Increasing Veterans Administration Service Connected Disabilty Rating

[JarHed]

Hey Sarg

Yeah, I know what you're sayin'. You are fortunate that you don't have to deal with them. I'm just not that lucky and have to. I really don't have much of any other kind of choice. Guess I'll be fightin' till I die doing so, not much of a choice. I just truly want to forget about it all. It's like I'm in a room where I can't get out and water is coming in, I'll be there till I sink or swim. I don't know any other way. It just really makes everything so much harder.

When all I want is a little piece of mind. Some time, just a little, when I don't have to think about what plagues me, or have to write this one or that, or send records here or there or have to see some one and explain it all again for the 150th. time. I'm just f**kin' sick of it all. I hate being in this kind of pain, it just never seems like it's ever gonna' end or at least subside for a little while so I can just take a breath and sigh a relaxed breath.

I really don't think I can last very much longer like I'm going, don't know what that means but I'll reach a point where I just throw up my arm in disgust and say f**k it and explode. It won't really matter, just another one of those 'crazy vets', who needs them anyway. One less for the VA and Gov't to deal with.

 

[Sarg]

Jarhead,

Check the phone book and find out if they have a Vet Center in your area. The Vet Center people are about as far from the VA as you can get. They care, they're good councilors and I really benefited from going to group sessions. I recommend them highly.

Sarg

 

[JarHed]

Hey Sarg

I'll check that out, it's worth a try. Thanks for the advise.

Jar

 

[willis williams]

Very disgusted with the VA right now also. They keep finding all these thing wrong with me in QTC appointments which keeps prolonging the inevitable. SSI still hasn't came through either. They sent me a letter saying I was denied but I couldn't work around co-workers, the general public, nothing of complicated nature, and no heavy lifting. They also said with the amount of colledge I have I should be able to work. I have pre-requisets I never even made to to an A.S. degree in general studies math, english, the bullshit classes. I had to drink just to stay there that long. The great thing is I had to go to special ED and have speccial tutors they even gave me a special computor that I talked to do to the loss of partial use of right hand. I couldn't focus or stand the people this coming from a fairly decent student in school before combat. Every time a QTC doc finds something it just strectches it out farther. The VA scheduled an appointment for my endoscopy then cancelled 2 days prior saying they didn't have a doc to perform the proceedure. I have been fighting the VA with my intestinal problems since I got out. they never did anything except say it was psyco sematic to my PTSD. My brother in law was in the first gulf war and stayed in the full 20 after the war he had the same stomach problems I never new about this till resent. On active duty they finally found that he brought home a paresite and suffer for a couple of years before they looked at that. Now they are saying thar this may be an option for me since 93-94. I called to reschedule like the letter said 4 times since last week and the nurse they said to call at the extencion has not returned any calls I stared calling last monday. I know how to get all the attention I need it is to check in to three south the looney bin. Had a 5 week stint in there do to there mess up with meds that sent me to a really bad place but while there they gave me treatment for everything that they could and I came before outpatients. I am 80% now and they still keep thowing me away. I am contimplating trying to contact a state rep or congressman. They would probably thow me away to though. 38 years old can't work because the VA and meds cant get SSI yet labeled so crazy that the federal government says I shouldn't work around co-workers. I am so lost right now I am damned if I do and damed if I don't. The worst part is everything is repode and whats not is pawned and I still have been beet down to so small of a man I can't even support my family without wellfare. I don't think they can prescibe a anti depressant to fix that. Counciling and meds and all the VA and SSI is doing is counteracting everything they are suposed to help me fix. Life is just shit right now so doing a little whinning. TEX

 

[JarHed]

Hey Willis

Sorry to hear of your problems with the VA. It's an unfortunate thing that the group that's supposed to be taking care of us is worse than the enemy we faced. Anyway, check out the DAV or one of the service organizatons. They can be a great help to run interference for you. The deal with this stuff on a daily basis and know more about how to get stuff done. Hang in there brother, it's, unfortunately, a long road. But it can have a good outcome if you can stay with it long enough. I think they, the VA, and other groups like them count on the frustration factor and that a lot of guys will just say f it after a while. Don't, you deserve this stuff. It's a long and bumpy ass road, so hang on to your hat. Just don't give up. Don't give them the satisfaction. Good Luck and Best Wishes.

Jarhed

 

[reddevil1111]

I tried the VA. I was discharged from a VA hospital. That sucked hard. Woke up in one and knew it was over at that point.
The VA has a very special way of letting you know you are worthless and that the workers are better than you.(even thought most are shit) God help anyone who gets upset or complains.
I have seen the evil and complete lack of caring. No meds for days no pain killers as its more important for the "nurse" to have them. Lack of proper food, mold, broken and seriously messed up rooms -broken toilets, rats, roaches...
So I tried about 7 years ago to go back to them. I got inside the front door. Same smells...the same attitude. Wait over there and fill this out ... I think I was inside about 15 minutes. I maxed out and had to go. Cant go back. Wont go back. Dont care if I have to live in a cardboard box and eat rats I wont go back. f*ck the VA!

 

[reddevil1111]

Funny thought. I think I might have PTSD from being in a VA hospital. That is funny. Might even make for a good submission for VA benifits. (not that I am considering it) Just a passing but funny thought.

 

[Sarg]

You laugh, Red but that very thing was a big thread on another website I go to. The quote was "if you don't have PTSD before you go to the VA, you will after"...HA!

Sarg

 

[Jimmy1]

You laugh, Red but that very thing was a big thread on another website I go to. The quote was "if you don't have PTSD before you go to the VA, you will after"...HA!

Sarg

Falling off the chair Sarg. That is the biggest laugh I have had in a while, thanks.

My claim for PTSD was accepted back in 08. They classed me 100%, TPI (Totally and Permanently Incapacitated).
Then last year I placed a form in to get it recognised under a different 'ACT'. They rejected it.
They said that they symptoms did not appear unit after I was discharged..... 'Hello, POST Traumatic Stress Disorder', and they said they questioned a statutory declaration from my Warrant Officer. Now their doubting our loyal serving seniors. f*ck me.

 

[reddevil1111]

Im so sorry Jimmy the buggery dept is down the hall on your left. They can validate your parking as well. NEXT?!
Who's next please?!

 

[Zipperhead]

Stop hitting Me!

 

[Shadowtao]

I love my VA Medical Center, hate my VA Regional Office. For the past 3 years I have been using the VA for all my health needs and so far they have been pretty good. Of course like most Vietnam Vets long ago when I first got out I hated both. I left the service and was nicely screwed by the VA Regional office over benefits. Denied pretty much all I had claimed, the hospital back then was a joke too. Finally convinced myself to give the medical center near another tray and found they had changed a lot. Now except for how crowded it is all the time I find the treatment pretty good. I would say great except for their PTSD Clinic which so far really sucks.
My regional office sucks all around. Slow as hell, love to deny claims, make really dumb mistakes, and are generally assholes. As an example: I filed for PTSD. I had tow tours in Vietnam, once as an infantryman, and that first tour I was wounded twice. My second tour was as a MACV advisor again in the field the whole time. A VA Regional Rep called me to ask some questions and in regard to my MACV tour he began by saying "Easy duty huh? " I asked if he would like to spend a tour with ARVN's in the I Corps mountains and he did not reply.
I think their biggest 'trick' is to change the wording of conditions claimed. Seems they do it a lot here in Florida. I have nerve damange in my hips that is SC. But also have bone damage that was not rated SC. I put in for the bone damange and it would come back as a claim to increase my SC percentage for the nerve damange. This happened twice, dispite very clear wording on my claim. They corrected the hip thing finally, but then changed the wording on a different condition. Now either they are really stupid or playing tricks. Perhaps both.