Rate Org. Ihd Finding?

[LWF]

What do you think? Will the VA rate AO IHD conditions when it was first discovered (damage done at this point!) or, use your most recent exam?

Now that most of us are doing better with medication and treatment and, I am glad, will they compensate for your org. condition?

[Chuck75]

We still don't know enough details to get a full picture. That said--

The 2005 event and testing may have made the VA (assuming that they did the tests, etc.) liable under 1151 and tort.

A stumbling point would be the time from then to now.

A treadmill test is not very definitive until you start exhibiting symptoms of heart failure.

(Abnormal electrocardiograph readings, abnormal heart sounds, dizziness, angina, "heaviness" of legs, etc.)

Another one has to do with heart rate. With heart damage, the base heart rate may actually be lower than normal--I.E. 55 instead of 60.

Older thinking was that a low base heart rate was good, and indicative of a long life. Wrong! Usually requires investigation/testing.

Anyway, Treadmill tests often increase in difficulty until a certain heart rate is attained, or obvious symptoms of distress are evident.

If the level of difficulty exceeds a certain level before this occurs, that level is usually used to determine METS and other ratings.

Sometimes, due to a patient's age and other considerations, and a lack of induced symptoms, a treadmill test will be stopped at some level, and the patient told that the test result was "normal" for

a person in the same general condition as the patient.

This, may increase safety for the patient, but does not do a good job of defining the patients abilities.

A "chemical" stress test combined with xray & dye or sonic scanning is usually more definitive, and may be safer, in that the "stress" can be countered immediately, and palliative drugs given that can take effect faster than oral nitroglycerin tablets.

(Personally been through that, watched my heart start to fail under load before I felt anything other than a strong heart beat)

Due to the details and complexity of your case, I'd say that you should think about getting a VA qualified lawyer involved. A good one will see things that you do not.

Such a lawyer should be admitted to practice in the appropriate federal district court as well as before the VA & BVA.

Any fees will be limited by law to ~20% of any retroactive awards obtained as a result of the lawyers actions.

A lawyer just won one for me, involving several items, multiple denials, ignored conditions, etc. Even with stuff deferred, and in some cases "low-balled", his cut was about 3K.

IHD may get interesting, in that a win may easily be due to the presumptive status, rather than the lawyers efforts. This can lead to a situation where the VA says noting is due the lawyer.

Even with this situation, the lawyer can still obtain his fee from the government.

I wonder on this staging stuff.

In 2002 echo with LVE 50%

In 2003 heart pain/shortness of breathe after xray and walking treadmill denied.

2004 appeal denied again after xray and walking treadmill

2005 appealed C&P Sept.05 denied walking treadmill test xray.

2005 Oct. 2 heart attacks over weekend blockages of 100%,70% and 50% two stents placed damaged heart at 40%

Granted heart disease for MI only back to date of Heart attack!

I have put in for an earlier effective date to 2003 based on the 2002 test and the lousy testing the VA did!

I could have very easily died because of their inept testing procedures. Which I might add have been changed in the past two years.

[stillhere]

I agree somewhat Chuck but I am waiting to see if my claim will be rated and approved under the presumatives of AO and the IHD nehmer.

I am inclined to think knowing all that has gone down on my case that the VA may grant back maybe to 04 and if that happens I do plan to get the lawyer involved. If they approve back to 03 as I request I will not even though their way of treating me made me feel like there was NO heart problem there at all. Hence the reason I did not go to the hospital right away and actually waited until Monday afternoon!

Berta and I have kicked this around for a while so I guess waiting another couple 3 weeks will not kill me I hope. I would much rather do it this way than get into a bunch of court casing and lawyer this and that.

I also suffer with PTSD the past few years and do not play nice at all!

But thanks for your thoughts and john's very clear!