shipswriter

get rid of sleep VA doc and see outside pulmonary specialist if you can...if data download from smart card shows you are getting worse with continuing compliance with CPAP you are hurting yourself..

If ebenefits profile showing that I am 'receiving' my full benefit SC comp on ebenefits but I AM NOT getting anything at all in terms of payments even though they have all my bank info and nothing has changed that way, and I have not for over 2 mos, gotten any 'payments' how do I convince VA to either pay me my benefit or not and let Ebenefits display the reality; otherwise, where is that money going? my VSO won't help, so as usual I am on my own. just take this off the forum -to va I'm not much better than a GOMER (get outa my ER) - uREMEMBER the movie, was it Article 91...Starring KSunderlandI don't exist

Yes 71...I had three separate periods of active duty, participation in SELRES sandwiched between the first and second tours (3 mos reserves); second and third tours (roughly one year reserves).

by the way I did have a lot of posterior lower neck pain in my second enlistment but never complained about it so there is nothing in my SMR about it...I think it was from a pinched nerve in my neck which waxed and waned.

wow you may have hit upon something 71M10...the bit about someone else records being in my file which did happen and I caught it not my service officer, but I watched him take it out of my C-file right in front of me...a Vietnam veteran (I entered active duty in 1976) with similar name to mine filed a claim and DAV used my SSN in error to file his claim and it became merged with my claim and the VA still has it in my electronic file...I loudly protested the error and had letters done by myself and DAV who admitted the error, but to this day the file shows up in my ebenefits profile...I wonder if that is why the VA can create medical history out of 'thin air' and use it as a reason to deny my claim...the sleep apnea denial as you said could simply be related to the other guy who was me for a little while, or was I him for a little while?... and his ghost still follows me.

not sure what the govt is up to, but if you can get a good Medicare Advantage Plan you will be happier with the health care anyway because as in my case I feel like for the first time there is hope that I can and will get better health-wise as already feel significant improvement in just under the two months since I started using Medicare with supplement even with a severe 50% sinus condition...well-informed care while dealing with complicated problems I found to be rare within the VA healthcare system.

thanks for your interest...I still do not know how they came up with that one...my only sleep problem prior to enlisting in the Navy in 1976 was often trying to sleep in English Lit class in high school, but I didn't think anyone cared that I was soothed into somnolence by the writings of Shakespeare.

I filed for sleep apnea secondary to sinusitis for which I am service-connected. Interestingly they denied my claim because they said I had sleep apnea when I entered the military which is of course makes no sense because no doctor ever told me that I had sleep apnea until 2006 when I had my first sleep study. The sinusitis started in earnest in the 6th year of my 15-year military career and I dealt with it as best I could, not getting much help with it until several years after separation and finally having surgery 7 years after separation. As an aside, it is obvious that you have chronic bronchitis secondary to SC-sinusitis, because people with advanced sinus disease inevitably deal with chronic bronchitis on a regular basis which was noted on my first C&P exam by the doctor (but they rate me 0% non-compensable for bronchitis even though my most recent PFT shows a number which should trigger 10% rating). Antibiotic prescriptions are given for bronchitis (if you go to urgent care) but many doctors especially at the VA hardly ever give you antibiotics for sinusitis. Seeing a patient with accompanying bronchitis too makes them a little more responsive.

To correct my comment about SSD and SSI, in para 2, instead of ...who have enjoyed full employment to qualify in the 5 years before application; should read this in place of: ...who have not enjoyed employment to the extent needed in the preceding 5 years

SSD may not be 'income based' but the amount you receive once approved is based on a formula computing work income for the past 5 years...when you apply for SSD, it is a fact that claim is coupled with SSI because if they determine not enough work credits exist in the past 5 years then your claim for SSD is replaced by SSI. SSI does not give you Social Security benefits like SSD or retirement at 62. SSI is essentially a welfare program for people who have enjoyed full employment to qualify in the 5 years before application; states participate in the administration of the program; each state has their own table to determine the supplement amount that is added to SSI, for instance, $50 supplement every 3 months. The monetary difference between SSD and SSI is significant. For instance, if a veteran wins his SSD case, a monthly award will be determined by SSA and say he gets $1400.00 monthly as benefit amount. If that same veteran had trouble getting work or only had part-time work that did not equate to the credits needed in the preceding 5 years to application, then if single or married he would get much less compared to SSD. In many cases the difference being approved for SSI is almost half of what that same person would have gotten for disability benefits under SSD. Chances are SSI recepients are also Medicaid recepients which means in Michigan you can't have more than $2500 in countable assets at anytime. What I just related is based on personal experience with SSD and SSI, but may be misconstrued if you try to apply my story to your circumstance. I believe that every person engaged in an application for SSD or SSI is better off starting with a good Social Security disability attorney from beginning to end. If you are careful to get the best attorney who is local to your area to accept your case then you have done well.

I have been through the SSD and finally got it, but not before losing a few dozen retro 'thousands' when the first case tanked at the ALJ level. I happened to get a judge who was so devastatingly unpopular due to his 60-something percental 'disapproval' rating for SSD claimants, apparently no lawyer around town would take the case on my behalf; so I ended up going to one of the terrible 'drive-through' national firms who hardly know your name let alone your medical disabilities. Beware of any social security lawyer advertising that says things like 'will fight for you' - I talked personally to one of those 'TV lawyers' and he said emphatically "I only take cases I know I will win." I guess it is easy to fight in that case. You do your research and ask yourself those honest questions which you have to find for yourself, I can't tell you what they are. You will get there but please be BRUTALLY HONEST about your symptoms and how they affect your daily life and activities of daily living.

C&P exams are generally intimidating from my experience; the doctors that have C&p 'POWER' know it and it can go to their head; that said, one of the doctors who examined me was professional as could be and I liked her 'bedside manner' which equates to 'listening with respect' (for the patient). \ For another C&p exam, the doctor and I were small talking on the way to the exam room; he told me in a harsh manner 'you are going to stay at 60%' - in other words his demeanor was like this: 'I have already decided, so don't get your hopes up.' Sure enough with a volley of omissions and quick judgment he crushed my claim and the VARO endorsed everything he wrote like it was gospel which obviously it was far from it, as he did a 'quick and dirty' job of it.

the piling up of claims and files reminds me of what happens when the DAV has a convention...the convention itself not that long but for a week or two after the convention ends still no DAV reps are in the office, and anything you sent to them in the meantime has not found its way out of the bottom of the heap...I wonder if some 'rogue' VA personnel are still slugging it out at the office processing claims despite the shutdown, or are they just all gonna abandon ship with the rats?

my DRO hearing went well...they do record the proceedings...the DRO was okay by me and seemed to follow my logic well...since no decision is made right away there was no indication whatsoever of what the decision might be...the purpose seems to just draw an outline of the story, your story, and bring important links together into a coherent picture of your claim, with just a few short questions asked by the DRO...my POA stressed beforehand not to bring up other claim aspects other than the ones at-hand...the POA who was DAV rep knew how to steer the hearing in the right direction but I thought more research on his part concerning the existing content of my C-file IRT my two NOD would have made me more confident, but again, everything boils down to the veteran and his ability to understand what is claim is from not only a historical perspective but a treatment perspective, not worrying at that time about the CFR.

http://www.va.gov/opa/appropriations_lapse_plan.asp This link will help in some ways to explain 'what the deal is' from the Department of Veterans Affairs perspective, if we indeed have even a partial shutdown. Obviously we are all hoping that power players on the Hill will find a way to get business done before major adverse effects follow putting us in a crisis management mode to put it lightly.

http://www.ssa.gov/pressoffice/shutdown2013.pdf For you guys on SSD or plain ole social security, or even SSI, check out this link which is the official version of how Social Security Administration is going to handle a govt shutdown.

If you go with an HMO while on Medicare that is fine, but remember you will likely need a referral in that case in order to see a specialist. Even though the cost is a little more for PPO, I recommended it but check it out first; I did because I wanted to see my specialist without having to jump through fences waiting for the PCP to write a consult.

I know we are all staring down the barrel of a govt shut-down right now, but aside from that, if I had my DRO hearing for two NOD in last week of August, when under normal circumstances might I find the outcome/decision of my hearing appeals? I have made annotations on the hearing transcript and sent it back to the VARO this past week.

nothing is more shocking than finding that 'you' filed a claim for something you never really filed for - I was never in Vietnam and never even traversed the Pacific Ocean, but they said I claimed Agent Orange exposure effects and service in Vietnam?...I know BUT IT DID HAPPEN...three years later I am still trying to get them to remove that miscue and associated docs from my file but the problem refuses to go away...be careful, watch your file activity on ebenefits and all correspondence carefully...sometimes bless their hearts your local rep (POA) can access the right name (almost) but the wrong 'file number' when starting a claim for a veteran, if you know what I mean and then things really get screwed up...I know from first-hand experience...three years after the fact still trying to get it 'fixed' but like yall said once it is in your C-file it stays there (until someone manually removes it) but the problem these things tend to stay on your ebenefits profile whether they belong there or not....the blessing and curse of the electronic age!

Asbestosis is such a fascinating subject because there are so many variables, I mean it can take 20-30 years to manifest and very slowly progress until the crescendo of the illness is reached. In my case, a little bit of fibrosis in my lung found on CT scan back in 2008. I suffered a lot from sinus problems while in-service for the better part of 10 years, concomittant with what I feel must be presumed exposure. For instance, I was active duty on-staff in probably one of the oldest buildings the Navy owned at that time (early 80s in Detroit); and of course we all knew there was asbestos everywhere in that place, and I started with weird illnesses while there like my first experience with sinus and throat problems, and on chest x-ray they said I had many nodes in my chest, not to mention a baseball size nodule of some kind showing out of the side of my neck?! Also I served on a Navy ship that literally saw action in WW-2, not to mention other salvage duties the region of the Bikini attol; God knows what was left circulating in the evaps and other crevices for sailors to contend with who served on that ship which was brought to life at least twice from the boneyard. While at least 35-40 years probably enough time to after effects to wear off in the ship, but who knows, I was infertile suddenly and remained so. My point is that when they list the rate you were in the Navy, there should be an asterik next to the 'minimal' likelihood Navy rates, whatever, they should take into account a servicemembers actual duty station and were those buildings and/or ships likely to be 'infected' with asbestos particles or other toxins. I still don't know why I have such significant respiratory issues but I do know these respiratory issues became much worse as I reached the 30 year mark of what I presume to be my first asbestos exposure in Detroit and that is when my sinus/throat problems first erupted.

I believe CRS (chronic rhinosinusitis) is the otolaryngology nationally recognized condition which 'military nurse' was obviously referring to.

sleep apnea fascinating subject...my AHI kept going up dangerously with faithful CPAP use, but I still was encouraged to use it by the sleep specialist at VA...as high as 14 setting at one point which blew me away...later I found out because of the fragile state of my sinuses, that level was way too high in any case...besides it was determined by sleep endoscopy that I reallly didn't have 'mild sleep apnea' per se but something more complicated having to do with my epiglottis which tends to totally collapse when asleep...been SC 50% for chronic sinusitis since 2009 determined in 2010.

My situation very similar to the fella whose question appears above. Having nearly 15 years active duty USN, I was basically given a choice to take the money (SSB) or face the possibility of simply not being able to reenlist when my contract expired in about 6 months. I took the SSB and 'retired' not really knowing whether my decision was the right one - very little information was given about the implications of participating in this program other than knowing if you decided to re-enter the service and they accepted you, all the money would have to be progressively paid back. I think the gentleman needs to know that really SSB can be recouped but it is not a debt owed, though the VA will tell you that it is a debt that somehow you must pay back in the way of withholding if you will. If SSB was truly a debt there could be an avenue to getting the debt waived much like an overpayment status with the Debt Management Center. Since SSB is not a debt, in some way the recoupment must be satisfied. In my case when I was approved for 60% SC in 2010, they told me by letter that the recoupment would be satisfied by 8-1-2013 which meant a 4-year wait for me at least to actually get to the point of receiving my approved benefit, which lead to a confusing scenario I can hardly begin to explain.