Saw A Cardiologist Today

[betrayed]

The VA did a stress test as part of a pre op for a kidney stone. Guess what the stress test I failed. They cancelled the stone surgery. I am still waiting to hear about my cardilogist appointment with a VA doctor...............................................Saw a non VA cardiologist today, he put me on ATENOLOL 25mg and is doing a sonogram? next week and then going to schedule the catherization.

I was reading my C&P for my heart what a joke they said A OK!

So my spinal fusion is now cancelled for who knows how long.

this is what the report for the stress test says

Impression

1. Large, mild severity, adenosine induced abnormality of myocardial perfussion reserve in the inferior LV. A contribution to this defect from a diaphragmatic attenuation artifact can not be excluded.

2. Left ventricular ejection fraction is 48% whic is mildly depressed with normal wall motion and systolic wall thickening.

ANYBODY KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS?

[Berta]

FLCHRI-

Yep definitely sounds like Section 1151 claim-

I will look over your posts again and get back to you-

Dont forget- the VA misdiagnosed my husband's heart disease, strokes, and diabetes-and he is dead-

Thank God you got a second opinion from a real doctor-

are you able to scan some of the C & P results? from January?

Did the VA give you an ECHO? Got those results?

[Berta]

John- needed to add to my post- the high cholestrol can be secondary if it has caused atherosclerosis or heart disease-

I posted a hyperlipidemia secondary to DMII BVA claim here some time ago- cant find it now-

The VA in many decisions considers this to be simply a lab result and not a disability-however when they found that AO caused DMII , the VA began to look at this condition differently- and it is in their diabetes mellitus training letter. High cholestrol is associated to narrowed arteries and atherosclerosis.

I read many older decisions today at the BVA that were made prior to the VA's full recognition of what damage diabetes can do-

they denied vets with SC diabetes who also had complications of this disease that they had claimed-

It seems to take a good medical statement of a diabetes nexus to HBP, heart disease, strokes, vision problems, and atherosclerosis and the many other skin conditions, and even dental problems that diabetes can cause.

Even though their training letter recognises these conditions.

[Guest jstacy]

The VA did a stress test as part of a pre op for a kidney stone. Guess what the stress test I failed. They cancelled the stone surgery. I am still waiting to hear about my cardilogist appointment with a VA doctor...............................................Saw a non VA cardiologist today, he put me on ATENOLOL 25mg and is doing a sonogram? next week and then going to schedule the catherization.

I was reading my C&P for my heart what a joke they said A OK!

So my spinal fusion is now cancelled for who knows how long.

this is what the report for the stress test says

Impression

1. Large, mild severity, adenosine induced abnormality of myocardial perfussion reserve in the inferior LV. A contribution to this defect from a diaphragmatic attenuation artifact can not be excluded.

2. Left ventricular ejection fraction is 48% whic is mildly depressed with normal wall motion and systolic wall thickening.

ANYBODY KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS?

Jim, Are you service connected for Hypertension?

A left Ventricle Defect ca also be attributed to long term hypertension. Hypertension and heart disease go hand in hand and it is worse with Cholesterol.

Consider filing a claim for Heart disease relative to Hypertension.

[betrayed]

Jim, Are you service connected for Hypertension?

No, thats another one of the absurd mistakes they made. I had my first of 5 C&P's 10 months after discharge. During that C&P the examiner noted I was on BP Medications from a private doctor and put this in her report.

I am assuming that because I did not initially claim hypertension they decided not to rate it or even address it even though

The VA has a duty to rate all disabilities the claimant may have regardless of whether

they were specified

I then filed for hypertension and had another C&P which according to the C&P Report the examiner was to do a exam for the heart and a exam for hypertension. During that C&P the examiner diagnosed me with hypertension, prostatitus and ED.

The VA denied my claim for SC hypertension

Reasons for Decision (Rating Decision dated February 17, 2006):

“VA Records show that you were issued lisinopril and Lasix on December 21, 2005.”

“While the medical evidence shows that hypertension is currently diagnosed, the medical evidence fails to show that the disability became compensable within the time period specified under 38 CFR 3.307. Therefore service connection on a presumptive basis must be denied.”

Freakin morons! How is 10 months not within the time period specified under 38 CFR 3.307.

Berta, I will scan those and email them to you...............

Edited June 3, 2006 by FLHRCI

[Guest jstacy]

Jim, File your claim for your Blockages as soon as you can if you have not done so. You are within the

presumptive time period. (11-2005)

Arteriosclerosis. is a presumptive condition and it is calicifications of blockages of arteries.

(a) Chronic diseases. The following diseases shall be granted service connection although not otherwise established as incurred in or aggravated by service if manifested to a compensable degree within the applicable time limits under §3.307 following service in a period of war or following peacetime service on or after January 1, 1947, provided the rebuttable presumption provisions of §3.307 are also satisfied.

Anemia, primary.

Arteriosclerosis.

Arthritis.

Atrophy, progressive muscular.

Brain hemorrhage.

Brain thrombosis.

Bronchiectasis.

Calculi of the kidney, bladder, or gallbladder.

Cardiovascular-renal disease, including hypertension. (This term applies to combination involvement of the type of arteriosclerosis, nephritis, and organic heart disease, and since hypertension is an early symptom long preceding the development of those diseases in their more obvious forms, a disabling hypertension within the 1-year period will be given the same benefit of service connection as any of the chronic diseases listed.)

Cirrhosis of the liver.

Coccidioidomycosis.

Diabetes mellitus.

Encephalitis lethargica residuals.

Endocarditis. (This term covers all forms of valvular heart disease.)

Endocrinopathies.

Epilepsies.

Hansen's disease.

Hodgkin's disease.

Leukemia.

Lupus erythematosus, systemic.

Myasthenia gravis.

Myelitis.

Myocarditis.

Nephritis.

Other organic diseases of the nervous system.

Osteitis deformans (Paget's disease).

Osteomalacia.

Palsy, bulbar.

Paralysis agitans.

Psychoses.

Purpura idiopathic, hemorrhagic.

Raynaud's disease.

Sarcoidosis.

Scleroderma.

Sclerosis, amyotrophic lateral.

Sclerosis, multiple.

Syringomyelia.

Thromboangiitis obliterans (Buerger's disease).

Tuberculosis, active.

Tumors, malignant, or of the brain or spinal cord or peripheral nerves.

Ulcers, peptic (gastric or duodenal) (A proper diagnosis of gastric or duodenal ulcer (peptic ulcer) is to be considered established if it represents a medically sound interpretation of sufficient clinical findings warranting such diagnosis and provides an adequate basis for a differential diagnosis from other conditions with like symptomatology; in short, where the preponderance of evidence indicates gastric or duodenal ulcer (peptic ulcer). Whenever possible, of course, laboratory findings should be used in corroboration of the clinical data.

[Berta]

Jim-

Impression

1. Large, mild severity, adenosine induced abnormality of myocardial perfussion reserve in the inferior LV. A contribution to this defect from a diaphragmatic attenuation artifact can not be excluded.

2. Left ventricular ejection fraction is 48% whic is mildly depressed with normal wall motion and systolic wall thickening

Have they ruled out diabetes and atherosclerosis?

I assume you have a real cardiologist treating you now?

You said :I was reading my C&P for my heart what a joke they said A OK!

I would-if I were you (make sure you get all of your VA med recs first before they get this)

is file a claim thus:

This is a claim under provisions of Section 1151 , 38 USC. I believe my medical records will reveal that the VA failed to properly diagnose and treat my heart conditon and, due to their negligence, I have suffered additional disability.

I am enclosing as evidence a copy of a C & P exam(the one in which they said your heart was OK)

and a copy of my recent discharge certificate for hospitalization due to cardiac catheterization.

Sincerely,

Also

"I am assuming that because I did not initially claim hypertension they decided not to rate it or even address it even though

The VA has a duty to rate all disabilities the claimant may have regardless of whether

they were specified " you sure are correct there-

An NSC rating or a "O" SC rating should have been done for the HBP.

JStacy is quite correct too--- if this was in presumptive period-

I didnt even consider that until he mentioned it-great point JStacy-

I thought you had been out of mil longer then this.