81150 CAFB

I really can't thank the wonderful people on hadit enough. Without them I would never have learned how to do the process correctly. I actually called the DAV in the beginning and the sounded like they had no clue. I am just so happy to have found this site. Also I have two kids that now qualify for DEA chapter 35 for college!!!! What a great benefit. To bad the VA hospital is to far away for me to drive to by myself. I really need to set up an appointment with a benefit counselor. I heard somewhere (this site?) that if you have severe back problems like I do they will pay for a new mattress and I am sure that their are many other little things that I need to find out about for being 100% P&T and IU!!

Do I get CHAMPVA or is it just for the wife and kids? I am so happy to live in Texas where I can use my 100% to stop property tax excetra. They take care of vets. I am so happy I did this all myself and thanks to HADIT I did it right!!! BTW- hadit helped me also get SS and LTD quickly with good start dates!! The LTD rep told me that my packet was perfect and made it so easy for her to make a decision!!!

IU back to May 2010 and original (less $) back to October 2009 because I was working full time until May 2010. Not really full time ( missed over 1,200 hours of work in that time). Oh well I am very happy!!!!!!

Forgot to add that all of my issues that were service connected occurred during the cold war - no combat. I feel guilty getting disabled vet plates if it wasn't combat related. Does this make sense? I just don't feel like I should get them with so many combat vets that are disabled. Any opinions? Thanks!

Texas is very good to disabled veterans!! No property tax being the biggest. FYI- thank you to whoever said to call in an informal claim. Doing that got my start date to September 2009.

Just got the big envelope today with a total rating of 90% and moved up to TDIU and P&T. I wanted to thank HADIT for all the help from so many member (jbasser etc...). It feels so good to have done it all myself and come back with this rating. I sent mostly the same info to social security and was approved at age 41 in less then 3 months. THANK YOU TO HADIT!!! I could not have done the application etc... properly without the members on this site. 100% P&T baby!!!!!!!!

Just got the big envelope today with a total rating of 90% and moved up to TDIU and P&T. I know this is the topic most viewed so I wanted to thank HADIT for all the help from so many member (jbasser etc...). It feels so good to have done it all myself and come back with this rating. I sent mostly the same info to social security and was approved at age 41 in less then 3 months. THANK YOU TO HADIT!!! I could not have done the application etc... properly without the members on this site. 100% P&T baby!!!!!!!!

Please see post below- I am working on Part B Section III not part A.

Yes they had stop loss after the Gulf War -it is possible ( got us out all at once when over and don't even recall having a exit physical-all I can find in my records is where I requested one but based on my records they didn't think I needed one-even after discectomy-I think related to stop loss...trying to get us all out at the same time). I am working on section III of Part B not Part A as you stated. Why would I need more space for listing my active duty data? Section III In Part B relates to how your disability you are claiming is related to your service. The size for your response is quite small even considering using section X in part A to add additional information. I thought you needed to add as much as you can to help you claim to include prescriptions you are taking, side effects, how your disabilty has affected you ect.. I guess I will use sheets of paper done on word as my attachments. You've been a veteran for almost 20 years now and are filing an original 21-526 for service connection.-yes (is this ok? What is wrong with this when my back has gone to crap and is likely related to my initial surgery. Can't I file and use lay testimony and my nexus letters as continuity?, also what defines chronic while in the military?) I had back surgery in the Air Force at L4-5 and have had two surguries at this level in last year with the last one being a fusion. Like I said I should have filled when I got out but was a dumb kid with no guidance and am doing what I can now. Both recent surguries failed and it would seem obvious that the degradation (no trauma) is related to my initial surgery which weakend my disc (neurosurgeon and family doc opined to basically this). Hopefully they will grant connection and compensation. I did give the VA disabilities when I applied informally just not sure if all of them are listed...Hopefully they stick with this start date.

Good morning to you. Hope you are well-my sciatic and oxycodone is kicking together nicely this morning. Thanks for all of your help Commander! I can't beleive you called someone regarding this question. This is what is so cool. So many good people on this site. Ibreally don't know what I would do with out it! I think I will definately stick to hard copies and it seems like I can use the 4138. I just need to determine how to word my responses to each issue - as one big one per or short response and then detail. FYI - I am filing for spinal fusion, IVDS (post-op), sciatic neuritis, depression and anexity, scar(s) and hemorroids. I might also add bruxism (grinding of teeth) since I have several cracked teeth and fillings possibly due to the chronic pain. By the way- anyone else just seeing boxes with question marks for all of the options. I just had to guess which was the response button. 81150

Commander Bob - thanks for the research. It doesn't seem to say anthing about using the for to supplement the the filing of 21-526. I can just start a word document template and use that for my additional comments and responses. I would just add the correct verbaige to the header and footer. This leave the question of doing each claim as one big document in response to the "how does this relate to your service " nor do I do a short answer for each one regarding that question and do a seperate document for each claim that has all of the details. I am just trying to see if there is a preferred method for my filing-something that is easy for the VA to review. Thank you all!!! 81150

John999- I looked into doing this but thought my supporting evidence (smr's, private records etc...) was to big as a PDF and I think they had a limit on the size if your attachments that was pretty small. What are the advantages of doing in on VONAPP(sp?). Wouldn't I need to send all my evidence with the filing or are you saying I can fill out the form online and hand my actual evidence to the VA to supplement my claim? Thanks 81150

Thanks for all of the responses. This is the very first time I am filing for compensation benefits. Carlie you are correct in saying that my question was about using the 4138 to help complete my 526 when I ran out of space. I filed informally (read on hadit about filing this way to get early start date if you are gathering your own records etc...) by calling the VA and giving my intention to file for compensation. A few weeks or so later they sent me a letter saying that my form 119 was received at the VARO. The letter then states that they cannot act on my claim based on the 119 that was submitted. It then says that records indicate that you have not filed for compensation before. Then it says to please fill out the attached VA form 21-526. It then says I have one year from the date shown in the letter to be eligble to receive "back benefits" (no pun intended : ) if you are entitled. The letter had 21-526 and 4138 attached to it. I filed informally to get my early start date while I gathered info/records and unkown to me at the time that I would end up going thru another surgery and having it fail also so I had a lot of work to do getting records and letters and continuing to go thru different procedures. My plan is to submit everthing at once so the VA doesn't have to hopefully request anything and the have all the data/info the need to process my claim. Sorry for the confusion. I was just having a hard time deciding what to write down etc...that I listed in my first post and if I could use the 4138 as an attachment. Hope this makes sense. Thanks! Carlie - I was discharged in 1991 with a few months added for "stop loss". I know I should have and wish I did file when I first got out... stupid kid with no guidence-oh well. 81150

Sorry for the length of this post. Stupid questin that I should know after spending countless hours on Hadit...I might have even asked it before but can't find it. I finally have most (99%) of my civilian medical records and have all of my service medical records along with 4 nexus letters. I am filing out form 21-526 using the PDF version on my computer where you can enter and save the data. I am filing out the section of the form ( section III) where it asks you to explain how you think your disabilities listed in question above are related to your service. The space is very small and I used the section X part of the form to continue my response regarding all of my issues. I soon ran out of space in this section also. I started to continue my response (all new pages listed as continuation of previous section etc...) on form 4138-support of claim since it is also easy to use as a PDF and has all of the correct wording as everthing is true to best of my ability or something like that. My first question is can I use this form for my initial claim? I know 526 has the help section and tells you to attach additional comments on a sheet of paper, but 4138 seems nicely set up. I see during a search that it us mainly used in communications with the VA after the initial claim is filed. I am currently doing everything on my own but will turn in my completed forms to the Texas Vetrans Commission (TVC). I will also call them for advice on how to file my claim (if they call back) but I trust the folks here a lot better. My second question is regarding what to put in this section. Should I keep it short and just mention that I had discectomy in 1989 in Air Force and now have had two surguries at this same site in 2009 (with dates) and reference them to my smr's, private medical records and nexus letters? Then follow with the next issue in the same fashion. I am then planning to use 4138 to give a descrption of each issue (one 4138 per issue) and how it is related to my service or how it is related secondary to my primary condition. I will use this part for pretty much writing/listing everything possible I can about the disability. Or should I just write really long statements about each issue as part of my response to section III? I would then place the 4138 in front of the records I have for that issue or do you think it would be better to put after the completed 526 and the have the records follow? I am also planning on using the 4138 for statments from my wife on how the disabilities have effected me and maybe one from my boss who has seen me in severe pain at work and how much time I've missed. All responses are welcome... I am seeking your advice on what to put in the section and If using 4138 is a good idea but be nice: ). I want to make this as easy as I can on the VA and I know some on here have worked with them on claims for a long time. I want to have them look at the most relevant part and easily see that it is a no brainer and be happy to get my claim as it would be quick and easy for them to meet their quota : ). Jbasser- I remember asking you about the 4138 when the VA sent my 526 and also form 4138 with no mention of the forms use. You told me the 4138 is like picking up all of the spares... is this what you were referring to? Using the form to list out my issues? Fanatic- I have seen your site and will do some of the formating the same. Also - a lot of people say to put you name, social security number and page numbers on each page. Thus sounds great but dies anyone know how to do this quickly and easily? I have a lot of records and manually doing this seems very painful to me? Any one have any tricks? Thanks to all!!! I need this advice to finish my filing...honestly I have been procrastinating and feeling exhausted by all of the pain, oxycodone, depression and sometimes feeling what is the point (getting denied, lowballed, all of the misdeeds of the VA etc...) . I just need to do it!! At least I filed informally in September 2009. 81150

Had my appointment with the neurologist and he gave my a really decent nexus letter with his explanation of why the emg/ncs was normal and I still have nerve damage. He basically stated that my nerve damaged was caused by my previous compression from all of the previous ruptures at the L4-5 level and that even though the compression is gone the nerve is still damaged and he is treating as permanent. He said that the ncs/emg was normal because there was no more compression on the nerve. He then had his diagnosis of moderate to severe sciatic neuritis. He basically told me it is like a loose wire and my muscles and nerves still function below the knee (ncs/emg was from knee down-do they ever do buttock and thigh ?) but I have the nerve root damage from all of the previous compression and corresponding chronic pain. The only reason he said he did the test and a myleogram was to rule out compression. Does this make sense to anyone? I would think any nerve damage would show up, but he didn't seem to think so. I have to take his word for it and use his letter that he signed explaining this. I just wish there was an objective way to identify nerve damage when the emg/ncs states otherwise...the way I look at it is my nerve is damaged beyond repair at the l4-5 canal and is giving me horrible referred pain in my sciatic nerve in my butt that effects my hip and knee and sometimes when it gets really bad it goes down my left leg below the knee with symptoms of pain/numbness/dull feeling and tingling that is random. I asked him how he knew I wasn't lying about my pain and disability and he told me because of my medical history (failed back surgery syndrome etc...) and experiance in dealing with nerve problems all the time. I just hope the VA will look at my records and use the letter from a very qualified neurologist to rate me properly, but that seems unlikely. Please let me know if you ever had radicular pain and was tested (emg/ncs) that came back normal. If you online the data shows about 30-40% of the tests are incorrect. I also started seeing a pain management specialist (neurologist/anasthesiologist) and will get his opinion on the issue and see if he can help.