ptsd chronic multi-symptom illness-undiagnosed illness

[ShrekTheTank]

I am in need of some guidance here.  I currently have a claim in with the VA and this what is throwing me off.

• Disabilities Claimed: joint pains (knees, elbows, ankles, cervical, wrists) (Secondary) Deferred
• right knee condition (Secondary) Deferred
•  Fibromylgia (New) Not service connected due to no record in service
•  IBS (Secondary) 30% because i have seen a doctor for this and they used the presumptive 
•  headaches (New) 0%
•  CFS (Secondary) no denial or anything else
•  vascular disease (New) denied not service connected
•  sleep disorder/disturbances (Secondary) no denial or anything else
•  gastrointestinal problems, signs or symptoms (New) rated with the IBS
•  muscle pain (Secondary) no denial or anything else
•  skin condition (New) Dercum's disease
•  psychophysiological disorder (New) no denial or anything else-The evaluator told me i had depression and anxiety.
•  Gulf War veteran with unexplained chronic multi-symptom illness (New) no denial or anything else
•  Gulf War veteran with diagnosed illness as qualifying chronic disability (New) no denial or anything else
•  Gulf War veteran with undiagnosed illness (New) no denial or anything else
•  depression to include cold sweats (Secondary) no denial or anything else
•  dercum's disease (New) no denial or anything else-I am service connector for Lipomatosis Dolorsa which is the same thing but they do not rate it.
•  shortness of breath (Secondary) no denial or anything else
•  low back condition, back injury, back pain (Secondary) Deffered
•  numbness in both legs (Secondary) denied not service connected
• PTSD at 30% NOD filed for this and the dercum's disease
• tinitus 10%
• left knee 10%

 

My first question is why would they why would they only rate certain things and do nothing with so many other things?  Could the DRO have stopped them from claiming them as they normally do?  I talked to my rep from the VFW and he stated my DRO was looking at a bigger issue.  not sure what this means

 

Next question, I see you can get  up to 40% for undiagnosed illness, but is there a rating for CMI?  or are they rated under the condition they are?  

 

Last has anyone been rated for Dercum's Disease?

 

Thanks in advance for the help!

 

[Vync]

Welcome to Hadit!

Sometimes the VA will rate some conditions and defer others. If they have enough evidence to rate some conditions they will do that while they continue to work on your other conditions. In some cases, they may need more exams or are waiting to receive additional evidence or records. If you are satisfied with the ratings you received on the rated conditions, then that's cool. It sure beats waiting in suspense for them to finish everything.

For mental health ratings, like PTSD and Depression, even if you are SC for more than one condition, you'll end up with a single rating based on the impact it has on you.

Here's the only link I could find here on Hadit regarding Dercums:  http://www.hadit.com/forums/topic/30813-invade-testiclemultiple-lipomas-linked-to-gulf-war-report/
 

[ShrekTheTank]

You are right about them going forward with the easy ones.  

So I was told i had depression with severe anxiety.  So they will join the two together into one rating?  How high could it go?  I am currently at 30%

Also any idea of the 40% for undiagnosed illness, but is there a rating for CMI?  or are they rated under the condition they are? 

 

Thanks!

[Vync]

I really don't have any experience regarding the 40% for undiagnosed illness. I was in during the first Gulf War, but was not deployed. There are a number of others here who might be able to help.

Mental health ratings, except eating disorders, are listed on the table below. The rating is based on the severity of the symptoms and impact they have on your life, not necessarily how many diagnoses you have. The table itself is a bit crazy. In theory, they are supposed to rate based on the highest percentage, even if you only have one symptom. MH disorders are tricky to get right. The VA is famous for initially giving a lowball ratings, even if evidence shows otherwise. I hope this helps you out.

http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?rgn=div5;node=38:1.0.1.1.5#se38.1.4_1130

General Rating Formula for Mental Disorders

	Rating
Total occupational and social impairment, due to such symptoms as: gross impairment in thought processes or communication; persistent delusions or hallucinations; grossly inappropriate behavior; persistent danger of hurting self or others; intermittent inability to perform activities of daily living (including maintenance of minimal personal hygiene); disorientation to time or place; memory loss for names of close relatives, own occupation, or own name.	100
Occupational and social impairment, with deficiencies in most areas, such as work, school, family relations, judgment, thinking, or mood, due to such symptoms as: suicidal ideation; obsessional rituals which interfere with routine activities; speech intermittently illogical, obscure, or irrelevant; near-continuous panic or depression affecting the ability to function independently, appropriately and effectively; impaired impulse control (such as unprovoked irritability with periods of violence); spatial disorientation; neglect of personal appearance and hygiene; difficulty in adapting to stressful circumstances (including work or a worklike setting); inability to establish and maintain effective relationships.	70
Occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity due to such symptoms as: flattened affect; circumstantial, circumlocutory, or stereotyped speech; panic attacks more than once a week; difficulty in understanding complex commands; impairment of short- and long-term memory (e.g., retention of only highly learned material, forgetting to complete tasks); impaired judgment; impaired abstract thinking; disturbances of motivation and mood; difficulty in establishing and maintaining effective work and social relationships.	50
Occupational and social impairment with occasional decrease in work efficiency and intermittent periods of inability to perform occupational tasks (although generally functioning satisfactorily, with routine behavior, self-care, and conversation normal), due to such symptoms as: depressed mood, anxiety, suspiciousness, panic attacks (weekly or less often), chronic sleep impairment, mild memory loss (such as forgetting names, directions, recent events).	30
Occupational and social impairment due to mild or transient symptoms which decrease work efficiency and ability to perform occupational tasks only during periods of significant stress, or symptoms controlled by continuous medication.	10
A mental condition has been formally diagnosed, but symptoms are not severe enough either to interfere with occupational and social functioning or to require continuous medication.