LHI? Anyone had any experiences previously?

[ShilohLee]

I was contacted and sent to LHI for ratings increase on PTSD.  I was of course on edge just because and then going to a unknown contractor bothered me a bit.  But as I read on here they listed the doctors name and credentials which I used to investigate the doctor and liked what I found.  I showed up to the appointment and expected the appointment to last at least half as long as they paperwork called for which was about an hour and a half.  Appointment time was 0800 hrs and I was back out the door and in my car by 0825.  Now to the nitty gritty.  It was not bad at all.  The doctor had reviewed all of my stressors prior to me coming in and we did not speak of them at all not even in passing.  What I would have given to know that he had no interest the previous three days would've kept me from crawling the walls and being even more anxious than normal.  

Primarily it was spent doing a down and dirty DBQ where he asked about changes and I presented my notebook and letters from family and the one friend I have left.  Before I knew it we were at the end and had in my opinion not really delved in deep as I had expected or experienced in my initial PTSD assessment.  I knew it would be somewhat shorter but it was short enough that I was thrown off and even told him "it is in my best interest to go into as much detail as I can with my notes"  and was quickly told that it was not necessary.  This alarmed me and the whole time I was wondering in the back of my head if this wasn't some sort of Hatchet job and now was convinced that we had a problem.  But he reassured me that if I needed to go ahead and talk about the symptoms more then by all means go for it.  I know that I must've had the strangest look on my face maybe even the slightest bit of homicidal maniac....All I kept thinking was something is wrong....wrong wrong and more wrong. BOHICA BOHICA oh no here it comes. Its been barely 20 mins how could this be so quick?  I mean we are going up for 100% from 70% quite a bump and change in status.....

He told me that for what it was worth he was approving or submitting the paper for the increase.  Also said he was not sure why I did not have it already from the first C&P, but we all know why don't we?  Now I figure he could have lied and might have but I don't see the upside really...not that its not possible....either way...  

Now that don't mean nothing and I wont believe that or anything else until I see it when I check my bluebutton records or a brown envelop shows up in my mailbox.  

But what if....Could I finally be done fighting them and maybe get my 100%?  I mean one little NOD and three years later another C&P could I be so lucky not to have to play whack a mole all the way up to DC?  maybe just maybe....

When I was leaving I ran into the guy that was waiting along side me for an 8:00 appointment and he said " this is a new one on me" I agreed, he was there after submitting a NEW PTSD claim down the FDC (fully developed claim) route 3 weeks ago.....Three weeks ago he submitted his stuff and was there same day as me doing a C&P maybe things are picking up speed finally...maybe

Edited October 4, 2018 by ShilohLee

[ShilohLee]

Also employment unemployment nothing like that even came up

[ShilohLee]

On ‎10‎/‎4‎/‎2018 at 7:53 AM, Buck52 said:

ShilohLee

Before you had this C&P you should have come to hadit and read the What and how to get through a C&P Exam & what to expect and things you don't need to say and things you do need to say ect,,,ect,,,.its to late now to do that  but you can always contest a C&P Exam. and request another if you feel some important things were not read or look at?

.you obviously need this C&P Report to see what the examiner mention  it could be good or it could be bad?

Also Let me say THANK YOU I have spent many hours on this site reading and researching things, this site is a valuable tool and have sent other vets here and to the podcast as well

[Born2dothis]

I just had a c&p exam. The rater said I had total and occupational impairment. What do you think. 

[ShilohLee]

I think you are good to go, the hardest part now is the wait for their evaluation to go through the system and for regional to actually get their end done and send your BBE and get your back pay squared away.  I had my appointment with doctor October 1st and on October sixth I saw on vets.gov that they had approved something and no action what so ever until 01/01/19 when I logged onto ebennies for my weekly check I saw that my active appeals were now historic and that it said they were closed on 12/31/2018 the last day of the year.   I still have yet to receive anything at all about anything.  Hopefully a nice deposit will show up or even the benefit packet at this point I would settle for even the increase on my monthly as we are barely making it with my two kids.  

The main thing is like me your doctor is submitting the paperwork (if we can trust them) for you to get your 100% unless some jack ass at regional wants to impede your flow or obstruct you unnecessarily you too will be like me counting the months of potential back pay and trying not to hawk ebennies and vets.gov for updates.  The worst part has been the last 90 days waiting for some kind of traction or a BBE to arrive....the last three or four years waiting for the C&P for the increase seemed to go by ok cuz I wasn't thinking about it and didn't have any expectations, but now that I know that I have been awarded something its like those last few minutes on shift or at school doing your best not to focus on the clock.  I think what really kills me is knowing in a way all of my immediate money problems are over as far as property taxes, repoing the car ect but not really.  

Anyways don't count any chickens yet but I would take a deep breath because if we can trust our experiences with these LHI doctors then at the very least there is now paperwork in the system and heading to regional that will end your suffering and wait or start the end of the wait...err...sorry been a long night!!!  

 

Good luck and maybe your regional office could be a fast one?

[ShilohLee]

And one more thing, in the past I was able to get on and use the blue button to access C&Ps and other reports rather quickly often within 3 days of the visit but this LHI consult and eval has yet to appear in my blue button records since October when I found out I had been awarded and they were closing my appeal.  I called my regional office who told me it was not uncommon for us not to have access and I explained that previously with other appeal I had in fact gotten the results but ofcourse this was blamed on a fluke and was told not to expect the same results this time.  Although they didn't waste any time asking me if I wanted to appeal the parts of the initial appeal that were not granted even before I received the Statement of Case sneaky sneaky are they not?

[Jared]

So, I had my LHI C&P this morning, and I have a strange feeling it is not going to be favorable.  

This was a request for increase from current, especially since I have a few 0% conditions (both knees, neck, etc...)  I went through the process to do a Fully Developed Claim for most of it.  Even submitted the Disability Benefits Questionnaires, medical reports, labs, x-rays, MRIs, surgical reports, and so on.  A lot going back to before I was retired from the Army.  

So, I had an 8:00 AM Appointment, and was seen probably at 8:03 AM.  I went in with an open mind and a positive attitude.  I was kind of impressed, running on time for a first thing in the morning appointment. 

We go in, and she asks the usual when I served, where I was deployed, what my job was, etc...,.  She asked me when I started receiving treatment for the autoimmune disorders.  I replied honestly, and went to add something, but she cut me off.  Then she matter of fact told me that it is not service connected.  In almost all of my VA and private doctor appointments, it mentions my fatigue and pain, and even going back to before I was discharged from the Army.  Then she asks me what have I had done to my knees as far as surgery and any ongoing treatments.  One surgery on each knee, plus an extra on the right since I have been out, and get injections every 6 months in each from a private provider.  She asks about my shoulders, and surgical history.  Has me get on the table and performs the usual range motion exam and asks about the pain as I move.  

Then she asks about my sinuses due to rhinitis which has been service connected, but 0%.  She looks in my nose, and then says she is going to have some x-rays of my sinuses/head taken, and tells me to go back to the waiting room.  I was in the waiting room by 8:45 AM.  Original letter says I have three hours scheduled, and audiology as a separate after.  

On the letter from LHI initially, there was a total of eight conditions on the exam (hearing loss and tinnitus being separate appointments.)  They ranged from sinuses, to autoimmune disorder, cardiovascular issues (don't know where it came from...wasn't a part of my claim) to cranial nerve diseases.   These did differentiate from my claim a bit.  Quite a bit actually.  

All she did was tell me that the autoimmune was not service connected, look at my sinuses, knees, and shoulder.

Do I need to get my appeal ready, call my congressman, or just pray?  Why would they not even look at half of the DBQs that were listed on the "services requested" letter? 

 

Jared.