Jim MAC

Well it only took a little over 3 years to get my C+P exam for asbestoes. That was after 2 denieals and a DRO hearing in Roanoke. Well wish me look. I still can't beleive it took 3 years just to get a C+P Well keep you all informned Jim

Ricky After I read your post I got on the phone and called the number posted in the article. I have been serviced connected since Sept 05 with a date of filing of August 04. I was told all vets will be done by November 07. But remember when the first started the program they said all vets would be done in 6 months. Think of it this way we might get a good xmass Jim

Hey Boats Sorry I missed your post. Yes I got my claim back from Roanoke, They have also set me up for a QTC exam on the 29th of August. Question for you Boats. When I went for my hearing I was told that anybody discharged or retired After Sept 11 2001 would be on the fast track for there claim to be rated. DID NOT SAY RATED RIGHT. When did you get out. Jim PS work in Norfolk maybe when get can together for a beeer or 2 or 25

Ricky I am retired also you will get some retro not as much as everybody else would. Please read this article and if you have any questions email me. As long as you have 20 years service V/R Jim http://www.military.com/features/0,15240,113587,00.html

Pete Still working I am going to try working as long as I can. Hi child suport payments lol. Got a different job now real easy QA Inspector for a airline. I am a trained A+P mech. Thanks to all out here sometimes I think I just need to vent Jim

Vike 17 Thanks for takeing the time to answer my questions. I understand about the pyramiding. I Do not want to waste the VA times on pyramiding. I will contuine to fight on the Sinuitis thou. I clamned scaring on my lungs due to Asbestoes exspouse. That was foud when I took my gulf war regeister physical about 18 mounts after retering. Again Vike and Bertha thanks for trying to help me Jim

Bertha Most of my hearing was on the asbestoes the VA has admited that my AFSC (Air Force) is on the list for probally exspousre. Sorry my spelling sucks this morning. They did piss me off about the bronchitis thou lumping in in as part of my sleep apena. Can they do that? Also my sinuitis as 0 percent what do you think of this letter I am sending them Thanks, Jim Department Of Veterans Affairs VA Regional Office 210 Franklin RD Roanoke VA 24011 Dear Sir Reference xxx/xxx 1, Consider this a claim for increase compensation for my service connected chronic sinusitis now rated at o percent. I received my decision from my DRO hearing from June 21 2007 and to a point I agree with that decision. 2, On July 14th 2007 I was treated for acute Sinusitis and put on antibiotic. That is the third time in less then 1 year that I have been treated for acute sinusitis and treated with antibiotics. Dr Denton has me taking two pills a day basically for life to try and control the sinus drainage. V/R James x xxxxxxx VA Claim Number xxx-xx-xxxx

;) Well the big brown envelop came today. Service connection for bonchitis granted with no rateing they lumped it in with my sleep apena. Service connection for acuite Sinuitis granted but at 0 percent. The letter for increase rateing for sinuitis will go out tommorow. Anybody got any ideas can they lump the bronchitis in as part of the sleep apena? Took almost 3 years just to get them to say it was service connected for both items. They defered my claim for Asbestoes. BTW was treated agagin for sinuistis on 14 July 07 at VAMC. Thanks in advaance Jim

Hello All Called the 1800 number today to ask if there was any updates from my DRO hearing. WAs told that my records were at the rateing board. Why would my records be at the rateing board after a DRO hearing. Thanks for any Ideas. Jim ;)

Well there is my great state OF Virgina 5th from the bottom. Jim

Vike17 Thanks for the quick response. I am just amazed how quick this ia all going thats all. Never had a claim go so quick befire and this is the Roanoke VRO Jim

Well after almost 3 years 1009 and nine days to be exact (got a computer program that tracks it.) I have a hearing date of June 21st. What schold I except Thanks All, Jim

Called the 1800 number today. Was told that I had a descion but they were waiting on someone to sign off on it. Good or bad I only filed in Feb and Had a C+P in March. I am currently rated at 0 percent. This time they sliced open my nose pretty bad. But if a descion ws made in only 4 months thats one for the record books. Jim Does anybody no what the rateing scale is for that thaks

\Cavman I suggest going. I am enrolled in the gulf war register, It was the best move I made. Thats where I found out about the scaring on my lungs due to asbestoes (sorry about the spelling bad morning no java yet.) OF cource the VA medical center said I have scaring due to asbestoes and the RO says no. So when I go to my hearing at least i have something to fall back on. V/R Jim

Don't know if you seen this or not but I figured I would pass it along. V/R Jim CHICAGO - A groundbreaking study of 1,946 male veterans of World War II and Korea suggests that vets with symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder are at greater risk of heart attacks as they age. The new study is the first to document a link between PTSD symptoms and future heart disease, and joins existing evidence that vets with PTSD also have more autoimmune diseases such as arthritis and psoriasis. A second study, funded by the Army, found that Soldiers returning from combat in Iraq with post-traumatic stress disorder reported worse physical health, more doctor visits and more missed workdays. The Army study is based on a survey of 2,863 Soldiers one year after combat. "The burden of war may be even greater than people think," said the first study's lead author, Laura Kubzansky of the Harvard School of Public Health, who studies anxiety, depression and anger as risk factors for heart disease. Her work, with colleagues from Harvard and Boston University, appears in Monday's Archives of General Psychiatry. Their study was funded by the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Veterans Affairs. The Army study appears in Monday's American Journal of Psychiatry. The possible link with heart disease didn't surprise one Iraq veteran diagnosed with PTSD. "It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out," said John Oliveira of New Bedford, Mass., a former Navy public affairs officer and veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan. "It should also be a wake-up call that the cost to treat those of us suffering from PTSD could dramatically increase as we age." Medical authorities first accepted post-traumatic stress disorder as a psychiatric condition in 1980 at the urging of Vietnam veterans. In PTSD, the body's normal hormonal response to stress becomes trigger-happy, scientists believe. Long after traumatic events, people remain edgy, fearful and prone to nightmares and flashbacks. The continual release of adrenaline prompted by these symptoms may wear down the cardiovascular system, Kubzansky said. "It's not enough to simply welcome them home and do some immediate evaluation or help with reintegration," she said. "They need to be tracked and watched carefully." The Harvard and Boston University researchers analyzed data from the Veterans Administration Normative Aging Study, a long-term research project tracking Boston-area vets. They looked at health records of men who completed either a 46-item questionnaire measuring PTSD symptoms in 1986, or a different 35-item PTSD assessment in 1990. Both questionnaires are recognized tools for diagnosing PTSD and ask about symptoms such as sleep problems, nightmares, numbness, a heightened sense of being on guard and intrusive memories of traumatic events. Over the 10 to 15 years after completing the questionnaires, the vets with more PTSD symptoms were more likely to have heart attacks. For each level increase in symptoms on the 1990 assessment, the risk of heart attack or chest pain rose 18 percent - even after the researchers took into account known heart disease risk factors such as smoking, alcohol use and high blood pressure. Although the men had different levels of PTSD symptoms, very few had enough symptoms for a true diagnosis, Kubzansky said. The study needs to be repeated to see if the findings hold true for PTSD-diagnosed veterans, and for women, she said. The data also didn't track how frequently the men exercised, so researchers couldn't tell if the men with PTSD symptoms were getting more or less exercise than other veterans. Dr. Gary J. Kennedy, director of geriatric psychiatry at Montefiore Medical Center, called the study "impressive." He said one symptom of PTSD is avoiding activity, which could account for some of the effect on the heart. Kennedy, who was not involved in the study, said treatment options for PTSD include drugs, talk therapy and behavioral changes such as getting more exercise and taking action to solve small problems in life rather than shutting down emotionally. "We've got a whole generation of veterans coming back (from Iraq and Afghanistan) and their health needs are just going to be tremendous," Kennedy said. Sound Off...What do you think? Join the discussion.

Rick I di not know what tinnitus was. I did clam High frequencey hearing loss and the VARO set me up for a C+P exam. While talking with the C+P dr she asked me if I had rininging in my ears and I answerd truthfully yes. She asked how often I told her the truth 3 to 5 times a week for about 5 mins at a time. Remember I never claimned tinnitus. The Dr asked me if I know what it meant I said "yhea it means someone is talking aboout you." Well when I got my claim back turned down for hearing loss (not bad enough) but 10 percent for tinnitus So It does not have to be every day but at least a few times per week, well that was my experinc anyway V/R Jim

John Can I get a hearing at the Dro even after getting a turn down from the DRO? Thanks, Jim

Got my DRO turn down one day before thangsgiven. It was a word for word cut and paste turn down, well hi ho hi ho its the BVA I go. One quick question what is a RMS IND clinic? Received a clinic appt for RMS EMG, after taken a MRI for my neck. The same neck problems the RO says I Don't Have. V/R Jim

Called the 1800 number today (my weekly call) . The gentleman on the phone stated that according to the computer my case was decided today ( I have 2 seperate NODS plus one appeal to the BVA.) My question is how long will it take to hear from the VA after a case is decided? These two cases are going on 2 1/2 years now Thanks for any info JIm

thanks Berta as usually you are a wealth of knoweldge. When I retire to Owego i will have to have the wife cook you ome old fashioned southern food. I am only trying to get a 10 percent rating for the scar on my face. If I can get to 10 percent then my total rateing in weord VA math will go to 80 Jim

Well As I sit here enjoying my cup of java and bottle of hydrocodine I thought I asked for some advice. I am 70 oercent service connected but I have a 0 percent connection for skin cancer. Well I want to my primary care Dr last thursdat he noticed that my skin cancer was coming back, Well today they did inpainetent surgery as hopefully got it all out. my question can i get a percentage now because it came back. like I said I am allready service connected for it but at o percent. Thanks all Jim B) PS feeling no pain some good pills for a change

I have read on thid board that if anything shows up within one yesr of discharge you can claim it thru the VA. Is that true? And if so where is that located. Vet disharged from USAF FTER 19 YEARS 11 MONTHS LATER he is diganosied with asthma can he do anything V/R Jim

B) Well first good news I had in a long time. Mine will probally be the 6 months thou. jim

I hate to ask because I use to have all this info intill my computer died. But what form do I submit to get a replacement DD215 (wife threw it out.) Secound question I am trying to get some more medals added to my DD214 what form due I use and who do I send it 2. Sorry for the dumb questions I will save everything to disk from now on V/R Jim B)

Ricky I called DFAS today. DFAS will be the agencey paying the back pay not the VA. I am hopeing to recevie my back pay by xmass. I am still waitning for thr govermnet to screw me over thou. I am currently paying back taxes to the IRS it was 18.000 but now I owe less then 5,000. Next time I talk to the IRS I will tell them I am haveing a computer problem and it will take 4 to 6 months to fix. How long do you think It will take the goverment to seeze myback accounts if i tried that one? V/R Jim