Imos Www.vetdr.net

[VetDr]

deleted by tbird at the request of the poster VetDr

[ruby]

Well, does anyone know this person or every heard of him.

[Pete53]

I would like to keep an open mind.

[free_spirit_etc]

He is Board Certified:

http://www.vahealthprovider.com/results_ge...e_no=0102201485

He would not show up in BVA decisions - as he is just getting started in this field. And a doctor not showing up on google is not neccessarily a "bad" thing...

Actually, as long as a doctor is board certified and has some expertise in an area - the VA can not throw out his opinion just because he is not well known - and being "not well known" may even work to the vet's advantage at some times.

DO's have a bit different angle than MD's in their practice - a more holitistic approach - treating the body more as a whole - than chunking off parts and acting like they are separate - which can also be a "good thing" for nexus statements and secondary conditions.

Does he have a "solid" track record with the VA? No. He has clearly stated that. And he has clearly stated that is why he is not charging near what those with solid track records charge.

Does he offer an viable option for those who:

1. Can't afford the cost that many IMO providers charge.

2. Want an EXTRA opinion to couple with another IMO to help shift the balance of evidence even more in their favor without spending a huge amount to get it.

3. Have pretty clear cut cases but can't find a doctor who will make a statement that verifies the dots that have already been connected.

4. Have medical issues that are well within the DO's scope of practice, or his area's of expertise by training.

Yes. I think he does.

Free

[ruby]

Well, I just contacted him to see if he can help me. I will post his response.

[Josephine]

Well, I just contacted him to see if he can help me. I will post his response.

Ruby,

Good for you. I have found having a name on the BVA website doesn't assure one of anything.

Many times, if you really sit and read the cases, the doctors name is not mentioned.

Sounds good to me.

Always,

Betty

[free_spirit_etc]

Personally, I think I'm going to give him a shot.

I know I am going to need an IMO for my husband's cancer to support that it DID start in the service. He was in the Air Force for 28 years and diagnosed with adenocarcinoma less than 2 years post discharge.

Though ALL of his doctors (military base - and tri-care providers) have stated that his cancer probably started WELL in advance of his retirement - (you just don't grow a 3.1 cm pulmonary adenocarcinoma over night) - NONE have been willing to come right out and write an actual opinon. They have been willing to sign a statement that says the standard doubling time is 180 days. They have been willing to provide us with hand written documents to explain to US that based on growth rate and doubling time the cancer probably STARTED YEARS before he retired.

But they have not been willing to actually come out and say - it is more likely than not that his cancer started in service.

The VA absolutely ignored our premise that it started in service until we pushed them to acknowledge it - The VA focused on the asbestos exposure - which is a whole other issue (though my husband was an electrician for 13 years - though electricians NOW have to have occupational screenings - though it is a medically established fact that smoking and asbestos combined GREATLY increases your risk of cancer more than smoking alone would - and though pulmonary adenocarcinoma is a cancer that is linked to asbestos exposure - the VA doctor merely stated that my husband's cancer was only linked to his smoking because there is no evidence that he was exposed to asbestos - as he wasn't part of any medical survillience or occupational screening programs. They didn't even HAVE those programs in the 70's and early 80's - the 13 years my husband was an Air Force electrician. And it wasn't even up to the VA doc to MAKE the determination whether my husband was EXPOSED to asbestos. He should have written an opinion that IF he was exposed, what was the LIKLIHOOD that the exposure contributed to the development of the cancer - and let the VA decide if he WAS exposed).

Now that they have finally acknowledged our IN-SERVICE OCCURANCE claim - they are playing the same game. It looks like the VA doc ignored all our evidence that indicated that lung cancer is asymptomatic until it reaches late stages, that established medical principles dictate that not only CAN it be slow growing - it most often IS slow growning - the "standard doubling time" is 6 months - even if my husband's cancer grew more rapidly, it is VERY unliklely that it doubled every 12 days (the rate it would have needed to grow to gt to 3.1 cm AFTER his retirement).

Instead the VA doc issued an opinion that none of his SYMPTOMS in service seemed related to his cancer.

If I proceed without getting an IMO - when they finally decide to get an opinion of when the cancer started - they might get one of those doctors who state that the standards of medicine indicate that the onset of cancer is when it is diagnosed.

You kind of wonder why they promote early screening if cancer doesn't really start until you FIND it.

But - to me - the case is SO clear cut - based on medically established standards that it is more likely than not that a cancer that generally takes over 12 - 15 years to reach 3.1 cm did NOT grow that big in LESS THAN 2 years.

But I have balked at having to pay a couple thousand dollars to get someone to state what it obvious.

This is not a case that would involve a lot of research or connecting the dots to provide a nexxus.

We have ALREADY provided the VA with tons of evidence from the National Cancer Institute, PEER reviewed journals, major universities, and THEIR OWN Studies that show that not only is it POSSIBLE his cancer started long before his retirement - SOUND MEDICALLY ESTABLISHED PRACTICE would indicate it is VERY PROBABLE.

That is why the VA docs stay away from the whole issue of when it started. They would have to step way outside of the realm of medically established standards to do so - unless they take the route of stating that the onset of cancer is when it is diagnosed.

The BVA has already awareded SC in lots of cases on the growth rate theory. And my husband's case isn't one of those that is close (ie. it is not a case of his cancer was discovered in ten years and it usually takes twelve years to develop. It was discovered in TWO years - a FULL ten years or more before it should have been discovered if it started when he got out of service).

So, yes.. I have balked at having to get extremely complicated opinions or having to pay at least a couple thousand dollars to get someone to state what is obvious.

One doctor told us that he would need 12 - 14 hours to review the records and write an opinion and wanted $450 an hour. Heck! $2,000 is cheap in that case.

I am not saying that $2,000 is unreasonable for an opinion. If I had a complicated case that required a lot of record review and research - it would be a MORE than fair price.

However, with the case not being all that complicated, I have been looking for an option where I wouldn't have to pay quite so much.

Yes. The opinion will probably get me DIC. And I know I will get the money "back" by getting DIC.

But I am also a widow who is struggling with raising my disabled child on my own again - without my husband's help or income. And we all knw how much the costs of even the basic neccessities have skyrocketed in the past year. I am not starving, but I am watching my money very closely. and even if I get DIC - I know that will be well down the road - the VA takes time.

Free