So Folks,
Finally got my ratings last week. I was found unfit on the basis of 4 conditions back in October, PTSD, Depression, Cervical Disc Degeneration, and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. There were another 17 conditions listed that were found to be fitting and were rated by the VA also. I am in the Pilot Program, so I got both ratings back. I got 60% from the Army and 90% from the VA. With placement on the TDRL. Which of course isn't bad. EXCEPT! I had someone check up on the packet in the VA, and it was done by one of the new batch of people they got in to clear the backlog, who didn't realize that unfitting PTSD is 50% automatically, and initially rated it at 30%. This indicates to me that it is very likely that my condition would be considered to be at a lower rating when re-evaluated. The breakdown was 50% for PTSD/Depression, and 10% for my neck. And curiously, 0% for the Chronic Fatigue Syndrome even though it was bad enough to be an unfitting condition at the PEB. Bizarre!
I was surprised to see that one of my most debilitating conditions - Migraines, was rated at 0%. I take Topomax daily to limit my headaches and when I get them I'm floored and take meds to shorten the duration, but I'm out for a day at least. But because I'm a nurse and because I've either been too sick to get to the ER or Urgent care, or have been at the hospital and have just walked into my doc for care and gone home, they didn't see sufficient evidence of "debilitating" attacks. Oh, also, I'm at the WTU in Fort Meade, and it takes 2 months to see a doctor. Unless your condition conveniently coincides with the one hour sick call between 8 and 9. So care is generally unavailable. I used to be able to get care for my migraines before I went to the WTU, but sadly care is really not accessible there. It's a shame. So the message is, no matter how bad you feel, go to the Urgent Care or ER. That's all they count. Get someone to drive you.
Also curiously, several of the conditions which were submitted originally and which appeared on my PEB paperwork such as: a right foot condition, a left knee condition, Allergic Rhinitis, (all of which are not unfitting, but may be "worth" 10% or something with the VA), just disappeared off the paperwork altogether by the time the VA came to rating. I guess someone in the VA decided that they didn't matter to them so they didn't rate them.
So informal rebuttal in progress right now. The Attorney looked at it all and said there was plenty to argue about there. And that in his experience, most people are having their PTSD ratings lowered upon re-rating on the TDRL, so it's worth making sure that I hold out for the most I can get now, because it will almost certainly drop.
It sucks to feel like you have to grovel and scrape to get what you are due. But that's how it is.
Murph
Finally got my ratings last week. I was found unfit on the basis of 4 conditions back in October, PTSD, Depression, Cervical Disc Degeneration, and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. There were another 17 conditions listed that were found to be fitting and were rated by the VA also. I am in the Pilot Program, so I got both ratings back. I got 60% from the Army and 90% from the VA. With placement on the TDRL. Which of course isn't bad. EXCEPT! I had someone check up on the packet in the VA, and it was done by one of the new batch of people they got in to clear the backlog, who didn't realize that unfitting PTSD is 50% automatically, and initially rated it at 30%. This indicates to me that it is very likely that my condition would be considered to be at a lower rating when re-evaluated. The breakdown was 50% for PTSD/Depression, and 10% for my neck. And curiously, 0% for the Chronic Fatigue Syndrome even though it was bad enough to be an unfitting condition at the PEB. Bizarre!
I was surprised to see that one of my most debilitating conditions - Migraines, was rated at 0%. I take Topomax daily to limit my headaches and when I get them I'm floored and take meds to shorten the duration, but I'm out for a day at least. But because I'm a nurse and because I've either been too sick to get to the ER or Urgent care, or have been at the hospital and have just walked into my doc for care and gone home, they didn't see sufficient evidence of "debilitating" attacks. Oh, also, I'm at the WTU in Fort Meade, and it takes 2 months to see a doctor. Unless your condition conveniently coincides with the one hour sick call between 8 and 9. So care is generally unavailable. I used to be able to get care for my migraines before I went to the WTU, but sadly care is really not accessible there. It's a shame. So the message is, no matter how bad you feel, go to the Urgent Care or ER. That's all they count. Get someone to drive you.
Also curiously, several of the conditions which were submitted originally and which appeared on my PEB paperwork such as: a right foot condition, a left knee condition, Allergic Rhinitis, (all of which are not unfitting, but may be "worth" 10% or something with the VA), just disappeared off the paperwork altogether by the time the VA came to rating. I guess someone in the VA decided that they didn't matter to them so they didn't rate them.
So informal rebuttal in progress right now. The Attorney looked at it all and said there was plenty to argue about there. And that in his experience, most people are having their PTSD ratings lowered upon re-rating on the TDRL, so it's worth making sure that I hold out for the most I can get now, because it will almost certainly drop.
It sucks to feel like you have to grovel and scrape to get what you are due. But that's how it is.
Murph
