Howto Increase Sc For Deteriorating Condition

[autumn]

i'm service connected 30% for a lumbar injury 24 years ago. at that time the navy said it was a herniated disk. new mri images shows much degeneration and a few other things.

how do i submit a request for increase SC due to the deteriorating condition.

[autumn]

According to my VSO, the VA won't accept the CD containing your MRI images...you can print them out and submit. I also carried an image of my cervical spine clearly showing the degeneration and a copy of the radiologist's report to the C&P.

Good Luck

Hey Berta & 12R3G,

I saw my PCP at the VA and asked him the results of my MRI on my lumbar. I had already seen it as you know from my first post on this particular thread. He sugar coated all of it and never mentioned the degeneration disease had gotten much worse and a herniated disk tapping on a nerve. I let him talk and at the end I asked about the degeneration and was there any. His reply was something along the lines of "you have been reading up on medical terms", he said he didn't want to mention that due to something about feeling he had to explain what it meant. Then he said your whole spine had gotten really worse and we need to keep an eye on it, but that surgery was not an option now in his opinion.

I know I'm not the only vet who gets this kind of treatment. That is, if a vet isn't in a life threatening situation or in need of emergency surgery, they basically skim over reports and sugar coat it. Is this the way they are attempting to keep costs down? I had to write that to vent. It just frustrates me to no end.

He is going to send me to a chiro and he gave me a new Rx. Just boggles my mind he didn't even bring up the worsening conditions until I brought it up.

question: do i [have] to have this doctor write something up about my condition and attach that to the 21-4138? or is the new MRI report, chiro visits, history, Rx's, good enough to put on the 21-4138 for an increase in SC for this particular condition?

Thanks for your help!!!

[12R3G]

"question: do i [have] to have this doctor write something up about my condition and attach that to the 21-4138? or is the new MRI report, chiro visits, history, Rx's, good enough to put on the 21-4138 for an increase in SC for this particular condition?"

Oops...sorry for missing this...since you have a VA doc, the VARO rater should have access. I would get a copy of the treatment record--especially for that day, did he downplay your condition in his notes, or just for you? If it is adequately explained in the treatment record, that should suffice, if not, see if the doc will either write a letter or make a stronger statement in the treatment record/notes.

My wife has a slipped disc. Back in December, she aggravated it and the pain was so great she was bedridden, and ended up with 2 visits to ER/urgent care and round of painkillers. I finally got her to go see an orthopod--the best back guy in town. he took one look at her xray, told her she didn't need an MRI, she had a slipped disc and when it got so bad she litterally couldn't tolerate it anymore come in for surgery. Until then, try not to aggravate it.

don't understand why he didn't fully explain what's going on, but if it's still at the "nothing we can do until it gets to the unbearable point where surgery is the only option" maybe he thought he was doing both of you a favor. I disagree, but hey, I don't have 4-years of medical school.

[WHOLESALE]

Submitting it in person is BEST way since you get it date stamped. Sending it certified mail only means they recieved the envelope, not the contents within. In other words, it they lose it you still have no proof they received the contents...no date stamp, nothing

frank

never trust va. send everything certifiied mails return receipts and itt woulds not hrut to have it notoriezed.

even then they can lose it osya they lose it.

we need big protest of all va's on same day aronund the country to get atteentinon brought to this. milllions of disbaled vets and thhe service orgs get nooting done in theeir mettings and letters. vets need to band togtehrt for protestts.

Edited August 12, 2009 by WHOLESALE

[john999]

I like what Wholesale is saying about getting copies of what you submit. If you have some degenerating condition I would say to stay in treatment at the VA for the rest of your life. You can go to other doctors, but keep going for treatment to the VA. Everytime you are seen at the VAMC you add more documentation to your file to show the decline in your condition. The VA is good at one thing and that is producing paperwork for your file. You want a mountain of documentation and they will provide it.

[WHOLESALE]

Yep yep, john....medical evidence is the MOST important part of claim process whether it be an IMO or medical history. The VA has a tough time getting around medical evidence if it's there black and white.

frank

I like what Wholesale is saying about getting copies of what you submit. If you have some degenerating condition I would say to stay in treatment at the VA for the rest of your life. You can go to other doctors, but keep going for treatment to the VA. Everytime you are seen at the VAMC you add more documentation to your file to show the decline in your condition. The VA is good at one thing and that is producing paperwork for your file. You want a mountain of documentation and they will provide it.

[rdavena]

currently rated at 30% for eyes and ears.

Eye condition is Keratoconus at 10% each eye but they now have to do a corneal transplant(s) because they are expecting the corneas to rupture due to how thin they are. I have all of the documentation proving it has gotten worse. One VSO states that I can not declare it a worsening condition due to the fact the private doc is going to "make it better" because of the corneal transplants.

What is right? Thanks.