diabetes Diabetes Connection?

[Gridsmasher11]

Since I have been Diagnosed as having Diabetes I was wondering if my time on the Army Overweight Program can be connected for service connection....While on active duty I had to continously watch my weight and fought and struggled with being on the Army Overweight Program...In my medical records are numerous exams and paperwork showing enrollment in the program...Including where the Army sent me to a Dietician....Since fighting obesity can lead to Diabetes I was wondering can I use this for a service-connection..Any answers would help....Thanks, Grid

[Berta]

I had a difficult diabetes claim -the vet had been fighting VA for almost 12 years when I met him and helped him as favor to my former vet rep.

He too had weight problems in the Mil.Served in the 1960s-no AO exposure.

However it was the symptoms of diabetes in his SMRs ( many were difficult to read) and none,on the surface, indicated inservice diabetes.Until I researched every single SMR entry.

This vet had been at the CAVC twice by this time and remanded again to the BVA.

The original BVA decision contained a medical term in the initial paragraph that-as soon as I looked it up- Bingo- I knew he had a chance-but still

this was a lot of work- and after I did the research he also got an IMO from a well known Diabetes expert to highlight medically what I had found in his SMRs.

He was awarded and got 12 years retro.

Your SMRs could reveal symptoms of diabetes.

The VA Diabetes Training letter here was an invaluable resources to me when I helped this veteran.

It contains significant info as to symptoms that are symptomatic of DMII.

One cannot overlook any in-service eye problems or any abnormal fatigue that is documented.

A dental finding of oral candidiasis is also a marker for high glucose.

The VA training letter is very detailed.

I hope we have the older version 1997 VA diabetes Training letter. This was what I used for my diabetes SC claim.

No diabetes diagnosis or treatment whatsoever in my husband's clinical records.

I proved he had DMII from AO.

The 1997 Diabetes Training letter from VA was a template that helped me to decioher his documented symptoms and after researching every one of them, I willing paid $4000 for 2 IMos that supported the evidence I had found.

I am assuming you were not exposed to Agent Orange.

If you were and have Type II Adult onset diabetes, the VA will service connect it to herbicides.

The inservicce overweight program should have some blood work records.Should but maybe not- I am always flabergasted at the lack of inservice blood work that is often never done and should hace been done by the Mil.

The 1997 VA training letter was prepared before the ADA changed the glucose levels for diagnosing diabetes.

This can be a factor in any post service non AO DMII claim.

Dr. Bash in his IMOs for my claim told the VA to use the most favorable diabetic glucose criteria to award the claim.

Diabetes even long before it is diagnosed can affect the heart, brain, feet, skin, eyesight, etc etc-and symptoms have to be found in SMRs that could not have any other possible etiology but for diabetes.

Edited November 29, 2010 by Berta (see edit history)

[stillhere]

Since I have been Diagnosed as having Diabetes I was wondering if my time on the Army Overweight Program can be connected for service connection....While on active duty I had to continously watch my weight and fought and struggled with being on the Army Overweight Program...In my medical records are numerous exams and paperwork showing enrollment in the program...Including where the Army sent me to a Dietician....Since fighting obesity can lead to Diabetes I was wondering can I use this for a service-connection..Any answers would help....Thanks, Grid

Have you ever applied and been denied for DM2? Berta points out many good places for you to search your SMR's to see if there is anything that might help. If you have them that is a great place to start. If not you should get a copy as soon as you can.

I would also ask your doctor you are seeing now if the DM2 could have started while you were in service and if he/she agrees ask them for a letter.