john999

My MRI says mild desication of a disc in my lower back and mild arthritus. If the pain I have is from mild problems I would hate to see severe problems. Getting information on the surgical outcomes of VA operations would be a real horror story. Many times the surgery is mechanically good but the pain could be worse. Doctors think if you get your ROM back then everything is OK. Far from it. I would rather have reduced ROM that constant pain. Back surgery is a complete gamble. Some get better, some get worse and some remain the same.

Rock We are SC and can also use medicare and it is a government program. I think that SC vets will always be eligible for care at the VA. Maybe NSC vets might get shut out if we get universal health care. If there was universal care I would still use the VA just to document my SC related health problems. I am not going to let them get away with anything.

Hey, that's good because after my C&P exam I had another test done that showed a condition they did not detect. I might just shoot this off to them at my VAMC which is where the C&P took place.

One thing for sure is that every Vietnam vet or Gulf War I vet should get the Registry exam for AO and Gulf War Ilness. That is a free and comprehensive exam. Every vet should go to the VA and at least get some kind of physical to find problems that might be service connected. Get your money's worth out of these VA people.

Disabled vet Your claim shows that not everything is rosey at the VARO/BVA/COVA. Many here have and are waiting years for a decision while they languish. I bet things will only get worse with hordes of new vets filing claims.

If you have records from private doctors saying you had high glucose levels prior to get dianosed by the VA that would be proof to help connect the secondary conditions. You want to identify the source of those private medical records to the VA so they can obtain them. What you really need is a medical report from a private doctor to say that in his opinion the high glucose levels and your other problems are as likely as not related to undiagnosed DMII. That would be my best guesss. Are your kidney problems from diabetes? That would indicate long standing DMII, but you need a doctor to say that because the VA does not listen to us mortals.

If you had the heart, kidney and other problems prior to the official diagnosis of DMII the VA is liable to deny service connection for these problems even though there is little doubt of the connection between DMII and these problems. If you get 100% for PTSD then you will be in pretty good shape anyway. You need a doctor's opinion that the heart and other problems are secondary to the DMII. The VA denied my peripheral neuropathy because it proceeded my official DMII diagnosis by the VA. I got around that and so can you with those other problems you have.

Chest pains and no cardio consult? That is not what I call world class care. That is what I call negligence.

Carlie Yeah, and my lawyer will be celebrating as well. I don't know if I will get TDIU for all those years because I did work, but my percentage should be increased. If the VA adheres strictly to what my shrink said I would be awarded TDIU or 100%. Even if they increase me from 10% to 50% for 20 years it would be nice money, but I won't count the chickens before they hatch. The VA grants no claim before its time....30 years!

The thing is that only about 25% of eligible vets use the VA health care system. What if all the vets who are eligible decided to take advantage of what is owed them? Before long there will be one million claims in baglog. A radical fix is in order.

Thanks Carlie. I am only concerned about DIC should I kick off before the ten year mark. I got 7 years at 100% now. I will hold off until I get the ruling on the CUE. The CUE could mean big money plus a moral victory for me since the VA has pulled every dirty trick in the bag on me regarding my original rating.

zetcman So the reduction from 100% to 10% became a final decision and you are wanting to know if you can file a CUE? Is that right?

If you are on TDIU and are not working then the VA will have a hell of a time taking it away from you. They have to show that you are able to work, and how can they do that if you have not worked in 6 years? Now if you go to work full time then you are in trouble. Are you P&T? How old are you? If you are over 55 there is a slim chance they will even call you in for a new C&P. If you are on SSD and TDIU I would not worry too much.

Carlie The echo stress test said LV: Normal at rest 55%. LV Systolic function 60-65%. The maximum work load was 7.3 METS during the test. It was when my heart was under stress that it showed ischemia. At rest it was normal. Don't worry because I am going to an outside doctor as soon as my private internist sees me. He is pretty sharp and will know who to send me to around here. My pension exam for heart disease did not include the echo stress test. The idiot PA that did the exam said "No evidence of heart disease". She estimated my METS based on my being able to wash dishes and walk three blocks. I want to send the VA this evidence from the echo stress test, but the claim for heart disease was part of my claim for a CUE going back to 1971. If I send in new evidence now for an increase in the heart disease will this delay my CUE because the DRO was considering the heart and CUE claims together. I am going to get treated for the heart problem, but I want that CUE not to be delayed. Should I hold off on sending in new evidence until I get a decision on both claims because I have read here that if the VA is working on a claim they will hold off on any appeal. Is a CUE actually considered an appeal? I know treating the heart condition is more important than any claim. God knows what kind of rating the VA would give me for the heart anyway. I have no symptoms. I am just wondering if I should just go ahead and file this new evidence for heart problems along with recently diagnosed HBP secondary to DMII. I feel like the VA is waiting to decide the CUE and the Heart thing and I don't want to delay that, but I am confused about what to do next. I know I am dealing with retarded 5 year olds at the VA and I don't want to confuse them more than I am confused. It has been about 6 months since my DRO Hearing on the Heart and the CUE(mental). I figure they should be close to making a decision and I don't want to throw a monkey wrench into the works. Do you all see my dilema?

During my Stress Test for my heart the AT STRESS 2D imaging segmental function shows akinetic basal posterolateral wall, severely hypokinetic mid posterolateral wall. Evidence for stress induced ischemia in the basal inferolateral wall. Does that mean I am going to die? I got the records of the VA stress test today from the VAMC. If I am going to die I want to leave all my debts to the VA.

Rock The neurologist is going to send a report to your PCP. Your PCP knows you so he/she might be the doctor to bring things together and write an opinion for you. I PCP is the one who wrote me a letter telling me the stress test done by VA cardiologist (I think) showed a problem. My PCP's are the ones who have gotten SC for me for a number of conditions and not specialist who don't give a shit.

If I had other insurance that was not too expensive I would not drop it for getting all my care at the VA. The VA has a budget. When money gets low care suffers. Your other insurance affords you the opportunity to get a second opinion, and testing outside the VA system. If you can get medicare I would try and get it because usually it coordinates with well with BC so you don't have any co-pays. VA is ok for chronic care for conditions that are not life threatening. If you need immediate care for a life threatening condition I would not want to wait for the VA to get around to helping me. I have BC/BS and medicare Part B. I am not dropping this insurance just because I get free care at the VA.

The VA does not coordinate with your private insurance. If you use your insurance at a private hospital the VA will not pick up the co-pays and deductibles. I have heard that back fusions don't work that well because the other joints below and above the fusion give out as well. It is a pretty big deal as an operation and not for sure that it will cure your pain. If you are 50% or more and use the VA you don't have to pay co-pays. If you are service connected there should be no co-pay for a SC disability treatment. Have you gotten a second opinion on the fusion? I would get one from the best orthopedist in town before I let them fuse my spine. I was told about a fusion because of my miserable back pain but I did not want something like that when they cannot say for sure I still won't have pain.

I got my compensation check for December but no raise. Does it become effective Jan 1, 2009?

Poolguy I agree that Rockhound should get himself a lawyer and put this stress on someone else. All he needs is a current diagnosis of schizophrenia residuals and that could match up with his SMR's and the reason for his discharge. If worse comes to worse I would go to the VA and get myself admitted to the psychiatric ward. They will make an opinion about your mental condition. If you are paranoid and suicidal that might be a good place to be for a week or two during the holidays which makes everything worse. At least you have people around you even if they are nuts.

I would appeal the denial of HBP secondary to DMII. Depending on your rating percentages you could appeal all the ratings.

Ermelita I would still pursue it. As I say, let the organizations like SSI and VA make a determination about what you are entitled to get. If you even get a hundred extra bucks from the VA it would be worth it. Anything the SSI or VA does can be appealed, so I would not worry too much about them dropping like a hammer on you and taking everything away.

People are excited about Shredder Gate , but what about the fact that even if your evidence gets to the VA, and dates are not changed the VA is going to pick and choose which parts of your evidence they are going to evaluate. The regs say they must evaluate "ALL" the evidence of record before making a rating decision. We all know they hardly ever do this. Benefit of doubt....you got to be kidding! This is more confirmation that the present system of rolling the dice until you win needs to be junked. Not to mention the VA oten uses the most recent piece of evidence to assign an effective date, or even the date of a C&P exam.

I think they are afraid of you, Berta. They are afraid you will jump all over them and want to cover their asses. I never got certified mail from the VA except when they send narcotic meds in the mail to me.

No, I don't think you are off base at all. You are totally disabled due soley to your SC conditions. If you are rated 70% and have SSD then the VA is just stalling. They did the same thing to me. Did your doctor say that you were unemployable due to your service connected conditions? Why did they deny the TDIU? What were their exact reasons? With me it was because I also has a NSC condition, and although I was 70% the VA tried to say my unemployability was due the the NSC condition. I won in the end via a DRO.