Mike Soumis

So far I'm doing fairly well in that my injury was in my neck shoulder area c5 c6 and it has affected my arms and shoulders. My legs are good. I've read alot about spinal cord injuries and I really feel sorry for the people whose injury is in the lower part of there body because they have alot of other serious problems with bowel movements, pain, and getting around. I am able to live in my home as it is. Its all a learning process and about the time you think you know what is going on, you might get severe pain, fatigue, and won't be able to do much for 3-4 days.

If the veteran was discharged from the military because of his spinal cord injury he should get 100% disability. To date, there is no cure for spinal cord injury. I hope they can help him in rehab. For me, rehab and occupational theropy didn't help. My spinal cord injury is considered incomplete meaning the spinal cord was not severed.

Allan, for me, that was a very interesting post. I suffered a incomplete SCI do to severe loss of blood and severe low blood pressure at C5-C6. I suffer from alot of the symtoms discussed in the post. I read all I find on SCI and this article explained alot of the effects I have for a upper level injury. SCI from blood loss is almost unheard of and there is very little info out there. Getting to sleep isn't a big problem but if I wake at 2:00 AM I'm done because the pain in my shoulders is to intense. My main concern lately is my blood pressure will be good for days and then it shoots up to 190 over 95 or something like that for 2or 3 days and then its back down to 125 over 72 or something like that. My VA doc has me now taking 2 BP pills a day and I don't like it. I had my episode on 10-04-04 and I feel that the effects of the injury may have finally ended, my left arm had the most damage. I could write a book here, sometimes you have to talk about it, just wanted to thank you for the excellent post.

I was in Okinawa for a year during the Vietnam War and there were thousands of broken down army trucks and tanker trucks lined up for miles. I have pictures of them. They mostly came from Vietnam to Okinawa to either be scraped or rebuilt. I always felt they must have had that AO on them.

my thoughts are I'm now getting IU, I'm going to not put in for anymore claims, hopefully it will give the VA more time to work on other vets claims so that they can get a check sooner.

no more appeals, my effective date is in June because the first 4 mo. I couldn't hardly move because of pain and my SO didn't want to file a claim for about 3 mo. when I first went to him. He wanted more evidence. He only comes to our area 1 time a month. I learned here on Hadit that you can file your own claim but at that time was unaware of that.

it says, we granted entitlement to the 100% rate eff. June 14, 2005. No examination will be scheduled in the future. My overall or combined rating is 80% plus special monthly compensation. I'm relieved thats its all settled and done. The medical records were all the same hospital records that were put together from when I was hospitalized and the neurologist reports that developed as a result of all the EMG's and poking they've done for the last 18 mo. I was fortunate that my P.O. insurance paid almost all the bills.

In August I was granted 80% and on 10-04-06 i was granted TDIU. This was 2 yrs. to the day that I had my severe GI bleed which due to severe low blood and low pressure I had a watershed event in the cervical cord resulting in spinal cord damage. My SO filed a 1151 claim for me. It took several appeals, SSDI, and disability retirement and all my medical records, and thanks to Berta and John 999's help, I was able to get TDIU. Thanks Berta, John 999, and Tbird. Also, Pete 53, thanks for your encouragement. Pete 53 is the first Hadit member that emailed me with words of encouragement. I had a difficult unusual case which I felt my SO didn't understand, the doctors even can't figure out what all really took place, but the IMO's and a letter from my wife to the VA and Berta's and John 999's advise was key. I filed the appeals myself. Thank you and I hope it works out for everyone here. mike

John 999, just thought I'd tell you that my disability retirement check just went down 20% from the P.O. What's odd is the P.O. personel office had to send my high 3 yr pay average to the VA, my work record which was exc., the VA wanted those records from the P.O., not submitted by me. My hope is that TDIU will come in a second brown envelope.

I filled out the 21-8940 and sent it in on 1-30-06 certified, return reciept. There was no mention of TDIU. My wife had wrote a letter which was included in evidence, so that is real important. I learned that here, have someone write how things are and in my case, they did consider it.

I got the big envelope. The good news was left ischemic cervical myelopathy, which is currently 10% , is retroactively increased to 40% eff 5-14-05. Right ischemic cervical myelopathy 10% increased to 30%, retro to 5-14-05. I have 30% on feet for pes planus. I expected TDIU, they still have not used SSDI, disability retirement from P.O. or the nuero letter stating I won't be able to work again ever as evidence. I guess that will go on the VA form 9. I don't have any idea what I'll be getting but this will make life better at the home front. Thanks all, especially John 999 and Berta.

John, thanks for the info. The P.O. personnel person from Milw. has sent my last day of pay and I think my average pay for the last 3 years of employment to the VA in Detroit. They had requested that a long time ago. I sent them SSDI notice, retirement info, all by certified mail. I just sometimes wonder if it got in my file properly. Anyway, this waiting is tough. I had 30% from before on my feet so I now have 50% total.

my upper extremity problems are from watershed event of the cervical cord. Due to severe low blood and severe low blood pressure I had the watershed event. It is a most unusual happening. From it I got spinal cord damage. I've had at least 4 EMG's and all the tests. All the Drs. can't believe what happened. My spine is fine, its in the spinal cord and the nerve endings that branch out into the arms is where the problem is.

I did file the 21-8940 back in Jan. o6. I got 2 letters saying there still working on it. I've had 3 MRI's and they don't show anything. The neurologist says that is common. Neuro report says sensory loss persisted through all cervical dermatomes but was greatest in C5-C6 as compared to C8-T1. I've sent in every report I recieved. None of my Drs. would sign release for me to return to work. When the VA gave me 10% for each arm I didn't have my SSDI yet or disability retirement yet. Thats hopefully the reason I didn't get TDIU at that time. When I got the 20% award I didn't know yet that I wouldn't be able to return to work. I had 140+ sick days and 55 vacation days that I used up before I realized that my P.O. job was over.

I got 10% service connection for each arm after my GI bleed which was caused by naproxen. My whole upper body is numb to pinprick, pain, fatigue, muscle atrophy, I expected TDIU and got 20% additional for a total of 50%. So I appealed since I lost my P.O. job, I did get SSDI and disability retirement. From everything I've seen here, I should get TDIU if you loose your job. I'm waiting and checking the mail every morning and I only get word that there working on it. I can't take pain killers since pain killers are what caused the bleed. There sure don't seem to be many people winning there claims lately.

John 999, could I ask you one question, maybe a couple. My Dr. reports, the whole episode was in the local hospitol, not VA, say that my GI bleed was due to chronic use of naproxen. The naproxen was a VA script so I filed a 1151 claim. The side effect of the bleed was a stroke of the cervical cord. I was awarded 10% for each arm, had 30% from before, total 50% disability. I feel I should get IU since dr wouldn't sign my release to return to work. My neurologist sent me a letter saying I am permanently disabled and will not work again. There is no cure for spinal cord injury to date. Do you feel I should be granted IU? I sent in a 21-8940 Veterans application for increased compensation based on unempoyablitiy on 1-30-06, along with my SSDI award, disability retirement notice, and all letters and records. watershed effect of the cervical cord and the symtoms I have, are unheard of. My neuro specialist dr. checked around the world to see how other dr's treated this type injury and got no response. there is no cure, he said all I can do is go and try pain management. DI feel I should get IU, the waiting is the toughest.

John 999, I just read your post from yesterday. I too am on disability retirement from the PO. total service was 22yrs, 2mo. I am getting hammered. the disability retirement is a joke. to think I worked 6 days a week most of my career. the pay was great, thrift savings program all great, retirement, horrible. I had a severe GI bleed due to naproxen use, Dr. wouldn't allow me to return to work because I had a watershed effect of the cervical cord, stroke type incident, and the VA awarded me 20% additional disability. I lost my job which is now paying $53,000 per year and got a $357 a month increase on my disability check from the VA on my 1151 claim. I did get SSDI on the first try. I waiting on my appeal. If you loose your good paying job because the Dr's won't sign a release to return to work, I have big time pain from this in shoulders and arms, have trouble getting clothes on my back and arms, wander all over the road when driving, have the proper EMG reports, dr reports, and like everyone else, continue to play the waiting game. Dr report says I am through working, Dr. Bash thought I don't have a tort, although it was just through phone conversation, my 2 yrs to file a tort is over 10-04-06.

I talked to a vet's wife the other day, her husband(marine vet) is home in bed with severe back pain. He re-injured it at work. I asked if he ever injured it while in service. She said he fell down some steps in the barracks while moving a refrig. or something and has the evidence in his medical records. I told her they should see a S.O. I told her uncle that Jerry should see a S.O. about his back. The uncle said DON'T TELL HIM THAT, I don't want to have to pay for another one (disabled vet). He said thats nothing but a game and slammed his door shut in my face. I've tried to encourage a few vets to file a claim and have gotton nothing but flak from all around and am about to say the hell with it.

When I went for my emg I was not on meds. When I walked out of there my wife said what happened to you. I was bent over and felt like I had been run over. My Emg was on my shoulders and arms. I was sweating and exhausted. I did have coffee prior to the test.

I have a totally different opinion. The EMG's that I've had show the exact problems. I don't feel any of them were a guess. A good neurologist will find the problems and no one will sit through a nerve conductivity test if nothing is wrong with them. The human eye can't see any of the problems that I have.

Thanks Berta, I appreciate your reply. I know I have the proper evidence and I feel I can succeed myself. there is nothing to prove, all they have to do is read the facts. You said , believe in yourself. I was a self confident person, felt I could do anything prior to 10-04-04, since then my self confidence level has all but disappeared. I used to be like a bull in the china closet and now I don't think I could fight my way out of a paper bag. Anyway, I have the tort claim filled out to the amount square. Thanks Mike

Berta, I've discussed the FTCA claims with you before, I still haven't filed yet. I appealed my 20% award they gave on my 1151 claim, I want TDIU because I lost my good paying job and my health. My SO thinks I should not file a tort claim, and when I had a recent C&P I told him I was thinking about malpractice suit and he said he didn't think I'd win. Thats their opinion, I'm the one sitting at home suffering with pain, weakness, numbness and just got done with the worst winter of pain since this happened on Oct. 4,04. My old job is now paying $53,585 a year and I think they are giving $374 for the 20% a month. I did get SSDI, and disability retirement but I'm still getting hammered. I was trying to wait and see if I get the 100% rating, if they award it I was going to not file the tort. The thing to think about is if I kick the bucket the monthly compensation would end and my wife would be left with nothing. If a person files a tort and wins you have the money for you and your spouse even if something should happen. The only thing the VA did was give the Naproxen perscription, all the hospital care was in 2 local hospitals and 4 different doctors state in my medical records that the bleed was from the naproxen. anyway, I have to make a decision on the tort soon if the VA keeps stalling. Just thought I"d throw this in. I'm glad your back Berta.

Thanks again for the good info, I'll have to read it several more times to get it to totally sink in. I do get 30% for my feet and now 20% SC on my 1151 claim on my arms. I'm a easy going person, you think they'll do what is right, and they force you to do these things.

here's where I'm confused. My SO said I could file a tort claim, win, be awarded what they've paid me so far for my 20% disability rating, and that would cancel out my 20% award and I'd end up with nothing. Is that how it works. Mike

Thanks Berta and Frank for the info. I made 3 copies of the SF 95. I have a ton of evidence that I could use. My thoughts are that the VA did give me 10% disability for each arm on my 1151 claim, I did get disability retirement and SSDI all after my episode but I feel I should have gotten TDIU, not 20%. So I appealed the 20% decision, my 2yr since happening date is 10-04-06. If I get denied anything less than the TDIU I will file the SF95 or should a person file it now anyway? I have a clear case but my SO doesn't want me to file a tort. He said I could loose the 20% pay, I told him I'm willing to take that chance because its me thats suffering. Got a letter from my neurologist 2-22-06 , based on my examination of you on 9-25-05, essentially one year after you had severe GI bleeding which resulted in ischemic damage to your spinal cord, it is my opinion that you now have a permanent weakness of your upper extremities and your spine with a chronic condition of disabling weakness and pain. It is my opinion that you will be permenantly unemployable. This was all from the Naproxen prescription.