diabetes Nexus In Smrs

[Berta]

This is one of my local vets.

I got him awarded about two years ago-

mega retro-----long time case------

His rep brought him to my home. I had limited info but had managed to access this BVA case and fortunately it was his because he forgot to bring all of his stuff-

http://www.va.gov/vetapp00/files3/0029422.txt

This was for SC of diabetes but not AO diabetes.

The Nexus is in the BVA decision-

one single word that no one bothered to even look up to see what it meant.

I couldn't wait until they left to delve into this word and what it meant-a few hours later ---

it meant service connection!

I will buy the VBM for the very first person here who posts that they have found the nexus word.

My point is that even with his SMRs the veteran himself nor his rep nor his attorneys at CAVC even read the SMRs carefully or used a medical dictionary to understand them.

Edited May 17, 2007 by Berta

[free_spirit_etc]

http://www.ifond.org/dict_d.php3

Drusen, Macular~, Optic Nerve~ Extra cellular material deposited either between between the basal lamina of the retinal pigment epithelium and the inner collagenous layer of Bruch membrane or in the optic nerve head. Drusen are seen with the ophthalmoscope as small yellow-white retinal or optic disc reflections. Drusen may be associated with vascular abnormalities in the eye, low retinal nerve fibre layer axon counts, glaucoma, anterior ischemic optic neuropathy, retinal hemorrhage, and premature visual loss.

http://www.amd.org/site/PageServer?pagenam...nter_friendly=1

Diabetes Another Threat to Your Eyes

In observance of National Diabetes Month, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has launched "Small Steps, Big Rewards". The new national diabetes prevention campaign is an effort to stem the explosion of diabetes by emphasizing to millions of Americans that modest lifestyle changes can do much to prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes, the most common form of the disease.

Diabetes attacks the retina of the eye in the form of diabetic retinopathy. It is similar to wet AMD in that blood vessels invade the macula. Laser treatment can be effective against it, but early diagnosis is the key. If you have diabetes, regular dilated eye exams are essential.

The guy seemed kind of young to be showing the first signs of AGE RELATED Macular Degeneration in 1961

Free

[Boats]

And you have a IMO making the Nexus for it almost forgot that...

[Berta]

Great job Jack and Free!- I will open my PM- please send me your address and I will order the VBM today for both of you----

year after year no one recognized this word -Drusen-and the fact that it was related to his diabetes-----

he is totally blind in one eye now due to cataracts- they VA paid him much retro but still owe him money-

for cataracts and heart disease- I thought he would die before he saw his SC award!

I think this is an example of the good detective work it takes to win VA claims-

[free_spirit_etc]

Woo Hoo!!! The runner up gets a prize too!

I looked up the info -- posted it - and then looked and said Dang! Jack Beat me! But I still was happy I figured it out. (Likes to be right! )

I actually had NO idea what a drusen was. SO I looked it up. Did a search for Drusen - to find out what it was - and found out but saw no connection to Diabetes -- So then I did a search for drusen AND diabetes to see if there was a connection. And then started putting the rest of it together. 1961 would be hard to connect it to age related - it was in the same eye that he lost vision in - etc.

I agree - it is the kind of detective work needed. And important that you SPELL IT OUT to the VA -- because they aren't going to see the connection.

Interesting that the REASON I looked the word up is that I didn't know what it was. Unfortunately - sometimes when we know SOMETHING about a condition - we think we know it ALL - and therefore don't research enough. But we might have a tendency to overlook an important connection because what we already know stops us from looking further.

For instance, had I known what a drusen was, and connected it in my mind to age related macular degeneration, I might NOT have looked any further (unless I caught that he was quite young when it was discovered). And I could have breezed right past an important piece of info.

My students get so aggravated when I have them do research on a topic before a group discussion. They think "I already KNOW about the topic --why do I have to look anything up?"

BECAUSE -- you can always learn MORE - you can always add to what you know, or even find important information that SUPPORTS what you already know!

Anyway -- The REAL winner was the veteran who benefitted because BERTA caught the nexus and made the connection!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Free

Great job Jack and Free!- I will open my PM- please send me your address and I will order the VBM today for both of you----

year after year no one recognized this word -Drusen-and the fact that it was related to his diabetes-----

he is totally blind in one eye now due to cataracts- they VA paid him much retro but still owe him money-

for cataracts and heart disease- I thought he would die before he saw his SC award!

I think this is an example of the good detective work it takes to win VA claims-

[huskerfanfl]

Research is so important. And Free is right, you do have to spell it out for the VA. For my claim on sleep apnea, I did hours of research on the affects that sleep apnea can have to include high blood pressure, weight gain, GERD, and fatigue, and when I wrote a letter to the VA for my claim essentially wrote a research paper and noted how this is one of the signs of sleep apnea, when that symptom was noted in my medical records. I have not been rated yet, but the AMVET rep looked at my file and commented on the presentation I made of the evidence. Since then, I have done searches on cases that have gone before the BVA regarding sleep apnea and I am confident that if I do not receive a favorable decision, I will be successful on appeal.

[Berta]

If you dont receive the VBM in week to ten days-let me know free-I just ordered it and I await Jacks address too-----

I hope no one minded this contest I pulled-

It is just that something here triggered for me what this above vet went through-

and worse yet the VA withheld $8,000 bucks from his retro for a law firm registered with CAVC.

It was in my opinion $7,999.98 too much-

but I did prepare a NOD to get about $4,000 back for him-

I commend anyone who did what you did------

to take the time to wonder about one word and then check it out good-

this is the heart of good VA claims help----

think of that-this vet even had lawyers who didnt pick up on the nexus-

and then- he got a free IMO- but his doctor did not follow the IMO criteria and still VA denied the claim-

the doc did not fully understand how important it was for him to opine on the nexus in the SMRs.

But that finally got squared away-

This bothers me too about the whole thing-

this man is an African American and told me of how discrimination affected him when he was serving

in the military in those days-

he had sick calls because he was really sick and his CO or someone kept telling him he was just lazy-

I am a civilian and not african American but I tried to relate to his situation and I sure realised that the mil did not really give him adequate care-then again they did not understand diabetes then like they do now-still- this veteran had one heck of an ordeal all around and I commend you both----

if only vet reps or SOs would take the time to do what you did here-

with every vet's claim.

PS -I won FTCA based a lot on one word too-diaphoretic-

long story there but it took me months to even figure out the chicken scratch handwriting it was in-but it proved my husband had a heart attack at the VAMC.

They sent him home with sudafed.

Diaphoretic consition- profuse sudden sweating- is a clear medical emergency and can be symptom of a sudden heart attack.