Attorney Wants Diagnosis for Secondary Complication to Rated Condition; Must it be through VA?

[Cat4Christ777]

Originally, this secondary condition was claimed as 'migraines,' but while it may begin as a migraine with a complication, the VA can--and has, more than once--made it so much worse (pain-wise). If it does not qualify as a migraine, then my attorney and I need to come up with a different diagnosis. It's definitely a neurological issue, possibly 'occipital neuralgia,' as the condition meets the criteria of its definition, here: https://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/occipital+neuralgia.

Yes, VHA has been my provider, but they have also been the ones triggering my secondary condition; and once they bring on the extra pain, they IGNORE the cause and focus solely on finding a drug to stop it. I am afraid to ask them to diagnose a condition they cause; and they won't volunteer to bring it up, themselves. They prefer not to deal with issues they cause. The VA Northern California Health Care System (at Mather) has even destroyed medical records associated with one of these episodes they caused.

And, if I ask them to diagnose the secondary condition, they may cause the pain just to 'study it,' and that is UNACCEPTABLE, as that pain is a death sentence for me (as, in my first experience, mentioned above, I was in that severe pain for at least 12 hours, and if VA had not eventually found a drug to treat it, I would definitely have ended my life that night). In fact, after that first episode, I never called, nor went back to, that VA hospital for over 14 years. When I finally called, I discovered that they actually thought I had killed myself. They were surprised I was still alive.

So, I am wondering if I can go to a civilian Neurologist to have them diagnose this condition, instead of letting the VA 'try' knowing they could fail, and that would end my life.

The original, rated condition is 'Right Upper Extremity Radiculopathy Associated with Cervical Spine Degenerative Arthritis Status Post Discectomy and Fusion, C6-7, with Inter-vertebral Disc Syndrome,' rated 30%.

So, what do you guys think: Should I get a private Neurologist to diagnose my secondary condition? I found some local, quality doctors in town (Clarksville, TN).

[Cat4Christ777]

OK, Broncovet, let me clarify some things for you:

This diagnosis that I need is NOT A C&P EXAM, nor is it a NEXUS LETTER.  I am JUST getting a civilian Neurologist to examine me--with medical tests--to receive their diagnosis.

The VA had all the evidence to diagnose this back in 2001, but chose to HIDE it, and not follow up. So, I need to go OUTSIDE the VA to get a long overdue diagnosis.

By the way--and honestly, I don't know why so many people here ignore this fact, despite me repeating it over and over--I HAVE A VA-CERTIFIED ATTORNEY, who requested I get a diagnosis from a qualified physician, so we can use that diagnosis to get a CIVILIAN DOCTOR TO PROVIDE A NEXUS LETTER.

The people who would be providing such a letter are the https://vetresourcegroup.com/nerve-and-neurological/

But they don't do diagnoses, they just do medical records review and NEXUS letters. You are not my representative, so I don't have to use YOUR recommendations, nor use the same people you used. Please allow me to do what I need to do for ME and MY CASE, which you are not familiar with, so cannot give advice about.

Please do NOT make assumptions about my case. That does not help anyone, least of all me.

[Whodat]

I had claimed migraines before, the VA scans your medical records for migraines. If they do not see it, expect a denial. I claimed headaches. They saw that in my records, now they are reacting differently.  

[Cat4Christ777]

Whodat, my original filing was immediately after getting out of the military, in June of 1998, but at the time, I was only concerned about 3 things (regardless of any military medical records, of which there was MUCH more). I do have military medical records regarding migraines, but did not file for them until 2021 because that was the work of my attorney.

I did have migraines in service, but was forced to work through them (as I was never given the option to take time off, as a cop), regardless of the pain. As such, I never bothered to file for them. However, once I hired an attorney, she went through all my copious amounts of in-service medical records and filed for every issue she found, which included migraines.

I CAN--and do--wake up with migraine pain, but because I HAVE worked (i.e. gone to work) through it, I do not consider them important. Even back on December 20, 2001, I would not have even called the ER, much less gone there, if I did not have a complication that prevented me from working (inability to read). It is ONLY when I have complications with the migraines that I get VA involved (to try to find out WHY the complications happen).

And for me, migraine pain is not a death sentence; it was only when the VA started giving me a much WORSE (nerve) pain out of those migraines (i.e., The Worst Pain of my Life), where it is impossible to function--even as a human being--much less consider continuing to live or try to work through. For that first experience, the VA kept me in that pain for a good 12 hours, so I had a LOT of time to believe they were not going to be successful in getting the pain down.

Literally, for that entire time, all I could do was hold my head together (because it felt like the lower left side of my head was going to explode), cry, and BEG people--anyone, even the VA police, when I saw them--to kill me, to end my life, because I could NOT 'live' with that pain. It was well and above any mere migraine pain, and completely destroyed any concept of 'quality of life.'

As a Christian, I am very pro-life (even to the point of working to criminalize abortion, because it is murder); but THAT PAIN changes everything. Unless you've BEEN THERE, yourself, and have experienced it for yourself, you cannot tell anyone else how they should deal with it.

I know why veterans commit suicide: it's because they are in a condition that is untenable for them, and the VA either cannot, or will not, help them. When 'quality of life' becomes a negative integer (like -10), you don't have any other option.

[Lemuel]

On 6/2/2022 at 6:30 PM, Cat4Christ777 said:

Originally, this secondary condition was claimed as 'migraines,' but while it may begin as a migraine with a complication, the VA can--and has, more than once--made it so much worse (pain-wise). If it does not qualify as a migraine, then my attorney and I need to come up with a different diagnosis. It's definitely a neurological issue, possibly 'occipital neuralgia,' as the condition meets the criteria of its definition, here: https://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/occipital+neuralgia.

Yes, VHA has been my provider, but they have also been the ones triggering my secondary condition; and once they bring on the extra pain, they IGNORE the cause and focus solely on finding a drug to stop it. I am afraid to ask them to diagnose a condition they cause; and they won't volunteer to bring it up, themselves. They prefer not to deal with issues they cause. The VA Northern California Health Care System (at Mather) has even destroyed medical records associated with one of these episodes they caused.

And, if I ask them to diagnose the secondary condition, they may cause the pain just to 'study it,' and that is UNACCEPTABLE, as that pain is a death sentence for me (as, in my first experience, mentioned above, I was in that severe pain for at least 12 hours, and if VA had not eventually found a drug to treat it, I would definitely have ended my life that night). In fact, after that first episode, I never called, nor went back to, that VA hospital for over 14 years. When I finally called, I discovered that they actually thought I had killed myself. They were surprised I was still alive.

So, I am wondering if I can go to a civilian Neurologist to have them diagnose this condition, instead of letting the VA 'try' knowing they could fail, and that would end my life.

The original, rated condition is 'Right Upper Extremity Radiculopathy Associated with Cervical Spine Degenerative Arthritis Status Post Discectomy and Fusion, C6-7, with Inter-vertebral Disc Syndrome,' rated 30%.

So, what do you guys think: Should I get a private Neurologist to diagnose my secondary condition? I found some local, quality doctors in town (Clarksville, TN).

Cat, look up the "community care number" for your area.  They may refer you to an outside neurologist because the VA has so few and the one you are seeing is exacerbating your medical response to treatment.  I see an outside neurologist who has been very helpful to me.

[FloridaNative]

I don't know where you are in terms of getting a diagnosis. Thought this might be helpful. 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7831134/

[Cat4Christ777]

Lemuel, I wanted to go to a private, civilian Neurologist for a diagnosis, because I don't trust the VA--with good reason, as their employees (I have trouble calling them 'medical professionals') don't listen to me, and tend to put me in excruciating pain (making me want to die). I wanted someone who understood nerve issues, to diagnose me (not treat, just diagnose).

However, over the past couple of weeks, I have been calling several private Neurologists in town, but no one has even called me back, and I have not been able to even speak with a human being. So, I have no choice but to go through the VA at this point; and made an appointment with my PCP for her earliest available date, which, unsurprisingly is 2 months out (August 12th). In that meeting, I will provide her with my evidence as to why I think it's a neurological issue, so she will provide a Neurology consult. That's up to her, of course.

I do not know whether that will be from within VA or via Community Care, but I am not going to call Community Care directly, as I have to go through my PCP (Primary Care Physician) for that authority.

I just think it's strange that professional medical offices would not even return calls from potential customers, who are willing and able to pay for service. And this is not just one office, it's more than half a dozen offices, all who do not return calls when customers leave messages.

Thanks for your input, though; every insight helps, even a little bit.