MarineSSgt

This is for anybody dealing with the Roanoke VARO for DRO review appeals. So I chatted with Peggy the other day she told me this about DRO review appeals: "Appeals are work in date order. The Average time for appeal is about 2 to 3 year." So kick back relax and drink a few because it's going to be a long one if your dealing with Roanoke.

pete992, You said it! The VA denied me on my initial claim for two injuries that happened in service and is CLEARLY documented in my service medical record!!! They denied me because I didn't have residual effect from the injuries... Really!!!??? At the very least I should've gotten a 0% service connection. But the poor ol' rater felt I didn't deserve a SC. The price we pay to keep the people at the VA safe to do their jobs! Maybe we should send them oversea's to a combat zone to see how they would like it. I guarantee they would change their perception about Veteran's!

I have filed an NOD (DRO review) after some my disabilities came back denied from the Roanoke VARO. Ebennies show that my NOD was received at Roanoke VARO on Feb 10, 2015 and the appeal has been pending since Feb 20, 2015. Right now my NOD DRO review is approaching 16 months with no movement at all! Does any nobody know how long its taking the Roanoke office to conduct and complete the DRO review? Is there anybody else currently having issues with the Roanoke VARO regarding NOD DRO review appeals? I am debating on contacting the VA Undersecretary of Benefits but don't want to piss off the DRO who has my NOD file.

Great! Congratulations! Got to continue to fight the fight with the VA and get what we deserve for the sacrifice that comes with protecting our country!

Kgosi, broncovet, thank you for the much needed information. I know that this will help in me getting service connected. Thanks and Semper Fi!

I have documented evidence in my service medical record that I had numerous episodes of Bells Palsy while I was in service and the VA denied the SC!!! Their reasoning is that I did not have any residual effects from the from the Bells Palsy episodes... WTF!!! How can I be denied for something that was CLEARLY evident in my medical records and is evident on the right side of my face as being a little bit droopy!!! But, anyway I also filed a NOD in Feb 2015 to appeal the decision (still waiting on the VA) and I sought and got a medical exam for the condition. The neurologist performed the medical exam and he stated that the results of the neurology test does show that there is some residual effects still present from the Bells Palsy. Which is what I thought because you will never completely recover from paralysis on one side of the face and I don't know how the VA don't know that! Will the VA SC me for based on the Neurology test or would I have to get a nexus letter from him to further substantiate my the bells palsy condition? Any information will be helpful in determining what my chances are with getting SC.

I have documented evidence in my service medical record that I partially tore my right bicep or had a "Grade II bicep strain" and the VA denied the SC!!! Their reasoning is that I did not have any residual effects from the injury... WTF!!! How can that be??? How can I be denied for something that was CLEARLY evident in my medical records??? But, anyway I filed a NOD in Feb 2015 to appeal the decision (still waiting on the VA) and I sought and got an medical exam and a medical opinion for the injury. The medical exam x-ray showed "3 views right elbow show slight degenerative changes of the radiocapitellar articulation" and the medical opinion from the doctor stated that my partially right bicep tear was "more likely than not" an injury that was due to military service. However, the x-ray shows something else in addition to my bicep injury. Will the VA SC me for the partially right bicep tear or the degenerative right elbow or both? Any information will be helpful in determining what my chances are with getting SC.

I recently found out that I have "Mild Tri-compartmental Osteoarthritis with a small joint effusion" in my right knee and I have "Quadriceps insertional enthesopathy is present". Having been 3 years retired from the Marine Corps I KNOW that this had to be attributed from running and running long distance (minimum 3 miles) consistently for 20 years and "humping" 20-30 miles with 60-70 packs on those days that called for it every time we went to the "field"??? I don't think that I have anything in my medical records that could relate to having any problems in my right knee. My question is that because osteoarthritis does not happen overnight... Can I file a claim and service connect this condition to military service??? Any information will help me in trying to claim this from the VA.

Thank you. I am still getting used trying to post to the right topic for my VA issues. I will repost this question in a new topic.

So I was denied OSA in June 2013, which for some reason it said that it was claimed as a "sleep condition"... I don't know what the heck that means???? I know the VA's reasoning is that although I was diagnosed with moderate OSA in Oct 2013 I didn't have any documented evidence in my medical record. I thought that if I was diagnosed within one (1) year of retiring/separating from military service you it would be counted as being connected to military service??? Is this true or is this false information? Anyhoo, I was able to get a letter from my doctor that oversaw me during the sleep study process and the subsequent follow-ups with him for OSA. In the letter, he tied the OSA with me having a history of being overweight by military standards and because me not knowing the common symptoms of OSA while I was in the military this was the reason why I did not see a doctor or have a sleep study done before I retired. Additionally, my wife wrote a letter also stating what she observed with my OSA symptoms and telling me to finally get it checked out after I retired and also stating that since I received the CPAP my OSA has been better with the use of the CPAP. Will the VA reverse course and grant me SC for OSA? Any information provided will be helpful in keeping my fingers crossed for hope or just giving up all together on OSA.

I recently found out that I have "Mild Tri-compartmental Osteoarthritis with a small joint effusion" in my right knee and I have "Quadriceps insertional enthesopathy is present". Having been 3 years retired from the Marine Corps I KNOW that this had to be attributed from running and running long distance (minimum 3 miles) consistently for 20 years and "humping" 20-30 miles with 60-70 packs on those days that called for it every time we went to the "field"??? I don't think that I have anything in my medical records that could relate to having any problems in my right knee. My question is that because osteoarthritis does not happen overnight... Can I file a claim and service connect this condition to military service??? Any information will help me in trying to claim this from the VA.

@Navy4life Thank you very much! I'm a newbie on this site so I didn't know where to start. Yeah, I think I'll email the Office of the Under Secretary of Benefits...

Need some help on the NOD DRO review timeline.... My NOD DRO review has been sitting at the Roanoke VARO since Feb 2015 with no movement. Every time I call Peggy all she says that "its awaiting review from the DRO, if they need more information they will notify me, if not then they will make a decision, blah, blah, blah, blah," Oh, the average processing of a DRO at Roanoke is 246 days, blah, blah, blah!!! Does anybody know what the timeline is for DRO review process at Roanoke? I keep finding myself to check ebennies everyday for some kind of sign but I end up disappointed!!!