Greg88

USMC5811, the VA sent me a letter saying they were looking at my claim for : Diabetes mellitus with retinitis (diabetics rarely get retinitis, they get retinopathy), neuropathy with muscle weakness of both hands, in truth I have neuropathy of both feet with pain and muscle weakness and last but not least proteinuria. With the VA having 2 out of 4 things wrong, I'm thinking the examiner would like to know whats actually happening. The funny things is I dropped off all my medical records down at the Regional Office and left them with my DAV SO, I'm wondering know if the VA even received them. I'm bringing another copy to the exam, because it say's bring all medical records involved with your claim. In my mind the letter is just a synopsis of what's in the medical records, my MD will not sign anything that not's true, he's one of the top Dr.s in the area where the C&P exam is being done and according to the VA it looks like an NP is doing the exam. For the NP examiner the letter makes life easier, the Diabetes DBQ barely scratches the surface of whats going on with me. There sending me for 2 C&P's one for eyes and the other medical, on both sheets it says bring with you any outside medical records that pertain to your claim. I'm thinking that because I have not used the VA in the 12- 15 years, because the same clinic thats doing the eye exam may have examined my eyes in 1994-2000, they should have those records as a baseline. The VA hospital has been trolling for Pt's for a while, I know there was talk of closing it in the 90's, after hearing the stories about how other VA hospitals are being overwhelmed, it makes me wonder. Greg Semper Fi

Since I have my C&P exam coming up in a few weeks and it seems like no one at the VA has looked at my medical records, I've decided to include a nexus type letter said that the C&P examiner knows what's going on. The VA has decided to look at the areas that they deemed responsible for my hundred percent disability, I've been at 100% for 14.9 years I've been service-connected for the last 36. I know that a nexus letter is usually used to establish service connection, but since I have not used the VA medical system for the last 15 years and no one seems to have looked at my private MDs medical records, I thought this would help speed things up and I have an appointment with my private M.D. a few days before the exams. I received 100% disability because of my diabetes mellitus Type 1 and the associated complication of neuropathy and labile diabetes, my private MDs notes all indicate worsening of my neuropathy and my diabetes which he lists as uncontrolled, but since I was rated 100% other complications of diabetes have popped up, such as hypertension, ED, and depression. I know that a nexus type letter should be short and sweet and by focusing on the things that made them rate me at 100%would help the process, but the VA also included in the letter that they sent me complications that have popped up in my years before ( I used to the VA medical system for 21 years) 1997, they put into my letter that they were looking at proteinuria which I haven't had since 1989 and the VA doctor put me on a low protein diet. I'm just wondering what to put in this letter. Gregory

Received the brown envelope today from the VA, I'm scheduled for 2 C&P exams in Sept., the letter does not have a VA form number on it, it says that they're working on my claim and then list disabilities. The only problem is that disability list is off, it mentions my arms and hands, when it should say legs and feet, it mentions an eye problem but not the one that happens to diabetics which I am. My last C&P was in 1997, they awarded me 100% for diabetes and neuropathy, and uncontrolled diabetes. These C&Ps are for eyes and medical. I found out that the medical is being done by an NP instead of an endocrinologist which surprises me but since I've had type I diabetes for the last 36 years I guess they just checking to see if I'm alive. The medical exam is scheduled for two hours, but what I've been reading NPs only spend a short amount of time on C&Ps, the letter also had a statement saying Where You Should Send What We Need, but the VA never states what they want. I have an appointment with my doctor of 15 years who's been treating me and I'm going to have him write a Nexis letter stating what I have. The question I have is should he included the new problems that have popped up or just read about the ones in the letter. Thanks Gregory

So I got down to the Regional office and talked to my new DAV SO, they can't seem to find my old one, so I sat down with the new young man. He had gone through my file and said that I had a new C&P exam for Sept., the story about my disability being reduced from 100% to 0% were no where to be found. He explained that it's been 14.8 years since my last exam, that like to see if I've grown a new pancreas and been cured of diabetes. But since this not the case and my conditioned has worsened, since my new DAV SO only has experience with AO type diabetes cases he could not give me much insight. I still have not received anything in writing as of yet, I'm wondering now what are they going to be looking at ? Gregory

I'm heading down the Regional Office on Tuesday, the 2nd time in a month, last time I was there I was told "don't worry everythings fine, I will handle everything" by my DAV SO. Everytime I call DAV, all I get is that he's not in and someone will call you back, but nothing. This time I want to see whats actually happenend and I want to see the DAV's file on me. It seems like a lot is being missed, the funny thing is the two VA employees that told me on Monday and Tuesday that everything was settled, it feels like I'm sitting through a bad movie, except I'm the one getting murdered at the end. I had contact with the American Legion in 1982, my diabetes was outta control and I could'nt hold a job because I was passing out a lot, my mom sent me down and I was told by the American Legion rep that I was'nt eligible. In 1995 my DAV SO told I should have been at 60% since 81 or 82, and he showed me the CFR descripition for 60% and I had met those in the late 70's. The one thing I have to say about the VA is that there very cheap when it comes to important things like glucose test strips, even now they put vets through the ringer if they want to test more than 4 times a day. Between 1976 and 1995, I had a minimum of 2000 hypoglycemic episodes, the long term damage is evident now, the VA nurses showed concerns but the VA Dr.s just brushed it off. From reading all the post's here it seems like a lot of VA medical docs are looking for ways to reduce things, who do they get to do these C&P exams medically, I mean for someone like me it should at least be a guy with Internal Medicine speciality or will it be just be a GP reading the Diabetes DBQ and writing down the answers. The problem for me is no one is giving me any answers and the answers I do get are wrong, it's very frustrating. Greg

Broncovet, I'm just wondering who scheduled the C&P, the last time I talked to my DAV SO, he told me that the C&P was not being considered due to my condition (but I have not heard from him for the last 4 weeks) and since the VA's 1-800 number told me twice last week, that they were preparing to notify me, I thought everything was done. The funny thing is I have not received one bit of written or e-mail correspondence from the DAV related to my case, so I'm very suspicous of what there actually doing for me. The thing is according to CFR 38 3.327, of the things required to not be reexamined, I meet 4 out of 4, with all the backload of cases not even examined, it makes me wonder why there even bothering with me. After 14.7 years at 100% percent do they think I'm going out and dancing every night, sometimes I can barely get out of bed. Greg

Checking Ebenefits carefully, I noticed something new in the Details of Your Claim Section there is a new heading that says Contentions: diabetes mellitus (New), in my mind thats saying to me that someone has openend a new claim for my case, which in no way shape or form should have been done. Diabetes mellitus has been the disability since 1976, I have to go to the Regional Office and see what DAV has submitted for me. If only I could get a reasonably straight answer from DAV and the VA. Greg

I checked Ebenefits this afternoon and I see that the VA has scheduled a C&P Reexamination on Sept. 5 and 11th, Tuesday and Wedsnday of this week the 1-800 # of the VA was told my case was decided and I should be receiving a letter soon. My advocate the DAV has not returned a call in 3 weeks, after reading all the posts, I should not be surprised. Gregory

Sorry but I'm curious about something, even though I missed my C&P exam, if the VA was at all curious about my condition would'nt they just reschedule or does it seem that right hand does not know what the left is doing with the VA, IE: Ebenefits and the RO, Gregory

Hi everyone, I was checking Ebenefits this morning and noticed a change in status, for the last month it's been saying preparing for decision, it has changed to the gathering of evidence box. It's funny since the lady at 1-800-827-1000 number said it was in the preperation of notification stage, she also told me that Ebenefits use's a completely different computer system. It makes me wonder how far Ebenefits is out of the loop time wise. Greg

Hi everyone, before I tell my story let me give you a little backround. I was in the Marines, I was put on the TDRL for Diabetes mellitus Type 1 in 1976 rated at 40%, in 1978 the VA rated me at 40% I was also permananetly medically retired in 1978 by the Marines. for the next 16 years I was at 40% disability and used the VA medical system exclusively (my Dr. was head of Endocrinology for 20 years) In 1996 I was having trouble at work because of Diabetic Neuropathy and hypoglycemia, I went to DAV and I was raised to 60% in 1995, I lost my job ( I passed out due to hypoglycemia), I went back to the DAV and had an exam, was given 100% on Jan 12, 1998, but it was not made permanent. My Dr. retired in 1998, I was left seeing medical residents who were trying to change my prescriptions daily, I decided since my wife had good insurance, I would use private MD. In January 2012, I received a letter from the VA stating that I may be subject to a reexam, I waited 3 months did not hear anything from the VA and called my DAV office, my DAV SO told me that a lot of these letters were sent out by mistake and not to worry about it, June 1st my sister invites me up to her house and I take off for 3-4 weeks, not expecting anything. I got home on June 26th and the notice for the reexam arrived on the 6th and the exam was scheduled for the 21st, I called the clinic at the VA hospital and was told my file was sent back to regional office. I called my DAV Serivce officer and told him what happened, he told me to send him a letter, stating why I missed the exam and that I was willing to be reexamined at any time, letter was mailed out that day June 28th, 2012. I called him on July 3rd and did not hear back from till July 6th, I asked him if he received the letter and he said yes. He then told me that the VA was thinking of lowering my rating to 0%, I got angry and told him they could not do that since I was 40% for the last 34 years, I then said I will be talking to my Congressman and started backtracking and saying "no you do not have to do that, I will take care of this" I called him on the 17th and he told me that he and his boss had talke to the "coach" and they were reassured that nothing would change. I had obtained notes from my private MD (he has been treating me for the last 14 years) and my private endocrinologist, I told my DAV SO, I would drop them off on July 19th. The DAV office in Manhattan, NY is in the same building as the RO of the VA, I dropped off the paperwork and was reassured by my DAV SO and another SO that there was nothing to worry about, so I did not worry. I called the VA's 800-827-1000 and was told my case was in the preparation of notification stage, based on the info as of July 11th, I'm wondering if the VA is making their judgment on what the DAV SO related to them or are they going to lower my rating and have me fight to get back to 100%. I'am aware that they need 60 days before anything is concrete, I checked all the CFR on reexams and meet all the requirements of CFR 3.327, my condition is worse now that it was 14 years, they funny thing is I'll be 56 at the end of August, I'm wondering if that set off a second look at my case. I' just wondering if I'm being a little paranoid at this point.