Looking for advice

[Pacrat2014]

I was recently approved for a pension, took 1 month to process, and was approved.  As my ratings go, it says that I'm 10% service related and it has 2 non service related disabilities rated at 50% each.  I'm just trying to figure out where to go from here.  My pension isn't enough to keep up with bills, I'm unable to hold a job because of my disabilities, but it's difficult to try to figure out what I should be doing or who I should go to see for help.  Any advice would be helpful.

[broncovet]

The first thing you need to do is explain what was it which was "service related" and what was NSC.

Do you think any of the NSC items should be "service connected"?  That is, are these disabilities related to service?  If so, file a nod and dispute the denial of service connection for these items.  

For EACH service connected condtion you need:

1.  Current diagnosis

2.  In service event.

3.  Nexus.  

    Ask if you dont understand any of these.  They must be documented.  There is an exception to the above:

Secondary service connection(s).  

    For example, if you are SC for diabetes, this leads to a whole host of other potential service connected disorders.  

[Pacrat2014]

I appreciate the quick response.  Right now, the only service connected item is my knees-right knee condition patellofemoral pain syndrome.  The three non-service related are Panic disorder with agoraphobia-50%, obstructive sleep apnea - 50%, left knee condition patellofemoral pain syndrome- 10% (due to it showing up on work related injury.)   Those conditions, I'm not to sure if they can be considered service related as in the case of the apnea, I've always been a troubled sleeper but never saw a doctor while in.  The panic disorder, it didn't start hitting me until last year.  I do have other claims the VA doctor helped me fill out but they're not ruled on yet.  But those are notated on the award letter I received both in the mail and in my ebenifits folder.  As to Nexus, I'm not too sure on the meaning of that in relations to the VA.

Edited July 28, 2018 by Pacrat2014

[Berta]

The Nexus factor is part of the 3 conditions Broncovet posted ( the Caluza Triangle)

1 hour ago, Pacrat2014 said:

  Right now, the only service connected item is my knees-right knee condition patellofemoral pain syndrome.  The three non-service related arepatellofemoral pain syndromeo it showing up on work related injury.) 

It is possible that the right knee SC 10% condition is due to the same reason you have a left knee condition.

What is the service injury, cause, reason etc for the 10% SC knee?

Were you a paratrooper in service?

 "The panic disorder, it didn't start hitting me until last year.  I do have other claims the VA doctor helped me fill out but they're not ruled on yet.  But those are notated on the award letter I re"

Is one of your other claims for PTSD?

When did you serve and where? What was your MOS?

Panic disorder with  agoraphobia is a ratable condition- you have the rating but you need the "Nexus" to turn that into a SC disability.

What event injury, etc etc gave you the Panic Disorder? It would not be uncommon for a veteran with PTSD to have a Panic disorder as well....from the same stressor---------

like Vietnam combat veterans who panic if the family is pushing them to go see a fireworks display-

Same with the 50 % NSC SA- we have lots of info here on Sleep Apnea.

Basically the Nexus is the inservice cause of a disability, or the documentation of a problem that got worse after service, or residuals from  an Inservice accident- etc.

Do you have copies of your SMRs and 201 Personnel file?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Pacrat2014]

Wasn't  a paratrooper, I loved the feel of the ground under my feet too much.  I was in the national guard as a 76Y and converted to regular army as a 92y with times from Jun 91-Fed 1998 for national guard service and Feb 98-Feb 01 for regular Army.  Was pretty much a desk jockey during that time.  As to my right knee being the same condition as the left, my left was replaced after an accident at work so I have an artificial knee in place.  The doctor had explained that since I still have weakness in the left leg years after surgery to the point of using a cane, the condition would be placed as general as the replacement was not due to the service.

As to PTSD, they keep suggesting that my problems may be related to PTSD but there isn't anything personal or military that would account for it.  I had a pretty quiet duty as well as a boring life.  Only highlights was midwest flood duty during the early 1990's, playing OPFOR for units going to Yugo in the late 1990's, and the accident that took my knee in the late 2000's.  Nothing that keeps hitting me over and over mentally.  I just started having trouble being around people in the mid-2000's, graduated to having trouble talking to others a couple years later, then trying to shun being around anyone a couple years ago.  They tried to prescribe drugs to combat it, but the dose levels needed to keep me calm actually made me into a walking zombie.

 

As to other items being filed, Tinnitus, HLA B-24 (reactive arthritis,)  and a third unknown condition as the VA and regular doctors haven't figured out why I keep passing out even when not having a panic attack.  They're looking at pulminary hypertension (I have another MRI next week and a stress test the same day,) but I don't have the underlying blood pressure problems the majority of sufferers have.

[broncovet]

You need to try to determine the "etiology" of your mental disorder(s).  If you are diagnosed with PTSD, this generally means you had some kind of "stressor", and you may or may not remember it.  Our brain is powerful, and we can sometimes "un remember" stuff, especially if its too painful to rememeber.  Altho I have not been diagnosed with PTSD, I can assure you that "combat" is not required for a PTSD diagnosis.  

Of course I dont know what your stressor was.  Did you have something "after" service that may have caused PTSD, such as a witness to a murder, rape, or some other stress event?  

When did you exit service?  If you just got out in the past year, and you did not have PTSD prior to service, then the presumption is you got it in service.  

I never suggest anyone lie to VA to get benefits.  Never ever.  However, you do deserve benefits, and I just saw something on the internet that 40 percent of the "stuff" we "remember" is false memory.  

Given your PTSD diagnosis (this would not have been made by a VA doc "unless" he felt you had a stressor).

Now, there are stressors in civilian life also.  I suggest you read your medical file and see what the doc thought the stressor was.  Dont rely on what he says, rely on what he wrote down in your file.  

I "smell" a service connection for PTSD, and, its possible you are "blocking out" a bad event that happened to you, such as a sexual assault.  Dont make stuff up, ever, but dont try to cover stuff up, either.