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Would the VA be so cruel?

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anxiousinMD

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Hi all, I haven't checked in for awhile trying to preserve my sanity...but here I am again and absolutely sick. My claim just jumped from Gathering of Evidence to Pending Decision Approval on Monday, Dec. 21st, with estimated completion date of Dec 26-Jan 1. Background: I filed for an increase in PTSD and IU at the same time back in May 2015, and was awarded a partial decision with an increase in my PTSD from 30% to 70% in October, which was based on hospital admission notes only according to the decision letter. The letter claimed they never received my medical records from the VA outpatient clinic I go to regularly for treatment and that I never showed up for a C&P (the VA rep I called noted that in the system it had been requested of the contractor but it was never scheduled and I was never notified). I also had an IMO from an independent doc stating I am unemployable and recommended I receive at least 100% or TDIU, but the VA put in their decision letter for the increase that the hospital admission shows more weight. The holidays are usually a very tough time for me and having this to stress and worry about right now is not ok...and my birthday is the first week of Jan as well...which has always been a horrible time of year. I just don't need to hear a negative outcome right now with my house in foreclosure and no options, I've exhausted everything. I haven't been working for over a year and was placed on FMLA by my employer for disability (related to my SC conditions). I've also sent the VA the documentation and the notes from the docs indicating I'd require extensive absences and time for treatment, and that I cannot work when undergoing treatment, which has been ongoing since 2012. I've been doing all I can to prepare for the worst, but the moment my status changed to Pending Decision Approval, I lost it and can't sleep or do anything else but obsess. I was denied for SSDI already and currently in reconsideration phase, which was a huge blow as well.

Would the VA be so cruel to deny me right now?? I don't expect special treatment for holidays and not everyone celebrates or cares, but I recognize there are human beings on the other side of these claims...maybe I could manage the bad news in Feb or March, at the minimum why not just defer me for a denial until after the new year, it's known that the holidays aren't the best times for mental illnesses...at least I can have a thread to hope on for the next couple weeks. It's literally an every day effort to find a reason to keep going...I just can't do worse right now.

Please excuse my rambling, this is the only outlet I have and I've been driving myself even more nuts.

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Thanks for the supportive comments and advice @Berta  @Buck52 and @broncovet, you guys really help keep me grounded. I hope everyone is having a happy holiday. On Friday my claim moved from Pending Decision Approval back to Prep for Decision with estimated completion moved out to Feb-Mar, so I suppose I got what I asked for.

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anxiousinMD,

Do you work for the Federal Government?  If so you can apply for disability retirement especially if your still on FMLA.  This recently happened to a friend of mine, which she was out of the office so much due to her disabilities they had to let her go, so they medically retired her plus the disability social security kicked, because they make you file both at the same time.

 

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@smoothc100 Hi, no I don't work for the federal government, but yes my LTD company made me file for SSDI which I'm in the reconsideration phase now since I was denied the first round. From what I understand about the approval statistics, I expect to be denied again and take it to appeal board.

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Update: my status changed back to pending decision approval yesterday, so it looks like they're working during the holidays. The estimated completion date is now Jan 3-9. I can only hope all the back and forth is to make sure the i's are dotted for an approval rather than correcting typos for a denial. I guess I feel a denial coming.

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