Dustoff1970

Hello Aknod and no I never did join the official Dustoff Association because they were very quick to forget about us Vietnam veteran Dustoff aircrewman and the tremendous losses of aircraft and air crew we suffered in the Vietnam war. All they care about is the latest and greatest present day dustoff crews and quit mentioning us or covering us Nam vets many many years ago. There site has no value to us except for the occasional obituary they publish and I was glad to see my sorry ass low life Vietnam unit CO on that list as he died at age 72. They deleted their Dustoff forum for us many years ago so we now stay in contact by facebook, etc. Frankly they are run by Army lifers and that is all they care about. In spite of his best efforts in Vietnam I have outlived the CO and at my age now 73 and everytime I go fishing or have fun at the casino I laugh at his sorry ass. I am a life member of the Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association and they did a 2003 front page full cover and 3 page inside story on my shoot down and fiery crash of my Dustoff chopper in Nam near LZ Uplift in june of 1970. This story appeared in their then monthly VHPA Aviator magazine. Google search will give all the details of this deadly crash of 498th Air Ambulance unit due to VC gunfire and death of my young crew chief from California. Just after we 4 crew escaped the raging inferno with minor wounds our crew chief was killed within a feet of us. That was my second total loss of a Dustoff chopper with first being in Cambodia in May of 1970 with a different crew all thanks to my lousy CO. I did attend the Vietnam Pilot's annual reunion in Reno a few years ago. They do so much more for us than the Dustoff Association. I will take every dime I can squeeze out of the GD VA because I sure as hell earned it in a place called V I E T N A M!!!!!! and unlike billions in foreign aid and military aid given to rich foreign countries and others who hate our guts including many violent criminal illegals who collect tons of sugar from uncle sugar.

I have never done BVA hearings in my several successful appeals over the past 30 plus years because i cannot hide my disdain for VA employees or even VSOs in face to face contact and have done everything by mail, phone, fax or email that was just fine with satisfactory results. Between 1985 to 88 or 89 I was notified AFTER THE FACT by a DAV VSO that he attended a hearing on my behalf and he sold me down the creek without a paddle or canoe. I was never notified in advance about anything by him and my PTSD rating was reduced and then terminated because of that sorry ass VSO and sorry ass VA rater. The VSO was an older Korean vet and thought of us younger Vietnam vets as doppers and losers. This is first reason for my disdain. Since then I have handled many claims and appeals myself with mostly successes. To hell with them and their petty prejudices and jealousies.

Every 5 to 10 years the VA comes out with a new gimmick to speed up claims and appeals to "help" vets get their bennies faster but as we old hands know it is a prima facie lie and shallow one at that. The only thing faster are the denials. There are of a course a few exceptions of a granted fast claim that even VARO can't deny. This is the old reliable shell game from centuries ago of where is the peanut under which shell. This problem could have been solved decades ago by hiring and properly training more adjudicators and BVA law judges and given them instructions to be honest in their claims adjudications but congress did not want to spend the money or see more vets receive benefits and the entrenched status quo of VA adjudicators did not want more competing fellow federal VA raters setting next to them as it might lower wages or prevent their promotions to senior levels much like union workers which is of course what they are. It took the VA decades to computerize even a small part of the claims process because entrenched dumb and lazy VA raters did not want to learn computing skills. Very little has changed in spite of their present day back patting and hype.

I have read many BVA decisions that have granted the disability claim/appeal of the veterans thanks to the private IMO medical opinions of those two doctors and I am sure there are others. As to your question of applying for a Permanent & Total rating I have this to say based upon my own experience in 2000. 1. I filed several claims that year for (A). CUE, (B). VA Injury Section 1151 and in 1998 (C). TDIIU due to 70% PTSD and unemployability due to PTSD and strong medications. 2. In each one of those claims I represented myself and each time I ask the VA VARO raters and BVA to grant me P&T status for my TDIU and in August of 2000 the VARO did grant me P&T status. 3. My reasons for asking for P&T were the long term VA diagnosis of severe PTSD for much more than 5 years, my age and present unemployability due to PTSD and the very nature of PTSD not improving over time (static). There were other arguments such as side effects of strong PTSD medications I made also but cannot remember them all after all these years. 4. There are yahoos on other forums that will tell you that one cannot file for or apply for P&T and it is only granted by the generosity on the whim of VA raters at their time of choosing. I call BS on this as I ask for in writing and received P&T status without another C&P Exam or new additional medical evidence. 5. It never hurts one to ask the VA for P&T or anything else as all they can do is say no and then you can appeal or keep asking as I did. There is this warning tho and that is any time you contact VA about your disability claim or filing a new one or reopened claim the VARO can schedule you for another C&P exam that may be a fishing expedition to REDUCE or increase your rating/s. In my case they did not do this and I am always prepared for them to order up another C&P but not for my 20 plus year TDIU P&T status I now have that is protected from termination or reduction by VA rules after 20 years of having this rating. My above information is not legal advice as I am not an attorney, paralegal, VSO or advocate but expressing my own experiences and opinions as another vet who has been there and done that.

Because GBArmy when I joined that forum many years ago I was not aware of Veterans Hadit or VA Watchdog and other forums. Also even on the forum that banned me recently there are a few long term honest and knowledgeable experienced posters whose opinions I respect and they are not present or former VA raters or DRO officers or even oversold VSOs. Unlike you I am slow minded (DUH) and it took me a while to realize that many of the VA rater pukes were putting out deliberate misinformation to us other vets but I did catch it in time. I am TDIU P&T for over 20 plus years now thanks only to myself. I also have additional 30% rating for Agent Orange Heart Disease, 70% for PTSD, SMC-K, and two appeals in the works for other issues. NOT bad for this country boy forced to do everything himself because of sorry ass VA raters and even VSO officers from 1985 to 1997. I will compare this record to anyone else. Anything Else??????? Please God forgive me for being so dumb in presence of such brilliance.

Thanks Berta and Vetquest for your recent responses. I agree with you both 100% and I should never have followed some of their advice or I would be further along now. My last post on their forum was also dismissed and locked when former DRO Cruiser did not like my statement about my winning a CUE appeal as a pro se veteran before the CAVC vet court in 2005. I feel very sorry for younger and or newer vets seeking their advice on their one sided forum.

Again Buck according to my reliable source (Rotor Head) who receives SMC-S because of his rating qualifications and not because he is HB or in need of A&A he can and does leave home for shopping etc., because of a court ruling by Fed Appeals Circuit or CAVC vet Court that said there is difference between being HB by disabilities alone or not being able to leave home for work/employment. Go to that other forum and look up Rotor Head's recent post. He is one of the very few administrators/moderators on that other forum whom I have respect for and have followed him for years. There are other experienced moderators forum members who also agree with him in very RECENT post.. Even though they banded my butt I still have friends and access to their website as this old dog has his ways

Yes Buck in my post just before your latest post response the knowledgeable vet was answering another vets question that was as follows. 1. does the vet qualify for SMC-S with an award of 50% Sleep Apnea secondary to his PTSD TDIU rating and does the 50% Apnea rating count toward the 60% required additional rating and the ANSWER was YES!!!! as the Sleep Apnea is indeed considered separate and distinct body part from the PTSD disability. 2. The vet with the question also had a few other disability ratings for 10% each for different body parts so all this added up to the required additional 60% above and beyond his initial PTSD TDIU only rating required for SMC-S. 3. This makes perfect sense to me as I always thought of Sleep Apnea as a different physical anatomical system different from mental PTSD. 4. The award of TDIU must be based upon only one disability such as PTSD and not a combination of other disabilities that make the vet unemployable as I read and understand the CFRs and others opinions. 5. Since the award of ED (SMC-K) does not have a percentage disability assigned by VA then there is no way it can count toward the extra 60% required for SMC-S as I see it???????? 6. Bottom line is I would advise any vet to go ahead and ask/file for SMC-S based upon the above information as it can never hurt to ask/apply for something. All VA can do is say no/deny and then you can simply appeal using the CFRs. and any medical evidence you can muster to make your case. Even though BVA and some court decisions are not precedential I go ahead and use them anyway in my claim and appeal arguments to simply make me feel good and let the raters know that these decisions are on my side and I know whats up. I of course only choose the BVA decision arguments where the facts are identical to my own situation. There is another veterans benefits forum run by present and former VA DRO raters, VSOs and retired military lifer administrators that constantly lie and tell vets that Sleep Apnea cannot be service connected secondary to PTSD because the veteran is overweight or obese and that Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is caused by non PTSD sources and only Central Sleep Apnea is due to PTSD and not OSA. However many hundreds of BVA decisions have granted vets OSA secondary to PTSD and/or PTSD medications. These "people" putting out this BS are the same VA raters before their retirement who generously and deliberately and incorrectly denied vets claims for these and other disabilities. I am sorry I wasted my time on that forum for several years but there are a few good honest knowledgeable vets on there who are helpful such as . I was banned and called a liar because those chicken *** will not tolerated any disagreement with them from an experienced old hand like me who has filed many successful claims and appeals for myself for past 30 plus years including a CUE appeal to the U.S. CAVC court in 2005. They gang up on you which is typical attitude from these types that I have experienced in both active army and the veterans community for 30 years. Frankly I am proud of my badge of banishment from their forum to go along with my Purple Heart, CMB, Air medals and DFC recommendation from Nam 1970 as a volunteer Army medevac Dustoff pilot and also my United Nations Certificate for Humanitarianism for saving lives of almost 1000 Vietnamese Boat people in South China Sea in 1980 as a volunteer civilian helicopter pilot. The people criticizing me on the other forum are nothing and no bodies compared to the many lives I have saved in my flying career ( over 3000 total) at great risk to myself. I ***** on them and their vet benefits website. They also expected me to feel a deep sense of gratitude for anything I have received from the VA when in fact I was harmed by VA healthcare many years ago and have had to fight VA for my benefits that I earned thru blood, sweat and tears. They are hypocritical jokes. This info by me is not legal advice as I am not an attorney, paralegal, VSO or advocate for anything.

Latest info I found from a reliable source who is also recipient of SMC-S due to a 60% combined rating of several separate secondary disabilities in addition to his TDIU P&T based upon a single 60% rating. He also confirms that a 50% rating for Sleep Apnea secondary to PTSD will qualify a vet for SMC-S if the vet's TDIU is based solely upon his only single PTSD rating OR the vet is 100% scheduler for PTSD. The vet must have additional rating to add to the 50% in order to reach or surpass the required additional 60%. This is at least the second confirmed qualifier for SMC-S due to secondary OSA Apnea to PTSD (TDIU) from knowledgeable sources who have received such ratings. Apnea is also considered separate and distinct from PTSD See his quote here as follows. "38 CFR 3.350 (1 - for statutory housebound)(i) Total plus 60 percent, or housebound; 38 U.S.C. 1114(s). The special monthly compensation provided by 38 U.S.C. 1114(s) is payable where the veteran has a single service-connected disability rated as 100 percent and,(1) Has additional service-connected disability or disabilities independently ratable at 60 percent, separate and distinct from the 100 percent service-connected disability and involving different anatomical segments or bodily systemsBeing "secondary" doesn't make it related. Again, secondary service connection is just a different path. Once service connected, that's it. The path taken no longer matters. The OP should be receiving SMC S based upon the disabilities listed. All of the additional disabilities are separate and distinct from the PTSD evaluation.In my own case, I have IU based upon a 60% spinal rating. ALL of my additional ratings are secondary to that spinal rating (GERD, ankle, bilateral pes planus, etc) and I draw at the SMC S rate."

Great physical and mental harm was done to me and some other Vietnam and Korean veterans at the Temple, Texas VA hospital in 1985 to 1991 as we were used as drug guinea pigs and embarrassing to us training aids in a room full of medical students by a good German VA doctor (without our permission as they were sneaky how they did this). One veteran hung himself in a tree outside our ward the night after he witnessed my ordeal that day and he had been thru this himself. On another occasion in 2000 an Austin Texas VA clinic psychiatrist was found guilty in district court of sexual assault on veteran patients and staff. I was one of his almost victims but left his office abruptly when he tried his hanky panky with me about 6 months before he was indicted for his sex crimes against others. His name was Vagashian (SP??) and his wife then divorced him and his son drove a sports car off a cliff in Colorado after the trial. The Temple Texas VA doctor was eventually transferred to Arizona where he then died at young age of 63 and I am so happy happy. I filed a VA injury section 1151 claim over those incidents in 2000 and received a TDIU P&T award with several years back pay. Because of all that BS I use private medical care (medicare and AARP) for more than half of my health care needs and would never use VA for major anything. One of my nam vet friends died on their operating tables for heart surgery at the Temple, Texas VA hospital. Many years later (after 1991) 7 VA patients died at Temple VA due to breathing tainted oxygen and local crooked JP gave the VA a white wash. There have also been other negetlient deaths at same hospital over the years from 85 to at least 2009. I moved from Texas many years ago. I don't give a F***** damn if they privatize the VA medical system for many reasons.

Thanks Asknod for that insightful detailed answer about how VA raters use hidden methods to grant or deny a claim as in hidden from the average vet like me. I have seen statements from present and former VA raters to include former DRO officers that SMC-HB (Housebound) and SMC-AA (Aid and Attendance) is totally different from SMC-S due solely to additional 60% rating on top of a 100% PTSD rating and that in this instance a vet does not have to be housebound at all for this latter SMC-S. More confusion and complication by good old VA?????? This info I just posted was from another veterans benefits forum I use to visit before Hadit.

Thanks for your answer Broncovet that makes very good sense. This is one way the VA plays favorites among us vets such as who represents us and/or our military background IMHO. I have never been a teachers pet and have had to appeal most of my claims myself including all the way up to the U.S. CAVC court in 2005. I have always had to depend on my VA medical treatment records, arguments, lay statements and army service records with little or no help from VA C&P examiners. With one exception in 1998 the examiners were IMHO sorry excuses for doctors, PAs or anything else for that matter. A few of the shrink examiners were washed up alcoholic scum calling themselves doctors (1985 to 1991). .As for last 35 years I will continue to soldier own as nothing has changed for the better for me. Believe me folks the VA does not make honest mistakes. Cheers everyone

CONFUSION!!!!!!!!!. For what it is worth here is a September post from a veterans wife "Hello everyone. My husband was just awarded sc for sleep apnea by the BVA. They sent it back to the RO to be awarded. This will now give him SMC-s since he is 100% for PTSD alone and the sleep apnea award will put his other combined totals above 60%. The va.gov website says he should see a change in pay in 1-2 months. Anyone with experience with this and how long did it take for your award to show up after BVA granted appeal? And do they give retro for SMC-s?" There seems to be confusion among knowledgeable veterans, advisers on different veterans forums as to whether or not OSA Sleep Apnea at 50% rating level secondary to PTSD can be used as part of 60& requirement for qualifying for an SMC-S award assuming that the vet is 100% for PTSD or TDIU due to PTSD only. Some pros say yes and others say no. There are many confused vets including me with claims and appeals on this issue in the works. I would also like to hear from any vet who has received SMC-S due to secondary SC of Sleep Apnea due to a 100% PTSD only rating. Thanks Everyone

CONFUSION!!!!!!!!!. For what it is worth here is a September post from a veterans wife "Hello everyone. My husband was just awarded sc for sleep apnea by the BVA. They sent it back to the RO to be awarded. This will now give him SMC-s since he is 100% for PTSD alone and the sleep apnea award will put his other combined totals above 60%. The va.gov website says he should see a change in pay in 1-2 months. Anyone with experience with this and how long did it take for your award to show up after BVA granted appeal? And do they give retro for SMC-s?" There seems to be confusion among knowledgeable veterans, advisers on different veterans forums as to whether or not OSA Sleep Apnea at 50% rating level secondary to PTSD can be used as part of 60& requirement for qualifying for an SMC-S award assuming that the vet is 100% for PTSD or TDIU due to PTSD only. Some pros say yes and others say no. There are many confused vets including me with claims and appeals on this issue in the works. I would also like to hear from any vet who has received SMC-S due to secondary SC of Sleep Apnea due to a 100% PTSD only rating. Thanks Everyone

Yes there have been many BVA decisions and a few court decisions granting veterans alcohol abuse service connected secondary to their SC PTSD but like most of us you are forced to appeal these issues. Good advice from the others here. YOU can go to BVA website and on lower right side (column) of their home page is a link to search their decisions. You can type in the words PTSD, Alcohol, secondary, granted and then check off the block years of decisions you want to search. In the block for words never to be found type in denied, affirmed and remanded. One can learn a lot from CAVC court and BVA decisions as to how they word their reasonings for both granting and denying a veteran claim and then use their wording and explanations in your appeal to the BVA along with as much documented medical evidence as possible to support your appeal. I have been told by experienced IMO private doctor that an HLR appeal is a good way to get a fast denial as in my case. I should have gone the supplemental appeal route instead so that I or you can add additional evidence at the last minute. Try to find an accredited motivated full time VSO officer (DAV, VFW, Legion, etc.) located at a VA regional office in person or by phone to assist you in this matter. The above is not legal advice but only my personal opinion and experiences as just another vet filing my own claims and appeals to the VA.

I did not read your whole post but if you have not then find an experienced accredited VSO such as DAV, VFW, Legion, etc located at nearest VA regional office and they can be big help to you in finding military and service medical records in addition to providing you additional advice and filing claims, etc. You do not have be a dues paying member for them to assist you by their own rules/laws, etc. They can also help you to upgrade your discharge if it is needed. Interview them in person or by telephone and pick the one that seems motivated and most interested in your case. Avoid those with hostile or indifferent attitude or do a lot of sighing in your presence as if you are too much bother. You have to pick out the good apples from the bad in the barrell. The other vets here have given you good advice also. Many of us know how just unfair military leadership was and still is. Just like civilian life the cream does not always rise to the top in the service. There is another veterans benefit forum I refer to as VB* that spends a great deal of their daily post to vets bad mouthing lawyers and private doctors who provide medical opinions for a fee to assist vets with their claims. These former and present VA raters, and VSO lifer officers tell out right lies and falsely imply to new vets that the lawyers and IMO doctors are charlatans. Which is BS as I have read their many statements in BVA decisions winning benefits for vets.

I finally past the 20 plus year mark on my TDIU P&T rating and therefore VA cannot reduce or terminate my rating now unless they can prove I committed fraud on obtaining this rating. I suspect some of you are now in this same category. The rule/law is easily found in the 38 CFRs. They stopped sending me the 2141s many year ago after I past age 55. Cheers

I finally learned about VA math from others after a long time of confusion so here goes. 1. Let say you have only one rating at 70% for PTSD (example) then 2. This means that you have according to VA knuckle heads 30% remaining of healthy body 3. You receive another SC rating for 50% for another body part condition then 4. VA will multiple that 50% times your remaining 30% and this give you a number of 15 that VA will then 5. Add this number 15 to your original first 70& rating thus giving you a new 85% percent rating that they may round up to 90& for your new total disability rating. 6. Then if you receive an additional 30% rating for another disability then they will multiple this 30% times remaining 10% of healthy body to arrive at a new number of 3 that they then add to your 90% for a 93% disability rating that they round down to 90% for new total disability rating and you are still stuck at 90%. Only the GD screw ball government would come up with this contorted rating system to use only on veterans and no one else. This is not legal advice but only my own personal opinion and experiences.

Not enough detail for me to answer without knowing your status on the AO heart disease increase appeal. Did they send you an SOC and VA Form 9 after you filed your notice of disagreement (NOD) in response to their denial decision for increase above 20%. If you did not file an NOD then did you file a reconsideration request in response to their denial. If you did not complete the appeal by filling out and sending in the VA Form 9 for an appeal to the BVA then you may have to start over with new medical evidence. You can call the help line at 1 800 827 1000 and ask them to do a IRIS request based upon the VA decision date and/or date of your claim, etc. to find out status of your appeal or claim. Sounds like you need assist of a good experienced VSO located at a VA regional office. Good luck and maybe some one else can give you a better answer.

Here is a quote from a knowledgeable vet and forum administrator whom I have followed for many years. This is his opinion from experience and reading 38 CFR 3.350 plus court decisions and I agree with him from my own many years of reading court, bva decisions and research. "Keep in mind the TDIU would have to be based upon a single disability. For the intents and purposes of IU, that one disability is elevated to 100%. That's how it satisfies the single 100% requirement of 38 CFR 3.350:(i) Total plus 60 percent, or housebound; 38 U.S.C. 1114(s). The special monthly compensation provided by 38 U.S.C. 1114(s) is payable where the veteran has a single service-connected disability rated as 100 percent and,(1) Has additional service-connected disability or disabilities independently ratable at 60 percent, separate and distinct from the 100 percent service-connected disability and involving different anatomical segments or bodily systems, or

This quote is from a BVA decision No. 1643473 dated 11/15/2016 "Subsection 1114(s) requires that a disabled Veteran whose disability level is determined by the ratings schedule must have at least one disability that is rated at 100 percent in order to qualify for the special monthly compensation provided by that statute. Under the law, subsection 1114(s) benefits are not available to a Veteran whose 100 percent disability rating is based on multiple disabilities, none of which is rated at 100 percent disabling. In this case, the Board notes that as a result of this decision, a TDIU due to service-connected MDD has been granted. Thus, for SMC purposes, this disability satisfied the requirement of a "service-connected disability rated as total." See Buie v. Shinseki, 24 Vet. App. 242, 250 (2011); AB v. Brown, 6 Vet. App. 35, 38 (1993); see also Bradley v. Peake, 22 Vet. App. 280 (2008). Because the Veteran has a single service-connected disability rated as total (i.e. her TDIU due solely to service-connected MDD), and has additional service-connected disabilities (i.e. complete hysterectomy with removal of both ovaries, sleep apnea, Type II diabetes mellitus, diabetic retinopathy with bilateral cataracts, abdominal scar, residuals left bunionectomy, residuals right bunionectomy, hypertension, irritable bowel syndrome, and pelvic adhesive disease ) that are independently rated at more than 60 percent combined, the criteria for SMC at the housebound rate have been met. Thus, in light of the Court's decisions in Bradley and in Buie, entitlement to SMC at the housebound rate under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1114 (s) is granted.

Having suffered with PTSD (70% TDIU P&T) for over 20 years I found the different medications and treatment methods made me worse or left me at least confused so I have sucked it up and go fishing whenever possible among other things. It seems like every week or month the VA comes up with some new "therapy" method like a fad that one never hears about again after a year or so. It is all very confusing and I stay away from shrinks as they harmed me a long time in Texas. I wish nothing but good luck for all other PTSD vets out there. I former VA PTSD counselor with a PHD in clinical psychology and many years of working with PTSD vets at VA and private practice has said there is no magic cure for PTSD but only learning coping skills as best as one can. This guy is also a former combat medic with the Marines in the Vietnam war and has also suffered from a life time of PTSD.

I agree with your choice of No.2. Recently on another forum (VB*) that gives out bad misleading info sometimes I heard/read that in order to qualify for SMC-S your TDIU P&T rating must be based upon on a single disability such as in my case 70% for PTSD and not a combination of disabilities that add up to 60 or 80%, etc that gave you that TDIU rate. I hope for sake of other vets that I am wrong on this or got bad info from other source which is of course common. I am sure this is somewhere in the CFRs or USC that requires some digging. Again only my own hearsay knowledge and not legal advice.

I am also TDIU P&T for over 20 years and it is my strong understanding that TDIU P&T vets are considered same as 100% P&T scheduler for the purpose of qualifying for SMC compensation including SMC-S if they/us receive an additional 60% rating or ratings that add up to 60%. As with everything GD VA everything has to be so complicated to screw us vets unlike social security disability. I do remember from many years ago at least one federal court ruling from the CAVC or Federal Circuit ruling and clarifying just what I said and I have an appeal (increase in rating) that would give me additional 60% rating separate from my PTSD TDIU rating and thus qualify me for SMC-S. The additional ratings must be separate from your disability rating that gave you the TDIU rating. Clear as mud thanks to the ********VA. This is not legal advice from me but only my own opinion and experience.

I assume you have been receiving medical treatment from the VA or private medical doctor/s for your current medical problem. First thing is to get medical treatment ASAP. If so then get copies of their treatment notes, opinions, test, diagnosis and medications prescribed for you. Yes you can file for an increase in your present disability if you think it has worsened and provide any medical evidence of VA or private treatment for the said disability. In order to obtain an increase you do have to show some type of the just mentioned medical treatment notes, diagnosis, doctors and/or medical specialist statements in addition to a statement from you about your pain level ( this is known as lay evidence or statements). You may have to file a reopened claim for the present or old disability. Find yourself an accredited experienced VSO (DAV, VFW, American Legion) located inside a VARO regional office to assist you ASAP. Never give the VA original documents but only send them copies and for important evidence and claims use certified return U.S. mail. If you have a new medical problem or disability then you can file a new claim with VA for that new disability and again include the above type medical evidence I just discussed above. A good VSO can tell you after checking your military records including medical if you can service connect your new disabilities. After you file a claim with the VA then the VARO will probably schedule a C&P exam for you to attend and you can also take copies of above medical evidence to show to the examiner. It is their option to look at your evidence or not but never hurts to take it with you as it may help with your evaluation from the examiner. Good luck. Above information by me is not legal advice as I am not an attorney, paralegal, VSO or advocate.