GoldFalcon

Thanks for all of the replies. My claim moved from rating to Notification phase as of Thursday of last week, so I guess I'll find out soon enough. I didn't file for TDIU because my PFT scores automatically rate me as 100% disabled. Or, at least thta's what my SO told me, Guess I'll find out pretty soon when I get that big brown envelope.

I was medically discharged from the Army in August of 2001 due to an undiagnosed lung/heart condition. In 2002 I received a diagnosis of Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency --a genetic defect which causes early onset emphysema. On the advice of my brother-in-law (a VVA VSO) I filed for VA service connection for that condition and a couple of others that I had incurred during my 7 1/2 years as a paratrooper. After 12 months I received a rating. Service connection was denied for the A1ATD, but rated 30% for pulmonary emphysema. I received 20% service connection for the other issues, bringing my total service connected disability to 50%. After spending a total of six months in the hospital in 2009, the emphysema left me unable to work. I filed for an increase and assumed (given the fact that my pulmonary function test was well below 40%) that I would receive a 100% rating. I filed for the increase the 4th of February, 2010 and have been told by the VA that my claim is currently at the final rater and should be done by 17 March, 2011. Today I was doing some research on emphysema generally and came across more than a few threads on several forums that stated in no uncertain terms that it is against the law for the VA to grant service-connection for COPD. My questions are these: if it is against the law, how did I get service connection back in 2002? And, since I already have service connection, could the current rater reverse the previous rater and revoke my service connection? The $900 a month I get from the VA is my only source of income as I can no longer work. Also, if I lose my service connection I would lose my medical benefits which are, quite literally, the only thing keeping me alive. I've been freaking out a little since stumbling on the threads an hour ago. How worried should I be?