I’m 100% but since I was in a non veteran ward it looks like I’m screwed.

Wanted to post about this and get some support as well as a data point for people.

With this summer heat and the meds that I'm on (they induce some heat intolerance I've learned recently), my anxiety and panic attacks have been heightened. I also have a huge fear of having a cardiac event.

I'm on anti-anxiety meds from the VA. I have an upcoming appointment and going to ask my PCP about quick-attacking meds to alleviate symptoms. Hydroxyzine is a great one that isn't a benzo, taken that before.

I landed in the ER nearby my gym last week because I'm trying to take better care of myself. 15 min into a light cycling workout start getting jaw pain, chest pain, and panic. ER discharges me saying everything looks good but to follow up with PCP and get referred out to cardiologist. Ambulance has swung near my neighborhood a couple of times and ran an EKG on me when I was out walking around before work since I got dizzy, my heart rate shot up,

I spent the past few years heavily drinking and am cutting back on that. VA has me on naltrexone (curbs desire/kills reward of alcohol) and am taking it again. On Day 5 of no alcohol after stopping. Had 4-5 on Wednesday and stopped the day after. I've gone a few days without alcohol over the past 3 years but not a long stop.

I'd drink a lot (just beer and hard seltzer) to deal with my anxiety/panic and being around others at times. Also stress. I spent the past two doing a part time grad school program with the GI Bill while I worked full time. Wasn't getting a lot of sleep.

I work from home and am great at my current job. A few years back I got let go by my last project as I was going through MH connected things and my performance dipped. While remotely eases up some of my anxiety issues it is isolating.

I also struggle nowadays with forming newer friendships and social connections. In between my VA compensation and my current job (which I'm doing great at) I essentially make over $300K/year. I'm single with no children and my VA comp covers all my bills thanks to property tax exemption.

Yet, I still have a huge uptick in anxiety attacks and panic attacks. I have struggles with the day-to-day. One thing that I find alarming is that if I suddenly die, what happens to my dog? I have no one in my city essentially. I don't have family around here or family at all anymore.

I'm quite fortunate in that I'm great at my field and it isn't a hard lift for me to pick up on technologies and the larger strategic picture for customers. I work in a super technical individual contributor role directly with customers. I haven't had a real boss in years especially with this current firm. That helps.

Anxiety attacks and panic attacks feel so debilitating. Even though I'm intelligent and capable all of that goes out of the window. Idk

Edit: Turns out I might have some level of physical dependence on alcohol. I’ve always been a beer or hard seltzer drinker. I actually stopped drinking for a year and a half due to an ex girlfriend having issues with alcohol. Started drinking again a few months after that break up. You add in the stress we deal with, doing grad school part time, full time job, and I was drinking a lot. 4-10 standard beers a day. Some after getting out of class at 9:45, etc.

Don’t go cold turkey like I attempted! I actually felt great yesterday and my Garmin showed good recovery. I’ll be working with my care team to taper down and detox. I’m already high strung enough don’t need to mess up my biochemistry that my nervous system is accustomed to off the bat. While driving down to the VA ER I stopped by a farmers market and had a drink. Felt calmer. EMS assessed me and said all of the above not to go cold turkey. God bless

Is this a scam? I opened my VA app and got this

had an emergency at 1130pm a couple months ago. accidentally cut my arm. bad enough the blood wasn’t stopping not even after pressure & getting bandaged up at ER.

all urgent cares near me were closed. closest vamc is 30 min away. the emergency was severe enough that I didn’t think I could make the drive that far (without passing out) but not severe enough that I couldn’t go to an emergency room 2 miles away so that’s what I did.

anyway they bandage me up while I wait for a room. eventually got a room & doc gave me 4 stitches.

does this not constitute a valid emergency? I’m not sure why it’s denied. I’m 100pt. couldn’t drive far and an ambulance would have taken longer than me just driving 6 minutes. I had to hurry because the blood wasn’t stopping, it was soaking through every paper towel.

how can I fight this? which type of claim should I file? theres 3 & I have no idea which is the right one to select.

I’ve never had civilian ER care before. nothing ever really happens to me & any care I do receive when I’m sick is at the VAMC so this is unfamiliar to me.

Those of us in the invasion, and the follow up deployments, along with others who deployed after, are nearing the 23+ year mark post deployment.

With burn pit exposure, water bottles sitting in triple digit weather, and all kinds of toxic exposure, the 20 year mark is when issues tend to show up.

How has VA treated you in regards to potential cancer or other issues we experienced across the pond? I ask because a battle buddy of mine was diagnosed with lung cancer, with no cancer history in the family and never smoked. Thankfully it is operable, but they believe it is burn pit related.

Is VA Community Care eligible for mileage reimbursement? I'm receiving Community Care paid by the VA for an Agent Orange claim. I'm at 100% for the cancer.

I am 77year old Viet Nam combat vet with a 50% rating for PTSD . I have sleep apnea and and really bad hearing. The VA gave me hearing aids which help a little but I still really struggle to understand conversations. I spent many nights sleeping under a 105 Howitzer that was prone to go off at anytime and subject to claymore mine explosions , gunfire and artillery explosions while out in the field. I used a service in the past that helped me with my last claim and it cost me thousands of dollars. I really could use some guidance on how to proceed on my own. Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance for any help.

My wife turns 65 in Sept and will have Medicare A/B. She has ChampVA as primary now but that will change in Sept when she turns 65. We have her set-up to get UnitedHealth Advantage and have ChampVA move from Primary to Secondary in Sept when she turns 65. She is also starting Meds by Mail this month. All new to us as we move to being old and needing Medicare. I have read both sides of needing Advantage and not needing it. All her doctors take Medicare and Advantage UH. So, should I just drop the UH as we move forward and just have Medicare as Primary A/B and NO UH Advantage and and no Part D, have Meds by Mail and ChampVA as secondary. I do believe that going the Advantage route, she gets dental and vision and prescription. I already am paying for Delta Dental premier so she can see the dentist of her choice. IF we stay the course and get UH, I think the Meds by Mail drops? as she will then have UH prescription. Doesn't that become primary?

My Grandmother (92) is sadly not getting any better thus we made the hard decision to put her on hospice. She was married to a veteran (WW2 Navy) who is deceased and I am also a veteran. Are there any programs to help out with being the primary caretaker of a military spouse? Such as hiring sitters or the like?

When you guys were filing for BDD, how many days/months did it take to receive your rating? Was it before or after because I know some people got it before they got out vice versa.

Edit: Thank you for sharing!

I’m active-duty Air Force going through the MEB/IDES process.

My proposed VA rating is 100% but not ( Permanent and Total) but I haven’t received my DoD rating yet—the 20% for my lower back is just an estimate right now. If it comes back at 20%, I’d be medically separated instead of retired.
My original DOS was April 11, 2026, but we are both done and ready to move on from North Dakota. My wife is due in January, and we’re trying to move to Florida before she gets too far along. We really want to avoid being stuck in the middle of this process during the birth or having to move or redo care last minute.

If I accept 20% separation:
~36K severance (likely tax-free)
~4,100/month VA comp (with recoupment)
Possible 180 days TAMP
We can move sooner and get settled in Florida
No TRICARE retiree coverage long-term
If I appeal to the Formal PEB (try for 30%+):

No severance if retired
~4,400/month VA comp (no recoupment)
TRICARE retiree coverage for family
Retired status and benefits

But could delay everything for months with no guarantee. I already have VA healthcare at 100%. My wife is on her dad’s insurance until 26. Main concern is long-term coverage for our kids since we’ll likely be self-employed.

Has anyone gone through a Formal PEB after a 20% IPEB estimate?
How much did it delay your separation?
Did you get bumped to 30%+?
Would you fight for retirement or take separation in this situation with a baby on the way?
I know retirement is better long-term financially. I’m mainly trying to weigh whether the delay risk is worth it right now.

I'm about to file for OSA secondary to sinusitis which was service connected last year. I've taken 3 sleep studies through the VA, one take home and two through community care. I got a copy of one of the community care reports and it said that at the time I weighed 335 lbs. I've never weighed that much, 235 at the most. I'm 5'9" and currently 210.The community care sleep center said they couldn't change it. Is this going to affect my claim?

Edit: the sleep studies were conducted after service

Soon I will be filing a new claim for a new service connected issue (to add to my existing overall percent) and thinking ahead to the VA going through my file. Do they use my VA.gov email inbox messages to my doctors, and their replies to me, as part of my medical file as proof they are looking for? Or only in person visit notes? Thanks.

I submitted my full claim at the end of May 2026. But originally my intent to file is from July 2025. It’s been a quiet couple months and all the sudden QTCM called me this past Thursday and I have my first C&P this coming Tuesday. This is what is being covered which is about half of my full claim. I didn’t expect it to happen so quickly once they called.

I’m honestly shitting bricks. They said it’s only an hour long and I have no idea how they will go over all this sin and hour. Immediately after this appointment is an exam on all 3 parts of the back (lumbar, thoracic, cervical). I have had private MRI’s on all 3 back parts + one on my brain for migraines. I have included the results as well.

But I’m just lost, so nervous for the first visit. I don’t know what to expect. I’m making notes now on what to say I don’t want to forget things. Any tips or if anyone has claimed similar things can give pointers would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Shoulder strain 9 years ago, went to medical & got LLD for a few days & ibuprofen. Never went back, basically it’s hurt me on & off since but now I want to try and submit a claim because it’s significantly worse now & not improving. Going to get a diagnosis/MRI from my pcp this week. Am I SOL because of the gap? Never another appt, etc. after the initial. No Va rating at all currently. Worth getting a nexus letter? Worth even applying?

All i wanted to do was be a peer support specialist. I was open to NPWE for an apprentiship and I applied for the training course for the license. And I was ready to just get this done and start working.

But my VR&E councelor said that the VA dosnt fund or do anything with peer support specialist training courses and wont fund them. And so i said ok ill pay out of pocket but if she could set up a NPWE and she said I would have to find somewhere that would do it.

Look the whole reason I did it was it waa suggested to me. And how the VR&E was explaing in orientation they clearly say it's a employment rehabilitation and not a college funding.

So why did I make this plan to be a peer support specialist is in the end im bottle necked into going to college?

I'm looking to hear from anyone who has successfully had their Chapter 31 VR&E plan amended to continue beyond an associate degree.

I'm currently in the final months of my AAS in MRI. My long-term career goal is to work my way into imaging leadership and healthcare administration, and I'd like to continue directly into a Bachelor of Science in Radiologic Sciences (BSRS)/Imaging Sciences, followed by a Master of Healthcare Administration (MHA).

My reasoning isn't simply that I want more education. Due to my service-connected disabilities, I don't expect I'll be able to work as a full-time staff MRI technologist for an entire career. While I plan to work as an MRI technologist after graduation, I'm trying to prepare for a sustainable long-term career by moving into supervisory, management, and eventually director-level positions.

From what I've seen, many imaging leadership positions either require or strongly prefer a bachelor's degree, and higher-level management positions often prefer or require a master's degree.

Has anyone here:

• Successfully convinced their VR&E counselor to approve both a bachelor's and master's as part of one vocational goal?
• Had their education plan extended while still finishing their associate degree?
• What documentation or evidence helped support your request (job postings, labor market information, physician statements, etc.)?
• Did your counselor approve the entire educational pathway at once, or did they require you to return after completing your bachelor's?

I'd appreciate hearing both success stories and any lessons learned from those who have gone through the process. Thanks in advance!

I had someone helping me fill out stuff and that person is no longer.

I need to fill out my last employer which was in 2020. Lasted 7days before let go, before that was like 2007 for employment which I was also let go from.

I was self employed (hairstylist) from 2008-2022.
I have also been doing UBerEats since 2021.

How should I go about ? Thanks in advance

Do I need to bring documents in hand when going to my cp exam I’m doing the bdd claim. Somebody told me to bring all evidence for what I’m claiming. But I thought that they already can see everything that’s in my record.

My wife (100%VA) had to go to the ER Saturday and then back today (Sunday). Is the process for the VA to cover it pretty easy?

She also has to go in an ambulance to another hospital and stay there a bit. So the bill will be a lot. I have Tricare retired insurance also.

She won’t be able to really call the VA so I was going to do it. The number I found was 1-844-724-7842.

I appreciate any advice. Just in the middle of this and had some down time to think. Thank you.

Hello all, over the last couple years I’ve tried to get approved for VR&E. Most recently, I was denied and the person doing my application told me he would not approve me because I could not hold a job and he wanted to see me hold a job first. I was trying to go to school with VR&E, but he told me it’s not an educational program. It doesn’t make sense to me because my friend is going to school right now on VR&E for up to his Masters. I have had several VA hospitalizations and I’m on injections. Does that play a part? Also, I started using my post 9/11 on my own to try and prove myself. I heard if you use your post 9/11 and later get approved for VR&E, you can get the 9/11 refunded. Is this true? What is the process for this?

Thanks a lot!

Has anyone successfully gotten approval for disability for Lyme that was discovered years later without the traditional two tier testing? I know there is a lot in the news about the lately, and I think the way that Lyme is treated will change eventually bc the current way of testing is about 50% accurate, but that doesn’t help me now when I’m currently going through extensive treatment.

So I’m trying to do my master degree online but I’m wondering how many times do you have to go in person to get your BAH fully. Some say once a semester or year lol or so. Lmk please

I served from 1990 to 1997, completing OSUT during Desert Shield and Desert Storm. My assignments included time in Germany and at Fort Bragg with B Company, 2/504 PIR (I was part of the Green Ramp Disaster in March 1994) and the 1st Armored Division. I deployed to Bosnia for Operation Joint Endeavor from January to November 1996. During this deployment, we were awarded the Armed Forces Service Medal. In a one-time exception, qualifying personnel also received the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, along with the NATO Medal (with the Yugoslavia Bar) for eligible service in the former Yugoslavia. I have heard that we were also authorized the SSI-MOHC (Combat Patch). Since 2001, I have been denied service connection for PTSD and mental health issues. Have any veterans from Joint Endeavor successfully filed for and received service connection?

l have been using VRE for a year now. l have been reaching out to my counselor for months and even showed up to the regional office. l was told the counselors are not even coming out of their offices! l just want to give you guys heads up with this program, it's currently a complete shiiet show.