Ask Your VA Claims Question | Current Forum Posts | Search | Rules | View All Forums
VA Disability Articles | Chats and Other Events | Donate | Blogs | New Users
- 0
How Is An 1151 Claim Decided, By Whom?
Rate this question
Ask Your VA Claims Question | Current Forum Posts | Search | Rules | View All Forums
VA Disability Articles | Chats and Other Events | Donate | Blogs | New Users
Rate this question
Question
acesup
I had an emergency appendectomy by a private surgeon in a private hospital.
Two days later, I went to VA clinic for a previously scheduled exam. I complained to the PA of painful cough and coughing up a bit of blood.
He sent me for a chest X-ray, and they did routine blood labs, supposedly checked OK.
My painful cough with blood got worse. Two days after the VA visit, the PA called to tell me the lab results and X-ray checked good.
Three hours later, I was in the Emergency Room of the local hospital with severe chest pain, extremely painful shallow breathing, and blood pressure that was like 200/120 or something crazy. They did a doppler sonogram of my legs, plus a CT scan of my lungs.
I had bilateral DVT (Deep Vein Thrombosis, meaning blood clots in legs) and bilateral PE's (Pulmonary Emboli, potentially fatal blood clots in lungs), and was admitted to Pulmonary ICU.
They immediately put me on Lovenox (blood thinner). Next morning, they installed a permanent vena cava filter below my heart, and
I spent a week in the hospital, much of it in ICU.
I am now on Coumadin (blood thiiners) daily therapy for the rest of my life.
It is my belief that when I reported to the VA clinic, a medical professional should have suspected and investigated the possibility of DVT and PE, because, as I have since learned:
a) DVT and PE are always a distinct possibility after surgery
:( my painful cough with blood was obviously the onset of blood clots entering the lungs.
The PA, strangely enough, did NOT record that I presented with a painful cough. However, he did send me for a chest X-ray, and for the reason, he put "cough".
Interestingly, the PA added an addendum to my record two days after he saw me,(and the SAME day I went to the hospital) that said "Patient "Feeling fine, like a human being again".
I don't know if this will be considered negligence on his part, but I think I will file an 1151. What is the process? Who decides it, the VARO or a court?
Thanks in advance for your input.
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Top Posters For This Question
3
1
1
Popular Days
Jan 14
5
Top Posters For This Question
acesup 3 posts
carlie 1 post
Berta 1 post
Popular Days
Jan 14 2010
5 posts
4 answers to this question
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now