Mikey33T Posted March 20, 2019 Share Posted March 20, 2019 Winston Churchill once said “Never give up, never give up, never, never, never.” This holds true for those that have the invisible wounds of war. Sixteen years after my retirement I received a letter that outlined possible VA presumptions. The letter explained many challenges I experienced and encouraged me to apply for VA disability and the beginnings of denial. I received a 60% rating in 2017 with a service connection date of Aug 2014. However, my main challenge (PTSD) was denied. The denial was because I didn’t have a therapist confirming my condition; they agreed with the stressor. Since I am retired and use Tricare Prime, I went there for therapy and appealed. I was again denied because the therapist was not a certified therapist. How would I know? i was headed to an appeal with the BVA and my VSO (Virginia Department of Veteran Services), specifically Caleb Johnson, helped me get two independent evaluations from a university and a therapist. I entered the RAMP program and received a 50% PTSD rating in 2018 but with a service connection date of Dec 2017. I appealed the date and for an increase in Nov 2018 and yesterday (19 March 2019) received a 100% P&T with SMC (S-1) with a service connection date of Aug 2014. Below is my HLR Ramp timeline: 1.. 1/17/19 CR 26 Apr 19 - 10 Aug 19 2. 1/28/19 PFD 25 Feb 19 - 1 Apr 19 3. 2/6/19 PDA 6 Feb 19 - 10 Mar 19 4. 2/7/19 9 PFN Feb 19 - 11 Feb 19 5. 2/11/19 PDA 26 Feb 19 - 15 Mar 19 6. 2/19/19 PDA 6 Mar 19 - 23 Mar 19 7. 3/4/19 PFD 1 Apr 19 - 6 May 19 8. 3/5/19 PDA 20 Mar 19 - 6 Apr 19 9. 3/5/19 PFN 7 Mar 19 - 9 Mar 19 10. 3/6/19 PDA 21 Mar - 7 Apr 19 11. 3/8/19 PFD 5 Apr - 10 May 19 12. 3/11/19 PDA 26 Mar - 12 Apr 19 13. 3/13/19 UR 10 May - 23 Jul 19 14. 3/15/19 PDA 30 Mar - 16 Apr 19 15. 3/18/19 PFN 20 Mar - 22 Mar 19 16. 3/19/19 Complete As you can read above, there was a lot of bouncing back and forth. Yes, I watched eBenefits more than I should. This site was a source of support throughout my painful wait. This is what I learned: 1. Don’t quit! 2. EBenefits does not accurately demonstarate the RAMP stages. You may see the progress in EBenefits but the stages don’t apply correctly. 3. It is futile to tell a veteran to stop watching EBenefits. What else are they going to do? 4. If you feel like you must call EBenefits (Peggy), they cannot tell you everything they see but some will tell you more than others. I called several times till I at least got some type of information I thought was the most they could give. 5. While I had success with my VSO, it was with Caleb and not with the other people that worked there. So, sometimes you have to ensure your VSO cares. As a matter of fact, after receiving the 50% PTSD an idiot at that office told me to be happy with it. I submitted the HLR RAMP on my own. I didn’t bother to complain to Caleb but he found out and that person’s supervisor called me to apologize. The moral is that you are ultimately accountable for the outcome so don’t give up! ShrekTheTank and Tbird 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator broncovet Posted March 20, 2019 Moderator Share Posted March 20, 2019 Congratulations! Dont forget about state benefits, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vetquest Posted March 20, 2019 Share Posted March 20, 2019 congratulations Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Proudvet Posted March 21, 2019 Share Posted March 21, 2019 (edited) Congratulations on reaching you goal. I retired in 2010 and went through hurdles to get all my ailments rated. Rated Disabilities Table of Rated Disabilities Disability Rating Decision Related To Effective Date left knee chondrocalcinosis with status post medial collateral ligament tear surgery 10% Service Connected 07/01/2010 peripheral neuropathy Not Service Connected Peyronie's disease with status post surgery for fracture of corpus cavernosum with scar and erectile dysfunction 0% Service Connected Predischarge Exam 07/01/2010 scar left forearm status post burn 0% Service Connected Predischarge Exam 07/01/2010 right ulnar nerve Not Service Connected Predischarge Exam herpes zoster 0% Service Connected Predischarge Exam 07/01/2010 benign lipoma neck Not Service Connected Predischarge Exam left wrist arthritis Not Service Connected Predischarge Exam left ear hearing loss 0% Service Connected Predischarge Exam 07/01/2010 atypical chest pain Not Service Connected Predischarge Exam tinnitus 10% Service Connected Predischarge Exam 07/01/2010 right elbow condition Not Service Connected Predischarge Exam scar, top of scalp and right posterior neck, status post shunt 10% Service Connected 05/23/2018 bilateral eye condition Not Service Connected Predischarge Exam right ear hearing loss Not Service Connected Predischarge Exam multiple digestive disorders to include: gastroesophageal reflux disease and Barrett's esophagus 0% Service Connected Predischarge Exam 07/01/2010 posttraumatic stress disorder and mood disorder with depressive features (also claimed as memory loss) 100% Service Connected PTSD - Non-Combat 05/23/2018 hydrocephalus, status post shunt (also claimed as headaches) 20% Service Connected Predischarge Exam 04/01/2013 painful scar, top of scalp, status post shunt 10% Service Connected 05/23/2018 sleep apnea Not Service Connected right knee chondrocalcinosis with status post medial collateral ligament tear surgery 10% Service Connected Predischarge Exam 07/ Edited March 21, 2019 by Proudvet George Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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