ValpoVet

Berta, I just called the VA Hospital where hubby had his C&P exam and found the examiners name and when I asked his "specialty" she told me he is a "General Medical" doctor. I googled his name and he is an Internest!! Compared to hubby's Private Cardiologist: Dr. Stella is Board Certified in Cardiovascular Disease with an additional Board Certification in Interventional Cardiology. He is also a fellow of the American College of Cardiology and a fellow of The Society of Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions. He joined Heart Care Centers of Illinois in 2001.

Hi Berta! Thanks for jumping on here!! REALLY APPRECIATE IT! Yes, I submitted the attached report, to which later resulted in hubby's stent in 2017. Turns out the blockage was "90%" blocked. His legs were so weak! The other side has to be checked often, as when the procedure was done, doc said blockage is at 55%. Not bad enough to do stent on that yet. Yes, that is all on eBenifits. PAD TO CAD is all documented by his private Cardiologist. Yes, that ECHO was done 2004 when he initially went to cardiologist having the heart attack. Have you googled the Examiner's name to see if they are a real cardiologist? I have all kinds of searches for the name of that medical examiner, short of just calling the VA hospital. I have yet to contact VSO/DAV the POA for hubby as I wanted to run all this by my friends here FIRST. I have more of a communication with hadit than I get with the VSO's.

Gastone!! YOU ARE TELLIN' ME BROTHER~~~!!!! I wasn't with him in 2004....But I would have had his a$$ in the VA immediately!! It was a "F-I-G-H-T" to get him to cooperate with me to get this far!! He kept saying that AO had nothing to do with his condition until I started the research! (I AM NOT MAKING THIS ABOUT ME)....but "I" am asking for help because this all makes him very ANXIOUS!! IRRITABLE. Because I have been with him to EVERY private doc appointment, and hubby has given them permission to speak on his behalf, I have gotten WHATEVER I can find. I probably made a mistake by submitting his cardiologist "BUDDY LETTER"....see attached. I suppose that is where the Decision Rating of COPD was found. VSO/DAV advised us not to file on two different issues at once. (?) Randy's Pulmonary doc has him on all kinds of inhalers. (OMG!) Also, while aboard his ship he was hospitalized TWO times for pneumonia. One time he stayed on the hospital ship for a MONTH!

GOOD ON YOU SHIPDOG7!! Live as if there is no tomorrow!! Your mom made it to 91...YOU HAVE A LONG WAY TO GO!! LIVE BIG!! Thank you for your service and "WELCOME HOME!!"

Thanks for your help Gastone!! I am posting the 2 page VA FORM 21-0960A-1 IHD filled out by hubby's cardiologist. The 2 pages of the decision letter. Has your husband been DX'd with COPD? YES....but DAV VSO told us NOT to start a claim on that DX until after the IHD came through to which he said was a SURE 100% because of the METS 1-3. Age HUBBY IS 70. and being a Heavy smoker ... YUP, got him to quit 4 years ago. virtually guarantee COPD symptoms and DX. COPD has a direct effect on METS.....I just looked that up. I have his pulmonary doctors notes in front of me....(that's not a GOOD report either)...OMG!! Any information you can help me (US) with ....Believe me.....IT IS GREATLY APPRECIATED. I only see the "EXAMINER's" opinion on this decision letter. Never do they make mention of what all CARDIOLOGIST documents show on eBenefits.

Hi All, Hi Berta, We received the decision package and how they made their determination. We "ONLY" submitted a DBQ on IHD!! Per the decision "Examiner reported your non service connected chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and your peripheral vascular disease limit the achievable effort for your METS level." The examiner asked hubby if he had COPD....**But we had only submitted one disability at a time, per VSO. Yet the VA FORM 21-0960A-1 Titled: Ischemic Heart Disease DBQ clearly states (4B) Dyspnea, Fatigue, Angina, Dizziness, METS 1-3. My hubby's CARDIOLOGIST put in his report of his METS, yet the examiner and rater elected not to look at the DBQ. Apparently, the 15-minute C&P exam outweighed my hubby's ELEVEN years of examinations with a REAL DOCTOR. Damnation!! I am mad as hell!!

I have watched many of his YouTube clips and find them to be helpful. Talks A LOT about what is said or asked about on here! Hope he becomes a member. I sent an email to them about that very question (The "AND" - OR") law clause, and they have called me on the phone, but I missed the call. They left a message. I may call them back "AFTER" I receive hubby's decision letter. We have had the award $$ for a week now...(@10%), but STILL no idea HOW they arrived at that conclusion!! Uuugggg!!

POWERFUL POST!!! Thank you!!

Berta, Here is the link, website , from that YouTube clip I posted. Be interesting if he would do a podcast! Perkins Studdard Veterans' Law and Legal Help https://veterans.perkinslawtalk.com/ Waiting in the mail to see if decision letter is in there! Gastone, RIGHT! I put in a FOIA request 3 months ago! Still waiting! My hubby started receiving his benefits $$ but has YET to receive his decision letter. (How a$$ backwards is that?) I don't know if his PA VSO has that letter. I thought I'd wait to contact him before I knew what I was talking about, but maybe he has access to that too! Thank you

Hi Berta, Thank you so much for that link. There is a screening that will be close to us! I am making an appointment for hubby!! As of TODAY, still haven't gotten the decision letter, explaining "HOW IN THE WORLD" they rated him at *10%* but that in the dollar amount they deposited into our bank, back to the date of the initial intent. Like I posted the picture (above), hubby's private medical doctor has on TWO 'VA' forms stated his MET's are 1-3. My hubby is basically sedentary. (and that is noted in the documents given to the VA). Yes, he as PAD, Peripheral Neuropathy, CAD, COPD and also noted was the heart attack he had 2004, and the recent stent 2017 in his leg. All of that information regarding his heart condition was given to VA. I MADE SURE OF THAT!! I mean he is "70" years old....how long do they want him to wait?? WTF?? I don't know how they could have OVERLOOKED all that info! You are SSSOOO right. His ejection fraction did get better...but his MET's have gotten worse since his heart attack. I am sure that is all they looked at was his ejection fraction: 55%...NOT ALL THE DOCUMENTS I submitted. I found this youtube clip online and wonder what you think...I find this VERY INTERESTING:

Hi, John999, Hubby just had a stent implanted femoral artery, DX=PAD. I reviewed his blood worksheet and it stated on their 'pre-diabetes'. I asked his cardiologist to run a full blood work up but he said that is VERY EXPENSIVE and insurance won't pay for it. I am in agreement with you about the secondary effects of AO. On the cardiology private medical records, it even states his COPD. Again, I DO NOT HAVE THE DECISION PAPERWORK as of yet, but my contention is based entirely on his MET's. That is what the DAV representative told us at the RO in Chicago. *see attached* Hubby suffers greatly with all the symptoms of MET's 1-3. The SO told us to notice the "OR" in the descriptions, meaning NOT "AND". A disabled vet needs to have ONE but not ALL. Back to your suggestion regarding diabetes. I WANT HIM TESTED as that is the NUMBER ONE question he/or me are asked when speaking to other vets. I just don't know how to go about getting him tested!!! The representative gave us this paper:

Thank you PWRSLM!! Yup!! Hurry up and wait! After "ALL THOSE DOCUMENTS" .....UUUUGGGG!! Thank you for your encouragement!! My husband is sitting at my side while I do these correspondences. He thanks you ALL for your service to our country and 'certainly' for helping so many vets with their anxieties. I will keep you posted as to what the decision letter reads. Blessings.

Berta, This is such an important post!! I called the eBenefit's phone line this morning and they said my hubby's "decision letter" was mailed out on Friday. While I don't have the REASON as of yet, how they came to this determination I 'believe' this is CUE. I have given many documents, personal private CARDIOLOGIST notes of hubby's IHD and "ALL HIS SYMPTOMS", (Angina, unstable angina, difficulty in breathing). AND his "MET's" 1-3. I am 'ASSUMING' they rated him on his ejection fraction at 55%. From what I am learning, the "MET's" alone is the reason for 100%. WTF?? My hubby is darn near incapacitated. I gave them the shipS he was on in Vietnam, and a PICTURE of the hospital ship he was on, to which he was involved with our injured serviceman from land. 10% rating is REDICULOUS!

Hello again Berta, You previously helped me with other questions I had and you have been a big help! Yes, husband's cardiologist diagnosed him with IHD and filled out the form the VSO instructed us with 21-0960A-1 and it clearly states dyspnea, fatigue, angina, dizziness "MET 1-3" walking 2 mph. ejection fraction 55% as hubby does non-exercise nuclear stress tests now, (70 years old) and because of his health. Hubby only has ONE claim filed, (advised by VSO), so that can be the only thing they rated him on. As far as his C&P exam, it could have ONLY been for the claim filed for CAD/IHD, to which his private medical doctor has been treating him for FOR YEARS. Yes, the VA has his private medical records. (MAYBE TOO MANY). Thank you for the link, and that confirmed the "MET's" are as much a factor is. I have already sent a FOIA request for that C&P exam and received a notice that my (HIS) FOIA request will take some time to get it. With the questions, this VA doctor asked hubby I can only "ASSUME" he was NO CARDIOLOGIST!! Again, VSO told us to file ONE claim at a time, and that is ALL the VSO had us file on was his IHD because of his MET's were/are 1-3 METs. Any suggestions?

My husband, working with VSO in Chicago submitted a claim for 100% Disability for Ischemic Heart Disease, (due to heart attack and many other issues). Vietnam/Navy 1967, went on land and his ship is on the list that the VA says was AO effected. I just looked at ebenefits and it "appears" as though he was approved for 10% disabled. He was seen by VA doctor for his service-connected disability he was claiming, in Chicago, but he was NOT A CARDIOLOGIST. Where do I go from here?