michaeld4263@gmail.com

I was scheduled for a Comp & Pen examination at the Madison VA hospital, in Madison Wisconsin. When I checked in I was told by the clerk that I would have a three hour examination. However, that was not the case. Dr._______ spent approximately twenty minutes with me and told me that I did not have a service connected disability. She didn't take and ROM measurement for anything. She treated me with such disdain, as though I was just a piece of lint. I need to digress for a minute. I'm medically retired from the Army with a forty percent disability rating. My disability is considered service-connected. Back to the issue at hand. My service connected disability is a rare form of arthritis called Reactive Arthritis, it can go in and out of remission. I have limped for the past 31 years, which has caused me to have significant issues with my gait. This,in turn, has caused numerous medical issues that are secondary, both knees need to be replaced, I have arthritis in my hips, I have degenerative disc disease, my fourth and fifth vertebra are bulging out and are considered severe, and lastly because my gait in my left foot is so significant my private sector and the VA podiatrist recommend that the foot be rebuilt. Today I received a call from an individual from the VA under-secretary office. She listened to my complaint concerning the Doctor. Then She read my C-file, which contained the findings of the DR. who did/didn't perform the Comp and Pen. The Doctor's findings stated that the X-ray didn't show any inflammation in the joints, which would indicate the reactive arthritis is active. However My excellent VSO wrote-up my claim so that all the issues I mentioned would be considered secondary disability that were caused and/ or aggravated by my right knee that I initially injured when I slipped and fell on the stairs of a mammoth forklift and then spent three months in an air force hospital until they came up with a diagnosis of Reactive Arthritis. I was then medically retired from the Army with a 40% disability rating. Sorry for that digression. From 1985 to the present I have walked with a significant limp with my right knee, which my private sector Doctors have stated, in writing, has caused me to develop a significant problem with my gait, which in turn caused the knees, ankles, hips and back trouble that prevents me from working as a teacher. The Doctor who did the comp and pen stated that all the secondary issues that I mentioned were due to obesity. She wouldn't even listen when I tried to explain that with all the medical issues I have, makes extremely difficult and painful to be active. Another issue with the doctor is when I ask her if she read the letters that my private sector doctors wrote, she stated " I couldn't find them", the letters were in the system with about 125 pages of medical documentation. I just can't comprehend that after limping for over 30 years, thus screwing up my gait significantly, which my private sector doctors state is the reason for all the secondary issues. The Dr. States that it is more than likely the issues were caused by obesity. She doesn't even consider how difficult it is doing physical exercise or just to get around. I walk with a walker because my knees always give out, without any warning. Please advise me. I wrote the entry to see if anyone in the community has any advice, suggestions, resources, Anything. I would be so grateful, thankful, and appreciative. Everyone who reads this I so sorry that it's so long Thank You, Michael

Thank you for reading my post, and giving me feedback. To answer your question I have an S/C for Reactive Arthritis at 40% from the Army. However, I really don't understand my S/C because when my accident happen I was climbing stairs of a forklift and slipped at struck my right knee. My right knee swelled up several times and had to be drained. Then they finally put me in hospital for 3 months because they couldn't figure out what was wrong with me. They finally did some genetic testing and found out that I was positive for HLA-B27 which usually means you have reactive arthritis.. I was then medically retired with 40%. The question is the reactive arthritis comes and goes. The VA doctors think its stable. However, that doesn't negate the fact that I have been limping for 30 + years. My private sector doctors state that the limping has caused my gait in my left foot to cause my body to be out of alignment. I have gained about 100 lbs since leaving the military. I left in 1985. My knee surgeon will not do the knee replacement surgery until I reach 250. I have gone from my highest of 317 to 265, so have lost a lot of weight. However, I just can't comprehend how the doctor is not able to consider the individual's inability to exercise because of significant medical issues and being in extreme pain? Michael

The following is an email that I sent to the Secretary of VA, Bob McDonld. I was scheduled for a Comp & Pen examination at the Madison VA hospital, in Madison Wisconsin. When I checked in I was told by the clerk that I would have a three hour examination. However, that was not the case. Dr._______ spent approximately twenty minutes with me and told me that I did not have a service connected disability. She didn't take and ROM measurement for anything. She treated me with such disdain, as though I was just a piece of lint. I need to digress for a minute. I'm medically retired from the Army with a forty percent disability rating. My disability is considered service-connected. Back to the issue at hand. My service connected disability is a rare form of arthritis called Reactive Arthritis, it can go in and out of remission. I have limped for the past 31 years, which has caused me to have significant issues with my gait. This,in turn, has caused numerous medical issues that are secondary, both knees need to be replaced, I have arthritis in my hips, I have degenerative disc disease, my fourth and fifth vertebra are bulging out and are considered severe, and lastly because my gait in my left foot is so significant my private sector and the VA podiatrist recommend that the foot be rebuilt. Today I received a call from an individual from the VA under-secretary office. She listened to my complaint concerning the Doctor. Then She read my C-file, which contained the findings of the DR. who did/didn't perform the Comp and Pen. The Doctor's findings stated that the X-ray didn't show any inflammation in the joints, which would indicate the reactive arthritis is active. However My excellent VSO wrote-up my claim so that all the issues I mentioned would be considered secondary disability that were caused and/ or aggravated by my right knee that I initially injured when I slipped and fell on the stairs of a mammoth forklift and then spent three months in an air force hospital until they came up with a diagnosis of Reactive Arthritis. I was then medically retired from the Army with a 40% disability rating. Sorry for that digression. From 1985 to the present I have walked with a significant limp with my right knee, which my private sector Doctors have stated, in writing, has caused me to develop a significant problem with my gait, which in turn caused the knees, ankles, hips and back trouble that prevents me from working as a teacher. The Doctor who did the comp and pen stated that all the secondary issues that I mentioned were due to obesity. She wouldn't even listen when I tried to explain that with all the medical issues I have, makes extremely difficult and painful to be active. Another issue with the doctor is when I ask her if she read the letters that my private sector doctors wrote, she stated " I couldn't find them", the letters were in the system with about 125 pages of medical documentation. I wrote the entry to see if anyone in the community has any advice, suggestions, resources, Anything. I would be so grateful, thankful, and appreciative. Everyone who reads this I so sorry that it's so long Thank You, Michael