Cbski76

Good evening. I was just reading through this post and I am 100% P&T with a SMC rating. I was rated at 90% when I first retired from the US Army back in 2017. A few days after my official retirement date I had a cardiac arrest. Think I was relaxing too much. LOL. I was already working another job as a regional environmental health and safety manager for a wind turbine company. Half the doctors wanted to put a defibrillator/pace maker in me wnd the other half did not think it was a good idea. I wanted a second opinion and my regular civilian doctor said we should pass on it. So i did not have one installed. A year and a half later I had another cardiac arrest. Before they woke me from being out, they went ahead with my wife's permission and installed a AICD (defibrillator). I was allowed to return to work 3 weeks later. I filed another claim to see if the VA would handle it. They found something in my records that dealt with my heart from years ago during a flight physical. So because I had a defibrillator in that itself is 100% and because I was already over 60% with all my other issues they gave me the SMC rating. The guy that was helping me with my claims said that the main thing for me getting that SMC rating was that 1 disability at 100% and then already having over 60% on all other issues. Only thing I was mad about is I had plantar fancitis from the military and had surgery on it during the time I was on active duty. Could not run anymore because of me going flat footed. Was originally given 30% for that. During a C&P exam for my foot, way after I was given the 100% SMC rating, a civilian doctor said I was much improved and the VA knocked my rating for that down to 10%. Still did not bring my other ratings below the 60%. I also have severe sleep apnea which is 50% and a bunch of other physical issues. I have had a total of 13 cardiac arrests. After the last one the cardiologist went in and burned the nerves on the outside and inside of my heart that control the electrical signals that make your heart run. Now my pace maker controls all of that. Been 2 years today since my surgery. Been doing good since then. I still work but I have a at home job where I can travel when needed but spend most of the time in my home office. Main point of my post is that a SMC level can be obtained while you are still able to work but you have to have the right percentages in your favor.