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My question is about De Novo Review and how the DRO reviews the evidence. In my DRO hearing I raised the several questions about the Denial of Compensation. Question 1) I addressed the DRO in asking how the VA could change the diagnosis from "Bilateral Patellofemoral Syndrome" to "Osteoarthritis"? Clearly I was Discharged with "Bilateral Patellofemoral Syndrome" under VA Code 5003-5099 Hearing Me: they're basing on traumatic arthritis...okay. I'm not 20 years old no more [sic]... patellofemoral syndrome has progressed from that on up and on up until now we've got an end result of osteoarthritis. DRO: Mm-hmm Me: So, the medical exam... everything's pointing... saying, well, we're denying you for the patellofemoral, but we're gonna give you arthritis. DRO: No, that's not... that's not the case. Me: Well, that's... DRO: (Inaudible)... Me: ...what it says right here. DRO: ...you're essentially service-connected for your knee condition, whether...you know...it's...it may be called different things, but essentially that is what you're service-connected for...is your knee condition. We can't...we don't...we can't evaluate it by splicing out different diagnoses or your...you know...involving your knee. We evaluate based on...like...what we discussed earlier...you know...your range of motion...instability...that kind of thing. Power of Attorney: They're saying that your patellofemoral syndrome has progressed to the point where there's osteoarthritis at this point and that's... that's what you have right now. Me: That's what I got right now... Power of Attorney: Right Me: ...but they're still not warranting...they're...they were denying the patellofemoral. Power of Attorney: Mmm. They're just saying it's...it's not patellofemoral... Me: Yeah. Power of Attorney: ...anymore it's...it's arthritis now. Me: Well, that's the word they used...they denied it. Power of Attorney: Oh, well, they shouldn't have said that. DRO: Yeah, and I'm...I'm not sure that that was a... you know...a completely accurate description in there, but... Me: Well, because...I mean... DRO: All right, do you have anything else? And then the DRO closes out by stating that this Appeal is only about the related evaluation of the knee condition. And if I wanted a earlier effective date I would have to file a Claim for it. My question is if it is a Review of Claim then why is the DRO only going to look at the evaluation and not the complete claim? I mean he is suppose to be bi-partisan and look at all evidence objectively. Should the DRO of looked at the whole Claim because it was a Reopened Claim ?

Hello, This is my way of introducimg myself to the Hadit community as a whole. I only surf forums and give opinions and such to things that relate to me personally and my Battle with the VA I wanted to get not only all of these tags talked about, but i would hope to be able to at least get all of those abbrvs broken down for the people that come to this site in need I have noticed a lot of us old hats talk to each other in a comfortable, approachable, yet sometimes maybe even un-understandable to those who aren't in our War with the Rap-i um, mean Rating Officers Some of the people stopping by here for well deserved and needed help may not even be Vets, but their Spouses, their guardians, and most Unfittingly too often their Widows I hope to try to build a little list, where if someone came here, they would have, oh, lets say a nice rusty ass old anchor to grip on to, you know, to help them ride out this Hellacious Hurricane of a system we face Add any word, phrase, Article or Chaptet number of any Law, Rule, Regulation that you would like to help pass on, well, not only the cold logical definition, but tye way it helped you in YOUR Battle. i want this thread to be open and honest, but please, don't get lost and sidetracked trying to impress the community, if a discussion blooms from seeds planted here, take your conversation to the Mail system, and coax them to sproutlings on your own dime, and come back with your Harvest of Ideas. Only we have each other, as i have stood on my own for this last 2ish years, i have wanted something more Here, there be monsters, hide no truths, hedge no bets, the deaper we are able to cut on here, the finer and more powerful Claims we can make. Always remember, we should be advancing, and when i steped into Hadit, i started to feel something different on this Battlefield, ever so softly, in the muck, my arm tired from holding back the Tide of VA bullshit... I felt a small click on my shield, it was YOU! You and I, we began to share the load, gave us both second wind. And slowly, i realized what T-Bird has done, he has started a Cadence! my Shield-Brothers and ShieldSisters. Every one of you, whose words i read, eased my burden. The VA can only xxxx us as individuals. Remember, nearly a hundred years ago, when people REALLY figured out how democracy can work for the minority within the majority, Prohibition was passed, and that is because of Soldiers of Ideals. Our issue is, the VA makes us literally be the David to their Goliath. They demand that we beg for our scraps. Very few Vererans are in the position to demand their Just Compensation because first off, we are broken. Assailed by disabilitys they expect us to fight. Alone! They punish us horribly with Time, and indifference......they teach us to Hate the individuals in their system, Whistleblowers ignored except when it boosts Ratings yet never allowing us Veterans ourselves the ability or TOOLS to help OURSELVES. i dont want someone coddling me, i can repair my own engine given time and proper tools. No way in Hell am i gonna try to pull impacted lugnuts off with my teeth now am I? "that some small amount of moneys may be paid to the maimed, the crippled, his widow, his children...." -Abraham Lincoln (Maybe not exact words, but its from my xxxxxx up memory so go google for Knowledge)

Hello, This is my way of introducimg myself to the Hadit community as a whole. I only surf forums and give opinions and such to things that relate to me personally and my Battle with the VA I wanted to get not only all of these tags talked about, but i would hope to be able to at least get all of those abbrvs broken down for the people that come to this site in need I have noticed a lot of us old hats talk to each other in a comfortable, approachable, yet sometimes maybe even un-understandable to those who aren't in our War with the Rap-i um, mean Rating Officers Some of the people stopping by here for well deserved and needed help may not even be Vets, but their Spouses, their guardians, and most Unfittingly too often their Widows I hope to try to build a little Pist, wher if someone came here, they would have, oh, lets say a nice rusty ass old anchor to grip on to, you know, to help them ride out this Hellacious Hurricane of a system we face Add any word, phrase, Article or Chaptet number of any Law, Rule, Regulation that you would like to help pass on, well, not only the cold logical definition, but tye way it helped you in YOUR Battle. i want this thread to be open and honest, but please, don't get lost and sidetracked trying to impress the community, if a discussion blooms from seeds planted here, take your conversation to the Mail system, and coax them to sproutlings on your own dime, and come back with your Harvest of Ideas. Only we have each other, as i have stood on my own for this last 2ish years, i have wanted something more Here, there be monsters, hide no truths, hedge no bets, the deaper we are able to cut on here, the finer and more powerful Claims we can make. Always remember, we should be advancing, and when i steped into Hadit, i started to feel something different on this Battlefield, ever so softly, in the muck, my arm tired from holding back the Tide of VA bullshit... I felt a small click on my shield, it was YOU! You and I, we began to share the load, gave us both second wind. And slowly, i realized what T-Bird has done, he has started a Cadence! my Shield-Brothers and ShieldSisters. Every one of you, whose words i read, eased my burden. The VA can only xxxx us as individuals. Remember, nearly a hundred years ago, when people REALLY figured out how democracy can work for the minority within the majority, Prohibition was passed, and that is because of Soldiers of Ideals. Our issue is, the VA makes us literally be the David to their Goliath. They demand that we beg for our scraps. Very few Vererans are in the position to demand their Just Compensation because first off, we are broken. Assailed by disabilitys they expect us to fight. Alone! They punish us horribly with Time, and indifference......they teach us to Hate the individuals in their system, Whistleblowers ignored except when it boosts Ratings yet never allowing us Veterans ourselves the ability or TOOLS to help OURSELVES. i dont want someone coddling me, i can repair my own engine given time and proper tools. No way in Hell am i gonna try to pull impacted lugnuts off with my teeth now am I? "that some small amount of moneys may be paid to the maimed, the crippled, his widow, his children...." -Abraham Lincoln (Maybe not exact words, but its from my xxxxxx up memory so go google for Knowledge)

Ok, here we go again. Got a call a few days back from a DRO at the Houston VARO. They are doing a de novo review of my case, and scheduled me for a series of C&P examinations, which will be my second round from the VA. Sure enough, got a call from Veterans Evaluation Service, who advised that the VA had contracted them to do my C&P examinations and to do bloodwork. Looks I'll be heading to Houston for the examinations and Beaumont for a blood draw and CBC. (They used VES on me last time too.) Keep in mind, I've been through a prior round of C&P examinations, but this is the first time with a CBC blood draw, and I have on file an independent medical examination and opinion report from the Ellis Clinic and an IMO from my oncologist of 17 years, along with a ton of medical records and SMRs. We'll see how this goes. I'll keep y'all posted on what went on. Looks like I have the examination on July 18 (Saturday) and the blood draw on the 21st. Mark