethics at the MacLean Center for Clinical Medical Ethics at the University of Chicago, Dr. Fox joined the MacLean Center's core faculty. She next moved to the University of Illinois at Chicago, where she served three years as Director of the Program in Clinical Ethics and Assistant Professor of Medicine and Medical Education. In 1997 she became Director of End-of-Life Care at the American Medical Association's Institute for Ethics. In this capacity, she led the Institute's Education for Physicians on End of Life Care (EPEC) Project. In 1999 Dr. Fox moved to Washington, DC and assumed her current role with the Department of Veterans Affairs.

National Center for Ethics in Health Care

Veterans Health Administration (10E)

810 Vermont Ave., NW

Washington, DC 20420

Phone: (202) 501-0364

Fax: (202) 501-2238

Email: vhaethics@va.gov

3. File a VA 1151 Claim ... from the Law Office of W. Robb Graham, "If a medical error has been committed by a Veterans Administration hospital, doctor, physician’s assistant, nurse or health care provider, that has seriously affected your condition, call my toll free number for a free consultation." http://www.vamalpractice.com/

Edited October 24, 2006 by Wings