68mustang

I don't know since it has been a few years since the denial. I didn't know that a denied claim could be reopened by me just asking for records. Thanks. 68mustang

Last month I requested copies of all documents used to deny my VA claim in 2002. Today I received a letter from the VA office in Houston, Tx. The letter stated that my application for benefits had been received and action on my claim may be delayed due to the great number of claims that have been filed. All I wanted was the documents used to deny my claim. I don't know if this a response that is used when copies of documents are requested. Has anyone else requested copies of documents and received a similiar response? Maybe I was sent the wrong form letter. Thanks. 68mustang

The news story of this IG report came out in the newspaper today. 68mustang www.va.gov/oig/52/reports/2007/VAOIG-07-00616-199.pdf

The ship I was on went in for work at the Charlestown Shipyard near Boston, Mass. I worked in the boileroom and asbestos was removed in order to work on some of the boiler's components and pipes. In my case what was removed was asbestos and not fiberglass insulation. It looked like chalk shaped to fit the fixtures that required insulation. Of course we had no protective equipment and did not know at the time about the dangers of working with asbestos. You are right about the 5" guns when they were fired. Dust came off the pipes and this happened throughout the ship. Thanks. 68mustang

Stretch thank you for the info. I have some pictures but none with me in them. The ones you posted are very clear. 68mustang

Berta, Thank you so much for the info. I also checked the PIES listing here on hadit.com. My other military job (BT-Boiler Technician) is listed as highly probable to asbestos exposure. Now what I need is an IMO examination, which I am schedule for, that states my pulmonary fibrosis more likely than not was caused by my military occupations. My jobs before and after my military service were clerical and administrative, which did not expose me to asbestos. Thanks again for your help. 68mustang

You are entitled to express what you think. I used this forum to see if anyone has had the same problem or if anyone could provide any input. You provided your input and I thank you for that. I don't know if you ever worked or been in a WWII type ship's boileroom. It was a noisy, hot and dirty place to work in. Being a Boiler Technician was a job no one wanted to do and not by choice I ended up there. I used a poor choice of words by stating if I should classify it as PTSD. I know that only a doctor can classify an illness. However we are all affected differently by traumatic experiences. I concede that seeing the dead, killings and being sexually assaulted is at whole different level. I might just have claustrophobia, but my experiences in the boileroom did affect me. Now I find out that I was exposed to asbestos and have pulmonary fibrosis that only makes matters worse. I know I have a difficult time ahead of me in trying to prove service connections for pulmonary fibrosis or any other medical condition. I like this web site because so many veterans and non veterans are more than willing to help. Their input might be the one thing that might help a VA claimant to overcome a denial on a claim or to file a claim. There is strength in numbers and I am glad this web site exists. 68mustang

Berta I did change jobs because of my fears, but no medical proof exist because of the way things were at that time. A person could not complain about anything without being called a trouble maker. Plus as much as I hated being a Boiler Technician I did not want to be discharged. I volunteered during the Vietnam Era and I wanted to complete my enlistment. The only person that I know of who could validate my request to transfer out of the boileroom has passed away. He was a Navy officer to whom I owed a lot of thanks. The record I have is some paperwork changing my job code from Boiler Technician to Engineman. Thanks again Berta.

Berta thank you for your response. You mentioned that a vet proved a stressor by weather reports and the ships long/latitude. I was in the Navy as a Boiler Technician apprentice and worked in the boileroom. It was a life changing experience that I could not wait to get out of. Having to work in confined spaces such as the boiler steam drum and furnace box gave me claustrophobia. I had no choice but to put up with the work situation afraid that if I complained things could get worse for me. I finally got out of that job and to this day I still have nightmares about working as a Boiler Technician. Finding out that the asbestos we worked with,the living compartments we lived in and the dining areas we ate in were infested with asbestos has only made matters worse. The ship that I served on was built during the WWII time frame, when asbestos were used as insulation. On one of my previous post I mentioned that I was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis. My job history prior to and after military service were jobs that did not subject me to asbestos exposure. I am going to get another IMO and refile my asbestos exposure claim. I also take anti-anxiety pills as needed for anxiety. I am thinking about adding a claim for anxiety associated with working in the boileroom and asbestos exposure. Do you have any input as to whether I should classified it as PTSD even though it has been so many years after my enlistment ended? Thanks. 68mustang

Thank you for the info. Sorry about your buddy. I was never in Vietnam, but I lost a lot of friends in the Vietnam War. 68mustang

Berta I noticed that you researched a ship's location for someone. Is there a website where I can checked where a ship was located during a certain time frame? Thanks. 68mustang

Berta, Thanks for the info. 68mustang

This has to do with another topic, which you provided some input. It has to do with asbestos exposure. Correct me if I misunderstood, but can I request a copy of the report the VA doctor turn in when I was denied my asbestos exposure claim? How can I request it? Thanks 68mustang

Thanks for the info. Where was it that you were an asbestos insulator? I got exposed working in the boileroom during the time that the ship I was stationed on was in shipyard for an overhaul. 68mustang

Thanks for the info you all have been a great help. 68mustang

Berta do you know why the message keeps going to right and how it can be corrected to show as regular page? Thanks. 68mustang

Thanks again for responding. I can't find an I-9 form but I do have a VA Form 4107 May 2001. I did not appeal it because this was the second claim that had been denied and I was fustrated. But now that I have looked again at my paperwork I realized that that the VA never got back to me on the missing evidence. The VA never acknowledged whether they reviewed it or if they reviewed what the outcome of the review was. I am going to do what you have stated and that is get another better IMO and see if I can get another buddy statement. I will ask that the claim be reopen and that the issues that you mentioned be addressed. Thanks. 68mustang

Thanks for replying Berta. The denial letter was sent June 2002. I also received the VCAA letter. I sent the VA the Navy's Enlisted Career Guide listing for Boiler Technician and Engineman. Those listings detailed the duties of each occupation and where those duties were performed. I also sent the six month performance reports for each occupation with each report stating that I worked in the boileroom and engineroom. I tried finding the VA PIES Occupational listing that you mentioned, but could not find it. The independent medical opinion actually states under impression "Small linear area of increased density is seen in the left lung base more likely representing pulmonary fibrosis". I plan to get another IMO because I would like to have my lungs checked out due to the latency period of asbestos exposure. I did not file a NOD because the time limit has passed. I want to refile because the VA relied only on their medical exams and never used my IMO. Plus this time I will send a buddy letter from a fellow shipmate who confirms that we worked with asbestos without protective equipment. If you have any other info I would appreciate it. Thanks. 68mustang

Pete53 thanks for the info. 68mustang

I file a VA claim back in 2002 for residuals of asbestos exposure,also claimed as asbestosis and pulmonary fibrosis. The claim was denied because the VA examiner reported that his findings for the lung studies including spirometry, lung volume,and diffusion with negative chest x-ray were normal. I don't believe that the x-ray was interpreted by a B certified x-ray reader. When I did the lung studies the examiner had me perform the tests to the point of complete exhaustion. I felt that he was making sure that I passed those tests no matter how they affected me. The denial letter stated that private records from my doctor had not been received. It also stated there was an outstanding request for a CT scan of the chest, which was done in 1998. The denial letter also mentioned that the current exam done by the VA was sufficient evidence to determine that there were no diagnosed conditions and there was no need for additional information. The denial letter also mentioned that should the missing evidence be received, it would be reviewed to determine if any other action would be necessary. The VA did receive a copy of the CT scan of the chest after the denial was made. However the VA never used the information to complete a review to determine if any other action would be necessary. The CT scan of the chest report that was made by a private radiology office stated that I had a small linear area of increased density in the left lung base that probably represented pulmonary fibrosis. Their impression was that the small linear area of increased density seen in the left lung base more likely represented pulmonary fibrosis. I was stationed on a WWII era destroyer that was built with asbestos in all areas of the ship. I worked with asbestos in the boileroom and engineroom with no protective equipment. The VA acknowledges that I provided references to support my report of asbestos exposure in service. I had no occupational exposure to asbestos before or after my military service. Does any one have any idea whether it would be worthwhile to file a claim again being that I now have 10% bilateral tinnitus? I don't believe that the missing evidence was ever used by the VA and that makes me think that I should refiled the asbestos VA claim again.Thanks. 68mustang

I tried to find out in the definitions what an IMO is and could not find it. Could someone please tell me what it is? Thanks. 68mustang

I live in San Antonio and did not find out about the meeting until it was too late. I did not see any notices about the meeting until it was mentioned in the news. While it was good that the meeting was held 1 hr. is not enough time to hear veterans' complaints. Maybe they only make it for 1 hr. because so many veterans would complain and they don't want the media to air that. 68mustang

Sorry that I had not posted the docket number sooner, but just got back from out of town. The docket number is 90-41-898 with the Board of Veterans Appeals. I thought that it had gone to CAVC, but I can't find any paperwork. Hope this helps. Thanks. 68mustang

Thanks for responding. Hope to hear from Berta, Vike or anyone who may be able to help. 68mustang

The basis for the denial was that there was no evidence of a hearing loss at the time of discharge according to the VA. The VA acknowledged that I had worked in noisy military occupations, but did not take that into consideration. There was a whisper test but no audiometric hearing test and whisper tests are not good indicators of hearing problems. This time when I refile my VA claim I again stated that my military occupations were noisy and the VA took it into consideration. Thanks. 68mustang