Thank you so much Berta for your reply. I left tis in the hands of my VFW rep, and was told NOTHING of any of this. I just submitted the wih no evidece except the letter and medical records. OBVIUSLY I need to get my "stuff" together.
Im not familar with alot of the acronyms you used, so Im guessing here. SC is Service Connected correct? His SC Rating of 0 was for "bilatera wrist, left punctured ar drum, right ear hearing loss, status post right patella fracture, claimed as right knee injury and righ knee".
In April I rceived packet frm the VA with "What we still need from you" letter. It also had enclosed VA Form 21-4138, 21-4142, VCAA, and "what the Evidence Must Show". When I called my VFW rep, he told me not to worry and just have the hubby sign the VCAA notice and email it back to him.
By reading the packet info, I klnow realize I have alot of work to do.
How do I get a IMO? I need guidance on this. Where would I find a hysican to support his claim? Is there a netwok or forum that people can post who they have used an reccomend? Do they do ti with visiting with patient in conjuction with his or by medical records from both his military service and current medical records. Or can you just send the records and they can give their opinion that way?
I am hesitant to ask my husbands oncologist, becasue the initial letter. I hink adhreing to the guidelines that you outline previously would be something she would not agree to, for the main reason she is the head of the urology oncology departmentand all the politics involved with that. Her initial letter stated the following:
Mr Wade Woxland is currently aplying for Veterans benefits related to his bladder cancer, andI am writing thi letter in support of his application.
Mr. Woxland was diagnosied with bladder cancer in 8/12 and is currently under my care. Mr Woxland was employed by the Navy for 20 years, and believes his bladder cancer may be related to possible occupatonal exposures. The curent literature estimtes the 5-25% of all bladder cancers result from occupational risk factors. To my nowledge, Mr Woxland is a never smoker, has negitve family history of bladder cancer, does not hve history of urinary tract disease and does not have any exposure to drugs such as phenacetin.
thank you for your consideration.
(Along ith this letter was 2 pages of enclosures backing up othe claim of occupational exposure-with studies )
So, what I think I need to do now, is get a timeline together of each of his duty stations and all the chemicals he used at each one. And an IMO. Should I get letters from his shipmates stating that he did indeed use these chemicals?
Also, should I call he VA to make sure they have all his medical records? Is there anything else?
The AL rep advisedme to 21-4138 and state "Wade Woxland currently hs saage 4 cancer which is terminal. His life expectinect is 9-18 monts. We request you expidite this claim quickly."
I hope that doesnt bite me in the butt!
Im so mad right now, at myself and at the American Legion rep. He told me NOTHNG of any of these thing Im learning here. . And under different circumstances, I probably would have done this myself (the claim) and not used the VFW, but I was told "they should do everything for you-they are there to help you"
I feel like Im going to blow this for Wade if I dont get it together soon.
Sorry for the vent-thanks for the help!
Sorry about the typos previously. Need a new keyboard.