tugger50

Good news for sure! Congrats!

Thanks for the KUDOS. During the process it was hard to wait. I admit I had a case of "Check Ebennies all the time". Now that it's over I can appreciate the wait we ALL endure.

Hello all brothers & sisters. I just received a call from the Seattle VARO and after clarifying some info I was told That I am 100%! Unbelievable! My claim was one week short of two years. My VSO (AL) filed the initial and I did the rest. Couldn't have done it without the help on this site! Thank you all and wishing the rest of you all success. My advice is document, document, document , then send. Now looking into state bennies etc.. Hey, I can get my teeth done now! God Bless.

They work in mysterious ways...... I applied after being on a work related injury through state L&I for almost two years. Couple of months later I was fully approved with an effective date back to the date of injury. I got a nice deposit for a year of back pay. (their rules) I am grateful that I got it without any hassels, even though I don't fully understand it.

I appreciate the advice. I'll probably wait till my initial claim is finished then file. 600 days, getting close!

I'm just wondering, I have claimed AO exposure but not boots on the ground. I had a huge tumor removed in 04 that was benign. Could'nt AO have caused the tumor and I was just lucky that it was benign? I was aboard an aircraft carrier and the VA accepted the report of Dioxin on the carriers from me.

I guessing I'll be one of the "provisional" claims to be decided. My claim date is Sept. 2011. It will be interesting to see what I get. I've told them and signed the development letter saying all evidence has been received, decide my claim. Seattle is really backed up and we may see a flood of decisions coming.

I only hope that what I have learned here helped me to get a decent desison. I am close, 550 days at Seattle. My earliest date is the end of March. I started out with a un- reachable VSO, and did the rest myself. Great job to all on this site!

The male/female is toggled. The age is set. But, I am sure we can't put to much credence into the info displayed. Especially Benefits Explorer as that doesn't reflect accurately the status until the claim is decided.

That's not all that's new. The "what have we received from others" is gone on mine as well. They are asking for evidence I have already submitted. The due date is 3/13, one day before my 63rd birthday. That's funny as it is also my age on the benefits explorer page. Hmmm.

Wonder how much it cost to furnish that hall of justice!

Thanks for the input. I'll be sure and post when the results are in, hopefully under success stories!

I got some action on my claim and the RO called me. I was asked some strange questions and basically we ended with a development letter being sent. When I got it today imagine my surprise when it basically said I needed to provide info to support my claims. They have tons of documentation from me and both volumes of my STR's. So I have decided to call their bluff. I checked the box that says they have everything and decide my claim. I have nothing more to submit. I hope I did the right thing. I sent it back certified return receipt requested and they will have it tomorrow. I have read where other vets did this and it worked out for them. I can only hope. I want it over, at least this stage of it. I'll post what happens. BTW, this happened because I called the 202 number.

I feel that alot of the VSO/NSO's feel like they are helping, but sometimes they hurt the claim by not following up on anything. Of coarse there some good ones, but the ineffective ones are more numerous. I personally like my AL VSO, but he is an un-paid volunteer who only shows up on Friday at the local Vet center. He recently retired from the Navy and is busy pursuing his college degree. Guess what gets his priorities are? I took over my own claim and feel like I'm in charge now. If I submit anything I send copies to the AL VSO's at the Seattle RO. That way if they ever can back me up they will have them. I belong to the AL and do enjoy showing up for muster once in a while. Who knows, I might be having a brewski with A VSO.

I understand that the Benefits Explorer doesn't really show much until your caim is completed. What puzzles me is when I scroll down to my age it says 63. I won't be 63 till the middle of next month and that is also the month my claim is to be completed (earliest). I am wondering if that age was in there to reflect my age when everything kicks in. Thanks.

I am about to be found unemployable by L&I and should get a state retirement through them. Since my original L&I claim was for a SC injury would that be good evidence to sumit for TDIU on my VA claim? Thank you as always.

This is kinda weird. I filed for AO as part of my claim. Over the years I've had problems peeing. Mostly they just put in a catheter, fed me antibiotics and all was well. Fast forward to 2006. It got really bad. My Urologist determined that I had this huge tumor on my prostate that was blocking my uniary tract. They did a biopsy and it was benign, but it had to be removed. They did an open prostotectomy which leaves the prostate in there. My doctor said it had been growing there for 20+ years. Of coarse I have ED, and my question is could that tumor have been the result of AO? They seem to only recognize cancer as claimable. I'm still in gathering dust going on 16 months. I guess we'll see.............. Keep up the good fight!

That's funny stuff 71M10. Oh, the irony of it all!

I believe the start of my claim was unusual. I filed with all the usual paperwork. My DD214 said "served in Vietnam". I had other issues and did not check the Agent Orange box, I was Blue Water and did not have any proof of my TAD in country. About a month later I get a call from the Seattle RO. He says I see you served in Vietnam. I said yes and he said we need to get you up to the VAMC for an Agent Orange screening. So, I went to it. Mostly a question & answer session. He did list my other issues. They did a blood draw to confirm the AO claim for HCV. I then submitted a 2141 claiming Agent Orange. My SMR's finally showed up and they can clearly see where I got HCV from surgery at the Army Hosp. Maybe even from the shot guns. I did'nt even know I had HCV until a blood draw in 2006! So I wait gathering evidence. I'm not counting on much for the AO claim. Maybe the BOD will weigh in my favor. Time will tell. Thanks everyone for the feedback. My deepest respects to all.

Thanks Berta. I am a member of both Blue Water Navy & The Blue Water sailors of the Vietnam War. (formerly VASVW). I get lots of info off of both sites. Thats where I got the report on Dioxin on the Carriers. My tumor removal made me ED so maybe I'll get "Loss of Creative Organ". At least i can really go potty now!

I am a Vietnam Blue Water Sailor. I copied the report of "Dioxin on the Carriers" and submitted it along with my claim. To my surprise they listed it as evidence in my file . I had a huge tumor on my prostate removed in 2006. The doctor said it had been growing for more than 20+ years. Thankfully it was non- cancerous. That to me does not mean that Agent Orange did not cause it. Prostate cancer is listed as a presumtive condition. Could it not as well have caused the Tumor? It will be interesting to see if the report has any bearing on the adjudication of my claim for Agent Orange exposure, especially since I am not presumtive by the current standards. I am to be scheduled for a C&P exam coming up in the near future. I have other issues as well which I hope will go my way. Thank you to HADIT.com for all you do. DIOXIN ON THE CARRIERS2.pdf

Thank's for the responses. I am looking it over carefully now. I see my name printed in it as well as my current cat 5, nonservice-connected, determined to be a Vietnam- era- herbicide- exposed- veteran. I am still at 0%. I guess I'll see what developes. I'm already approved for VA heath care and used it this past summer for my hearing aids.

Went to the mail today and there was a large brown envelope from the VA. I'm still in the gathering of evidence stage at 400 + days and counting. I thought well that would be par for the coarse. My wife said not to get to excited. I opened it and it was my very own copy of the Veterans Health Benefits Handbook. Oh Joy! My Lump Of Coal. Merry Christmas to everyone on HADIT.com. John

I would suggest that you do things you like to do, maybe find some new hobbies. Maybe get involved in Veteran's issues and help out if you can. Congrats and it's well deserved I am sure.

AB8 is a document that you can download that explains what you were awarded. At the top menu look for Access my documents, then select "Download VA Documents" When the listing of documents show up just click on that AB8 letter and you're good to go. I think I got this right. Good luck!