Well… Spent most of the day stuck in a car……
I rode down with my mom to the major Veterans Affairs hospital 2 hours away (Love you too Columbia, seriously >.>), and spend a whole 15 MINUTES being seen for a re-rating on my knees and FINALLY a rating for my back (been trying for years to get them to connect my back issues with my already service connected knees, but they kept refusing to do so. I found out rather recently, after fighting with them since 2005, because I have a ‘minimal’ rating on my knees due to stupid guidelines that should honestly be redone).
4 hour round trip for 15 minute appointment, I BETTER get a damn ratings increase on my knees for once! I think I’ve been rated and re-rated for my knees 8-10 times, and up until now, they have continually denied me because of no other reason than they can due to some vague set of rules that have absolutely NO wiggle room to actually rate Vets according to their real issues/problems. If you do not fit the exact wording describing what constitutes as deserving of a certain rating, even IF you have all of the issues, and your provider doesn’t make clear notes, they can and WILL deny you no matter what.
As it stands, I have fought, and fought, and FOUGHT with the VA over the years to get my back secondary to my knees so I an get proper care (first reported back issues in 2005, it is now 2012), and if they deny me again, I am going to get a damn lawyer.
Cross your fingers
