Why A C&p Exam At This Stage Of The Game?

[LarryJ]

Yesterday I receive from the Dallas VAMC a notification of a C&P exam being scheduled for me.

Part of it states:

"Due to the complexity of the Exam(s) be prepared to stay most of the day."

First of all, it's been THREE and 1/2 years since my claim was filed.

I opted to go the BVA route. The BVA remands my claim to the AMC, etc.

In the BVA Remand it states "Have a VA physician review the veteran's claims file, including the service medical records (which are in a manila envelope) and provide an opinion at the the following question: Was the left ankle condition aggravated beyond the natural progress during the veteran's period of service?"

Now, I don't mind having a VA doc look at my ankle. Heck, I've got a whole bunch of x-rays that I can take with me to the C&P to help him out. Wish I coulda gotten them to take a look at my ankle 40 freakin years ago when they sent me home on crutches with a broker fibula. Wish they'd C&P'd me when I filed my original claim in the 70's. Wish they'd C&P'd me when I filed again three and a half years ago. Nope, don't mind that at all.

But, something smells fishy in Denmark.

Why, all of a sudden, do they want a C&P? They have all the documentation from two treating physicians. They have all the documentation from my Social Security claims file and the Disability Determination Service. They have 4 buddy statements. They have all my records from Balboa Nave Hospital..........they got all kindsa sh*t. Are they just hoping, this late in the game, to find some VA quack that's gonna tell them that all this documentation and all my problems are just a fig newton of my overactive imagination?

And WHY is it gonna take ALL DAY to look at my ankle? "Complexity of the examS" How many exams does it take to look at an ankle, and why would any orthopedic surgeon find looking at an ankle "a complex exam"?

Not to mention that the remand didn't say nuttin about no C&P.

WHASSSSUP?

[LarryJ]

You guys (and gals, of course) ain't gonna believe this.

The C&P at the Dallas VAMC, well, it isn't about my ankle. Well, I take that back, it is kinda sorta about my ankle.

Seems I said something, somewhere, about my ankle making my knee and hip hurt pretty badly......................

Darn, just when I wanta get really PO'd at the VA, they surprise me.

They are actually going to see if they can't "service connect" the whole ball of wax, the whole shebang.

I just got off the 'phone with VARO Waco, and THEY just got through mentioning TDIU. THEM, not me.

I'll be DOUBLE darned, will miracles ever cease?!

Well, maybe not, 'cause my SO just got thru talking me thru how to get to the VAMC in Dallas, on the train (can't drive, just got the one car and the wife has to have it to get to work, etc.). Seems I can make it, after all. I'll have a couple blocks to walk when I get there, but I can drag myself that far. YUP, I CAN DO IT!

Thank you, Lord.

And thanks for putting up with me on Hadit y'all. Today is the first time I've felt a little lighter load, and the road seems to be leveling out and not going UP hill, today.

[Berta]

Larry- I was wondering what the other C & Ps were for too---

couldnt give you any C & P link -I didnt know what to look for-

But the VA does seem to be ding the right thing!

TDIU -if you never filed the TDIU form and are unemployed- I would think they would HAVE to consider as an inferred issue-

an ankle problem can certainly affect ones knees, hips, and even their back-

Can you afford a taxi so you dont have to walk too far?

The taxi company there might be able to give you a estimated fee for train station to the VA-if you call them.

Is there some other documentation in your med recs yet as to these additional problems you are having due to your service connection?

Even if not the C & Ps will provide that and hopefully the docs will know what they are doing-

men and women should he expect a ROM with a goinometer on this?

and definitely Larry should get a nexus statement that has no holes in it.

[Vike17]

Larry,

Generally, if a C&P exam is over a year old, they will schedule another one due to the fact that after a years time has past many disabilities can worsen substantially. Also, I noticed in your previuos post that it appears they denied you over 3 and a half years ago, maybe without an exam, I'm not sure, it wasn't really clear. At any rate, if there was an exam three and half years ago, like I said, they'll need a current one. If they didn't do an exam three and a half years ago, then they need an exam anyways because they need the current disabiling effects of your disabilities, not from 20, 30, or even 40 years ago!

Also, it looks like they inferred a few other issues as secondary to your ankles. If I were you, I would see if you could get any IMO's from your private doctors to take with you to your exams. They would help out alot.

Vike 17

Edited January 22, 2007 by Vike17

[LarryJ]

Thanks for your replies. I appreciate it.

Nope, they never did do a C&P on my ankle. I don't guess that they felt it was necessary. The VARO just rubber-stamped their canned denial letter, hoping I'd go away, I guess. When it got to BVA, they had all my SMR's dealing with my ankle problem PLUS all the med records since that time PLUS two IMO's PLUS recent radiologists' reports, so I suppose that they had sense enough to realize that they didn't NEED a C&P on my ankle (heck, my ankle was starting to put on sunglasses and lip gloss and have it's toe nails painted, there had been so much pictures taken of it, it was "going Hollywood" on me).

And, they aren't doing a C&P on my ankle this time, either...............just everything else connected to that ankle (knee, hip, lower spine). Ya know, the joints that they will be examining really are not in as bad of a shape as my ankle.............my ankle is bone against bone and even though I can't bend/flex the ankle, the pieces of bone that are between the joints, there are some pieces of bone that just kinda move around in there, and they kinda hurt when I try to put ANY weight on that leg, so's I try to keep from doing anything with that leg and I try to put the extra weight on my OTHER side, and the pulling and pushing and all that is getting to my other joints, I'm not getting around to good, and with the pain meds that I take, well they wear off at night so's I get about 3 hours sleep maybe and I get tired and I try not to bitch and complain, but it hurts like hell, my whole body hurts and I want to scream sometimes, but it would take too much energy...................I'm just tired, really, really tired, and I have these thoughts of if it isn't gonna get any better then maybe everybody would just be better off not having to deal with me.

You know, it's kinda like once I was a man with things to look forward to and now it's just like I'm still here but my dreams have ran off and left me with this really tired empty feeling.

ah crap, I'm sorry, I just needed to get some stuff out, I'll try not to do this again

[Testvet]

Larry we understand it better than anyone else, we have all been there. It sounds like things are starting to turn around for you, and with them linking the other stuff to your ankle and mentioning TDIU, you may actually be on track finally I hope it does work out for you, sounds better than you had originally hoped for, it's usually the other way around, and we are all in this together, let it out anytime

just if you point the splatter at any one person it usually splatters back lol