T&p

[jimlane1949]

I am working with a vet who wants to apply for T&P, is there a VA form for this?

Jim Lane

[upsman]

Yeah I'm like you I thought it was enough also. Then my daughter gets all excited about the potential benefits - fills out all the forms and was just waiting for the checks to begin and she gets the letter of not being qualified. I have a GREAT VA advocate whom I am working with and I don't think I will need much more than here direction, her support, and my facts presentation and it would seem logical to get the rating. But I do know how "logic" at times is not a quality that exists throughout the VA system - but I'm certain it's there in pockets across the country.

Thanks for the feedback - this is one great, much needed, site. I am hoping to be more active within it but I find just meeting my daily care needs and getting small things done now that I'm a homeowner to just absolutely comsume all my time. Spend most of my time in a zombie-state it seems from the lack of sleep as well the drugs and the symptoms of the disease itself. But again I do appreciate your reponse and hope someday to be more of a contributor myself. Thanks!

[john999]

I was rated TDIU in 2002. I asked to be made P&T immediately. It took the VA about a year to consider my appeal and grant P&T. They just reviewed my medical to see that there had been no improvement. I was back dated to 2001 on the P&T as well as that was part of my appeal.

[JennLea]

I was diagnosed with CFS through civilian doctors (three to be exact). First started in 2000. I was already rated for migraines and depression through the VA. When I tried to get treated at the VA, I found that since I was not a "wartime" vet - they wouldn't let me into the CFS program (Newark). I was sent from one doc to another and then back to Mental Health. No one was knowledable about this condition. When I talked to my primary doc about my prognosis, she sent me to get evaluated by a shrink (not the one that I had been seeing through the VA for over a year though) and this doc actually wrote in his report that I appeared to have gotten the list of symptoms online and memorized them. I was so upset. When someone who has been dealing with CFS for almost 5 years is accused of "faking it" - my response was: of course I know the symptoms, after dealing with these symptoms for 1/2 a decade and trying to get myself better, well why shouldn't I know them. Fortunately now I am only dealing with minor symptoms.

Anyway, I've about had it with the VAMC's. Be careful when you are dealing with doctors who don't understand CFS. That's my experience. And to be rated on this disability - well, look over the physical sheet and take notes before you go for a C&P. Also, if you are being treated by a civilian doc, have them look over the sheet and write a report including all of your symptoms and how they determined that you met the VA's requirements for CFS.

Sorry if this is off-topic regarding P&T.

Jenn

[upsman]

Jenn, I can certainly understand your frustration as I've been through the same ringers and still do to this day with doctors that don't have a clue. But then again if it wasn't happening to me personally I may have been in disbelief at how overwhelming this unknown illness is. When doctors don't have a clue they tend to think its "all in your head" - it takes a whole lot of belief in yourself to overcome all the negativity that is contiually drummed into your head to understand that it isn't all in your head and these things are actually happening to me.

I've already went to my C&P and was rated at 100% for Hep C and CFS. Like you I lived with these symptoms for half a decade and would take a list of all my symptoms in to any appointment that I had - I've done this since I was first diagnosed with Hep C in March of 99. The documentation I have is immense and I believe aided me in getting my rating.

I was just wondering about getting my rating to T&P because I really don't see any end in sight - nor have I heard of any success stories of anyone whose had it over a period of a few years - as I hear that if you are going to get well if would more than likely occur within the first 2 years and those that don't will probably deal with it the rest of thier lives.

Oh well, I never feel sorry for myself as there are those out there in a whole lot worse shape than I, though my life has changed in so many ways and I've lost so much along the way.

[SLEDGE]

Some comments on fatigue.

The thyroid stimulator hormone test does not tell the doctor if a fatigued person is getting enough thyroid hormone.

Most patients of 'clinical' hypothyroid (fatigue with pain and stupid) improve greatly if supplied with Armour Thyroid and allowed to self regulate the amount of the dose and the timing of the dose.

The thyroid stimulator hormone test does not tell the doctor if a fatigued person is getting enough thyroid hormone.

Synthetic thyroid hormones do not supply the balanced stuff that Armour Thyroid has in it.

Synthetic hormones are usually only one particular chemical preperation.

Some people do fine on synthroid, I don't.

Some doctors look at the person sitting in front of them and then wonder why the 'test results' are WRONG.

My tsh was normal when I started out at 180mg of Desicated Armour Thyroid.

My tsh is .oo5 now and I feel much better physically. You have to suppress the tsh.

FMS and CFS and GWS etc involve many different types of dis-regulated hormones.

PTSD and hundreds of other illnesses can cause the symptoms of FMS, CFS, GWS etc.

Thyroid is usually the main culprit.

The test results look normal even when the patient obviously doesn't.

When the patient is very fatigued and the test results seem totally wrong, according to the doctor's observation of the patient, you have found a real doctor.

I'm not a doctor and I do not advise anyone to ignore their doctor's advice.

I chased this thing for 30 years and I have found a starting point now.

My VA shrink prescribed the Armour Thyroid.

sledge

[Jay Johnson]

PTSD, in theory, can cause all sorts of physical symptoms, but proving these symptoms are a result of PTSD is EXTREMELY difficult. Before the wife was medically retired she had several blood tests over the course of a year or so....these blood tests (CBCs) showed all sorts of irregular results like high white blood cells, extremely low iron, abnormal platelets, etc and each result was different with each test. She started these tests because she was blacking out and having extreme chest pains and hyperventilating. She also had recurring UTIs (urinary tract infections) and had problems eating/sleeping. It wasn't until a year later when she started to express signs of PTSD and started to see an AF psychologist that we began to connect the dots.......turns out she was having subconscious panic attacks and severe stress that was causing her body to shut down. The problem is that there is NO concrete data on this and the doctors can only speculate......I'm sure I could never get the VA to link it (though once she admitted her problems and got drugs for PTSD the blood work normalized and the panic attacks subsided).