retiredat44

I told my neurologist about my body jerking and movements and not being able to rest, nor go places without my body going out of control. he prescibed a prescription of clonazepam pills. I take one each nigth at bedtime. So far, immediately, I feel much more relaxed and can rest and even sleep without my body doing weird things like limbs jumping out and problems sleeping.. this drug seems to really help a lot. I have had doctors try me on several drugs, but do far this one has been the most help. My big problem currently is I am in such great pancreas pain that ther eis no way I can even walk the dog around the block without intense suffering in agaon. I acan only lay around. I am afraid tha tif the swelling and pain does not stop and lessen I am going to be in the hospital very soon. I could not even eat more than a few spoons of dressing and mashed potatoes for Christmas. Just pure agony from the pancreas disease... I still have to go through all the boxes, large boxes of medical records to submit for my ongoing appeals.. Not to mention that my eye test shows the cataracts in my left eye are growing faster.. and that the glaucoma tests show building pressure.. I need to get those damned papers organazed and submitted.. I need permanaent rest, the stress, pain, and sickness if killing me off fast.. I need to get the benefits for my family, the schooling help for my daughter, and a newer car before out totally disingratwes,, also the places we rent is expensive and I dislike th eplace,, I need a queit place away from the large city but close enough so I can get to my doctors in time for appointments and emergencies. life is hell... I need a peaceful last for days and years of my life. is that too much to ask!!

I also found out some of my medical records till show the wrong dignosis of being HIV positive.. and al the test have shown I do not have HIV, yet my records stil have entries saying I do.. I was sitting at the computer at the VA in an exam room, when the doctor saw those erroneus HIV records.. as the doctor entered my exam results, he pointed out that the HIV entries are still in my records.. I also found out that my left catract (the right catract had already been replaced (2007) is growing, and also I may have Glaucoma, but they will not know until my next eye tests in a few months..

I went to a neurologist appointmnet at the VA. the doctor informed me there is a blood test (DNA test) that wil show if my genes had Moytonic Dystrophy. i have wondered if such genes exist. he said he has to make a special order for the test and they will call me when I can go have the blood test. I asked about the differences between the neurological and muscles in regard to involuntary body movements. I have found that neurolgists ususally do not like to explain much and are very hard to communicate with. They seem to have rigid views. they are very difficult appointments. i also pointed out that since I lived int he VA in a hospital bed, the nurses that took notes on my conditions had to have written down every things, everything i did and said was recorded in progress notes. They had eye witness accounts of the way my body acts. I said that al lthat information is in my records, which would help detrmine my diagnosis for al my health issues. that is because when you see a doctor he/she only sees you for 10 minutes and most likely wil never see the problems first hand. but, the nurses that cared for me saw most everything, first hand many times. Any way, I am happy that maybe a blood test will show something. i often lose ocntrol of the movement of my body and it get extremely bad if I leave the house for extended priods of time for more than an house, and go into stores, sometimes I feeel like I will just fall, flail, and get sick... unless I can get home, lay down and rest for sveral hours or days..

My VSO wants more records and organized.. At this point i am still waiting for my military personal records, i have all others. I have too many large boxes and folders. My wife is going to help me sort and organize. I am unable to get across in a forum of the large amount of records. this absolutely punishing. I have one good eye left that has had prvious catarat surgery. My bsad eye has catracts and may also have Glaucoma (I jus thad a checkup and they found more problems.. So going through papers is very hard to say the least.. the burden of proof must be for me to dig thought records as I am gulity unilt proven innocent.. This is monumental and I lose my sanity every day... Reading medical records os cose to impossible because i don't inderstand the doctor writing and medical terms.. This is what I am going through after my DRO hearing.. next week my wife says she can start helping me organize my medical records.. I am tempted to show a photos of the boxes surrounding me,, really really insane... with the workd of computer, why can't they look using key word searches?/ wtf?? anyone know what to have when you are in this position of having too many records/ thank you,

Congratulations! I myself was not in Nam, but am sick from direct contact chemical exposure (as most of you know) and am awaiting the results of my DRO hearing and appeals..

Kaiser also destroys records after seven years, if you stop using them as your medical provider.. Luckily, I had copies sent to the VA when I changed from Kaiser to the VA. I am awaiting copies of Kaiser records from the VA.

I am in the appeal stage and just had my DRO hearing for illnesses and contact by skin (daily contact) with Jet Fuel, Leaded Gasoline, Diesel Fuel, and Trichloroethylene.. I might have some answers in a couple of months..

Also, The DRO hearing also say they want documents showing the chemicals I worked with. I have no access to the documents showing what fuels specialists work with, and no even sure they still work with the same fuels as they did in the years I was in the USAF. The DRO person at the hearing acknowledged JP-4 Jet Fuel, but wants proof the Fuels specialists provide the Gasoline and Diesel for Base operations, vehicles, trucks, heating oil, and more. I find it outrageous that they make decisions while being so ignorant about the Veterans jobs and job descriptions. How the Frakkin else would a base run without all these fuels? Dumbasses!! If they had a brain they would take it out and piss on it.. wtf is wrong with people??!!

I had my DRO hearing yesterday... about 5 issues are on appeal. They are requesting more medical records for a couple. My VSO says to get more records and get them organized.. The VA has access to all my records at the VA, yet they want me to get more copies.. I explained my story. It looks like I might hear results in a couple months.. and meanwhile will give my VSO more records to submit.. I testified, my wife testified, and she broke down crying while testifying..

I had my DRO hearing yesterday.. I, my wife, my VSO, a VSO trainee, and one DRO official were there.. I told my story. I have about 5 issues being appealed. 2 will be the first to go through the process, and then the last three. I am fairly satisified I got my story out with explanations. My wife testified, but broke down in tears at the beggining.. I currently have to get more records and get them organized. Even though the VA has all my records, my VSO told me to get more copies and organize them. My case is very complex. One thing that really bothers me is the DRO acts like they haver no acess to job descriptions and I have to continue to provide job descriptions, which is what I find odd. The hearing was taped. I provided most everything I needed to. But, my VSO is having me assemble more evidence and records. I have ordered more copies. I did learn that if you have a medical paln, a doctor, clinic, or hospital, if you leave those doctors, they can (by law) destroy your medical records after 7 years. I had Kaiser after I left active duty, then I had Kaiser insurance. I then went back to the VA health care system. 10 year ago I had Kaiser send copies of all my medical records to the VA. I now have to ask the VA for copies of my Kaiser medical records. I am glad I had them sent to the VA or else all my records would have been totally destroyed. I have some of my old Kaiser medical records, but need them all.

My DRO hearing is coming up next week. Dec 8. Tick tock...

I am not sure what you mean,, but the VA sent nurses to my home for several weeks, and even gave me a new bed.. I was in the hospital for 6 months and after disharge I needed home care..

I went to the VA 3x asking and got no where.. they treated me like i was stupid... I am surprised there is a new thread on this,, E-Benefits is a joke, and the VA is totally clueless about it.. the phones never connect to a live person.. myhealth website works, but is only good for re-ordering meds that do not require a doctor to sign for them for refill.. at least that helps..

My DRO hearing is upcoming on Dec. 8, 2010. I have what I need to win!

That part about 'How many of you received that denial on Friday..." is so true... they must do that to piss people off.. to show who's boss and to make sure they make you understand they hold your life in their hands.. deny, deny, until the poor sob vet dies..

I have pancreas disease.. I spent 6 months in the VA hospital (fighting for my life, was tube fed and lost all my body muscles..) for a pancreas operation and disease.. I had an 8 inch cyst on mine and 20 years of suffering.. I am currenlty in the appeal stages..

Yes San Diego

Can you tell during a DRO hearing if you are winning? Do they say anything that will tell if you are winning or losing? My hearing is coming up in a couple weeks.. Thanx..

MY surgeon gold me the footbalplayers get these and return to playing football.. mine took away the leg pain but left me in bad terrible back pain.. I had kaiser at the time and for 6 months they tol dme no to an MRI, after 6 months they gave me one and found I did have a broken disc.. But, I also have degenerative disc disease.. so I feel partially crippled.. some days better than others.. it wil probably take away the leg pain, but leave you with a weak and sore back.. if you can do physcial therapy often to keep your back muscles in good shape that will help.. but if you cannot extercise, you back will always hurt. and doing simple tasks will be painful.. I cannot do exercises because of intestinal disease along with degenerative disc disease.. if that is your only problem, you maybe ok.. but there is no gurantee.. if there are no other options, that to stop the pain down your legs, then you probably need to go through with the surgery.. I see/read about more procedures, but not sure if the VA offers any other procedures..

A few more questions.. I can either just review my duties and explain the chemicals that got me sick, or I can go over all my duties. In their denial they did not understand all of my job, the totally ignored all my job functions, they ignored almost all the chemicals I worked with. I did a lot of manual labor too. I think they have no clue what my job was. Do I need to go over every detail? I really thought the Claims people had descriptions of people MOS's (USAF the jobs are AFSC's). That is a huge problem when the claims people have no clue what jobs are.. how can they judge people's jobs if they have no clue what the jobs did? Do I need to take out all my USAF medical treatment records, and explain why, when, where? I thought they had access to the medical records. Plus I have a big problem reading the doctor's writing. Back then they did not use computers. I hope my questions make sense and people with experience with hearings can tel me what I need to do to tell my story. If I don't need to explain info that is already on the record that might help save time for information that I might miss... thanx..

My first claim, which I won, 15 years ago was from headaches caused by petroleum fuels, working as a fuesl specialist. They gave me 50% no questions asked.. But, I as sick on active duty from headaches.. not sure how to prove them many years later.. my guess is doctors would have to back you up with a diagnosis of headaches and their cause..

Confidence with proof of nexus for disability. I really feel confident I will win in DRO hearing. I feel that my last VSO just did not state the facts clearly enough. It was partly my fault because I should have watched what he wrote on my claims forms more closely. I just was extremely sick. I did not catch the bad wordage until the claim was denied, and then I saw why it was denied. I have the evidence and nexus. My question are to everyone: How confident were you that you had enough evidence and nexus? How many people were extremely confident and still lost, and at which point has your claim stopped, and not yet approved? How many were less than confident but just hung on and got approved anyways.. Is feeling confident a bad thing, does that make you loose sight and feel to confident? The reason is I have the nexus, the wording has been corrected in my appeal, I have an IMO, and I read several BVA decisions that closely resemble my case, and they make my case look very good. I had direct long term exposue and contact with toxic chemicals, which made me sick, and was treated for the illness and injuries while on active duty. My IMO Nexus came from a toxicolgist that specializes in the toxic chemisals and illnesses. The VA doctors diagnosed me with several illnesses related to toxic chemical exposure. I am already rated at 50% for chemical exposure from my claim 15 years ago. I have legal help with a VSO. What do you guys think about all that I have going? What am I missing? I have three more weeks before my DRO hearing.. thanx.

I think you need to contact the Membership services office at your local VA Hospital. They will tell you how to contact Fee Basis. I have no clue if there is only one Fee Basis or one for each region. good luck.. I also believe you can only contact them by phone and mail. No walk -ins.. This is the way it was for me.

In the USAF, I developed knee pain, I was doing hard work with fueling equipment and jumping in and out of fuel trucks. I saw the doctors many times for leg pain in the USAF. A few years later I found out I had degenerative disc disease and had to have a ruptured sic removed by surgery. I then also found out I have myotonic dystrophy, which is also a muscle disease. I too am going to have to explain this at an upcoming DRO hearing. You thread caught my attention about the knee problems..

thanx, I got to put my rants in there.. hopefully, at least someone read it... since we can't see people in person.. at least we can reach out with a B'Slap..