It's A Medical Miracle..!

[jecsb4]

Boy did I get hosed by ….

I got bush whacked by QTC! I currently have 10% for bilateral hammertoes, 10% bilateral bunon surgery and 30% bilateral pes planus w/ plantar fasciitis! Well I asked for a relook based on new evidence – the evidence was pretty significant – the VA podiatrist listed all my feet issues mentioned above along with posterior tibial tendon disfunction – bilateral, and other things and wrote that no question my feet were SC.

So, I felt I should get the higher rating. SO the VARO sent me to a contracted internal med dr! Well I just got the results via FOIA. It’s a medical miracle!!!

Dr. said I had no hammer, bunions, metatarsalgia. And my flat feet went from bilateral to just one foot! My plantar fasciitis stayed the same.

Earlier this week, I gave to my VSO a IMO from a podiatrist that has done the actual surgery on me for hammer and bunions! The ones that don’t exist anymore pert the internal med dr! My doctor said my feet were in the top of the list as being severe for my numerous feet issues. The IMO is worded strongly to leave no doubt of the severity and the proper rating. Anyway I turned in the IMO with my statement. My feet are worse since their rating decision and my Dr even took pictures which I submitted along with some that I had taken.

So, will the VARO go with what my doctors (including what the VA foot doctor) says or just go by what this contract doctor said. This doctor is the only one who has denied my claims.

Will they actually try and reduce my rating? The preponderance of evidence is on my side. If they deny my recon and worse try to reduce me, I think I will try to have a local hearing.

I know for one thing, flat feet, hammertoe and bunion surgery doesn’t just go away, unless you surgery remove the limbs.

In my SOC , the VARO determined my feet increased to a 30, but now that this one doctor says otherwise, what will they do? What is my best approach to this, wait for their decision, get another opinion. See what they do with my statement and IMO, or file even more feet claims for week feet (ankles give out, and I also have a dropped foot condition.), and for Foot Injury Other (tendon tears) . I included all of that in my info and wanted them to basically count all of that as a whole to see how it effected my flat feet vs additional separate claims. Was that a good strategy? Should I change course? Ask my doctor to refute these new "findings"?

Thanks all.

[shann]

I myself have a medical miracle in february of 2005 I went to a local physicians office and saw the Dr. He had xrays taken of my neck cause I was talking to him about neck and shoulder pain. This pain started while I was in the Air Force. The xrays showed bone spurs on my cervical disk I believe number 5 and 6. I was revisiting the issue with my Physicians Assistant at the va on november16. She sent me up to xray and the xrays of my neck and spine showed good no deformities. I went to the local physician again (new physician the old dr. retired, same office). I asked the Doc if bone spurs disappear and told him why he laughed and said no. He looked at the xray report from 2005 and said the bone spurs can cause intermitent chronic pain like what I have had and gave me samples of skelazin to alleviate the pain when it bothers me. The reason I bring this up in I am currently battling a filed claim with the va. Any advice appreciated. This is not my only claim but one of a few.

Thanks, Shannon

[cloudcroft]

Were their names on the decision?

Or did you take "extraschedular" steps to find out?

I know none of my raters as I didn't see any raters' names on any of my decision documents. The only name I know was my BVA judge because his name WAS on the BVA's decision letter. But no rating officers' names on VARO decision letters.

And we're talking about TODAY rather than years ago, as in the report about the rater's name "missing" from the "shrapnel guy" decision. As I said, I doubt it was "missing" because that rater made a "mistake" and wanted to cover his/her butt...although I certainly do agree THAT case was shamefully and erroneously decided: Not giving SC to shrapnel wounds. Has the REASON for that SC denial been made public yet?

And yes, I wonder about how ready VAMC staff are to call the VA cops on us, but then again, I have seen some pretty whacked-out vets jumpming on VA staff who did not deserve the hostile treatment.

-- John D.

My 1st rater at Bay Pines, Fl VA was M.R. Woodall -- dated 11-15-1978

Rating specialist on 2-22-1979 is G.M. Lopes

3-28-1980 is K. Knapp - who is also listed as Chairman at a VARO

Rating Board Hearing dated 7-15-1980.

I do have more ---- but as the years go by, VA redacts more.

jmho,

carlie

Edited December 8, 2007 by cloudcroft

[tssnave]

I asked my VSO the name of my rater and he declined to give me the information.

However, when I got my C-file (thanks, Pete) his name was on the rating code sheet.

Good point, Jecscb4, re: the VA "needing" cops and the post office not having them. Of course, many of us were once lean, mean fighting machines and if you get us pissed off enough and get us at the wrong moment we can be dangerous (of course, a lot of vets go work at the post office....).

The shrapnel case is beyond comprehension, as is the others that are listed here.

Jecscb4 and shann - please keep us posted on the progress of your claims. You will get some great advice here on hadit.

Thanks,

TS Snave

[jecsb4]

I myself have a medical miracle in february of 2005 I went to a local physicians office and saw the Dr. He had xrays taken of my neck cause I was talking to him about neck and shoulder pain. This pain started while I was in the Air Force. The xrays showed bone spurs on my cervical disk I believe number 5 and 6. I was revisiting the issue with my Physicians Assistant at the va on november16. She sent me up to xray and the xrays of my neck and spine showed good no deformities. I went to the local physician again (new physician the old dr. retired, same office). I asked the Doc if bone spurs disappear and told him why he laughed and said no. He looked at the xray report from 2005 and said the bone spurs can cause intermitent chronic pain like what I have had and gave me samples of skelazin to alleviate the pain when it bothers me. The reason I bring this up in I am currently battling a filed claim with the va. Any advice appreciated. This is not my only claim but one of a few.

Thanks, Shannon

All I know is what I have been told by the Hadit Elders and other good folks here - and that is never give up! I have been at this since '04, rather a newbe by what I have read here.

Perhaps we can go on the Discovery show and talk about our VARO medical miracles!

Hang Tough

[carlie]

Cloudcroft,

Yes those names were on the decisions during those years.

Also, Check your message box as I am sending you a PM.

carlie

[jbasser]

I myself have a medical miracle in february of 2005 I went to a local physicians office and saw the Dr. He had xrays taken of my neck cause I was talking to him about neck and shoulder pain. This pain started while I was in the Air Force. The xrays showed bone spurs on my cervical disk I believe number 5 and 6. I was revisiting the issue with my Physicians Assistant at the va on november16. She sent me up to xray and the xrays of my neck and spine showed good no deformities. I went to the local physician again (new physician the old dr. retired, same office). I asked the Doc if bone spurs disappear and told him why he laughed and said no. He looked at the xray report from 2005 and said the bone spurs can cause intermitent chronic pain like what I have had and gave me samples of skelazin to alleviate the pain when it bothers me. The reason I bring this up in I am currently battling a filed claim with the va. Any advice appreciated. This is not my only claim but one of a few.

Thanks, Shannon

Shann, the old fameous disappearing bone spurr. Ask for a copy of the Xray at the VA medical records/release of information. There is a report issued by a radiologist. The docs like to compare older ones with the newer ones so if you have only had 1 at the va, there may not be a comparison.

Get your outside doc to write an opinion and have him state the xray results. That may help.

Also keep an eye on the bone spurrs. They can form and compress nerve roots and then your in a world of trouble. It happened to me. Several areas of neuropathy.

J