Howdy All
I want to thank each and every one of you for both your help and words of encouragement. I appreciate it very much.
I have tried to get help before, both a state rep and one of the Club reps. They were all well meaning and were willing to give me the time they had available. They were all just swamped to put it mildly. Sometimes I would have to wait a week or longer to get a simple answer by email. I finally gave up on them and went it alone.
I didn’t make it clear in my original post that I have been under VA care for going on ten (10) years now. I have been at this same disability rate of 64% the whole time. All the Reps told me it would be a waste if time for me to file total disability, so I didn’t do it.
My original appeal of their decision was terminated about 6 years ago due to failure to respond on my part. What happened was I sent some paperwork into them with the wrong address on it Instead of it being box 6544 I had typed 6744. I never received the paperwork and it never got returned to the VA. I have tried to figure out how to file a motion to reconsider their decision to end my appeal, or whatever you would call that motion, but have never been able to figure out how to do it. I even have a written statement from a postal worker who worked at that post office explaining what probably happened to the paperwork and why the VA did not get it back. None of the Reps I talked to thought it was worth filing and were unwilling to give me any help in trying to reopen my appeal. Needless to say I am not a real happy camper in a lot of ways.
I get a check from the VA each month and they cover my medical from head to foot. Everything I am disabled on is SC. They do not accept my back injury from the handgernade, but they accept the grenade for hearing loss and the Tinnitus. It was a concussion grenade that went off 5 foot behind me and blew me into a wall. That is how my back was hurt. I was treated for back pain like13 times in less than 9 months after I returned to the real world. But the doctor at the separation exam put down it was all in my head. I even listed it on my separation exam. That is why I would really like to get my appeal reinstated. It just irks me that they just arbitrarily decide my back is not service related.
Anyway, I want thank you all again for your help. I hope this additional information clarifies some of the issues involved here. I would of replied sooner, but I was out of town for a few days.
Thanks again,
Slim