akwidow

I sent off the VCAA reply letter today return receipt. I checked the 'do it now' box, as I have no other data to enhance my claim. I have no idea how it will go; the moment of adrenelin that I had yesterday when the envelope came is over; I hope my wait is short and yours is shorter. Se le vie

In todays mail I received my VCAA letter, dated March 31, 2009. It contained all the standard VCAA stuff....sign and return letter, 21-4142 release. They received the file April 4, 2008 from COVA, so it took a year less 4 days to get to this point. I have sent them all the data I will be able to, so I guess I should check the box that says decide now, don't wait for 30 days....right? Do they really decide faster if you tell them to proceed without waiting the 30 days? Should I include ANOTHER copy of the data I sent in December 2007 and duplicated in December 2008? COVA had mentioned and recognized this data before they sent it to AMC. Just a little paranoid from all the lost data stories I hear here. Thanks, Akwidow

a local soldier was sent to jail for fighting another deployment.... http://www.adn.com/news/alaska/story/738388.html

I have one claim at AMC after two denials and a remand at COVA

I went through menopause and grief - widowdom at the same time. You have my sympathies. BTW, both are survivable if you keep at it.

my geek friend just had me update my computer to IE 8. I still use XP Pro, since I want to just hop over the top of Vista and go with the next OS. This update fixed these issues on my pc. Anyway, there is an update that addresses what you are talking about that allows you to correct what you are talking about. If I find out more definite info, I will repost.

I would say a flu bug has gotten you. Remember to stay hydrated, as it is easier to cough up wet stuff than dry. Drink anything but alcohol and milk, as milk makes mucus and you know what alcohol does besides dehydrate! I don't know all your medical issues, but if any of them are respitory in nature (besides the flu) I would just do a walk in and bring your pillow for the wait you will have to make. It never hurts to have a pro listen to your chest, and give you meds if necessary. When you are at home, curl up with a blanket and nest....but stay upright if you are filling your lungs with fluid...like in your recliner. An extended sit in a hot steamy shower should help too. Take care of yourself! Akwidow

It is good to see that all battles are not for a lost cause!

Berta, if I weren't so far far away and so poor in Alaska, I would find a way to get to you in NY and give you a hug first, then give you all my admistrative help, knowledge, resorcefulness and resolve to help you in your fight. Sending good karma

Got this IRIS response tonight - 7PM my time is 11PM east coast....sent the request on 2-20-2009 so it took them 30 days. The only good thing is they say is my month of death payment request has been sent to the proper place....which is where I might ask? My case rests at AMC; I asked for the umpteenth time on IRIS ( other than the IRIS one, all In writing, all certified return receipt) for in country medical records, and they tell me now that I can't have the records until the file comes back to my local RO....which will be after my case is decided????? Why is that? Why can't AMC send me the records? This is a reply to your email of February 20, 2009. Your request for month of death payment has been forwarded to the appropriate office. If there are service treatment records in your husband’s VA claim folder, we do not have control of the claims folder, to make copies for you. They are presently at the Appeals Management Center in Washington, D.C. When the appeal is completed, the records will be returned to the VA in Anchorage, AK. To make a request for service treatment records we need a signed request, please send the request to the office listed below. Once the claims file is back at the VBA in Anchorage, then, we can make the copies you requested. There are many guidelines in place to protect a veterans privacy, and these protections must be followed. We regret the delay in processing the request for the service treatment records. Thank you for contacting us. If you have questions or need additional help with the information in our reply, please respond to this message or see our other contact information below. Sincerely yours, Pat Anderson Acting Veterans Service Center Manager 463/21/jjs How to Contact VA On Line: http://www.va.gov/ By phone: 1-800-827-1000 1-800-829-4833 (TDD hearing impaired) By letter: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Regional Office (21) 2925 Debarr Rd Anchorage, AK 99508 Do they still think I am stupid? :D It appears to me that they know the file is at AMC, and they sent the records request to the local RO on purpose so I couldn't have the in country proof!! This makes about the 5th or 6th time I have had the brush-off. Sure wish I was in DC so I could walk up to the counter at AMC...as they would see a no-quit fuming fighter in the office. BTW, The last time I made a request (pre IRIS) for records it WAS to AMC 12-23-2008. case has been there since April 2008. hmmph I get to join the long list of put off claimants yet again...it's a good thing I have a cat to purr on me in the bad times and a brain to think of more stuff to ask them for. grrrrrrr and thanks for listening.

Good going, Cowgirl, how long did it take? I have yet to memorize everybody's cases....

No, you are not out of line at all. I just want to cement in their minds that the ptsd was partially caused by the tear gas episode where he was taken down then treated for a three day period of time because of the effect of the tear gas...this intertwines the ptsd with the asthma. This combining makes a stronger case. Thank you for your comments. I take everything I read here into consideration. The way I look at it, if I am ready with data already compiled when they come back at me, so much the faster I can submit and we can get to the end of the case. Because win or lose, I am in this to the end. Akwidow

I am in need of a pulmnary doctor (or a doctor who has treated vets with pulminary damage due to tear gas exposure) who has experience in treating vets who were severely damaged by tear gas. I am looking for a source to get an IMO. Does anybody out there have an recommendations with contact information?

I agree with the watching. Let us know when the news hits print... Akwidow

I have an extreme computer nerd friend. He tells me that even if you close those windows that pop up with "WARNING you may have a virus so check with us" you can get the virus anyway, just by closing the offending window. He tells me to close the window by keying in 'ctrl-alt-delete' which causes the Windows Task Manager window to open, then you click on the offending window in the task manager window and choose 'end task' at the bottom of the task manager window. This allows you to close the dangerous window without endangering your computer. I, on his recommendation, use CA which is Computer Associates, a proven high functioning program that protects your computer. You can find it at www.ca.com. I have been using it for over four years, and have had no problems and have a virus, spamware, adware free computer. Unlike Norton and McAffee, it does not conflict with other programs on your computer that can cause other problems like slow processing and irregular operation of your other programs. Sometimes program conflicts show up in driver operations irregularities and in other ways that at this writing escape me. Good luck and safe clicking, Akwidow

Yes, I have done all of those things. I do not however have a copy of the dd215 (or his C-file), just the addendum dd215 that adds his purple heart. He has a purple heart and a CIB badge, I have notes of when he received the purple heart. Can't get the others, and am on the prowl for them. I found a guy last week who thinks his buddy knew my late hubby in RVN. I had to dig through and find an old 70's photo to scan in and send for possible id because they only remember the nicknames. I am still waiting for the results of that thread. Some well meaning VSO told me I cannot see the C-file, and I believed him. From reading on Hadit, I am interpreting that that is wrong information and I have a right as his survivor to see it. Since the file is at AMC, I hesitate to do anything about that viewing until I get a decision....been waiting since April of last year. as I wrong? Yes, I even went to the extent of looking for a map of the field hospitals in RVN, then finding the geographically closest ones to Chu Lai in 1968, and noting them on the application for records to St. Louis. St. Louis wrote back and told me his file was at VA and to ask there. I have been doing that ever since - asking VA for those in-servie Med records. Maybe I should be asking for other records in the C-file that support my stressors? Battion clerk records? I have all his induction, Basic Training, relocation to Ft Lewis for going to VN, his extraction papers from VN, his relocation papers to Ft Hamilton, NY. There are no records for his time in VN...what would an example be other than being wounded? 2nd Plt, Co. D, 1st Bts, 6th Inf. USARPAC-V "Coconut" Chu Lai on the hills "Nanny Goats" june july aug sept 1968 Sound familiar to anybody?

CD-r....... that translates into Cee Dee minus arr. It is an actual designation of a type of media. There are a number of media. CD-r is the most likely to work in most all computers with the most software. I amusing XP Pro on my computer and these directions are for that operating system. Since you are using Word Perfect, you will probably have conflict problems with other software(I certainly have), like Word and others. I recommend you copy your letter into Wordpad Have your document open. click inside the document somewhere and let go. (look at your keyboard. Find the ctrl button - there is one at each end of your keyboard. Hold down one of the ctrl buttons and then key an a. Let go. The whole of the text will highlight. Now hold down crtl again, and key a c. You have now copied your document into the clipboard. Now look for Notebook (which is a generic program that comes with all PC's) on a PC by clicking Start(lower left corner usually), then click All Programs, then click Accessories, where you should find Notebook. Click on Notebook and it should open. After it opens, hold down crtl. and key a v and your copied document should paste into notepad.) Save your document in an easy to find place on your pc for you. Now to go to my computer... click on start again; My Computer should be on the right side list in the popup window. Click on My computer. My computer is actually a list of all drives and drive like devices on your computer....like your "c" drive is the one you work from, and among other things your cd or dvd drive, which is what that little door is that pops out on your tower that you put a cd or a dvd in. Open that little door on your tower after you have My Computer window open on screen and then put something in there and close the door. You will see the icon or name change for your cd/dvd drive. I just did that on my tower, and the name of the cd/dvd drive changed to pertain to the data on the disc in the drive. That is an easy way to identify your cd/dvd drive on your computer, and to copy to a cd. If you can follow this that I have given you above, I will walk you through copy and past on a CD/DVD. Okay? Let me know, Akwidow

I wondered....it would be a shame that I would have to sue somebody to get discovery to get all the records from VA. I likewise have collected records along the way. What would be really good is for them to simply look at the records as those records prove my case. Kinda like I've seen comments about how some of the employees don't read so well....hmmmph My late vet was always poverty level low income, income tested frequently, and VA let him come to them for what health care he did allow. But low income health care does not connotate SC. He only received 50% SC in 2003 for ptsd when he was diagnosed as terminal and died Jan. 2004. He filed for sc three other times. Please excuse my ignorance, but what does FTCA stand for?

As I remember it, all records from VAMC since at least 2000 had that designation. I'd have to go back and look again for more perfect remembering.... Believe me - I understand your comments about accuracy....but it sure caught my eye. I went through every page I had when I was compiling my package on remand, and notated every one back to them in itemized proof of their word and gave it back to them. Thanks for you input, Akwidow

Here is a good question for you - what did it say at the bottom of the page on your medical records before VA gave you a disability? My late husband's said - HIS NAME, than right next to it - SERVICE CONNECTED 50 - 100% - Next line contained his SS#, DOB, the words CONSULTATION SHEET Next line ADDRESS, then Standard Form 513 (Rev 9-77) Is this how it is on yours before you received a VA recognized disability??

I already have the psych opinion, and I am working on one for the other. I have causal and presumptive proof of the AO, and causal proof of exposure to tear gas - which is directly tied in to asthma/ptsd. It is proven fact that extreme tear gas can cause asthma, and of course worsen asthma. You have to realize that I AM pursuing the initial DIC claim. PTSD occurred when he went down in the jungle with TEAR GAS exposure and is part of a causal event that led to PTSD, that followed him his whole life with various symptoms that included avoidance. For all I know, asthma caused him to die earlier than he was supposed to...but I know the ptsd did.

There is a book out there that is called "Alkalize or Die" I found mine at a health food store, but it can be found online at Amazon.com and the like. It gives great information about raising your ph level....we found it when we got cancer...cancer cells have a hard time living in an alkaline environment. keep on, Akwidow

Yes, a claim was filed for asthma SC in 2000 which was denied with no appeal. I don't think at the time he connected the dots. I see the asthma as being intertwined with his ptsd, as the tear gas that he encountered and put him down had to cause ptsd as well. It is a complicated issue that I am exploring. I believe benefit of the doubt exists here. Asthma is not mentioned as a cause of death or as a supplimentary cause of death. But ptsd is, and since the gas episode was not brought to my light until late in my claim, I have only began to develop that issue. I went to the link below and have written to everybody listed that was there when he was. I reread the letters and found his platoon, and that they were nicknamed the "nanny goats" because of their hill climbing skills while in the jungle. It is amazing to me how the detective path I am walking keeps continuing with little bits of info gathered here and there. I have called family and friends to see if there are more letters out there kept since 1968. I know the possibility exists since I have every letter ever written to me on file, and there has to be others like me. Thanks again for your attention, Akwidow

Yes, they have the letter. I'll ask old friends and family if they have any others. Thank you for that suggestion. Yes I explicitly asked for in country SMR's from vietnam in 1968. I started that request in St. louis, and have kept it up at every level of the case. Spoilation means purposely losing or destroying evidence in their care, like the shredding scandal that hit last October. The way I see it, there had to be some field hospital record about him being in an oxygen tent for three days. I can understand medics treating the shrapnel wounds in the jungle with no follow up care, but the back of his calf had a pretty large scar with gnarled muscle under it, so that one had to be pretty bad.... I put his company info in a lower post. Co D, 1st Btn, 6th Inf, USARPAC-V Americal Don't company clerk records get kept anywhere? Wouldn't company clerk records reflect who is injured, who is killed, etc? His PH was first awarded for shrapnel in the hand Sept 1, 1968. I never heard any other PH awarded, even though he had other wounds all over his back side - can you get more than one PH? Thanks for you time, Akwidow

Yes he was Army. He had a purple heart (Sept 1, 1968), I have a copy of the award. He has a combat Infantry Badge awarded Aug 9, 1968, which tells me he was engaged with the enemy in actual combat. He was in Co D, 1st Btn, 6th Inf, USARPAC-V. In one of his letters he tells of a story where he was incapacitated by tear gas to the point that he was placed in an oxygen tent for three days. He had multiple shrapnel episodes, one of which scarred his calf to the point that when I met him in 1992 I could see the gnarling of the scar and the mishapen shape of the anatomy. I will continue to look online. Thanks for the link Berta. Maybe somebody here recognizes his unit, and can steer me somewhere?