retiredat44

I am 54 and am hoping for P&T so dammit, I wonder if I can get it

I stil have no clue if my diagnosis more closely match Parkinson's or MS, but Myotonic Dystrophy just does nto match my symptoms as well as the others.. I really hope they diagnose me better..maybe my last Neurologist exam at my C&P exam wil be the best diagnosis. Parkinson's looks to be a good possiblity as I keep reading about it,, also some nurses that kept me alive for 6 months in the hospital bed at the VA asked if I had Parkinson's disease. I told them the doctors didn't know at that time.. now I read more about Parkinson's and don't think that the problem, because I seldom shake at rest, my shaking happens more when I move, also, I get violent jerking when I am at ful rest, usally in bed.. so I am back leaning more towards MS.. of course I am a sufferer of being a vicitm of illness from cheicals, Jet Fuels (JP-4) and also trichloroethylene from my jobs in the USAF. so the neurological diseases may have been affected and/or caused, exaserbated by these chemcials.. all in my USAF medical records when I was active duty.

Every exam is different, every examiner is different, so far I have had at least three c&p exams in 15 years.. (2 exams this month..) I don't have much advice because until I win this go around, I can only say what I learned from the first 15 years ago.. they can either poke you a couple times ask a couple of questions, or they can engage you for a long while and have you go through acrobatics.. you can also type up a short page of your symptoms.. and give them a copy while you answer their questions.. I would think they could see who comes in with scripted answers and who answers questions smoothly, or forced.. I would imagine that whatever experience they have they have a baseline of comparison when they see hundreds/thousands of vets.. they probably see patterns... my main concern is that they cannot possibly have the time to rerad through a foot thick of medical records or read them al off their computer, especially when they have a workload of so many hundreds of vets per week.. plus they might or might not have specialized experience in the field in which your claimis based.. too bad some claim examainers have not written books on their experiences.. (if they have please lets us know where we can find them..). My case feels like it is probably much different than many cases.. as I have many, many problems.. where are some people may have an issue with an arm or leg, every part of my body has had problems.. (actually my ears seem to be ok, for now..) and I think my heart is ok.. but that it about it..

Congrats!

My rating is currently 50% from ilness such as severe skin problems and headaches from Jet Fuel (J-P4) exposure. I had a herniated disc (L-4) and hit it surgically removed over 20 years ago, in my latest claim, I didn't ask for disability from it, because I don't think I could provie it started in my active duty days,,, but I did complain about leg pain back in the service (USAF) and later had shooting pains in my leg.. I worked as a fuels specialist which was hard labor moving fueling equipment around. in my C&P exams (both a neurologist and regular doctor) I told them about the surgery on my back.. Not sure if that will even come into play,, but I was disagnosed with Myotonic Dystrophy, but I still think it is MS. I cannot remember exactly what one doctor said about my neuro exam, because the medical terams go over my head,, and don't have a copy of my C&P exams yet, but I expect those in about 60 days.. I am not sure if my back surgery will play any role in my Neuro diagnosis.. Suffer from severe pain, Fibromyalgia, tremors and shaking.. One doctor was talking about bilateral ,,blah blah blah in both arms and both legs.. I have degerative disc disease and arthritis. I also get injections in my spine ever 2 months. MY disc was removed by Kaiser (1989) , not the VA. I have been under a doctors care at the VA for 15 years. I have had many surgeries, the latest was for pancreatic disease...

While my claim is based on JP-4 jet fuel, I also worked with trichloroethylene, and is in my records. I was working as a fuels specialist and also worked with reprographics and while at 50% rating, I am trying to get the full 100%. Trichloroethylene is/was used to clean the offest ink press rollers and drums. I also got sick from it with severe edema and bleeding.. I noticed that several old threads about trichloroethylene were closed.. I also had an IMO written by a doctor that not only includes JP-4, but also trichloroethylene, and the illnesses I suffer from..

My VSO told me that I should not submit any more caims, because it would make all my current claims come to a grinding halt.. and that I can submit them when these claims are finsihed..

I used a generalized term of being sick,, it's just that I listed the conditions so many times.. I don't feel it necessary to be technical any longer.. and yes, the doctors I have had contact with have all the technical info and the techincals are in my claims.. I studied a lot of reports.. and again, I paid for an in depth revue and study fro an IMO from a (specialist: doctor who does IMO's for these specialist studies, and who has worked within the VA and is familiar with the needed documents) (chemicals and illness for people in petroleum industries) who sent me a very detailed report with references.. I submitted the extenive and numerous documents with my claims.. The IMO doctor told me about the differences between the differences between JP-4.and JP-5 (but I already knew because it was my speciality in the USAF).. but of course the doctor told me more info about the chemicals also that I also told her I worked with leaded gasoline... Since I was overseas the fuels had different blends at the time that had more hazardous chyemicals than those in the USA.. at the times I was working with the petro chemicals lead was already banned int he USA. Plus I worked with petroleum chemicals in a second specialy I worked in. I also with with chemicals such as trichloroethylene, and again was sick (again had svere reaction such as the medical problems I had with Jet-Fuels and Gasoline, which were skin related, nervous system, headaches, etc..) from this exposure.. I already had been disgnosed and was removed rrom contact,, I already explained that due to being forced to work with chemicals after the doctors on my base removed me from my fuels job, some morons at the base personel office sent me to a new job where I was forced to work with more petro cmemicals.. this information is al documented, and submitted.. I just finished the two C&P eams for this claim... and am awaiting the results and decisions... it will be around October 2010, probably before I hear the reults..

I had paid for an IMO from a doctor who specializes in Petroleum chemical toxic chemicals etc.. and her study and report cost me $1,600. The report is too big to post,, it's huge.. I included it with my claim/appeal. Again, as I posted many times, I was a fuels specialist in the USAF, and got 50% disability for it. I was diagnosed on active duty for being sick from jet fuel. JP-4. I am trying to get it increased to 100%.

I saw another C&P doctor (regular doctor, not sure what speciality he has, but he asked about all my health history and took time to go ever details, and questions, and very sympathetic) exam today... Now, I just need to wait to see what happens.. I hear it takes 60 days or less for the reports, maybe even a decision.. it went well, I think, the doctor was very sympathetic, but I cannot read anyone's mind..

just let me know, any date, any time.. thanx..

delete this, double post thanx

wow! what a coincidence this is being brought up now.. I ordered copies of al my medical rescords from when I was in the hospital for six months.. I was reading through some progress notes.. mind you I have progress notes that are in huge boxes.. I read some notes that said 'patient says he is not in pain' patient was joking with nurses' 'patient was interest in how the machine's electonics worked' 'aliens fling out of my butt' (the last one I was probably making a joke in jest about my medical problems, and was actually written down, for al I know I didn't say it... it would be veyr difficult to say when, where and why, but being in the condition I was in lying in my deathbed, on Duilded or Morphine and hooked up to several machines... a statement like that could make you sound like a total nutcase..) I have thousands of pages and way too much to read through and figure out what the hell is going on in these notes.. I was kinda shocked because astatements can be taken out of context when you say something, or don't say something... I was freaked out when I was reading a few pages.. Imagine how some person could read those that have no idea what the context was.. I would have to go back and think about where, who, what, where, when, and what was said to who and why.. if I was lying there for 6 months in bed on every drug known.. and said anything, and if it wass written down.. anyone could take those statements to think whatever they wanted to think without context.. and what if soemone writes down something that was wrong, sisad by the wrong person, or the patient had no idea a joke made in pain or jest can be used against them..

I went and signed up at the VA a week ago,, I can get on myhealth va site, but the other websites all have messages and erros, and saying they are currently in maintenance,, what a clusterF### ARP Maintenance My HealtheVet DS Logon Account Registration Portal (ARP) is under maintenance The application you selected is currently unavailable because it is undergoing maintenance. Please try again in a few days. Toll-Free eBenefits Customer Support: Call 1-800-983-0937 for eBenefits toll-free customer support. A live customer support representative will assist you Monday-Friday, 7am to 7pm CST.

I am around often to chat.. maybe we could setup a time/date.. very thankful to chat.. thanx..

Thanx, I am hoping to chat with current forums posters to compare notes on the process and experiences.... and hope thhat some of the origninal posters are stil arounhd too..

what happened to the the JP-4 claimants in these forums? have you disappeared? Icurently have new claims in, my original claim gave me 50% but I am trying ot get 100%. I would like to know more form others. I have probably asked before in other threads. I have many threads with my info.. also several threads have been closed over the years regarding jet fuel.. anyone who has been exposed, filed for exposure, gotten sick.. etc... I would like to hear more.. thanx.. 1978 ( I had 1 year of college in auto mechanics and worked int he field of auto mechanics, among other jobs before I went into the USAF) I worked as a fuels specialist in the USAF and was removed with a waivier for illness from the fuels.. severe headaches, swollen limbs with blood running down arms and hands,, tremors, hypertension I had also been hospitalized from stomach illness, , also Pneumonia, and also had a concussion (not al at the same time), also had sinus/breathing problems.. CBPO (Base personnel office..) asked me which jobs I was interested in.. I told them a few off their list,, I was told lots of them were reserved for minorites only (I am white male) (admins and others, I am telling the truth of my life, please no anger towards me. I did nothing wrong.. I went into communications.. a few weeks after I was in Communications squadron, they put me in reprographics.. reprographics has chemicals (petroleum based chemcals..) I got sick all over again.. with 5 years in my time was up, I had no job and was discharged.. (I had an extension of service because I had accepted a long assignment) I continued to get sicker and by 1989 I had a disc removed form my back, intestinal disease.. teeth all removed because of illness caused by intestinal disease. I have been disagnosed with Fibromyalgia, Myotonic Dystrophy (but I still suspect it's Multiple Sclerosis, but in my orignal claim MS was denied..) also diagnosed with Thrombosis, necratizing pancreatitis, and several other issues.. I have been sick and unable to work at all since the early 1990's. I recently spent 6 months in the VA hosptial for a pancreas operation and severe complications kept me in the hospital bed for almost 6 months.. I was in a wheel chair for about one year unable to walk.. I am currently going through some C&P examps, and have an NOD and appeal pending.. I also saw a private doctor who specialized in toxic chemicals and those who work in the petroleum industry.. and got an IMO from the doctor and included it with my claim.

Congrats!

my daughter also turned 18 and is starting college in the fall.. she is going through the financial aide officer at the college.. I did call the VA and they told me which forms to download and other info.. also, SSDI will continue some payments for the child that is between 18 and 24 (I thin..) as long as there is proof provided to SSDI of the dependant contiuing education..

thanx, that sounds good..at the time my claim was done by the organization Purple Hearts. and was happy because I at least got 50% but, I could not get the addiitional evidence and was new to the who process. since then,, I now have more than enough.. I just need for my current claims to play out.. IMHO thanx.. I appreciate the help! =======

note: I just found this post, about MS, I suppose it answers some of my questions..

What happens if you file a claim for a disease, and it's denied, then later you refile and win? Example, many years ago I filed for Multiple Sclerosis. I won for chemical exposude, and headaches, and other poblems. I got 50% I recently filed for for Myotonic Dystrophy, because a VA doctor said it was Dystrophy. But, at a recent C%P exam, the VA Neurologist saw my MS symptoms clearly (he didn't say it, and I will find out in 60 days..) I feel it's MS and always have. If he says it's MS, what happens with my original claim 15 years ago for MS? I will add a new claim for MS if I have to... just pisses me off that that's what I originally asked for 15 years ago.. I have: Intention Tremor (shaking for 30 years and more) Involuntary hand, arm, and leg movements. Lot's of problems with the spine, including surgery for L-4 Extreme fatigue Very malaised (very sick and nauseas feeling) Very weak.. muscle fatigue severe chronic pain for 20 years ( lots of pain all over body (fibromyalgia)) Pancreatic disease and have had severe IBD/IBS for 20 years. Headaches Unable to concentrate Cataracts Lost the ability to walk for one year and was in wheel chair. I need a cain because my pain, spine, and balance makes it very hard to walk without falling, loss of balances.. (I have used a cain for 20 years..) ( i think I forgot a few..) In the service I was treated for tremors, headaches, severe edema, swelling of limbs, and bleeding arms (skin broke open with blood running down arms../ chemical exposure) hospitalized for stomach issues,, hospitalized with pnumonia. treated for concussion.

I went to the VA last week and gave them my ID, and signed up for the Website access. I asm unable to login, it says I entered the wrong info.. the VA guy who I gave my application to gave me a smal brochure with info on who to contact for further help if I have problems.. well, the phone number on the MHV brochure is bogus.. it just rings and rings oh well i think it's working better now, but stil get the message on some pages saying i need to sign up..

The building is modern and nice.. but gald I don't have to go there often.. I usually go to the VA hospital, and the Oceanside (brand new) clinic.. (was Vista). on this coming friday I have another C&P examp, (i think) its a general doctor,,