Thanks for your response. I'm filing for a secondary condition, not for an increase in diabetes rating. If the VA and reduces diabetes rating from 40% and awards the secondary condition at 10%, my net benefit (including loss of concurrent receipt of retirement pay) goes from $937 to $100.
The 40% rating requires restrictions against strenuous activities. When VA reads recommendations to exercise, they say restriction of activities is voluntary, not medically necessary. When that rating was increased from 20% to 40%, the exercise recommendation was light to moderate exercise at own pace. Avoid strenuous exercise to reduce risk of hypos. I supported with several; months of BG readings. When I ask for same similar wording, some endos and physicians give a strange look and say something like "Well, you don't have to exercise that hard".