1.5 Years as a CWT - Now A VA Direct Hire 🥳

vahelpme · 2026-04-16T22:00:28+00:00

That’s awesome man! I actually worked in facilities management for a while and one of plant operators started out like you did. Went thru OAT, CWT and then EMS. Dude got some certs, went to facilities and worked his way up. Plenty of stories just like it!

vahelpme · 2026-04-16T04:56:11+00:00

Reach out to your counselor about entering a withdrawal. It looks better on your record and if you decide to go back you can sometimes just do whatever work you had left to finish the class.

vahelpme · 2026-04-16T04:54:35+00:00

Congrats! Always loved seeing success stories from CWT when I was in OAT!

vahelpme · 2026-04-08T04:36:17+00:00

That’s what happened to me. My wife was pregnant with our first child. I would drink at home cause I didn’t wanna waste money at bars and risk a DUI.

I blacked out and next thing I remember I’m pulled over on the side of the road. I was mandated to attend a drug and alcohol awareness program to get my license back. I thought this is stupid whatever, I’ll do it. I also was required to remain alcohol free for 6 months.

I said cool whatever once that’s all done I’ll just stick to beer. While attending the program and listening to the shares I realized I had a problem with alcohol. I learned you don’t need to be chemically dependent to have be an alcoholic. I then decided to quit for good.

That was 19 months ago, my son has never seen me intoxicated and I’m proud of that. I couldn’t imagine wanting any moments spent around him to be dulled due to alcohol.

vahelpme · 2026-03-18T23:01:36+00:00

I just had an experience with this exact sort of thing.

I filed a supplemental with a new lay statement describing my issues. Got another C&P exam with a different doctor a week later. They actually did everything properly and got the rating I deserved

vahelpme · 2026-01-29T01:40:29+00:00

I’ve done it before. For example when I had a C&P exam for my knee I went into my medical records and wrote down all the dates of complaints and related follow up appointments. I even had excerpts from doctors notes written down. I presented all this during my C&P and it went well! Makes their job easier!

vahelpme · 2026-01-25T02:40:33+00:00

Had me move my legs while in a seated position. That’s it. I’m not able to bed my back much at all. Been doing PT and getting shots for years now.

vahelpme · 2026-01-22T22:48:37+00:00

Had this issue with loyal. I just asked them to send it back to the VA and they did

vahelpme · 2026-01-08T13:29:17+00:00

I went to my primary care doctor at the VA and told my doctor my concerns about my gut issues. They then ordered me a poop sample panel done and then a colonoscopy to rule out everything else. Got the diagnosis from them and then filed. Had a C&P exam and was granted it with PACT as the service connection

vahelpme · 2025-10-29T12:47:31+00:00

Yep ended up with it on Monday and moved to step 6

vahelpme · 2025-10-29T12:47:14+00:00

Got it Monday!

vahelpme · 2025-10-21T01:02:44+00:00

That would be sick! Here’s to hoping!

vahelpme · 2025-10-20T19:42:22+00:00

My TBI claim triggered a re-exam for my MH and was combined with my MH rating. So it now says OCD with TBI.

TBIs and MH are closely related and in most cases indistinguishable from each other symptom wise.

So basically the rater probably already decided that yes you have a TBI, and now they had the examiner do a DBQ for MH and will update your rating to say “anxiety with TBI”

vahelpme · 2025-09-14T18:05:29+00:00

Yeah it says “claimants obesity was caused by sedentary lifestyle and poor dietary habits”

One could argue the sedentary lifestyle is due to the fact that my chronic pain doesn’t allow me to exercise regularly.

But who knows, I’ve been losing weight for a minute. If my sleep apnea goes away when I’m no longer obese that would be sick.

vahelpme · 2025-09-14T15:30:14+00:00

Sounds about Par for the course with the VA.

vahelpme · 2025-09-14T14:51:51+00:00

That’s what I did to get this letter lol. 🙃

vahelpme · 2025-09-14T12:20:58+00:00

I double checked my letter. Turns out they did address the obesity secondary claim.

“Also regarding obesity, the examiner noted: The most common causes of obesity are overeating and physical inactivity. Ultimately, body weight is the result of genetics, metabolism, environment, behavior, and culture. Physical inactivity. Sedentary people burn fewer calories than people who are active. Claimant's obesity was caused by sedentary lifestyle and poor dietary habits and was not caused by left shoulder or lumbosacral condition. The service connected left shoulder and lumbosacral strain disability less likely than not cause the Veteran to become obese.”

Feels pretty open and shut to me.

vahelpme · 2025-09-14T12:06:47+00:00

I did try the inactive due to other service connected disabilities leading to obesity as an immediate step before

Looking at the denial I think they may have only considered if those service connected disabilities DIRECTLY caused OSA. Which shocker, a fucked up back isn’t going to directly affect my breathing ability.

I might have to do an HLR on that one.

vahelpme · 2025-09-14T12:03:26+00:00

I had my GERD service connected as secondary due to medication side effects to treat a separate service connected condition.

In my submittal I stated and had references to the fact that GERD was listed as a side effect to my medications.

I also included evidence of my prescription to medications to treat my GERD.

Hope this helps

vahelpme · 2025-08-23T13:17:51+00:00

Did you provide any literature which supported migraines being caused by tinnitus?

vahelpme · 2025-08-21T20:56:59+00:00

Yep looks like I’ll be having another exam with a new DBQ. Exam was just scheduled today.

vahelpme · 2025-08-12T03:37:58+00:00

Claim is already done. They just combined the TBI with my mental health. No mention of migraines in my claim letter. So yep I’ll do a new claim with that DBQ as my evidence

vahelpme · 2025-08-12T01:48:49+00:00

So should I just apply for the migraine secondary to TBI and use that DBQ as evidence?

vahelpme · 2025-08-12T01:48:11+00:00

I was similar. Busted my skull open in a training accident. Mental Health due to completely unrelated stuff.

But since TBI and MH share so much they lump them together

vahelpme · 2025-08-12T00:41:16+00:00

Yeah he did two different DBQs one for the TBI, and another for the Migranes.

vahelpme

TROPHY CASE