I have a few questions but thought I provide background to assist in answering. I submitted my service connected claim on March 16, 2007 for Psoriatic Arthritis (PSA) and Psoriasis. I was active duty in the Navy for ten years (1980-1990), I started having skin problems in 1982 and it intensified during my last three years in the Navy. The Squadron Flight surgeon repeatedly sent me to the Pensacola Navy Hospital Dermatology clinic for evaluation (At least ten visits in my medical record), at first they claimed I had exzema but later changed the diagnoses to Psoriasis and my discharge physical has "Chronic Psoriasis" noted. I was even sent to Balboa Naval Hospital three times when the squadron was in El Centro or the San Diego area; those docs also diagnosed me with Psoriasis. I got out in 1990 and controlled the Psoriasis for a few years until I started seeing my private primary care Doc and after a few times of treating me with various creams he referred me to a Dermatologist who also diagnosed me with Psoriasis. I never filed a claim due to ignorance of my eligibility and I never thought of myself as a disabled vet. In 1996 I started have joint pains and swelling, I was referred to a Rheumatologist and after a few visits I was told I had PSA. I was treated with various anti inflammatory medicines until a last year when I started having servere pain in my left wrist and since than have lost almost all Range of Movement, after numerous miss-diagnosed by my primary care and Neurologist I was sent to see a Orthopedic Doc that looked at my x-rays of my left hand/wrist and told me the wrist was dislocated and my only option is fusion of the wrist. He also x-rays the right wrist and stated it was about 50% degraded in ROM and would I would face the same fate "fusion". (I have seen two other Orthopedics doctors and both concur with the fisrt doc) They said that the PSA was attacking the joints and I needed to see my Rheumatologist to get on some drugs to prevent any further damage. I am now on an immune suppressing drug (methrotrextate) and almost all of my major joints have damage.
I didn't use a VSO on my claim but I submitted all of my private medical records and my Navy records in my claim, my Rheumatologist tells me the records state everything and I do not need her to write any statement for a nexus. She told me that Psoriatic arthritis is an inflammatory condition that affects the joints of children and adults with psoriasis and that most people develop the skin signs of psoriasis first and are later diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis (up to twenty years later in some cases). All major medical type websites that I have researched state the same, and my doc stated any medical background person know they are linked. I looked a few BVA decisions and it seems lin most cases that a veteran that has documented proof of psoriasis, than his claim of PSA is linked.
My questions are:
1. Are the copies of the medical records enough?
2. Or should I try to have another Rheumatologist review my records and write a nexus?
3. Should I see a VSO or wait until I get my rating? (Whenever that may be)
4. Will I get rejected because I waited too long even though the chronic psoriasis problems are documented in my medical records?
5. Do the raters have a medical background to know PSA is linked to psoriasis?
I thank you all for helping me and all of our veterans
Question
johnc515
I have a few questions but thought I provide background to assist in answering. I submitted my service connected claim on March 16, 2007 for Psoriatic Arthritis (PSA) and Psoriasis. I was active duty in the Navy for ten years (1980-1990), I started having skin problems in 1982 and it intensified during my last three years in the Navy. The Squadron Flight surgeon repeatedly sent me to the Pensacola Navy Hospital Dermatology clinic for evaluation (At least ten visits in my medical record), at first they claimed I had exzema but later changed the diagnoses to Psoriasis and my discharge physical has "Chronic Psoriasis" noted. I was even sent to Balboa Naval Hospital three times when the squadron was in El Centro or the San Diego area; those docs also diagnosed me with Psoriasis. I got out in 1990 and controlled the Psoriasis for a few years until I started seeing my private primary care Doc and after a few times of treating me with various creams he referred me to a Dermatologist who also diagnosed me with Psoriasis. I never filed a claim due to ignorance of my eligibility and I never thought of myself as a disabled vet. In 1996 I started have joint pains and swelling, I was referred to a Rheumatologist and after a few visits I was told I had PSA. I was treated with various anti inflammatory medicines until a last year when I started having servere pain in my left wrist and since than have lost almost all Range of Movement, after numerous miss-diagnosed by my primary care and Neurologist I was sent to see a Orthopedic Doc that looked at my x-rays of my left hand/wrist and told me the wrist was dislocated and my only option is fusion of the wrist. He also x-rays the right wrist and stated it was about 50% degraded in ROM and would I would face the same fate "fusion". (I have seen two other Orthopedics doctors and both concur with the fisrt doc) They said that the PSA was attacking the joints and I needed to see my Rheumatologist to get on some drugs to prevent any further damage. I am now on an immune suppressing drug (methrotrextate) and almost all of my major joints have damage.
I didn't use a VSO on my claim but I submitted all of my private medical records and my Navy records in my claim, my Rheumatologist tells me the records state everything and I do not need her to write any statement for a nexus. She told me that Psoriatic arthritis is an inflammatory condition that affects the joints of children and adults with psoriasis and that most people develop the skin signs of psoriasis first and are later diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis (up to twenty years later in some cases). All major medical type websites that I have researched state the same, and my doc stated any medical background person know they are linked. I looked a few BVA decisions and it seems lin most cases that a veteran that has documented proof of psoriasis, than his claim of PSA is linked.
My questions are:
1. Are the copies of the medical records enough?
2. Or should I try to have another Rheumatologist review my records and write a nexus?
3. Should I see a VSO or wait until I get my rating? (Whenever that may be)
4. Will I get rejected because I waited too long even though the chronic psoriasis problems are documented in my medical records?
5. Do the raters have a medical background to know PSA is linked to psoriasis?
I thank you all for helping me and all of our veterans
John.
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