retiredat44

In hindsight, do you think it's better for a claim/appeal having to visit the dro route, or was the right decision to skip it? Or, is it unknown at this point?

Thanx, for your help,, I guess I should have done this without asking, anyways... sent to local office regional (they had choices of where to send it): I asked using your words, since they seemed about right: "IRIS inquiry to clarify exactly what issues are pending and what level of appeal each pending issue is at, like VARO or headed for transfer to BVA's jurisdiction ?" I just don't think going through my conrgressman's office is at the stage yet, as I can see that others have waited as long as I, though they maynot be dying,,, but, I think I have to or should at least wait until I find out they lost my files, or soemthing like that,, I suppose I am ina long line,, but I never did get a response back for the fact I am suffering a fatal disease, they never ereponded with anything,, I would expect they would say, yes we can help speed up claims for people that are dying.. instaed, my VSO was silent when I asked her 2x about sending them a note asking if there is a form for people who request additional help for those that are sick with disease.. I let the DRO reprentative at the DRO hearing know, in no uncertain terms that I am fighting for my life... with a fatal disease,, I don't think they give a rat's ass.. Maybe pancreas disease isn't on the list.. maybe they only do it for heart disease, or cancer.. I don't know.. In any case, I asked for a U.S. Mail response, it might be slower, but there will be no ambiguity in whether or not I get answers.... where in a phone or e-mail, might end up not getting the answer at all... Thank you, btw,, I read in another vet disability forum that the Los Angeles regional is backed up about 24-36 months for appeal stuff.. I am not exactly sure who the DRO appeals are shuffled, whther there is a certain stack for those or it's back to the mass appeals stack... all I know is that 3 out of 6 got an SOC, the other 3 did not, they got nothing,, SOC means they are still denied and move to BVA,, but that leaves 3 with no SOC, meaning they are not being denied... and those issues were stated January 2011 in the SOC and SSOC. It's like there's a train on the tracks, and the tracks ended, and the train is no longer on the tracks in any direction... everything just stopped dead until January 2012, where they asked for a c&p for my left knee (one out of the 3 that had no SOC, after the DRO hearing). coming up on 90 days since the c&p exam... btw, the left knee claim was in 2009. So, they waited 3 years for a c&p exam for the knee, which made 3 c&p's since 2009. So, just maybe they are very close to a decision on those three.. that had no SOC..... and the three that did go on to BVA,,, but the IRIS inquiry will say, like the one's I read, that they have no timeline because each office has their own backups.. they will just say, at which stage they are in... which is better than no info... I suppose... Meanwhile I expect results on my Cat scans (pancreas and surround organs had the usual cat scan I have every 6 months..) early next week.. if they don't phone me, it means they are not worried about anything,,, they usually phone me if it's urgent.. so I am freaked out wondering what is happening with everything in my life.. Thanx for listening,, back to laying here sick... whoopeeee.. guess it could be worse, could be in the hospital, or out on the street..

how much longer, I really hate this question, as I know all you hate seeing it.. I know when this question is asked everyone says, whenever it's ready it's ready,, stop asking,, go fishing come back in 10 years,, please stop asking.. etc..etc.. the usual, and those that know me, already know,, but I have to ask,, had claim 2009, denied,,, all the usual appeal stuff had DRO hearing December 2010, had SOC January 2011... so far,, out of 6 issues, 3 had the SOC (plus SSOC). The remaining 3 issues had no answer, awaiting a decision.. been a long time... Maybe in each region, there are differing times on when they get around to working on claims.. actually, I had one thing move in my claim, in January 2012, I had another c&p, this on for my left knee... other than that no movement.. at least not openly, known to me I have a representative, an American Legion VSO, my VA Regional Office is San Diego.. I have no idea if it makes a difference if I am already rated, but I am currently at 50% since 1997... the issues I am claiming go back to when I was on active duty, and all were from medical conditions and issues from when I was on active duty 30 years ago.. I already had a Form 9 in for an appeal to cover any issues that are still denied, so there is nothing left for me to do.. How close for an answer for my DRO hearing from December 2010, on the remaining 3 issues that I never got an SOC for,, I believe the SOC I got for 3 issues means they are still denied, and the remaining 3 issues are not denied, and am awaiting their decisin. My Question, how long for an answer, as it has almost been 1.5 years since the DRO hearing... Should an answer be coming any day now, or will it be even longer than 1.5 years for the answer on a DRO hearing, from this office? Is it the current normal time for DRO hearing 1.5 years for answer on issues that have not been denied? Did the C&P for an issue mean it's moving forward at the current time? Does anyone have insight on San Diego and if they are slow or fast in this 2012 time frame? My big problem (6 issues,, is pancreas disease,,,) I don't want to rehash all issues, but depression, Neuro diseases (tremors, shaking, balance, weakness, limb jerking, muscle twisting, fatigue. The there are more problems like, knee damage, limb swelling, intestinal disease. Degenerative disc disease, eye disease, very long list and more. Not all issues are being claimed Chronic severe pain and meds for it (20 years) I am dying slowly from pancreas disease, the don't know how long I have but it's incurable. I am just wasting away... MY main question is, how much longer for a decision for the DRO hearing on the 3 remaining issues, main disease pancreas disease, and hospitalization and surgeries going back since hospitalization in 1980 for intestinal disease on active duty. Chemical exposure (soaked in chemicals causing disease is in my SMR's from active duty.. and that is not in dispute... as the Air Force doctors actually noted the problems with chemicals and illness while on active duty.. for swelling and headaches.., also for tremors, and gastritis...). Is the DRO getting closer to the decision? 1.5 years..... and boxes of medical records that the VA has had the whole time... I know everyone will say when they are ready, they are ready,,, but someone must know some time frame?? my family desperately needs closure and help... all these years have destroyed our lives... my daughter has struggled for school money and help... our cars are junk.... my disease has kept me laying around sick for 20 years,, with no ability to work... yet this constant wait and denials destroyed our lives... plus I live with constant suffering, and exams so they can watch the cysts on my pancreas continue to grow,,,,, knowing the next surgery could most likely be my death, since the last one was 6 months in a hospital bed to try to remove a 5 inch pancreas cyst.. learned to eat and walk again after 1 year in wheel chair... showing signs of new disease,,, and getting a new disease every couple of years.. just how much longer for a yes or no, and then the BVA hearing can use the tape from my DRO hearing.. for any issues left denied.. Thanx, for listening to me ramble on again in these forums, I know I have asked many times before... I Just wanted to say thank you, as just being able to ask again in these forums helps... Thank all of you for your ears.. Steven

I have, for va psycology project for vets suffering with pain... no pay was given to any participant.. it was 6 weeks.. one day per week

They always give you the look of death when you go in person, it's as if you just murdered their family and took away their coffee breaks..

You have my permission to post this if I die before I get my case through these VA B.S. artists.. You may say, in a note, a banner, and/or a thread,,, a discussion or statement: saying: 'This poor bastard vet suffered greatly while the vet fought him to his death over his benefits (for the benefits for the illnessses and injuries received on active duty), at which point after years of debilitating illness died while waiting for as decision (a decision which should have been immidiately approved, had the VA actually read the medical files...)...' futhermore, the family hopefully will receive any tremaing benefits due..'.

In English: they totally bungled claims in the beginning process of claims, causing great long excruciating backups for vets and their families, Vets who know damned well the VA is screwing them badly.. so the Vets must continue the fight for justice! I left the name calling out,, but we all know there are fools (I Have much more descriptive and accurate words to give the people who bungle our cases and refuse to read evidence, in clear black and white straight from the very doctors who examined and treated us for all the injuries and illnesses that were either caused or related to active duty..)..

the DRO hearing was mostly and basically verbal. ANd the DRO can ask that asdditional records be sent after the DRO hearing, so, if and when your representative and you have the time, you can go through and submit aby additional records after the dro hearing, If any more records need to be submitted after teh DRO hearing, it can be latert eh same day or a couple weeks later.. so, it really isn't the venue to dump more record sont hem, it is the venue to let them know verbally, what ahppened, and when, and if you produce records, summaries with full records to follow. The DRO seems to want records witht he main subjects and outline, instead of deep long records. They say if they want in depth, they will ask for more or wil order more. YOu are goingpot the hearing to lay out the case. You would think they would have listened when you first filed, but they al buit ignore evidence and you nave to wait a coupl eyears before you repesent your case. So, the recors you bring wil be there to back up your 'new evidence' for your DRO hearing, I think the DRO hearing is predicated an based on the fact you have new probative edivdence that hasd not been given, to the VA up until the hearing, and bring new facts to bolster and firm your calim. YOu may not even need it, a verbal night work, but if you have anything new to add bring it, and not sure if you have a representative to help you put things in proper order for filing and presenting.. I personaly think it feel s like a trial, like you did soemthing and you are trying ot prove you are innocent,, I know that is wrong, but it dure feels that way. they try to make youi comforatable and at ease, but you feel as is they wil use anything against you, and myself, I am unable to think clearly being very sick, plug heavy meds, so it helps to have a thrird party let you know if you are doing good or not as ypou go through the hearing.. even with boxes of evidece I only needed an hour... My main problem was theynever read al my evidence.. or else there would b eno need for a dro hearing,,, MY DRO hearing was in 2010, and i am still awaiting my decisions, plus my Form 9 was fillied out even beofre the dro hearing to make sure all rejected claims proceed to the BVA.. It feel ike a trial, but you may find it better or worse.. I find it hell being very sick it's very hard for me.. I feel the people have to no clue it's like to be sick for 30 years and dying... some perople just go for problems they can live with,, my health problems are killing me, so t he longer they dick with me the lcoser I get to dying before they finsish,,, yet they just take forever.. I had to show them I was treated for the health issues on active duty and they were clearly in my medical records and the doctors clearly stated that I was never to work in certian ocnfditions, eyt my command contued to force me to work int he condtions I was mediclaly removed from, yet the VA claims peopl completely ifgnored my service medical records, all VA hospital records, all civilian medical records, my Indepopendaent medical opinion, and more, and I had to tell them they ignored it all... my wife appearded and so did my veterans service officer... one month after the dro hearing I reciceived an 'SOC',,, statement of case. on adio tape and printouts.. the audio makes people sound stupid with parts says uninstelligable.. my diseases left me with no teeth so at time maybe they could not clearly understand.. so, now the years tick by as I die... waiting for closure.. I hope your dro goes well... I have no idea what your issues are,, but make lists and get infor form others on what might help and it's better to have to much info for your case, than to little info.. IMHO

All I know is that my VA American Legion VSO knows everything, as she has helped go through my records, my wife and I took the boxes of records to my VSO, before and after my DRO hearing, and my VSO went through the boxes with me.. and I believe she filed al the right papers, asked the right questions in the filings, and at the hearing.. everyone has access to the records, and while they read and write, I cannot make it any more cleaered to anyone, and I have to believe they read and understood al the records and if some 1151 filing was appropriate, it would have been filed.. I have no idea and odn't understand if you have any frustration, in my posts, I have no clue why... is it because you are tying ot make me understand siething that I have not filed correctly, or my vso didn't do right? My life if tough enough without this mess of trying ot get help in alt he legal mumbo jumbo.. mmy VSO looks to be very knowlegeable and professional, I just have to trust she knows what she knows and the team and organization she works for knows how she hadnles eveyrhting.. if for some reason this does not go correcly, then it still has to get through the BVA... If someone was supposoe to fil out a form or file for soemthing, and it hasn't been filed correctly, does the va, bva, or soemone say, hey ' you qualify for this, and, even if you didn't file for it, it still applies' ?? Or do you just end up never getting justice because no one knew to fill it out? in any case, I still feel confident in my winning... I have done everything possible... if/when I see her again, I will ask about this 1151 stuff... but i have a strong feeling that the DRO decision will come before that, but evenif I win half of what I claim, it will still leave several issues unresolved until the bva... anything else is speculation,, I learn more and more, but at the rate I am going, my brain will be worse than now... I know it sounds like i am blowing smoke, but i truly worry I many not live long enough to see this to the end... or if I do it will be form a hospital bed... I really just wanted to know what you guys thought when doctors at the va freely admit their surgeries causes life threatening injuies.. with no malice, just an outcome from the procedures used... note: I complained about the large cysts for many years, they refused to believe I had them until they became so large, it became an emergency, but I told them when the cysts were tiny, but they waited until they got to be 5 inches after many years of torment and great personal loss..

it's a va doctor,, they have I have been under the care of the va for 15 years (before than, after i left the usaf, I had Kaiser, who operated on my intestines for intestinal disease).. the VA already said as much when the operation was done a couple years ago (2008), but today the doctor at my gi exam said this, and was telling me it's all the VA's fault (I have to get a cat scan every 6 months to watch the many cysts to make sure they don't grow much more..),, he was actually alluding to the fact I was unable to find my new doctor to order medications..as I said before when they changed my doctor, I was unable to locate the new doctor to order meds.. so he was saying they caused my illness so I have the right to get a new doctor if I can't communicate with the current doctor.. The surgeons had also told me, while an inpatient for 6 months, that their procedure and surgery caused the illness.. the ecrp used to removed a 5 inch cyst on my pancreas (2 operations, in one week) had gone very bad... the cyst broke inside me.. it took six months to beat down a life threating infection.. and internal bleeding.. My question was more about the claims part though, how they view and award claims when the va outrights says they caused a condition.. it's all in black and white in my records,, it's not new,, I was wondering why they deny things the va says they caused,, it is very confusing how they can both be the VA yet they both say different things.. they caused it, but claims say deny deny deny,... anyways,, I am still awaiting the response from my DRO hearing in 2010. Any day now.... tick tock.. tick tock.. I hope before I die..

Today , my GI doctor blamed the VA for my Necrotizing Pancreatits. He said it was their fault I got the pancreas disease that is killing me. They went to remove a large cyst and caused the disease. He just flat came out and said it. How does that affect my claim? I already knew this, and, but before I had this diseasem I had pancreaitits and a 5 inch cyst. Before then I was treated for gastritis on active duty. How does the claim get treated when VA doctors flat out say the VA caused a disease to develop on top of other diseases, also the fact that it is leading to my death. Does claims treat it differently and just give me the award for the disease caused by the VA, or do they go back and give me the claim for the original diseas eon active duty gastritis? Intestinal disease(s) ? btw, none of this is new news, is old news, I just never asked it in this form of a question. Also, it was denied and everyone know that reads my forums posts that I am in appeals and had a dro hearing in 2010.. I have to go for my by yearly cat scan for the cysts on my pancreas in a couple weeks, they have to keep watching the disease progress to see if the cysts are needing any additonal surgeries soon..

I would impose the death penalty for anyone caught stealing the morphine from someone in pain that neded that mophine to help the suffering be less... pain is the worst things a person can go through... I have suffered for at least 22 years in severe pain, and have been through time when it was at the highest peak possible, a full 10 out of ten on the pain scale and screaming for help for long periods of time, so bad that diluadid was ineffective that was running in liquid form into my veins through a pump.. i have had to go through withdrawls when my pain meds were shorted or were not given to me in time with long delays caused by people who had no clue.. I wonder if the claims people will bother to read everything, this time around after my dro hearing which was in 2010, it's all in my records.. they surely didn't bother to read a damned thing the first , 2nd, and 3rd time... and didn't read the info 20 years ago the first clam process.. in fact the usaf refused to read my doctors orders when they personel office sent me to work with chemicals after the doctors had put in my records that I shoul dnever work with petroleum chmicals because of illness.. but the personel office sent me to work with chemicals anyways.. which proved my medical records and orders were eithe rnot read of not taken seriously,,, these are the medical records, and smr's that the va claims people didn't read which in turn they denied me and cauised me to go through appeals,, I have them dead int heir own tracks for not following orders when I was on active duty, causing me great bodily injury and a disease causing my impending death by an incurable disease.. fro further chemical contact for long periods of time with soaked skin and clothing.. IMHO

if the va was honest and read the medical records there would be no need for disabled and injured gi's to have to find a doctor and get an imo.. the doctor is really just saying I read this and you liars didn't and this is what you didn't read said..

Are there some type of records and statistics on the success time period? (sorry, I think I asked before, not sure where that). is.. In other words, a place where statistics are that show if the success stories show the amount of time between filing, , denials, appeals, hearings, and then success? breadowns on how many went stright through to success, how many went through denials, appeals, how many had hearings? average months years, parts of the countries averages? If this is just too much, nevermind, just wondering if there is way to make sense of all the years of waiting.. thanx, and happy days to those that went through this hellish process, Congratulations! and, Good LUck to those still in the huge fight!

I didn't really want t open t anew thread for this, I thought adding to this thread would be better.. I already searched the Internet and talked to doctors, but I wanted to know from others with glaucoma, what to expect in the coming years.. for those that know me, I have pancreas disease, at one time I received insulin for about 6 months while an inpatient for the pancreas disease.. but they never told me I am a diabetic. I expect I wil become one when my pancreas get a little worse, which isn't far away. I already had cataracts all my life, but they just grew a few years ago, and have the right one rmeoved, the left one is stil there, but then they said I also have glaucoma in my left eye, plus the cataracts. i take eye drops each night in my left eye for glaucoma. They game me some number, I think it is 24 (pressure, and it should be 20 or lower if I remember right..). MY left eye has bee feeling out of sorts and it feels like it is has problems, not only by eyesight, but just feeling different than the right.. like it takes in less light, besides a little blurry (especially objects that are many feet way like signs.)... I am not blind by any means, but bright lights are really bothersome, and trying to read stuff on lables, pages, documents on paper is really a pain,, hard to do, I bring out a magnifying glass. And trying ot read small food labels is very hard to do without magnifying. I went off on a tangent here, sorry.. What I really want to know is does it continue to worsen? Does it happen fast, slow, or is it different for everyone. Does it just not get any worse with meds? I would like to hear from people who have it, have had it only a short time, or a long time, etc... Did it continue to get worse with meds? Any tips? I have to many claims in and will consider puttingin a claim on in for service conenction because of my chemicals exposures after my other claims have gone through appeals.. like they are connected to chemicals, pancreas diease, and neuro diseases.. thank you,

I am sorry if you tookit as a rant, I was not at all ranting, I was telling you what my experiences are when the va throws the word congenital into your claim, for denial purposes.. I am defiently going to stop joing conversations,, all I get is problems for chatting in the conversations with my experiences.. I am sorry, no more from me..

I was diagnosed with congenital cataracts when I was a child,, when I went through the exam to enter the USAF, I opened my big mouth and told them I have cataracts, but they were dormant, so I had to get a waiver for them... the doctors said they had no idea if they would ever grow,, well, 50 years later they grew, the one in the right eye was removed, the one in the left eye now has the complication of glaucoma,, not sure what wil happen,, I also have another problem with eye that had the cataract removed, a mole on the retina, but so far, it's ok for now... since i have pancreas disease, and am fighting appeals for that, I haven't even bothered about the glaucoma.. as far as any claims go... but, I saw the converstation about congenital eye disease, thought i would chime in... The claims people always throw the word congenital in, whenever you claim something, they also said my neurolgicial problems were congenital,, I had a dna test that happens to show it isn't congenital, well at least the dna test shows that the dystrophy is not congenital.. (a VA doctor diagnosed me with myotonic dystrophy). (funny thing is the lab had a note at the bottom of the results telling the doctor, that even if the results come back as 'read as negative' the doctor can still decide any way they choose... as the doctor has the last say whether a patient has the disease.... in other words, the patient can still have a disease, whether or not it is inherited.. in my case my neurolgical disease(s) can be real, and may not show up in dna tests.. which means it's wasn't inherited... no one in my family were ever treated of had neuroglical disease... (this acutally go back to my claim because I won a claim for problems from chemcials I worked with on active duty.. I have not won al the claims, and am in appeals for the rest or my health issues from the chemicals..).

I called for my monthly Morphine, and the call center told me they were going to send my reques to my primary doctor, they told me they were going to send it to the doctor that disappeared a few months ago, I had to stop them before they hung up, and told them that that doctor was gone and please send it to my new doctor, they said they didn't have the new doctor, even though the same call center, told me in person last month (after 2 hours of running around the hsopital to find a replacement for a case nurse, because case nurses no longer exist, they claimed..), that I did have a new doctor and they told me the doctor's name.. now they say the computer does not show the new doctor, it shows the old,, so they will get the message to the clinic.. (also, they only had the Morphine (srt) slow release listed, not the 2nd one, the morphine immediate release, you must take both together). a patient must call in each month for these meds, they will, cannot, send these without you asking, and you can only request them on certain days, not a few days early, it must be within a window of the 30 days after the last refill.. I have been on pain narcotics for 20 years, and when the routine gets screwed up, it's a nigthmare to fix.. Cluster F$##$%%#$%^%^%^$%%%^% if anyone else has the misfortune of having to rely on narcotics to kill pain to live, the struggle to get them is hell... the fear of going through withdrawls is Hell x 1,000,000 .....

My DRO hearing was in 2010, still no answers.. San Diego my first claim started in the 1990's, where several issued were denied, only one approved... they are back on the table this go round..

My VSO's have told me it would be impossible to keep hard copies of all records of the cases, it would jsut be a nigthmare.. plus, scanning all records would be a fulltime job and cost a lot of money to run such an operation.. so no, they don't keep copies... they make entries into the computer under your file, and that is it..

Orinal claim filed, 2009, Had a dro hearing december 2010 (San Diego), then a C&P exam for left knee January 2012. I am wondering, does this mean they are getting close to making a decison on some issues if they ordered a new c&p exam. They denied my 6 issues, in 2009, but I had a dro hearing after all the denials, and only got a SOC on 3 out of 6 issues January 2011. Then a couple years later they decide to do a c&p again. Does this mean they are close to getitng my dro hearing decision and are moving on with the claim after all this time? or will it sit for another year? or more... The knee, while it can leave me without the ability to walk if I walk more than a couple blocks, is bad, it is nothing compared to the pancreas disease and other problems, that are killing me,, (no cure). I am just wondering if they try to do a c&p if they think they are getting close to some type of decision phase... thanx..

when I asked for copies I asked for everything... but what pissses me off, is the va has the same access or more than I have, even after I signed the release form.. see photo of my medical records.. norw, I also have photo in other threads..

I had horrible expeiences from SSDI law firms... and othe rlaw firms, it seems every lawyer I ever spoke too was horrible.. They have no idea how bad they appear to a person who is sick in desperate need.. when I started my last set of claims I called one of the va law firms and said I wanted to be able to talk in person, they told me it wasn't possible, and just mail them the papers.. well, anyone that has seen my papers, and photos of them knows it takes a hand truck or fork lift to move them... I told them it wasn't possible to mail them and that my case was complicated,,, I think they were very happy I never took them up, because they would have had to actually work... If they don't have the time to sit down and talk, or don't take yopu serously, then why bother... Too bad Shakespeare said his famous line in Jest only..

I had also been a patient at Landstuhl about the same time... they were in my full medial SMR's. All medical records from active duty are indluded when you ask for all smr's. At least from all the military clinics and hospitals. Civilian records are different and seperate. by law, hospital can destroy records after 7 years. In other words if you have not been a patient or a provider for a patient and 7 years has elapsed, the hospital can burn, shred, and throw away records. In California, that is, I don't know about other places. a side note: when I first started going to the VA I went to Kaiser and had my medical records officially transferred copies into VA medical records. It was really great I had the forsight to do this. I did make the mistake of forgetting about another outside clinic who treated me, and they are no longer around, so those valuable records are lost forever.

I believe, and have heard that involving your congressman may actually slow things down, and also maybe one should wait until it gets at least well into appeals. I am just awaiting a decision from the dro hearing.. I am afraid that trying to get my conressman into it may cause problems,, I am really afraid of the va screwing me even more, call me paranoid, but they can make your life hell if you bring in outsidee influences... The congress amn will probably say wit your turn.. I did write to my representative (2x) at the American Legion, asking them to ask the va to speed up my claim on hardship, that go nowhere... I never heard a word back.. I am afarid that asking my congressman to ask them to speed it up is not going to help... I have had so many bad experiences with government offices that I am just afraid to ask.. what if the VA decides to screw with me for getting my congressman into this? Or my name is shuffled to the bottom?