Auto Grant ?

[Guest Jim S.]

I was wondering if you have to be 100% service connected to apply for a Auto Grant from the VA?

I still have a long way to get their, but I am NSC with IU, but that is off set by SSDI. I haven't given up being SC, but if I do not have to wait for that day, then I would definetly apply for the Auto Grant.

I have an ever increasing need to change from my standard shift to an automatic, with power stearing, powerbrakes, and can also carry my electric wheel chair or Kart as well as my vehicle does now.

I also need a better way to store my oxygen supplies while transporting them in my vehicle and extra cylenders when I must be away from my home for extended periods of time.

My current income source, that being SSDI, is not sufficient to even consider a purchase on my own.

Jim S.

[Guest Morgan]

Jim,

If you don't mind saying, what is your breathing problem? And what branch of service were you in? Any possibility of chemical exposure?

Edited November 11, 2005 by Morgan

[Guest Jim S.]

Jim,

If you don't mind saying, what is your breathing problem? And what branch of service were you in? Any possibility of chemical exposure?

Take your pick, restrictive and/or constrictive lung disease due to obecite. Diffuse lung disease with minimal emphacemic like properties, or my belief, as a result of my diagnosed Sarcoidosis, that I believe is the diffuse lung involvement.

Their are other problems associated to my breathing problems, nocturnal hypoxia is one and a combination of obstrutive nose breathing due to deviated septum to right and left, chronic sinusitis, nasal rhinitis, PND disorder, hyperactive airway.

I doubt I could prove any exposure related to SC this late of date. 30 + years later.

Still working on original claim and have a CUE claim in at the moment and probably won't hear anything definent about the claim for some time yet.

U.S. Navy HM 3rd Class

Jim S. ;)

Edited November 11, 2005 by Jim S.

[Guest Morgan]

Jim,

You were in the Navy! What was your job? If you were exposed to asbestos from the pipe insulation you could have service-connected asbestosis. It is a horrible disease and takes minimal exposure to get it. By the way, it is not unusual for it to manifest up to 40 years from the time of exposure. It is known to show up between 10-40 years.

By the way, it seems likely to me that you have obesity due to the lung problem, instead of the other way around. When was the sarcoidosis diagnosed?

I helped a vet recently with multiple heart and lung problems. He had spent a year on Navy ships before he was honorably discharged 30 years ago. Sure enough, he has asbestosis.

If I can help you let me know. I try to help when my husband is sleeping, which isn't much these days. But maybe some of the things I've learned about it would be helpful to you.

Carrie

[Guest Jim S.]

Carrie: My designation was Hospitalman 3rd Class, or Navy Corpsman. I spent a limited time aboard ship and aside from possible exposure during a period of repairs at dockside, I don't know how I could prove any asbestos exposure.

My Sarcoidosis was diagnosed late in 2002 I believe and was awarded late 2003 for NSC IU pension for the sarcoidosis and chronic major depression and anxiety disorder. I believe it was Jan of 2004 that I recieved my SSDI award, it was awarded first time with out having to appeal anything.

The breathing problems has been developing for some time, at the present time, their is too many variables to put a definate diagnosis to the lung disease, only list contributing aspect to it.

The major problems associated with the Sarcoidosis, is major pain with inflamation and swelling of the joints and connective tissue of the joints. Even my hands are prone to periods of swelling and inflamtion that make even typing painful to do. That and my breathing difficulties are why I use an electric chair or kart to move about outside my home and yard. It's just to hard and painful for me to stand and/or walk any length of time.

Not much else to say, except I plan to keep fighting the VA for what should have been SC from the begining

Time will tell

Jim S. ;)

[Jim MAC]

Jim

All it takes is a simple xray to find out weither or not you were exposed to asbestoes. If you were it will show up as scaring on your lungs. I highly recommed you ask for a xray specfically to check for asbestoes.

V/R

jim

[Guest Jim S.]

Jim M.: Is an Xray for asbestos different from a standard chest Xray? I've had a number of those and Cat Scans, and even a MRI, both of these with and without contrast.

The last MRI showed a non calsified granuloma in one of my lungs, but I think that maybe attributed to my Sarcodosis, otherwise the only reason I would know that my lungs are getting worse, is the fact that even with minimal activity on my feet, causes my oxygen saturation figures to drop below normal.

I guess I could ask my PD about it, or my Specialist who is monitoring my breathing history.

Jim S. ;)