Franz

Let me try this again. I was on the track team in High School In 1978 I enlisted in the Marine Corps In 1979 I was diagnosed with Sinusitis and Exercise Induced Asthma after doing PT, I was never tested for it nor was I treated. I did receive a single treatment for my sinuses Until I was Honorably discharged in 1982, even though having been reassigned to different duty stations, I was never tested for EIA (Jump Forward: I was informed by my first Rating Officer that it was military regulations that required anyone with EIA to receive a Medical Discharge and that this regulation was non-waiverable) I then enlisted in the Army Reserves and they had full access to my full military records. Since 1979, I have been treating my EIA symptoms by avoiding my trigger (avoiding Exercise), which is the standard medical advice given to people with Asthma. I started going to the VA for my medical care since about 2011 or 2012 and received my ratings for Asthma in 2013. Even though I have been tested for regular Asthma only, I never received any testing as required for EIA and the chest pains that I had. During the course of my treatments for Asthma, I receive a number of different medications and none of them were able to help will all of my EIA symptoms, primarily the chest pain. Likewise, with slight physical exertion of normal everyday activities would cause breathing difficulties of not being able to get enough O2 even while I receive good Peak Flow Meter readings. I have spent numerous times at the VA ER for chest pain that "Baffled" the Cardiac team, including the head of Cardiac. I received all the regular tests in order to check my heart against heart attacks. Early on, I received a chemical induced stress test, two heart caths and a treadmill stress test. Recently, I discovered that Cardiology stated in my medical records that I had all the symptoms of Unstable Angina, this entry was made back in 2013. It took until 2015 before I was informed of Unstable Angina and the Head of Cardiology informed me that most normal heart tests do not reveal Unstable Angina and put in a request for a special test which ended getting denied. Instead, I was given medication to reduce my chances for chest pain. It helped lessen the occurrence for a short time. Then I was given an additional medication to help manage the chest pain. This new medication reduced my diastolic blood pressure to the point that I blacked out while driving home from church. (To this date, I greatly restrict my driving alone and totally restrict my driving long distances without another driver with me.) By the time I was at the VA ER, they said that my blood pressure was high and did not believe my low readings. Later, I submitted several days with low diastolic readings with symptoms of low blood pressure. The most common symptom was extreme fatigue and the inability to think totally focused, I had to force myself to focus and it still felt like I was in a cloud and it affected my speech. Back to the EIA, I received several different inhalers and breathing treatment. One time at the ER, I was asked by the pulmonary technician if I was breathing while he was listening to my lungs. Back in late 2014 or early 2015 I was given Symbicort for my EIA treatments to help treat my chest pain, (I said the medications that I was currently on did not help with all my EIA symptoms.) To my knowledge, I have never been tested for Low Bone Density as required both by the source that makes the medicine and the warning papers that Pharmacy provided at the time they first gave me the medication. I also never was tested for Low Bone Density during the entire time that I have taken the medication. In spite that both those source require regular examinations for Low Bone Density. 2014 or 1015 I was given an appointment with the VA Allergist and nothing was discovered even though I told him that my Asthma medications did not do anything for my chest pain. Late 2015 or early 2016 I was given another Allergist through the Choice Program. This time, I was given more than the simple blood test that the VA Allergist used. It was discovered that I have a slight sensitivity (reaction) to ragweed, I was also informed that my Asthma was Not Allery based and that my chest has nothing to do Asthma. During my two Heart Caths, it was discovered that I have myocardial bridging of the lad. Since I never had symptoms before joining the Marines, the intense physical requirements complicated the myocardial bridging. Both EIA and Unstable Angina are potentially extremely deadly. By failing to diagnose my actual condition, my life has been placed at risk. This poor medical practice is compounded by the side effect that I received from Symbicort, which is Osteoporosis, or they gave me medications for something that I do not have as a preventative for using Symbicort without ever testing me. Either way, there have been several acts of malpractice and failure to follow medical procedure.

I would love some more information regarding filing a medical malpractice suit. While on active duty in the Marines (1979), I was diagnosed with a disease that should have required me to have a non-waiverable medical discharge. I was never tested nor treated, nor did I receive the medical discharge. Since that time, I enlisted in the Army Reserves, again nothing happened. Then I received a service connected disability based on this disease without proper testing. I also began treatments for the disease. Medication that poses additional health risks and one of these risks turned into reality, or at least, I have received multiple treatments for this side effect from the medication. During all of this time I have never been properly tested by the VA as well, since 2013. One time, I was granted the proper test, but ended up having the actual test denied by the outside testing service. I have continued requesting the required test since that time. I have just recently seen another outside doctor that stated that he does not believe that I have the disease that I was diagnosed with. I have also been told last year that I have another problem that has the exact same symptoms of the disease which they claimed that I have and treated. However, I was not informed about this ailment until two years after the doctors discovered it, or three years ago. It is caused from a birth defect that was discovered two years ago. However, I have only recently been treated for this condition towards the end of last year and none of these treatments work. While it is a fact that I have the birth defect, verified by two separate tests, the complication that I am being treated for has still not been verified with proper testing, in spite of the fact that the head of cardiology has requested the test. The request has been denied. Almost each and every time I go to the ER, both VA and civilian, it seems like I get a different diagnosis and treatment for the exact same symptoms. Once the VA cardiac has given me s stress test and failed to report the symptoms that I experienced right after testing, while waiting on the doctor to inform me of the test. Because of this condition, I have been instructed to monitor two different health conditions. It has been over a year since I was instructed to do so. Even though this is still considered a SC condition, I have been denied the testing/monitoring device that I have been instructed that I need. If the condition that is caused by my birth defect is correct, it may be a highly life threatening condition and it is being ignored by most of the doctors! I need some serious help in both helping me to get a proper VA disability rating and in filing a medical malpractice suit. I live in East Tennessee. Thank you in advance for any and all help regarding this matter.