This was on a DRO ordered examination. The problem we have is that the veteran's diagnosis occurred prior to DSM III and DSM IIIR. The veteran had numerous hospitalizations for PTSD symptoms (yet no PTSD DX because the books didn't provide for one then).____The psychologist told me that he would not make a dx only confirm DX in the C File and if there wasn't a PTSD dx then it wouldn't happen.____I have many claims in the process with "Immature Personality Disorder" "Emotionally Instability" as the dx. This was when DSM II was a looseleaf notebook with 78 pages.____So I hope we can win the rating. But if not the veteran got a whole $38.17 travel pay for the appointment. LOL
I’ve been checking out other sites to see where I can get information about the VA that you have provided. I was ready to jump off the Bridge. Have you seen some of the other sites? Won’t talk about “Veterans” without their personal opinions thrown in. Some of them seem downright paranoid. When I read what they have I wonder if I really served in the same military and live in the same country they do.
I hope you don’t mind that I continue to send you articles and other stuff (you probably get it from the other sources) including Code of Federal Regulations publications. If your successor has the same principles I would appreciate an address I could send the stuff.
I am very glad that you are keeping the site going. I always refer veterans to your site when I am giving references for good sites.
Former HM3
Fleet Marine Force
Hotel Company
2nd Battalion 4th Marine Regiment
Dog and Pony Show for the politicians who want to show that they are fiscally responsible. It's a shame that Webb didn't say right out front that he knew
if the IOM found nexus to Agent Orange then the Secretary must Service Connect. They're playing games with the Desert Storm/Shield Syndrome also.
They aren't going back to SC those who have previously denied SC.
I was a hospital corpsman and the corpsman who treated me in the field is now deceased. (He died in 1992). So guys it's taken 20 years for Desert Storm/Desert Shield and close to 40 for Agent Orange. Don't worry guys you'll get your service connection. After you're planted 6' deep.
But, the constant headaches (and migraines) that have occurred since then and the other chronic aches, pains, undiagnosed joint aches and pains aren't caused by the chemicals to which the Marines and Corpsmen were exposed. When will they ever learn? I've been told that I don't have any medical treatment for my headaches even though I have been diagnosed with classic migraines. I take over the counter medications, go to my dark room, throw up and lay down. Too damn tired to go to the doctor for treatment. Don't even keep a log any more. I was wounded in the face, and head and have a "translucent" area at the site of the wound scar. But, that wasn't good enough for the VA.
Not only were we exposed to contamination at Camp LeJeune (Main Side, Montford Point, Camp Geiger, Courthouse Bay, etc.) after we went through training there we went to Okinawa for advanced staging at Camp Schwab and then down south where we were exposed to Agent Orange.
What about the new eBenefits program that you have to go to the Regional Office to identify yourself for access. Haven't been able to get registered yet. Supposedly you will be able to access your claim records and see what is being done on it. Oh the good thing is if you're already identified through the HealtheVet system you won't have to have further identification through the Regional Office. Ain't technology great?
The buildings under disrepair and/or considered abandoned has happened over a lot of Presidents. It started with the downsizing of wards, of restricting the number of inpatients at a lot of VA Medical Centers. Those buildings became disused because of VA policies to limit in-house treatment. This caused a lot of things to happen. It allowed for the VA to establish the current Community Based Outreach Centers (CBOC) and VA Outpatient Clinics (VAOPC). This is not a bad thing, but, it also caused veterans to lose bedspace that could have been used for recuperation of wounded warriors. The agendas of various "Leaders" of the VA and the sales jobs they have done to the Veteran Service Organizations in the name of better care and treatment of veterans could be considered audacious. The oversight (supposedly done by the House and Senate Veterans' Affairs Committees) has been a little behind times. The blame for the disrepair, abandonment, and misuse of the faclities can't be laid on the VA. It must be laid upon the people who are supposed to do their job. That is our Congressmen/women and Senators.
This has been part of the discussion for quite a while and VA Watchdog has been in the forefront of the discussion. The decision to allow for a statement from the veteran to suffice as a stressor is somewhat great (as long as the veteran was in a combat zone or in a field where there is trauma i.e. hospital, Mash Unit, Seabee Unit, etc.). But the failure of the VA to recognize a diagnosis by a fully licensed and certified professional (pyschologist or psychiatrist) is unconscionable.
The furrows between the brow marks you as your father's son. I have not been on line for the past three days because I volunteer for the Memorial Golf Tournament held in Ohio. This tournament does recognize golfing greats, but, every year there is a Veterans' Day where veterans' may attend free. Many of the volunteers are veterans. This may not be much in condolences; but, your father will be remembered and all veterans are remembered in places that they don't realize that they will be remembered. Semper Fi Gunny and when Marines get to Heaven's Gate the Gunny will be posting the guard.
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Joint