I had a video appointment through VES. The doctor was very "matter of fact" and the interview didn't last 15 minutes. He asked me how I was feeling, asked me about my family life prior to the military, and then asked about my social life (which I don't have). I've been in counseling with VA since my discharge from AD. He acted as if he was just checking the box and the appointment was and imposition to him. Maybe because it was at 0800 and he hadn't had enough coffee yet. I did a little research and he's got numerous bad reviews from a previous assignment. I've been in continuous counseling with the VA since I left AD so we'll see where it goes.
100% P&T to "PTSD Routine Future Exam (RFE)"
- Thread starter qaz212
- Start date
Hey! Quick question what was the outcome of your RFE? I just got a call to schedule and RFE for PTSD. I’m also 100% without the PTSD rating and I did separate for mental health issues! This just caused a lot of anxiety. Your help is appreciated.
I had some problems with my account so my member name has changed.
Like you, I am 100% with the VA without PTSD. My initial PTSD evaluation was for 70%. Below is my timeline for the RFE for PTSD:
03 January 2024 - Was notified via phone call stating I would be getting contacted by VES for an examination. The RFE appeared as a new claim on the VA website as well.
08 January 2024 - Was sent an email from VES informing me of upcoming examination (virtual) and asking me to set up a VES account on-line in order to track the information.
10 January 2024 - Was called by VES and informed my appointment was on 19 January 2024 at 0800 hrs. This information was also verified on the VES account I had set up.
19 January 2024 - Conducted examination which lasted no more than 15 minutes. See notes below for the content of that exam.
20 January 2024 - VA website showed a DBQ had been submitted
22 January 2024 - VA website the DBQ had been received and was being processed
22 January thru 30 April 2024 - VA website showed claim status was in the "Evidence Gathering, Review, and Decision" stage
30 April 2024 - VA website noted a "Request for a Second Signature" and was still in the "Evidence Gathering, Review, and Decision" stage
01 May 2024 - VA website showed claim status was in the "Preparation for Notification" stage
03 May 2024 - VA website showed claim status was back to "Evidence Gathering, Review, and Decision" stage. Apparently, it's common for this to happen.
09 May 2024 - VA website showed claim status as "Preparation for Notification" stage again
10 May 2024 - VA website showed claim status as "Closed". At this time, I could view my Decision Letter on the website
17 May 2024 - Received the Decision Letter in the mail.
Examination: As stated, the exam was very short. He asked me about my childhood - family dynamics, education, etc. He asked me which medications I was taking for PTSD and if they were having any adverse effects. I currently take 200 mg of Sertraline (depression), 10 mg of Prazosin (nightmares), 150 mg of Bupropion (depression), and 50 mg of Hydroxyzine (sleep aide) each day. He asked me did I work (I haven't worked since my medical retirement because my anxiety and panic attacks make it nearly impossible to deal with people). He asked me about my social life to which I replied, "I don't have one" - basically because I don't want to be around others at all and I still have flashbacks from roadside IEDs which makes driving a daunting experience most days; especially in traffic. I don't even ride in vehicles at night. He asked me about my family life now and I basically told him that sometimes my anger gets the best of me which causes some issues with my spouse - thank God she's stood by me; although I have really put her through it at times. He asked me about my nightmares and I described them the best I could without going into a lot of detail. That was about all he asked. I asked him a question about my counseling and he stated that all of that was in my records and we didn't need to discuss it. With that, he closed out the conversation and examination. I was less than thrilled because I felt as though he was just checking the block and getting on to the next appointment. I don't know the ins and outs of the entire process but the decision definitely took into account my records of counseling and psychiatric appointments with the VA as well as my medications. In the end, I kept the rating (70%) I had upon my medical discharge which I thought was fair and comprehensive of what I deal with on a day-to-day basis. I am in the process of finishing up about 30 sessions of CBT with the VA and my therapist is recommending STAIR (Skills Training in Affective and Interpersonal Regulation) therapy to help me further. My psychiatrist and therapist have been great to work with. I know there are horror stories about the VA, but; in my case, everyone has been great.
FYSA, I got notified about a month ago, that DOD was going to conduct my re-examination sometime during August or before. I'm going to ask that they use my VA RFE and hopefully I won't have to go through another exam.
I know this is probably more than you requested but hopefully, this information will be helpful in some way. Please pardon any grammatical errors as I've read this back to myself about 10 times and each time, I find more errors. If you have any questions, please let me know.
Like you, I am 100% with the VA without PTSD. My initial PTSD evaluation was for 70%. Below is my timeline for the RFE for PTSD:
03 January 2024 - Was notified via phone call stating I would be getting contacted by VES for an examination. The RFE appeared as a new claim on the VA website as well.
08 January 2024 - Was sent an email from VES informing me of upcoming examination (virtual) and asking me to set up a VES account on-line in order to track the information.
10 January 2024 - Was called by VES and informed my appointment was on 19 January 2024 at 0800 hrs. This information was also verified on the VES account I had set up.
19 January 2024 - Conducted examination which lasted no more than 15 minutes. See notes below for the content of that exam.
20 January 2024 - VA website showed a DBQ had been submitted
22 January 2024 - VA website the DBQ had been received and was being processed
22 January thru 30 April 2024 - VA website showed claim status was in the "Evidence Gathering, Review, and Decision" stage
30 April 2024 - VA website noted a "Request for a Second Signature" and was still in the "Evidence Gathering, Review, and Decision" stage
01 May 2024 - VA website showed claim status was in the "Preparation for Notification" stage
03 May 2024 - VA website showed claim status was back to "Evidence Gathering, Review, and Decision" stage. Apparently, it's common for this to happen.
09 May 2024 - VA website showed claim status as "Preparation for Notification" stage again
10 May 2024 - VA website showed claim status as "Closed". At this time, I could view my Decision Letter on the website
17 May 2024 - Received the Decision Letter in the mail.
Examination: As stated, the exam was very short. He asked me about my childhood - family dynamics, education, etc. He asked me which medications I was taking for PTSD and if they were having any adverse effects. I currently take 200 mg of Sertraline (depression), 10 mg of Prazosin (nightmares), 150 mg of Bupropion (depression), and 50 mg of Hydroxyzine (sleep aide) each day. He asked me did I work (I haven't worked since my medical retirement because my anxiety and panic attacks make it nearly impossible to deal with people). He asked me about my social life to which I replied, "I don't have one" - basically because I don't want to be around others at all and I still have flashbacks from roadside IEDs which makes driving a daunting experience most days; especially in traffic. I don't even ride in vehicles at night. He asked me about my family life now and I basically told him that sometimes my anger gets the best of me which causes some issues with my spouse - thank God she's stood by me; although I have really put her through it at times. He asked me about my nightmares and I described them the best I could without going into a lot of detail. That was about all he asked. I asked him a question about my counseling and he stated that all of that was in my records and we didn't need to discuss it. With that, he closed out the conversation and examination. I was less than thrilled because I felt as though he was just checking the block and getting on to the next appointment. I don't know the ins and outs of the entire process but the decision definitely took into account my records of counseling and psychiatric appointments with the VA as well as my medications. In the end, I kept the rating (70%) I had upon my medical discharge which I thought was fair and comprehensive of what I deal with on a day-to-day basis. I am in the process of finishing up about 30 sessions of CBT with the VA and my therapist is recommending STAIR (Skills Training in Affective and Interpersonal Regulation) therapy to help me further. My psychiatrist and therapist have been great to work with. I know there are horror stories about the VA, but; in my case, everyone has been great.
FYSA, I got notified about a month ago, that DOD was going to conduct my re-examination sometime during August or before. I'm going to ask that they use my VA RFE and hopefully I won't have to go through another exam.
I know this is probably more than you requested but hopefully, this information will be helpful in some way. Please pardon any grammatical errors as I've read this back to myself about 10 times and each time, I find more errors. If you have any questions, please let me know.
As long as you keep seeking therapy they will most likely not call you in for an exam. If your branch has enough information from your VA counseling appointments and RFE they don't need you. Just keep on it to make sure they do give you a review. Once its PDRL you don't have to worry about any of your Chapter 61 ratings changing ever again. Just don't leave it and forget it. If you get lost in the shuffle and hit 3 years without getting the rating finalized that condition will fall off and not count and your are SOL.
My PEBLO says my DOD re-evaluation is scheduled for no later than August of this year. Since, I'm now over 60 years old (medically retired at 59), I'm hoping I'll be moved to the PDRL and that will be final. My VA rating was P&T but due to the mental health aspect, I had to have an RFE within 6 months after release from AD. I'm thinking that with my RFE complete and with my age, I will be truly P&T with no more scheduled examinations.
When my wife had a RFE they didn't even have her come in for a C&P exam. They reviewed her mental health and saw it was stable and changed that condition to permanent. That was the only condition listed by the VA as not stable so when they changed it her status changed from 100% to 100% P&T.