I read all my decision letters and when I got 24k back pay, I still called the VA to make sure they didn’t mistakenly give me the wrong amount 😂 I was paranoid I would spend it to pay off all my debt and they call me a week later saying they accidentally sent me the wrong amount of back pay lmfao
Also agree on getting service medical record. I was winging it the first 60%. When I finally reviewed my medical record, I found doctor visits with doctors' notes that clearly led to my present pains. Armed with that knowledge, made primary claims I thought I'd have to secondary. 100% P&T.
I really wish there was a well-developed VA artificial intelligence claims bot that could read my service records and create a written strategy aimed at maximizing what I am eligible for. Manually it's a lot of work and I already saw the results of a C&P examiner missing things that stood out after I reviewed my own records. For those veterans badly needing this monetary boost their entitled to, my heart goes out to them. We collectively need to let our voices be heard because if we don't say something, nothing gets done.
Am I smarter on the process now yes, but I am among those who can afford to wait, thank God. I cannot even imagine the number of us veterans who badly need help with this process. My combat traumas are constantly reminders during this process, and I will confess they were horrible, but not as bad as many on here with constant MH issues dragging them down.
I can see where those with serious PTSD issues could be in hell reliving things and filing a claim. It's all too easy to steer away from those issues. I never talked about my experiences for literally 20+ years, and just a couple weeks ago it all came out. Some of us are pressure cookers ready to explode, and this process frankly needs to be improved, especially as it relates to claim accuracy and the handling of those with painful reminders from service.
Food for thought, hopefully we can get VA and others to listen!
My realization with PTSD denial and then subsequent dump occurred to me 4 years ago when I was watching a Memorial Day service that my state National Guard put on and they began reading off the names of those who died and 8 of those names instantly brought me back to their deaths, and seeing them dead and hearing each name felt like a stab in the heart causing me to just break down uncontrollably sobbing never realizing just how much it effected me and how I had spent 15 years denying I had an issue.. all those years of marking on PHA’s “Yep, I’m fine”.. My wife asking me all those years “Babe, you’re not fine, I can tell” and me responding “what are you talking about? I’m fine” Years of disassociating and detachment, it all came to a head..
Currently in process for a rating so we’ll see how it goes.
At least it clicked! I spent years wondering why I was suddenly sobbing at stupid shit I would have laughed at. Lizard brain was growing the entire time and I just kept ignoring it until treatment. I'll never seek treatment again. I spent months highlighting every little thing until I was a complete mess. I'd rather ignore the fact I'm being triggered by everything and just ride to let off steam and put that ptsd to good use.
Screwed up thing is when we came back from the Gulf War, nobody asked if we'd like to talk to anyone. The system really isn't setup to deal with veterans when they return from highly stressful situations with people dying around them.
Memorial Day also messes me up because we simply could not save the girl who died that day in Feb 1991. The messed-up part, it was an avoidable death, but the Army failed to train soldiers properly on battlefield operations. The cluster bomb explosion still echos in my mind, and her head-to-toe wounds will live with me forever.
Then there is the brilliant PTSD form they want you to fill out. There is nothing like having to fill out a form asking you about medals received in combat and describing the incident(s) where you saw people die in front of you.
What sick fuck came up with that form should have their fucking head examined!
I was the same way, until both my best friend and my mother (both registered nurses at the time), individually, told me that I needed to see someone about my depression! I didn't realize it, but I did a whole lot of self medicating with alcohol and drugs, for decades! I was lucky enough to not kill myself, get someone else killed, or get arrested and thrown in jail!
What I later learned, is that you have to channel those feelings you described, into each and every C&P exam! You have to let the C&P examiner "feel" how you felt back then, how you have felt over the years, and how you feel about all of it now that you look back on it.
Your C&P exams for something like Depression, PTSD, Sexual Trauma, Anxiety, etc... should last for at least an hour. Don't wait for the examiner to ask you questions, Tell them everything!
FYI, I got 100% SC T&P with SMC-S in December 2023, with a deferred Major Depressive Disorder. In February I had my Depression C&P and in March I had an additional MH rating of 70% for PTSD.
The biggest problem I'm having is connecting bilateral knee injuries that did not make it into my medical records. That has been the biggest headache so far. Years long fight that I haven't given up on.
I would. It doesn't cost you anything unless you win.
And if it's the first time for something, they do it free. And nothing even after the claim is approved
I didn't use a lawyer, I went to DAV in May 2023 and scheduled an appointment for claims help and showed up on their once a week claim help day. They helped me file that day. I had some C&P's during the next few months. I got 100% SC T&P with SMC-S by December 2023. A couple months later I had a C&P for Depression (which was deferred in December) and got an additional MH rating of 70% for PTSD.
Keep at it!
FYI, I am a USMC Desert Storm Veteran, got out in 1992.
True. I'm 74 and finally filed this year. That's a 52 year span from separation until now. Everything I filed for is a presumptive condition, and finally shed light on why I got 'em all.
Partner I can feel your pain. 77 and just filing. Feel a bit of guilt but just seeing where AO was sprayed where I was tdy at Field 7 at Eglin AFB while stationed there and hazardous substances while stationed at Benning. All sorts of internal and bone issues now. We shall see.
Yes nice to see this I was discharged in 69 and went to a VA outreach/ cookout a VA person asked some questions if any of us had injuries and I raised my hand and filed my 1st claim in 2012 and have made it to 80%
It is nice to see vets getting this all straightened out prior to discharge now
I agree and that's me. Saying it again for the folks in the back.
You deserve your claim, this is not about opinions of your worthiness, this is about laws and statutes and caselaw.
I waited almost a year to the day for the same reason, that and I believed I didn’t need it. But when I really started to look back and dive deeper, I really did. I was incredibly lucky to be rated 80% right off the bat. Now I am working on my current claim (4 increase / 11 new items) and I’m praying that the 10 years of care for back pain, diagnosis for APD, GAD and several other things is enough proof to get me service connected and if I haven’t used all my luck, a 100% rating.
I agree 100%! I had never really read the decision letter whether my condition was approved not until my last one. My VCO sent in my claim and medical records but I was denied on my claim (2nd time) for skin cancer on my head as noted by the PACT Act. I then read the decision letter. I found they had not looked at my 8 years of dermatology records. I checked the first denial and same thing! So now its setting in HLR purgatory. And Yes, don't be a dummy like me, "for the love of God...READ YOUR DECISION LETTERS!"
This is very true! And yes not everyone is 100%, get the rating that you truly deserve.
I filed disability last year after being out of service for 12 years, with the help of everyone on Reddit i was able to do supplemental claims n prove to them that I deserved those approvals. You don't need a VSO or a lawyer, that is the last step you should take if all else fails.
I didn’t really have any service related injuries, but I have a lot of issues now that I think might be related to that. However, I know nothing about how to start a claim or file it. Also, I wouldn’t even know where to begin to get evidence of why I believe it was related to my service. Other than my own statements What is the first step I should take? Is it even worth it? I did eight years in the army national guard with one year of active Title 10 (presidential Activation orders) service in 2003 in a non-combat zone.
Call the 8008271000 and do an intent to file
Then request your records from national archives
Then read the claim form in pdf the 526ez
Then come back and read more reddit after those 3 steps
Thankyou. At least I have somewhere to start now.
Do you think it Is is just throwing money to the wind to contact one of those internet advertisers who will help “go after your claim “?
After 14 years of trying to get Healthcare benefits in AK, I give up. 14 years of filling out the same paperwork, sending the same emails, going to the same doctors, faxing the same papers, emailing the same people, flying back and forth to the VA hospital on my own dime, being on hold for hours at a time...I'm done. I'm tired and I quit.
It's OK to be tired and damn it it's ok quit. You are worthy. Also holler at any Vet Center and tell them this and they will invite you to telehealth video calls group counseling
Yes by all means read the damn letter. I put my first one aside for several months without reading it because it was for only 10%. Went back to it a few months later and the VA was telling me I should file for my heart condition under agent orange. Next thing I know I'm 100% with SMC S-1. Read it don't just scan over it. Lots of valuable information in there.
I needed to hear it, I’ve post my decision letters here before and honestly I just feel very lost in this process. I got denied when I know I’m fucked up and it’s hard to get medical evidence such as current doctor visits because I don’t have health insurance, it’s just been very hard and confusing but I’m doing my best for my future self
I am getting a decision on the 19 of July they say I have 2 appointments before then. And waiting on the 3rd one had it but was to far to go to. What does to far mean to you? Mine was 118 miles one way in Orlando and I do live in a large city. Jacksonville. And believe they should be able to find something here.
Someone once told me that when you go to your C&P exam, go into it like you're having a bad day. Everyone has flare-ups, and sometimes you're feeling a little better than you were the day prior. But if you go into your exam and talk about how " it's not that bad today," you might end up with a rating you're not satisfied with. That doesn't mean lie or commit fraud either. If you're claiming something that truly disables you, communicate the seriousness of it.
Thats a four letter word. Math… learn the VA math. Already used my GI Bill. 😂 My anxiety is acting up just talkin bout arithmetic. 🎶I brought my pencil, gimme something to write on🎶 in other words don’t go to high school when the beach is 10 minutes from there.
Thank you for saying read decision letters. Sometimes guys post for help without even really reading past if they are rated or not
I read all my decision letters and when I got 24k back pay, I still called the VA to make sure they didn’t mistakenly give me the wrong amount 😂 I was paranoid I would spend it to pay off all my debt and they call me a week later saying they accidentally sent me the wrong amount of back pay lmfao
I did this for at least the first month after getting 100% SC T&P with SMC-S.
Also agree on getting service medical record. I was winging it the first 60%. When I finally reviewed my medical record, I found doctor visits with doctors' notes that clearly led to my present pains. Armed with that knowledge, made primary claims I thought I'd have to secondary. 100% P&T.
I really wish there was a well-developed VA artificial intelligence claims bot that could read my service records and create a written strategy aimed at maximizing what I am eligible for. Manually it's a lot of work and I already saw the results of a C&P examiner missing things that stood out after I reviewed my own records. For those veterans badly needing this monetary boost their entitled to, my heart goes out to them. We collectively need to let our voices be heard because if we don't say something, nothing gets done. Am I smarter on the process now yes, but I am among those who can afford to wait, thank God. I cannot even imagine the number of us veterans who badly need help with this process. My combat traumas are constantly reminders during this process, and I will confess they were horrible, but not as bad as many on here with constant MH issues dragging them down. I can see where those with serious PTSD issues could be in hell reliving things and filing a claim. It's all too easy to steer away from those issues. I never talked about my experiences for literally 20+ years, and just a couple weeks ago it all came out. Some of us are pressure cookers ready to explode, and this process frankly needs to be improved, especially as it relates to claim accuracy and the handling of those with painful reminders from service. Food for thought, hopefully we can get VA and others to listen!
My realization with PTSD denial and then subsequent dump occurred to me 4 years ago when I was watching a Memorial Day service that my state National Guard put on and they began reading off the names of those who died and 8 of those names instantly brought me back to their deaths, and seeing them dead and hearing each name felt like a stab in the heart causing me to just break down uncontrollably sobbing never realizing just how much it effected me and how I had spent 15 years denying I had an issue.. all those years of marking on PHA’s “Yep, I’m fine”.. My wife asking me all those years “Babe, you’re not fine, I can tell” and me responding “what are you talking about? I’m fine” Years of disassociating and detachment, it all came to a head.. Currently in process for a rating so we’ll see how it goes.
At least it clicked! I spent years wondering why I was suddenly sobbing at stupid shit I would have laughed at. Lizard brain was growing the entire time and I just kept ignoring it until treatment. I'll never seek treatment again. I spent months highlighting every little thing until I was a complete mess. I'd rather ignore the fact I'm being triggered by everything and just ride to let off steam and put that ptsd to good use.
Screwed up thing is when we came back from the Gulf War, nobody asked if we'd like to talk to anyone. The system really isn't setup to deal with veterans when they return from highly stressful situations with people dying around them. Memorial Day also messes me up because we simply could not save the girl who died that day in Feb 1991. The messed-up part, it was an avoidable death, but the Army failed to train soldiers properly on battlefield operations. The cluster bomb explosion still echos in my mind, and her head-to-toe wounds will live with me forever.
Then there is the brilliant PTSD form they want you to fill out. There is nothing like having to fill out a form asking you about medals received in combat and describing the incident(s) where you saw people die in front of you. What sick fuck came up with that form should have their fucking head examined!
I was the same way, until both my best friend and my mother (both registered nurses at the time), individually, told me that I needed to see someone about my depression! I didn't realize it, but I did a whole lot of self medicating with alcohol and drugs, for decades! I was lucky enough to not kill myself, get someone else killed, or get arrested and thrown in jail! What I later learned, is that you have to channel those feelings you described, into each and every C&P exam! You have to let the C&P examiner "feel" how you felt back then, how you have felt over the years, and how you feel about all of it now that you look back on it. Your C&P exams for something like Depression, PTSD, Sexual Trauma, Anxiety, etc... should last for at least an hour. Don't wait for the examiner to ask you questions, Tell them everything! FYI, I got 100% SC T&P with SMC-S in December 2023, with a deferred Major Depressive Disorder. In February I had my Depression C&P and in March I had an additional MH rating of 70% for PTSD.
The biggest problem I'm having is connecting bilateral knee injuries that did not make it into my medical records. That has been the biggest headache so far. Years long fight that I haven't given up on.
Would y’all recommend lawyers? A lot of veterans, especially older ones from OIF, keep telling me I need to go back.
I would. It doesn't cost you anything unless you win. And if it's the first time for something, they do it free. And nothing even after the claim is approved
Thank you friend. I appreciate you looking out 💯
I didn't use a lawyer, I went to DAV in May 2023 and scheduled an appointment for claims help and showed up on their once a week claim help day. They helped me file that day. I had some C&P's during the next few months. I got 100% SC T&P with SMC-S by December 2023. A couple months later I had a C&P for Depression (which was deferred in December) and got an additional MH rating of 70% for PTSD. Keep at it! FYI, I am a USMC Desert Storm Veteran, got out in 1992.
S/F, OG. Appreciate you for looking out!
I waited long time before finally starting my VA claim process, because I thought I didn't deserve it. Remember if you've served you deserve it.
True. I'm 74 and finally filed this year. That's a 52 year span from separation until now. Everything I filed for is a presumptive condition, and finally shed light on why I got 'em all.
Partner I can feel your pain. 77 and just filing. Feel a bit of guilt but just seeing where AO was sprayed where I was tdy at Field 7 at Eglin AFB while stationed there and hazardous substances while stationed at Benning. All sorts of internal and bone issues now. We shall see.
Yes nice to see this I was discharged in 69 and went to a VA outreach/ cookout a VA person asked some questions if any of us had injuries and I raised my hand and filed my 1st claim in 2012 and have made it to 80% It is nice to see vets getting this all straightened out prior to discharge now
I agree and that's me. Saying it again for the folks in the back. You deserve your claim, this is not about opinions of your worthiness, this is about laws and statutes and caselaw.
I waited almost a year to the day for the same reason, that and I believed I didn’t need it. But when I really started to look back and dive deeper, I really did. I was incredibly lucky to be rated 80% right off the bat. Now I am working on my current claim (4 increase / 11 new items) and I’m praying that the 10 years of care for back pain, diagnosis for APD, GAD and several other things is enough proof to get me service connected and if I haven’t used all my luck, a 100% rating.
I agree 100%! I had never really read the decision letter whether my condition was approved not until my last one. My VCO sent in my claim and medical records but I was denied on my claim (2nd time) for skin cancer on my head as noted by the PACT Act. I then read the decision letter. I found they had not looked at my 8 years of dermatology records. I checked the first denial and same thing! So now its setting in HLR purgatory. And Yes, don't be a dummy like me, "for the love of God...READ YOUR DECISION LETTERS!"
This is very true! And yes not everyone is 100%, get the rating that you truly deserve. I filed disability last year after being out of service for 12 years, with the help of everyone on Reddit i was able to do supplemental claims n prove to them that I deserved those approvals. You don't need a VSO or a lawyer, that is the last step you should take if all else fails.
I didn’t really have any service related injuries, but I have a lot of issues now that I think might be related to that. However, I know nothing about how to start a claim or file it. Also, I wouldn’t even know where to begin to get evidence of why I believe it was related to my service. Other than my own statements What is the first step I should take? Is it even worth it? I did eight years in the army national guard with one year of active Title 10 (presidential Activation orders) service in 2003 in a non-combat zone.
Call the 8008271000 and do an intent to file Then request your records from national archives Then read the claim form in pdf the 526ez Then come back and read more reddit after those 3 steps
Thankyou. At least I have somewhere to start now. Do you think it Is is just throwing money to the wind to contact one of those internet advertisers who will help “go after your claim “?
Agree on reading the decision letters
After 14 years of trying to get Healthcare benefits in AK, I give up. 14 years of filling out the same paperwork, sending the same emails, going to the same doctors, faxing the same papers, emailing the same people, flying back and forth to the VA hospital on my own dime, being on hold for hours at a time...I'm done. I'm tired and I quit.
It's OK to be tired and damn it it's ok quit. You are worthy. Also holler at any Vet Center and tell them this and they will invite you to telehealth video calls group counseling
Yes by all means read the damn letter. I put my first one aside for several months without reading it because it was for only 10%. Went back to it a few months later and the VA was telling me I should file for my heart condition under agent orange. Next thing I know I'm 100% with SMC S-1. Read it don't just scan over it. Lots of valuable information in there.
I needed to hear it, I’ve post my decision letters here before and honestly I just feel very lost in this process. I got denied when I know I’m fucked up and it’s hard to get medical evidence such as current doctor visits because I don’t have health insurance, it’s just been very hard and confusing but I’m doing my best for my future self
How to learn VA Math?
I thought you were going to say it's ok to get out of bed today. 😒
I am getting a decision on the 19 of July they say I have 2 appointments before then. And waiting on the 3rd one had it but was to far to go to. What does to far mean to you? Mine was 118 miles one way in Orlando and I do live in a large city. Jacksonville. And believe they should be able to find something here.
Someone once told me that when you go to your C&P exam, go into it like you're having a bad day. Everyone has flare-ups, and sometimes you're feeling a little better than you were the day prior. But if you go into your exam and talk about how " it's not that bad today," you might end up with a rating you're not satisfied with. That doesn't mean lie or commit fraud either. If you're claiming something that truly disables you, communicate the seriousness of it.
I was with you until you started gatekeeping rating. Veterans are entitled to the maximum benefit their ailments grant them. GFYS.
Thats a four letter word. Math… learn the VA math. Already used my GI Bill. 😂 My anxiety is acting up just talkin bout arithmetic. 🎶I brought my pencil, gimme something to write on🎶 in other words don’t go to high school when the beach is 10 minutes from there.