bergin c/o

moved to prep for notification , now . over a year to add wife and kids .

just a status update. I had put in to add a two dependents on 9/2012.it has just now moved to prep for decision phase on e-benefits , on winning the bva decision I am still waiting for a call to get rated . thanks

oh one more thing . I had been turned down in 2005 for the same condition . they vso at the time was telling me to get more doctors notes treatment records . so I had tons of ya he has degenerative joint disease letters . the thing he left out was I needed nexus letters. they read my statements and turned them in . if I had know about this board then I think things would have turned out different ....once I finally got nexus letters I was able to reopen the claim with new and material evidence

talked to my vso tonight . he said we did win at bva and now it will go back to the RO for a rating . he said they could low ball it and we would be in appeals for a higher rating . they could low ball it pending another exam or even rate it off the last exam , a middle of the road percentage . he said it will be a 3-5 month wait to see ,what they do . but at least we are almost at the end

got the brown envelope yesterday . they granted service connection for joint disease . left and right hips. I have had other posts before . but in review I am 42 years old and am a desert storm vet. after returning from desert storm like many others my joints hurt . most pain was in my hips . at 32 I had my right hip replaced and last year I had my left done . the doctors found no reason for the joint damage ,other than desert storm . being this young and having joint damage of am old man was unheard of. I originally filed a claim 10 years ago but became frustrated at the system and gave up. with the help of this forum and the great advise they all have given .I renewed my claim . i think if it was not for this forum i would have given up again , but when they denied me at the regional level,you guys pushed me to back to my doctors and get them to write the medical opinions.to follow through . this has been an anchor for a long time now i am waiting for a call to get a rating. the waiting wears you down . i have been trying to add my wife as a dependant for a year now , they are so backlogged , but it will come through. i have also noticed when i dealt with the vso they just tell you to get more evidence, more doctors letters, but never explained what to get . this board was huge in explaining what to get ....thanks again !!!!!!!!!!

thanks again!!!

good news , decided in my favor , service connected left and right hips , degenerative joint disease..what happens next . do they schedule a rating exam ?

thank you....

well just checked e-benefits site . it said my bva claim decision was in the mail . we will see. I logged in 7/2011. so it has been 2 years . hopefully see in a week or so

thanks

Speaking of delays . I put in to add a dependant back in august . Still at review of evidence phase

Hard to comprehend that it take so long . Years just in appeals not counting the years since the first filing of a claim . So front to back is several years

un-real . got logged in july 2011. it is disheartining to think you have to wait up to or longer than three years

have they even started claims logged in in 2011 ?

Well just had second hip replaced . Claim for hip arthritis still at bva . 13 months at vlj stage , sent in a letter to update the claim . When I filled I only had one fake hip . So the surgeon wrote an updated letter saying that I suffer from degenerative joint disease that is severe. Requiring both hips to be replaced . That more likely than not the cause was my time and duties in the military .that was sent to bva last week . So we will see

checked e-benifits and called the1-800 number . been at the vet law judge stage for almost a year .

thanks did not want new evidence to equal several more years of waiting

if it is going to be another year ,should i be gathering more evidence to support my case and send it to bva,..or just go with what i have .

ya guess you are right

i was logged in june 2011 .was just curious where they stood

just curious if there was a way to know where they stood ,2011 claims or are they in 2010 claims. hard to tell from bva site

any idea if the bva has made it to 2012 decisions yet .or where they stand on the back log.

vit d test for me was low , put me on perscription vitamin d .will go over bone scan tomorrow .doc told me if i fall it would be a good idea to get an x-ray.

thanks . more research to do

is there any gulf vets out there with osteoperosis . got it in spine and hips . i am trying to see if it is conected to gws. and if it is worth putting in a claim . although i am not sure on what to put in for . i have an appeal for hip arthritis pending at bva