ptsd Tomorrow is my PTSD C& P NERVOUS!

[pumibel]

Hi everyone! I have not been in here for a while since I have started some classes. I bet I have some catching up to do! Last week I received a phone call from VES to schedule all of my exams ASAP, so tomorrow is my PTSD exam. I have been stressing about it for the past few days, but I know that cannot help. Next week I have to see the dentist on the 25th, a regular general medical doctor on the 27th, and on the 29th I have a bunch of X-rays and an echo-cardiogram scheduled. 

The VA had sent me a letter, dated for the 24th of December 2015, stating that they could not settle my case under the FDC program because they needed to know where all of my aches and pains were located. I was not surprised that they were going to remove my claim from the FDC, but the reasoning was suspect. I had provided all of the pain locations on my claim, and when I go to eBennies and look at my pending claim, I can see all of the places listed. Today I received another VA letter stating that the Dec letter was an error, and that all of my appointments would be scheduled very soon, so my claim would stay in the FDC program after all. yay!

I still do not know where my STRs are! The agencies from which I have requested my records (except for my local VA records) have all sent me letters stating that they do not have them. Argh!

I hope everyone here has had a pleasant holiday season and a good start for the new year!

EDIT: I was going to ask a few questions, and I totally forgot! Here are my most pressing ones:

Should I bring notes with me?

What do they do during the PTSD C&P? I have only answered some survey questions in the past and didn't discuss the actual event. I am very anxious about that!

Edited January 20, 2016 by pumibel
Forgot to ask my questions!

[TALON II FE]

5 minutes ago, flores97 said:

Talon, that is absolutely ridiculous, and of course, completely typical of VA. I hope there are appeals in for the lowballed ratings. I believe alot of issues (consistent lowballing) also have alot to do with which RO your claim is at. Winston Salem is one of the better ROs from my experience. Talon, at your c&p exams, did the examiner(or examiners) give you any indication of how strongly they were supporting your claims?  Of course, if the examiner opines against the veteran the rater jumps on the opinion like its the last big screen at a black friday sale.

He was a vet as well.  We shared many of the same issues.  He showed me pictures of his $100K car.  I thought we 'bonded' somewhat.  Mostly though, I think it was BS.  He kept talking thru ROMs, for example.  He noted that I moved to xx range with pain, but 'with pain' means nothing; it should be UNTIL you have pain.  He kept sending me to other places and then 'shadowing' me, for x-rays for example.  I think this is normal SOP for them, but I still find it VERY insulting.

  I noticed that many of the things he did were a repeat from my previous C&P for the same things 6+ months prior.  I still am 100% Total but not permanent, so I will wait for my C-file now, concentrate on SSDI, and then file my NODs and CUEs.  Neither of my C&Ps for General Medicine were performed by Docs (pretty sure both were actually NPs) who had NEVER seen me STR's prior to seeing me.  I have around 2000 pages of STR's.  That is not easy reading for anyone.  BUT, now I get to cherry pick for my disputes, so they will see what I contest and why and the fact they don't want to read my records will hopefully help this time around. 

I also noticed that he seemed to screw up all my items addressed 'after lunch'.  I think he screwed me, not out of spite, but out of a lack of time to truly learn my situation. Bureaucracy!

[pumibel]

Jeez Talon, that had to be disappointing, but it is good to have some compensation while you work on your appeals.

It's a relief to get these appointments over, but I can't shake the feeling that I will be denied across the board. Maybe it's just my anxiety talking, but I need to keep myself busy now to

Flores97, would my RO be at Winston Salem as well?

[flores97]

Talon, I'm sorry you got screwed. Regardless of you being 100%, he should have paid thorough attention to your medical history, and I know what you mean about dome of the insulting tactics the examiners use. At one of my c&p exams, I'm in the examing room waiting for the doctor, which was right next to the nurses station. I was at the beginning stage of a lupus flareup, so my face, hands, joints were swollen and i might have been slurring my speech a little from pain when the nurse took my vitals. I hear the doc greet the nurses(he had just come in), and one nurse says, in a loud whisper, she's weird, i think shes on dope or something. (Well yes, as a matter of fact i take around twenty pills per day to pretend to control my conditions), to which the doc replies, well, thats nothing new. The care and consideration provided were outstanding, not.

[TALON II FE]

4 minutes ago, pumibel said:

Jeez Talon, that had to be disappointing, but it is good to have some compensation while you work on your appeals.

It's a relief to get these appointments over, but I can't shake the feeling that I will be denied across the board. Maybe it's just my anxiety talking, but I need to keep myself busy now to

Flores97, would my RO be at Winston Salem as well?

You have finished the worst of it, imo, decision should be coming soon and I am sure it will work out for you!

[flores97]

Yes, Pumibel, your RO will be Winston Salem since you reside in NC. Dont worry, you were there when the examiner was dictating his opinions, i think you will definitely be service connected. Winston Salem seems to be pretty adequate at rating, i havent heard of too many vets getting lowballed from that RO, unlike Waco, St Petersburg, and a few others that spring to mind. Remember, actually getting the service connection is usually the biggest hurdle, and i am glad that you had some good examiners, i have usually been fortunate as well, i think you will be fine.

[pumibel]

25 minutes ago, flores97 said:

Yes, Pumibel, your RO will be Winston Salem since you reside in NC. Dont worry, you were there when the examiner was dictating his opinions, i think you will definitely be service connected. Winston Salem seems to be pretty adequate at rating, i havent heard of too many vets getting lowballed from that RO, unlike Waco, St Petersburg, and a few others that spring to mind. Remember, actually getting the service connection is usually the biggest hurdle, and i am glad that you had some good examiners, i have usually been fortunate as well, i think you will be fine.

Thanks- that is so reassuring. And I hope you have not had to go back to the clinic you mentioned in your other post. Medical personnel should show more professionalism than that, and I would expect less judgement too. I think their attitudes reflect the state of their own disillusionment rather than anything you did or said. I mean, sick folks are often a little "out of it" and slurry.

Edited January 28, 2016 by pumibel
my "a" key sticks