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Welp, I called my VA hospital today and was set up with an appointment for tomorrow with a case manager. Going to hit the high points of developing sciatica in my right leg and PTSD (all those years of going to the VA shrinks might help). The only problem I can see coming up is my own admitted use of weed, for personal pain and psychological reasons. It's really the only thing I'm worried about them grilling me over. And, I'll be harassing them over why the Post 9/11 GI Bill doesn't work with my union trade school program (IBEW) and see if there's a remedy for that. Montgomery GI Bill works, but not 9/11, for some reason.
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Mar 4, 2011 08:06
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| # ¿ May 9, 2024 21:51 |
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Busket_in_Posket posted:
Ah, thank you. That's a weight off my shoulders. It hasn't prevented them from prescribing me lortabs and muscle relaxers, so I may be in the clear on that. My appointment was bullshit. Showed up, they handed me a pamphlet. The few questions answered were pretty glazed over. According to the case manager I spoke with, I need to talk to my primary care provider about beginning the process for appealing my disability, which sounds like bullshit to me. I know I'm going to need a physical, most likely an MRI on my lower back, and will probably have to see a psychologist again. However, the person I spoke to was not my medical case manager, who was out today (though she called this morning, and didn't know I had an appointment this afternoon with her office, odd). I'll speak to her after my PCP appointment regarding an appeal. Should I hit up a DAV rep just in case? Edit: Education question redacted. I'll take that to the education thread. Wandering Idiot fucked around with this message at 22:44 on Mar 4, 2011 |
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Mar 4, 2011 21:54
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Thanks. I'll get in touch with DAV on monday, see what they can do. Probably won't speed up getting an MRI to prove the sciatica and recent disc damage, but all in due time.
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Mar 5, 2011 07:51
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I'll be working on getting a PTSD rating (wife is pushing me to do so) and I've been out for five years. I rarely sleep at night, have bad anger spells, anxiety, and have had horrible swings of depression for the past few years. I have a record built up from seeing psychiatrists and psychologists since from when I was about a year out, have been put on meds, so it will probably come up in my favor (just a guess). I think they're more flexible on it because people have problems with admitting their mental illnesses. That and the media that's circled around it the past 5 years. And I don't believe there's a time limit on claiming service connected disabilities, but you have to have built up documentation of the problem in your medical records, pretty much from the time you were in the service or immediately after discharge. E: Sorry to hear about your friend, Busket. Best wishes and all. Wandering Idiot fucked around with this message at 18:01 on Mar 7, 2011 |
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Mar 7, 2011 17:43
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When I got out, I had a VFW advocate. That was almost five years ago, and I'm still not a member of the VFW. I don't know how it works with DAV or AL, but I doubt they make you join up or attend meetings. At least with VFW, if you do join, their clubs are pretty much dirt cheap bars. It's something like $500 for a lifetime membership, though. Wandering Idiot fucked around with this message at 04:28 on Mar 10, 2011 |
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Mar 10, 2011 04:25
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I got a call from the DAV today, and they're sending the paperwork for me to fill out. Hooray!
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Mar 11, 2011 04:08
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| # ¿ May 9, 2024 21:51 |
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5 years of healthcare from your discharge date, far as I gather. They'll cover service related for free for life as long as it's a service connected disability. Either way, for five years, you'll have minimal payments at best with the VA, regardless of whether or not you have private insurance (which they would love, so they could squeeze some money out of them for once). I think the most I've actually paid for, that wasn't a service connected disability (nothing on that), was $8 a month for a psychiatric prescribed med. Wandering Idiot fucked around with this message at 07:51 on Mar 12, 2011 |
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Mar 12, 2011 07:45
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