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My husband is rated !00% P&T for pleural effusion. He also has four other disabilities rated from 60% to 40% each. We have the DOD Id cards and I have ChampVA coverage. Last month we received a phone call from Brandon, the kid that brings my husband's oxygen tanks and checks out the oxygen concentrator, he says that he just received an order from the VA to discontinue my husband's oxygen and pick up equipment. Brandon says "I'm giving you a head's up on this cause I know it's gotta be a screw up" Needless to say we were flabbergasted to put it mildly. My husband called his VA Health Buddy nurse about it immediately to see what the heck happened. It seems that at his last pulmonary visit his blood gases were normal without oxygen, so he did not qualify for oxygen. duh that is not his problem and not why oxygen was ordered five years ago. Pleural effusion has nothing to do with blood gases, it is the lack of lung capacity that causes the disability. The nurse know this and raised all manner of hell and the oxygen was restored before the equipment was taken away. If he had lost his oxygen not only would he not be able to even walk to the bathroom, but he would have not been rated 100% anymore. you can only imagine all the difficulties that would happened if this had occurred. I guess I am relating this to let everyone know even with 100% P&T and home bound award they can still take your rating away in a blink without even notifying you . We are very thankful for the nurse otherwise we would be in a real jam right now. Sandy

Dave was just awarded 100% on his lungs, 50% on liver, 60% on spine injury. His original claim was filed in 2000 and was denied 2002. He persisted with the help of hadit members advice and was finally successful getting service connected this May. He then on knowledge gained from hadit got an increase on the percentages and an earlier effective date. It was a long struggle but worth it. It never would have happened with the DAV rep he had. Thanks to the Hadit elders his final days, months, or hopefully years on Earth will be more comfortable and with less worry. Sandy

Dave's VA lung doc called Thursday and said he would put in the official medical record everything that he could to support a higher percent rating for pleural effusion. Dave's claim got a low ball 0 % rate for pleural effusion. They are trying to say his breathing problems are due to non service connected COPD. Well his doc is going to blow that out of the water. The doctor said Dave had only mild COPD before the effusion and that the effusion is why he is on oxygen and can't pass a pulmonary function test. He also made an appointment for Dave to see him, to discuss his problems and so he could show him what he is putting into the computer. So some of the docs are honest and have integrity. He is the ony one that we have ever dealt with that has actually tried to help.

Yes we do have a VSO, sort of. We did all the work ourselves with lots of help from many hadit members.The VSO did little to nothing. Maybe the VSO can handle something like this since there is already a service connection and all the proof is at the local VAMC. Should he apply starting from the May 1 surgery. He was on continuous treatment until he went back in for this last procedure. If I do it myself what would the proper wording be? I just never have delt with something like this before. I am totally in the dark as what to do. I already have his records from the May 1 to June 20. I won't be able to get this latest batch until maybe next week. Should I start the claim now with what I now have and add to it as it goes along? Will the RO get the records that I don't have? Thank all of you for your help. Sandy

Thanks for the help. Dave had surgery May 1, 2008 for a service connected disability. He has had a worsening of the condiditon since surgery. He is now back in the hospital for further treatment of this condition, and he damn near bled to death during treatment. He kept complaining of being weak and dizzy, his blood pressure was 99/54, and they just blew him off until he started demanding a doctor. To make a long story short he got a blood transfusion (2 pints) and now lab work and blood pressure is in a normal range. He won't be in the hospital any longer than ten days, but under the regs could he claim 100% for what has hapened so far? I am confused about what to do. Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks, Sandy

Where can I find the regs about hospital admissions for a service connected disability? Specifically about being paid at the 100% rate. I seem to remember there is a certain length of time you must stay in the hospital, but I can't remember much else. Just point me to where to look in the regs. Thanks, Sandy

Dave just got his first travel pay today after becoming service connected. He got a whopping $2.80 for a 75 mile roundtrip. That pays for 1/2 gallon of gas. What a generous benefit. Sandy

My friend Dave got his GERD and liver cirrhosis, and pleural effusions service connected as secondary due to NSAID use for his service connected spine disease. I was really surprised that they connected the liver and lungs, but it was a very good IMO and C&P that did it. We used a BVA case to help word the claim. Sandy

I am so sorry for your loss. I know how heartbreaking such a loss is, especially the loss of one so young. I lost a very good friend 14 years ago and I still think about how wonderful he was. Remembering can be painful for those left behind, but by remembering we keep them alive. God bless and give you comfort in this time of sorrow. Sandy

On June 12 , I mailed a request for reconsideration asking for a higher percent on 2 separate ratings that my friend Dave got in his award on May 28. We received a big fat letter today from the VA. This is the fastest response that I have ever heard of, 4 days! It contained the usual stuff about the evidence we submitted, and asked if there more, the form to decide now or wait 60 days etc. If only it would take them 4 days to decide that he deserves a higher rate. Wouldn't that be nice. His most recent medical records support the higher rate according to the rating schedule, and they show that he has not improved in 4 years, shows getting worse. I just wonder how long it will actually be before he gets the decision. Does a request for reconsideration drag along as slow as the original claim? Thanks for being here for all the vets. Sandy

I dealt with the Nashville, Tn VA for my Dad. He got fairly good care no complaints there. His disability claim also went through pretty fast for an increase. I'd give them a B+. My late husband got royally screwed by the Reno, VA for his claim for increase. He appealed for eight years before he got his 100%. He died just 2 months later. The evidence was there all along, but we knew nothing about the process and the rep was worthless. This was in the early 90's they deserved a F. Hospital care also sucked. My friend Dave finally got a 70% rating last month from Reno, he filed the original claim in 2000. It is a very low ball rate too. The process seems to be a little bit better now than a couple of years ago. The hospital and primary care is adequate if you have someone looking out for you. I feel sorry for anyone that does not have an advocate. Most of the doc's don't speak english very well, at least for all of us old folk that can't hear. His last ICU hospital stay he had an allergic reaction to morphine,(hives, itching like mad all over his body) and if I had not called attention to this and made a fuss they would have continued the morphine. They ignored him.They tried to just blow it off because he has mild itching on his back all the time, but he was digging everywhere with this. You had to be blind not to see the difference. They finally discontinued the morphine ,gave him benadryl and the symptoms went away immediately. Give a B for primary care, and a D for hospital.

Dave had his C&P in Nov. 2007 the results were not available until 18 Jan 2008 we got a copy on 24 Jan. The examiner in her comments dated 18 Jan. said the claim should not be held up any longer that enough evidence was present to rate the claim now. It did not go to rater until 5 March and a decision was made 28 May.

I was wondering, if you have been treated at the VA for a health problem for the last five years and that same health problem is now service connected, can you receive travel pay for all of those past appointments that were related to the now serviced connected problem? Sandy

That is what puzzles me. The buddy letter had all of the things that everyone mentioned. The only thing that I can think of is that they want an offcial document from the Navy showing that yes indeed he was at the same base at the same time the accident occured.

Thank all of you for your comments. It helps and is appreciated. Sandy

Has anyone had this statement about their buddy letter included in their SOC? " The statement from Axxxx Bxxxxxx is deemed unsubstantiated, providing no information or evidence to confirm his service with you in the Navy" The buddy stated time, date, place of service,accident, symptoms after accident. He stated his job in the Navy and his association with Dave in the Navy. He stated that he has often visited Dave and has known him and about the neck problems that Dave has had continously for 45 years. He gave them his phone number and address. All they had to do was call and request information to comfirm his service with Dave. I have not seen anything about a buddy letter requiring evidence sent in with the letter that they actually were together during service. There would be no problem getting such evidence, but they never asked.

Thank you for your input. You are so right, Dave is way to ill to continue on his own. His claim is very complex and a lawyer would be a tremendous help. He has fought the good fight all alone for way too long. This site has been a godsend to him and for all those that have been at a loss as to what to do and how to do it. I know I did not have a clue until Hadit. It is just way to complicated and uncomprehendable for a lot of us.

After eight years and much frustration my friend Dave just received his award today. It would take to long to give all the particulars on his claim so basically this is what was awarded. He was given a total of 70%. 40% cervical spine, degenerative disc disease with spondylosis, stenosis, fusion with radiculopathy. 20% left upper extremity radiculopathy. 20% right upper extremity radiculopathy. 10% esophagogastroduodenitis with cirrhosis of the liver. 0% chronic pleural effusion. Do these ratings seem low? All reactroactive to June 6, 2007 Deferred decision on Individual Unemployability. CUE denied. The 1151 claim that the VSO said they filed obviously was not, the award letter states "is it your intention to file an 1151 claim for dysphagia, malnutrition, extreme weight loss, gastric erosion, liver cirrhosis, due to improper treatment?" We will nod the CUE, and EED. The 1151 should have been part of the reopened claim and should have a date back to 1998. It also appears that the cirrhosis and pleural effusion was service connected but at a very low rate. Dave had surgery for the effusion May 1 2008, he was in hospital a week, and now has to go back June 6 to insert a chest tube because he is worse now than before surgery. He has been on 24/7 home oxygen for the past 3 years. Any advice on how to proceed? Do you think a lawyer would help? We contacted a few lawyers before the decision and got no response. I know that without the knowledge given from the elders on this site that none of this would have been granted. Thanks loads, and when he gets his check he will donate to the Hadit site.

Thank you Pete, it means a lot. Dave is a great guy and deserves all the best.I was very concerned because he is so weak.The surgery seems to have gone well, but he's not out of the woods yet. Thank you again for the prayers. (He is a Navy vet too.) Sandy

My best friend that I have been helping with his claim is going into surgery in the morning at the VAMC for his lung. I would just like if you can to remember him in your prayers tonight, if you can't do that please think good thoughts and well wishes for him. His claim has been in one stage or another for 8 years I hope he lives to see his claim approved and can enjoy his victory. Sandy

My friend has a Health Buddy and he would not give it up for anything on earth. It has been such a life saver for him. His coordinator makes any appointment he needs, she has changed appointments for him , she has gotten meds when scripts have expired, she let's him know about test results, in other words it beats the hell out of trying to get anything done through the VAMC. Sandy

Sorry folks for the multiple posts, I screwed up. Sandy

How do you get records proving you landed your plane in Vietnam ? My friend that I have been helping was diagnosed with prostate cancer and has undergone radiation treatments. He is doing well as far as the cancer but radiation side effects have made him sick. He was blue water navy, but landed his plane in Vietnam several times and was on the ground for days. My question is how can he get the proof that he actually was on Vietnam soil ? I don't know where such records could be. Anyone got any ideas? Thanks lots, Sandy

I agree with the others, your symptoms may be heart related. Anytime you have shortness of breath on mild exertion it is a flag for heart problems. Having said that I have been researching GERD for my friends claim and have found out that GERD can indeed cause shortness of breath. Also there have been studies that say if you have COPD the GERD can exacerbate it and make breathing worse. If you were a smoker you could have had underlying COPD and not known it until the GERD made it symtomatic. I am sure a search will give you some documentation for a claim. Sandy

Just found this website that has a free database on medical topics. I think it could be very helpful. http://www.framemed.org/ Hope some of you find this info useful. Sandy