Notice Of Disagreement--cardiac Rating

[Ron II]

Re: Sick Sinus Syndrome with Sinus Bradycardia, Status Post Pacemaker

I changed my mind about not appealing one portion of my claim. I was pleased that the VA approved the disability shown above; but upon reading the text of the Rating Decision, I discovered that I had overlooked the fact that the VA rated my METs (One MET (metabolic equivalent) is the energy cost of standing quietly at rest and represents an oxygen uptake of 3.5 milliliters per kilogram of body weight per minute) at greater than 7.

The most recent treadmill test,from three years ago, shows my METs as 6.2. The difference between great than 7 and less than 7 is 20 rating points (10% vs. 30%). Soooo...does anyone here have experience with type situation? Should I pay for my own stress test?

Thank you.

[Guest morgan]

In case others with heart problems are checking this cardiac thread, here's a point I want to add: sometimes the ejection fraction can be normal, but a diastolic dysfunction is causing right-side heart failure.

Heart failure may be noted as CHF or HF on the medical record, but a recent change has heart failure noted as HF and chronic heart failure as CHF. The chronic part in heart failure meets the 100% rating.

[stillhere]

John999

Yes and no, i suffer from PN and diabetes2 I have pains and then I don't have pains, I know real confusing. But to answer your question better agina was present and I had been popping the nitro and counting never got to the 3rd one and call 911 but I did take a couple a few times. my problem my doc says is I don't react to pain properly. what ever that means.

Stillhere

Edited September 17, 2007 by stillhere

[Testvet]

Pete, they did it to me also, no more Plavix, the VA only gives it for one year now, they claim you get the same benefit from an aspirin a day that you get out of Plavix

I have argued it with 2 VA doctors now, and they refuse to write an exemption for it cardiology has to do it and they won't my VA doctor did write me a script for Wal Mart but it's not generic yet and they wanted 150 a month

I have seen the study and it does exist I will see if I can find a link for you, but they aren't lying to you

[john999]

I hear the cheapest place to get drugs here in the States is Costco. You might get the stuff you need from a Canadian drug store. Plenty of people do it. Maybe a trip to Mexico since you are in Texas. You need a script from a US doctor to bring it in I believe. I would want to check on that.

[stillhere]

hey testvet do you have only stents or do you have stents and bypass or just bypass? Reason i ask the formulory for VA states if you have had stents metal ones then you can stay on Plavis if bypass then you only get it for 90 days. I would talk to an outside cardio doc and get his recommendation. You are right though Costco has the best price for most drugs. I have to take Coreg and VA has never covered that so I pay for it my self. Whew!

Stillhere

[Testvet]

right stents are 90 days but bypass is a year I had the bypass done in Feb 1997 3 vessel and the stents were placed in August 97 and Nov 1997 the only vessel still pumping blood to my heart is the left main if it shuts down or gets clogged I'm gone they refuse to operate on me the bypasses are closed off to close to the wall of the heart the stents can't be opened so I have to keep the blood pumping and my heart doc and PC doc both felt that Plavix would at least keep the blood slippery and less chance of another clot it was explained to me it works like Mobil One oil just keeps the stuff flowing since surgery isn't an option they just want the blood to keep going.....but I am on so much heart stuff and aspirin if I get cut I bleed for a long time so clots seem to be a slim chance and I have my cholesterol under control for the first time on 10 years the bad is 74 and the good was 54 the last time they checked it the Doc said it was to low hell for years it was over 300 for both of them so it's on the good side of bad if you ask me they told me with congestive heart failure 8 years for life expectancy is normal and I am past that..