ptsd Rating Disabilities For C&p's

[Tower_Rat]

Recently I have undergone several C&P's. During the C&P the Dr asks various questions concerning the disability I'm claiming and other ailments or disabilities that may raise problems in the my health. During mine the Dr stated from medical records that I had more than just the one disability and marked down all the other ones along with the major one. My question is do the raters also rate the other disabilites with that or just the claimed one that you file for? Maybe they just take into consideration all the other ones overall and how it makes the Veteran feel. For example in my case PTSD was the claim but, of course they said I had depression as well as agoraphobia, P/D non specific, general anxiety with panic disorder and so forth. Does each one of these gets rated? or is it just a mass rating of overall effect to the sum of total disability? Im confused.

Thanx any help is appreciated.

[Josephine]

Jstacy,

In other words, the headaches have not been addressed.

I gave up and have in my trunk all the emergency records that I have for the headache claim.

Do you have any ideal of why the headaches have not been addressed.

I have all of my paper work for the filing in 1978 and 2002.

For the headaches, I have a standing order, at the emergency room, for Demerol shots, ordered by my physician. I have always taken over the counter drugs. Friorinal and Darvocet for the in between the trips to the hospital. If they didn't work, off I went.

The only time the headaches are mentioned is on that pension, that will never amount to a hill of beans for me. Denied due to excessive income.

Berta raised the question, How did I get a pension dated 2003 due to unemployable since 1983 for Chronic Anxiety, depression and headaches, but now that I located all of my psychaitric records. The Va wants to call it a personality disorder. when they are using the same medical records.

Thanks,

Josephine

[Guest jstacy]

At any time did you go to the Doc in service for headaches? You obviously have a history?

If you were seen in service for headaches then you can get service connected. What about hypertension?

What is your BP during a headache?

[Josephine]

Jstacy,

I am going to paste for you my treating physicians letter that you may have already read. In service there is no record of any hypertension, only after service. This would have placed the hypertension at about 8 years of discharge.

Yes there is mention of headaches and tension.

To whom to it concern:

___, formerly, ______, has requested that I write documenting my care of hr during the time period of February and March, 1964, at the US Naval Dispensary, 19th and Constitution In Washington D.C. She was an enlisted person and I was a General Medical Officer practicing at that facility. The question she has asked me to address is whether I helped her obtain a discharge from the Navy.

_____ has provided documents from her medical record as well as a recent letter to me, which is undated. My - evaluation of her on 2/20/64 and a follow up visit on 2/27/64 are available. Two psychiatric consultations are also available for review. The fist performed on 3/12/64 to Dr. J and the second performed on 3/27/64 by Dr. M. Finally the letter from Co H recommends an Honorable discharge by reason of unsuitability. My understanding is that he discharge occurred shortly thereafter.

After phone discussion with ______ I did remember her as an enlisted person at the Dispensary with whom I worked with on occasion. My workup of 2/20/64 concluded that she had tension versus vascular headaches and I added a tranquilizer to her headache medicine for her anxiety. The note from 2.27.64 documents that the lab test were normal and I recognize personal shorthand in my notes that I often used for a counseling session. After 40 years I do not remember whether I started the process for a discharge, but I suspect that I may have been supportive. She had seen a Navy Psychiatrist on 3.12.64 with no indication of further workup or return visit. Two weeks later she saw another Psychiatrist to whom I frequently referred patients who needed special understanding and sensitivity. While there is no documentation that I referred her, the fact that she saw Dr. M. scarcely two weeks after a first consultation and with no worsening of her condition does suggest to me that I may had sent her for the evaluation relative to discharge.

Both C H. and Dr. M. comment on ----- immaturity and that she is uncooperative in her duties. After she reminded me and recalled specific instances, I did recall that she baby-sit in our home on multiple occasions with our two children ages 2 and 1. I know that my wife and I would have not allowed her to stay with the children if there had been any question of her suitability. The Dispensary staff was a closely knit and I would have likely been made aware of any poor behavior on --------part.

While my memory does not allow me confident documentation of my role in her discharge there is circumstantial evidence that her story is credible . I hope that you will give her case every consideration.

BCC

You may have seen this letter on line about a dozen times, but it is all in my SMR'S. The medicine in my Service records is Caffergot for headache and Librium for nervousness.

Thanks,

josephine

Edited November 6, 2006 by Josephine

[Guest jstacy]

First point is that the headaches were incurred during service and you still have them.

They gave you a NSC pension instead of rating the headaches.

That was an error because you were treated for it during service.

You should file for headaches on a direct service conection basis.

A C@P with the correct doctor will service connect that. There may even be a CUE involved in your case But I do not know what the Regs were back when you filed your claim. I am in the middle of a CUE battle for HTN and headaches right now and I know I won, But have not heard the official result.

I will find a cue case similar and post it later.

[Tower_Rat]

Thanx for the replies everyone it helped alot. I thinking im going to end up filing for everything to make sure that it is all accounted for. My fav thing the dr said to me during the C&P was "do you think your depressed"? That was on the attachment to the standardized list of questions that they ask to see if you can handle your own finances. I told him yes that I thought I was. and he markded it down. Was that easy or maybe I missed something? The other parts of the test included things such as "can you fold this piece of paper and hand it back to me" stuff like that. wierd eh? How bout count backwards and look at a piece of paper that says "close your eyes" and then do as the paper says. I guess that was just to make sure that I was cognitive and had some reasoning to my brain. Everything else was about the past, stressors and the present how im getting along. Relationships, jobs, friends and what i do with my time everyday. things like that. I thought it couldve gone better. The person I took with me said they thought it went really well but, that I came off kinda sounding really angry even though I didnt think I sounded like that. Then again I was caught up in the moment of explaining all the stressors that happened to me which wasnt fun at all. I took a valium before and after my exam to keep from having a panic attack or worse. All and all my C&P was only an hour and 45 minutes long with the psychologist. and about a hour long with all the other dr's and exams that they gave me for secondary conditions.

I think someone else on this board said that Tom Petty said it best "The waiting is the hardest part"

I would like to say that I liked the other song or motto I have by him that has become a part of my life is this one.

I wont back down

Thanx again everyone for your support.

[john999]

Tower Rat

The next time you have a C&P don't take meds before to avoid panic attack. You want them to see you having an attack. You want them to see you at your worst. Once they see you in the throws of an attack they will realize just how bad your symptoms are and it will help with the rating. I take pain meds daily but I dont take them when I go for C&P. I want them to see me squirming around and wriggling in my chair. This is what the conditions do to me.