Got My Rating Yesterday....now I Have An Issue

[JoeNavy]

Got my rating yesterday of 60% PTSD. I just filed in March of this year, so I thought it would take a long time! 3 months with the VA is FAST!

I will accept the meds and treatment for free, and I'll even end up accepting the 60% compensation pay, but I am feeling like it is "Blood money." It's just 241 men died, and I did not, and now I'm going to get $ for it? I guess it's the guilt thing again. When I think about collecting the checks, I see their faces, and they don't look happy. I also dremamed this last night....I ususally don't have nightmeares because I take a sleeping pill that knocks me completely out, but the VA has messed up and hasn't sent my refill-been out for over a week. Rationally, I think that yes, I do deserve the $ for what I've went through for the past 28, almost 29 years, but still....

Is this weird, or have other had the same types of thoughts? I can always use the $, and I will accept it, I guess its just getting around the guilt of it all.

 

[1stInfantry]

You are truly one of the extreme few that have their claims adjudicated in 3 months. You should consider yourself very fortunate. Maybe even buy a lottery ticket. But I am somewhat skeptical because anyone who has ever dealt with the VA, especially in the recent past having to deal with all the agent orange backlog claims, will characterize it as anything but FAST!

Also you were not in any way awarded 60% for PTSD. The rating schedule for any mental disorder is as follows: 0%, 10%, 30%, 50%, 70%, and finally 100%; so I can only accept that you were awarded for something else along with the PTSD if you received a 60% rating from the VA.

That being said; Congratulations for your award.


Oh and I just noticed that this is not a board devoted solely to American's and the American VA System so If you are from somewhere else that falls under different rules then I apologize for being so presumptuous.

I see you are from Wyoming....OK scratch that last remark.

 

[JoeNavy]

You are right...VERY fast! I have been to a couple three different VA's, and the Cheyenne, WY is by far the best-they treay you like they actually want to treat you and they don't hate it when you walk in the door! Guess the Claims department is good too, considering the 3 months since I filed.

You are right on the rating, too. I have 50% for PTSD and 10% tininitis, and 0 Hearing loss. I'm deaf as a stump, but aparently a person has to be almost completely deaf to get an award in this area.

Thanks for responding....anything on the other part of my first post?

 

[1stInfantry]

Yeah. You served your country and I take it you have put yourself in harms way at least once or twice with 29 years in so although you might feel guilt from accepting government funds just think back to some of the hell that you may have been through and justification will be on it's way and guilt can take a walk.

 

[Jimmy1]

Hey mate, I have not seen an intro post from you but I gather you have PTSD and have served your country.

Love your Avatar, that looks like what my morning and evening pills used to look like.

Our ratings seem similar, my rating for PTSD was 70% and have a total rating of 100%, and receive a good pension and medical expenses covered by a Gold Card. Once you hit a certain percentage over here you are rated T&PI, Totally and Permanently Incapacitated.
I used to feel very guilty, but since discharge I have had major back surgery, abdominal surgery, and had a couple of knee surgeries. Without that card I would not have had them done and hate to think where I would be.

 

[1stInfantry]

Yeah that is just a small cocktail of what I take (or am supposed to take)......

I did not realize you were speaking to me the first time I read your post until I just looked at my avatar and put 3 and 9 together and got 6.

Yes Combat Vet of the First Gulf War and I never even thought about filing a claim until my left arm, one that I had problems in service with, got so bad that I could not lift much and definitely could not lift anything above my head. It was then that during some surfing on the VA's web site that I stumbled upon the symptoms of PTSD and my wife and I were like.....Damn! Maybe I am not such a screw up on my own after all....Maybe this is the reason. When I left the service in 1993 the exit exam had anxiety, depression, trouble sleping and alcohol abuse.....all symptoms of PTSD yet they never did anything but say See Ya!

I just had to ask about that three month claim processing time because it shocked me so much. Cheyenne Wyoming is one of the better performing VARO's though compared to some of the ones in the more populated areas but even with that they have an average of 125 days in rating with over 37.8% of the claims. So like I say you got lucky my friend and I am glad for you. I just received my 80% rating after nearly two years in the claims process. I filed in August of 2010. 70% PTSD and 20% Rotator Cuff Tendonitis I believe is what they claimed it was. Now I wait for the retroactive payment and for SSDI to make a decision. Then I retire and hit the road in the motor home maybe.... But a great big weight was lifted off of me today.....Yet I remain depressed.

 

[Alex1991]

Im dreading doing this all through the british system. Iv read through it and it all seems so bullshit and just reminded me why i got out. I dont want anything to do with it. In our system you get more just for being an officer and i think thats f*cking outrageous. why does my rank mean my condition is worth less. f*ck them. I dont need their f*cking help

 

[Squaddiedave]

Alex, it's not to bad with the Brit system, and there are some great outside agencies as well. Just depends on the individual your seeing, my head doc at the mo is great, CPN's a bit flakey mind. Chin up buddy.

 

[JoeBB62]

1stinfantry; thanks for your post....I appreciate it. I guess you are right...I did serve my country and put my life in harms way several times, although only a few times. Also, I gues I wasn't clear-I wasn;t in the service for 29 years....it's been 29 years since I was in, and I only did a 4 year stint. It only took about 20 years for my PTSD to REALLY manifest itself....I had some of the other symptoms up to that point, but when that 20 year mark hit, and since then, life has really been hell. Thanks.