Van

Van here and it isn't downloading the entire piece. Only the title. But to opine on this, JSRRC doesn't have most of these types of records. If you're claiming exposure outside of Viet Nam and claiming you were exposed by way of the base use, storage and disposal there won't be any record. These records aren't archived and only kept about 2 years. As for the VARO's asking over and over for these records I doubt it. But again this shouldn't go against you, the lack of records. When they say there's no record that is true but these types of records never existed for the purposes of law. They had been destroyed, at least in most if not all cases. Lack of records is just that, not pro and not con. I'll take a look on the internet and see if I can find a copy of the bulletin. I've always thought the JRSSC was nothing other than a dodge to deny because the DVA already knew the answer, that is in the case of base use. Base use records don't exist.

What time on the 5th?

When you go in for this exam tell them everything that is wrong down to the smallest detail that you can. This will be a baseline for you and any problems that may arise. If you have many health problems make a list before you go in and reference whenever needed so you get everything down.

Ask for everything. Put emphasis on the heart disease. Ask your private doctor. Take your private medical records with you when you see the cardiologists at DVA if they don't have these records. You don't have to wait for copies, you can go to release of records and get your records for that day. If you don't have many medical records with DVA ask for all your records the day of your visit. It may only take a few minutes and you can walk out with complete copies of your records. If the cardiologists says yes you have IHD ask him for copies. My pulmonologists gave me copies of all my test today with my diagnosis while we were talking. You have a right to all this info.

His argument is lost on the assumption of exposure. Each individual is different and will be affected differently. Without testing done at the time there is no way to tell whether a pesticides applicator on Guam, or a Bluewater vet, the men that handled these toxics in Okinawa, or the K9 corps in Thailand weren't exposed to more than some in country. I have to agree with him that many infantryman were more likely exposed and to higher amounts, but that is because of the base camps mostly and military procedures. Their drinking water and the use of pesticides comes to mind. And each individual is different. The EPA determined a long time ago there is no safe level for dioxin. And many of the substances military personnel were ingesting are synergistic or dioxin forming substances. How would you determine? With AO, the laws were settled on the herbs, but everyone knew it was more than just that. And ultimately they narrowed it down to blaming TCDD for everyones ills. This persons assumptions show what it's like when you don't have all the info or taylor your opinion to meet your agenda. His opinion is pretty myopic.

Actually I'm waiting for the DRO decision to see how to proceed. That should be in the next couple of days. The DRO said I was first and it would be about 30 days. I did have to remind her that my case has accelerated status. The DRO also brought up that my IME connected my cancer to AO(sts) exposure in service. The IME also connected my fibromyalgia to service. The DRO wanted me to submit a claim then but I refused. I want to put everything together. I had the IME done in Feb. 2010 for the asbestosis/pleural plaques and the AO exposure(This is for my new claim). He added in the fibromyalgia. He also confirmed asbestosis because the C and P examiner said I didn't have it. She didn't read my records and I wanted to make sure I countered what she said. She totally missed it, my records are clear. The DRO told me she pays almost no attention to the C and P examiners because there are so many mistakes. I will be submitting a case for the IHD and AO. That's a given. The C and P I had at the time, for the radiation and nsc, found my heart disease was at least 40% disabiling, that was in 1995. He also found me 100% disabled for my nsc and that I was unemployable. My cardiologists said the heart disease is being affected by the lung disease. I've got impaired lung function and this just came up last week, my doctor believes I have cor pulmonale and that too is associated with the asbestos exposure. This is really going to be confusing for DVA. It is for me.

If you've never filed for IHD and AO exposure the date you file will be the date your claim will begin.(If the filing date falls on or after the posting) If you filed for IHD and AO exposure years ago, the DVA is supposed to readjudicate your case from the time you first filed, not when they redo or you remind them that your case falls under the IHD rules and Nehmer. This is my take on these new presumptives.

This is really going to be interesting with my case. I have a host of heart problems and IHD is a part. I first filed for the IHD for my radiation exposure in 1994. Several years later I added as due to AO as well, that was in 2000 and this became a Nehmer case. I lost this case for AO and radiation for late filing at the CAVC in 2009. And to top it off I'm sc for asbestosis/pleural plaques that is also related to my heart disease. The DRO is determining what parts of my heart disease are associated. Berta, this is a can of worms and I can see this will increase the backlog substantially. This is the toughest of all the diseases that are presumptive for AO.

Ken don't limit yourself to just looking for AO or Agent Orange. Try herbicide Orange(HO), 2,4-D and 2,4,5-T, picloram, cacodylic acid, herbicides, pesticides(herbicides are a pesticide) vegetation control, and most of all dioxin(2,3,7,8TCDD). Also you can try contamination like TPH's, PAH's, SVOC's, VOC's.(Pesticides can be in a number of these chemical catergories)You also might want to look at EPA(superfund), ATSDR, Chemical Corps, GAO. Any agency or outside contractor who may have done testing of the soil or drinking water.

The short answer is no. These are insecticides. But many insecticides like DDT create dioxin(2,3,7,8TCDD) when burned. Dioxin is the byproducy of the manufacture of 2,4,5-T or the one half of AO, the other being 2,4-D. That being said these insecticides are very toxic and have problems of their own. These are nothing other than chemical weapons called pesticides.

When you get the appointment for the AO exam make sure you have compiled a list of all your problems, everything to the smallest detail. As for tinnitus if you are already 10% sc then I don't think it can be increased. Can someone opine that has the straight info? I think 10% is max for tinnitus.

The reports cited are for two bases. Hunters Point Naval Shipyard(HPNSY) and The Treasure Island(TI) naval base. HPNSY is referred to as Hunters Point Annex. HPNSY is the more contaminated of the two. The poll only ask if we were stationed at TI. HPNSY is where most of the radioactive wastes are. This base was the main decontamination station for ships from the nuclear weapons testing and for many of the ships from Yankee Station during Viet Nam. It was doing many if not all of the birdfarms. It was closed in I believe 1974. TI was closed much later. HPNSY was also the home to Naval Radiological Defense Laboratory(NRDL) They put together all the nuclear weapons used in the Pacific. They also experimented extensively with radiation and the bay area.

I did a cut and paste from the NVLSP.org website for a veteran like yourself who has previously filed for heart disease. Quote below: "If you are a Vietnam veteran who suffers (or a survivor of a veteran who died) from one of the three diseases and you did previously file a VA disability or death compensation claim for the disease: We advise you to take two steps: (1) Immediately file with the VA another claim for service-connected disability compensation (or DIC) for the disease. This will help protect you from the possibility that the VA will interpret your previous claim as a pension claim instead of a compensation claim, or as being for a disease other than one of the three new diseases; (2) Send email us at agentorange@nvlsp.org and provide the the following information:your full name; <LI>your current address;<LI>your current phone number;<LI>if you are a surviving family member, the full name of the deceased veteran; <LI>your VA claims file number; <LI>the approximate year in which you first filed a disability or DIC claim for Ischemic heart disease, Parkinson’s disease, or a B cell leukemia; <LI>identify which of the three diseases was the subject of the claim." As for changing VSO's it could only slow things down but if you feel he's not doing right by you, there are lots out there. Good luck!

Until it is put on the Federal Registry it isn't presumtive. But you should file now.

I can't say for sure but this opens a lot of things up. What about people that have multiple types of this heart disease and the effect each one has on the other. Each disease may be benign in of itself but in combination can be deadly. This is a toughy and I can only see the backlog of cases go much higher.