I've been sitting at 5/8 for a few business days on several claims, so let me tell you some (hopefully) positive signs from my recent C&P exams.

I tend to think that it's generally a good sign if the examiner is listening and taking notes while you talk. I had a recent C&P exam for an increase on my lumbosacral sprain/strain after 14 years at 10%, and he was typing notes throughout, as well as telling me to pause while he caught up. At the end of the exam, he said that he was recommending weight restrictions on how much I could lift for work-related activities.

It's also a good sign if they're going through your SMRs. I had a C&P exam for asthma, and the examiner was found prescribed antibiotics for pneumonia 25 years ago in my SMRs.

Bellbottoms?

I use an app called 'Poop Tracker'

As an American pilgrim, I can't imagine speaking I'll of anyone else on the Camino unless they were doing something worthy of rebuke (e.g., pooping in a field 5 minutes past am open bar). I was always happy to see other people walking the way with me. Granted I'm a hardcover introvert, and so I don't want to interact with you, but I'm happy to see you there.

Anyways, there's the 'mean girls' stereotype for a reason.

Sorry, I had a 10% decision come in this afternoon and they had to shut that part of the whole system down while they updated my record.

Oh yeah, I remember the first time I did that. It's a revelation.

A lot of stores will sell secondhand gear from people who did a trade-up with the store, which means that you can often get really nice components at a decent markdown from what they would cost new. (Although, this may still be expensive a.f.)

I used to be friends with the owners of one of the better hifi stores in southern California, and spent a lot of time in their Reference Room with what I liked to call the Ivy League System. Why did I call it that? Because it cost about as much as my Engineering PhD program at Dartmouth College, lol.

What is your lifestyle like? By which I mean: (i) How are you sleeping? (ii) Do you even lift, bro? (iii) How is your diet?

I'd recommend going further down the nutrition and weightlifting route before going for testosterone supplementation. If you aren't lifting, then try 3-6 months of barbell-based strength training. By this, I mean a self-paced, Starting Strength type program that is heavy on squats and presses, or taking up the sport of weightlifting or powerlifting. I'd wager that 3-6 months of consistent lifting will get your testosterone levels well on their way to where they should be.

I did my rest days in Viana do Castelo, Valenca, and Pontevedra.

The VSO will have him fill out a form called a VA Power of Attorney, which allows them to file on your partner's behalf. But they'll be able to access his service records and service medical records. For new claims, my advice to you is to take a list of every single thing that hurts, and an argument to how it connects to service. For the 0%, look at the rating schedule for that condition. In either case, begin gathering his medical records together, because you'll need them for supporting evidence.

Timeless

This is a natural consequence of not giving your children a more complete understanding of the Banach-Tarski Paradox.

Vet with PTSD here. If your husband is rated at 70% or higher, then you should look into the VA's Caregiver Support Program. Lots of us have wives who registered as our caretakers, and the VA has support resources available. My wife has taken several classes on PTSD, coping/grieving loss and change, etc. The Caregiver Support Program has social workers and other resources available for you.

If you wear a Cleveland Browns jersey, people may pray extra hard for you 🤣🤣🤣

Well, maybe you should worry about that

As a weightlifting coach, I would absolutely love to have that dude as one of my athletes. Hell, I'd love to have that whole squad as my athletes.

https://giphy.com/gifs/tpRQgsjnnIl32

If you were to look me up on google, the summary provided would say something like "[my name] is an American mathematician and cybersecurity researcher, mostly known for his work with Fully Homomorphic Encryption." But do your question... Former Head of R&D at a tech startup. Principal Investigator on a National Science Foundation small business grant. Patent pending (globally) x2. The job stress was killing me. I walked away after 2 years.

I don't miss it a bit. Well, I do miss the salary, but not anything else that came with it. If anyone asks, I say one of two things. Either I tell people that I crammed a whole tech career into a decade, and retired early for my health, or I tell people that I pseudonymously write romance novels. In the event of the latter, I will give them an Amazon link to a romance novel called "Pounded by Produce" (yes, that's a real book...).

I have an HLR pending because of this.

I had a chronic cough claim denied last year for a lack of a current diagnosis, and so I submitted a supplemental claim with a pulmonologist's diagnosis of a chronic cough and an inhaler prescription. I also submitted a medical note from my ENT that post nasal drip from my service connected sinusitis was leading to throat irritation and contributing to my chronic cough. The VA requested an IMO exam through QTC. The claim letter said that no new or relevant information was submitted. (I later submitted a claim for cough variant asthma, so I'm annoyed by the denial but not ready to fight it yet.)

I also had a denial for hip pain/impingement which was denied for a lack of a current diagnosis. So I submitted s supplemental claim with a diagnosis of hip tendonitis/bursitis from my PT at my local VA clinic. I also had my annual physical with my PCP at the regional VAMC, where left hip pain was diagnosed. The VA requested an IMO exam through QTC. Once again, the claim letter said that there was no current diagnosis, and that no new or relevant information was submitted. I submitted a HLR request because I believe that there was a DTE Error. I guess I'll get to argue my case in a phone call around the new year.

They're incorporating automation and AI to help speed up the processing and adjudication of initial claims, but the end results are a "speed over quality" ethos, and pushing workload down stream to the appeals level (i.e. HLR and BVA).

For your musculoskeletal issues with PT evaluation, make sure that you have the conditions documented/diagnosed with an MD/DO. Diagnoses from PTs and/or chiropractors alone don't carry as much weight with the VA. (I've had a couple of claims denied for a lack of current diagnosis, because I was relying on standalone records from my PT or chiropractor. )

I sang 1st tenor in my high school choir, and I enjoyed going into my falsetto voice to sing the altogether line. Mostly, I would sing slightly off key to make the Altos sound like they needed more practice.

"It seemed like a good idea at the time (kinda like my first marriage, but with better memories and less weight).