Hep C From Vamc Laziness

[Bigred122]

I hope I'm doing this right. back in 1997 I had a colonoscopy done at Boise VA Medical center. Two days later I had to go to ER due to excessive bleeding. I was losing approxiamately 1 cup per hour.Surgeon wanted to leave early that day (11 am) and discounted how much I was bleeding out.He ordered an IV be installed, but failed to order any fluids for the IV. If either of these would have been done, I wouldn't have needed 4 units of blood the next day. Eight months later, I was notified by State health dept. (not VA) that I had tested positive for Hep C. I was told at that time period that I had no recourse for any compensation.Last summer, I noticed that the Vets from Florida who contracted Hep C from colonoscopies had received free medical, 100% disability and were being determined individually if more disability would be warranted. I had the unusual P&C physical last month and haven't received any red flags to date.Part of me expects floor to drop out from beneath me by past experiences with VA. Then part of me says that it is a new VA and things are different.I am glad this new generation of Vets are being treated differently than what us VN vets dealt with. Which side of me is more correct? I did a search before I got courage to write this.Thank you in advance for any and all advice!! Mike

[Bigred122]

I'm surprised there is no listing for the 122nd Signal Battalion. At one time or another we have provided several of these units communications.I personally have provided communications for 4 of the units.Oh well, at least my luck is consisentant.Maybe someday they will add the supporting units to these infantry/artillery units. Thanks for more info to add to my file.Mike

[deltaj]

You folks have been such great help to me, feel free to use me as a good/bad example. I yesterday I ordered every note taken during the time period I was in the hospital in 1997. Hoping to get serial numbers of blood so that I can trace them. I was specific yet fague enough as to hopefully not draw any attention to what I was doing. Who do I contact to get medical records of when I was in the service. I know that they aren't with my regular medical records. I thought they would be combined, but they never have been. Since my claim on Ebenefits says AO claim is closed, yet I haven't received any denial letter on it, I want to gather all my additional evidence on it when I get denial letter. I plan on giving the records dept a couple of weeks before I have them gather everything on my graves disease, thyroidpectomy,diabetes and all the other cyst that they have removed from head to toe.I'd like to be able to gather as much info without drawing any attention to myself.Since I have now contacted about 6 lawyers about my claim and not 1 has answered me. I guess they only want the easy ones.lol I even contacted Mike Sheppard, the attorney representing the Florida Vets on their Hep C cases.Been a week no response yet. So I might be on my own . When you say IMO in the thread, what are you meaning? I thought it was InMyOpinion,but that doesn't look right in this post.lol Any way Thank you again for everything!! Mike

Mike, Have you filed a claim to service connect your hepatitis? I ask this because the military used air guns to inject troops with immunizations and other shots. Those air guns have been known to cause hepatitis although the government oftentimes denies these sorts of claims.

[deltaj]

Bigred- I certainly didnt mean you in a post I made here this AM on 1151/FTCA issues.

I commend you for using the internet to research your conditions.I did extensive medical research for my FTCA and 1151 claims and sure wish I had the internet then as it is now.

The net made my last claim in 2003 much easier- and that claim involved a malpracticed condition that I did not see in the original claims.It never appears at all in the med recs so you can imagine I needed a lot of research on that one and I ended up getting 3 IMOs to make sure I would get the award I sought.AO diabetes causing death. The diabetes was the additional malpracticed condition.Per NVLSP they had never seen a claim like mine.

Leg work pays off.

Based on your posts it even looks to me that they might have inappropriately treated your diabetes.But I am not a doctor and a good IMO doc would be able to tell if they did from your clinical VA records.

Berta, I think that V.A. has a regulation in 38 CFR that evidence received by Social Security in support of a claim under Title II (death benefits) is presumed received by V.A. on the same date. I have often wondered if that regulation may have helped your V.A. appeals on your dead husband's record.

[deltaj]

I hope I'm doing this right. back in 1997 I had a colonoscopy done at Boise VA Medical center. Two days later I had to go to ER due to excessive bleeding. I was losing approxiamately 1 cup per hour.Surgeon wanted to leave early that day (11 am) and discounted how much I was bleeding out.He ordered an IV be installed, but failed to order any fluids for the IV. If either of these would have been done, I wouldn't have needed 4 units of blood the next day. Eight months later, I was notified by State health dept. (not VA) that I had tested positive for Hep C. I was told at that time period that I had no recourse for any compensation.Last summer, I noticed that the Vets from Florida who contracted Hep C from colonoscopies had received free medical, 100% disability and were being determined individually if more disability would be warranted. I had the unusual P&C physical last month and haven't received any red flags to date.Part of me expects floor to drop out from beneath me by past experiences with VA. Then part of me says that it is a new VA and things are different.I am glad this new generation of Vets are being treated differently than what us VN vets dealt with. Which side of me is more correct? I did a search before I got courage to write this.Thank you in advance for any and all advice!! Mike

Mike, V.A. has had instances of improper sterilization of equipment for some medical procedures. Please try a search online under improper sterilization of equipment AND V.A. Then try a search online under improper sterilization AND veteran. Next try a search online under improper sterilization AND V.A. AND Boise. See if any these can help you on an 1151 claim.

[deltaj]

You are right with the time period on the health dept. This chart notes was prior to surgeon doing a thyroidpectomy. Dr Berglund removed 1/2 of my thyroid on that date. The hernia screen was originally done by a civilian Dr and was replaced in 2006 by the VA and during that surgery some cysts were removed from abnomen area. No sign of diabetes until I went into a diabetic coma of 1100bs in 8/2009.First in family with diabetes. I blame AO.I have also been diagnosed with having Graves disease as well.

The colonoscopy that went wrong was done Thanksgiving weekend in 1997. I live 60 miles from Boise VAMC and don't make any appoints during winter time.I started taking my Hep A&B shots in 3/99. It's funny how they will use a time period againest you when it's in their favor, yet at the same time they will say that one contracted the disease 25 years earlier and it just layed dormant until I had a transfusion.lol What are the odds of that happening.lol I started going to the Boise VAMC around 1993 or 1994. But the VA wasn't testing for Hep C back then, I was told. I agree with you that I will have to get a lawyer to get them to release info I seek if it even exist anymore. Either way should be in my favor. I had to get a lawyer for my SSD claim, but during my court hearing, I did all the challenging and destroying their challenges and the lawyer never said a word. Was only there BECAUSE. I believe this will be the same way I figure. I just need them to order the FOIA like you suggested. I'm going to try to get that info first, but I expect them to say that I'm not cleared to get That Info. Just the info I have is about a foot deep. Everytime I moved I got the previous years records. So Lots of holes in my records also. Since I was told then, I had no recourse, I didn't do much research. That has only been done in the last 6 months.The internet has been a blessing to me for information. Thank you again for all your help and suggestions. I hope this is a short fight. After a major heart attack in 11/2008 and Diabetic coma in 8/2009 my helth is slipping fast. The VA wants to do their yearly cutting on my colon pollulaps, But I told them "no more cutting till they accept what they did in the past".If they won't accept the truth, they are not getting a third chance at killing me.lol I tell them colon cancer is a slow death. The AO will be the cause of a much faster death. Thanks for everything!! Mike

Mike, Are you certain V.A. was testing for blood borne pathogens in that era? If other doctors outside the V.A. were doing that then perhaps you could reopen the claim under 38 USC 5108. I'm frankly not sure whether that law would apply to your 1151 claim but it might.

[Bigred122]

Mike, Are you certain V.A. was testing for blood borne pathogens in that era? If other doctors outside the V.A. were doing that then perhaps you could reopen the claim under 38 USC 5108. I'm frankly not sure whether that law would apply to your 1151 claim but it might.

They say that they started around 1992, but it would not be the first thing that they have miss quoted to me.I'll be curious to see how they determine my claim. Thanks to you folks, I have been going over every medical note in my possession and what I keep finding upsets me greatly. Yesterday I found that Primary Dr in Portland VAMC had put me in for a pension and it was denied. I never knew about it. Second thing I found was that in the chart notes of the civilian hospital that handled my massive heart attack and heart surgery diagnosed me with Diabetes. As soon as I got out of hospital I gave my hospital records to the Boise VAMC. I saw them 3 time in the spring of 2009.Never was Diabetes ever mentioned. 8/2009 I suffered a major diabetic seizure of 1100 BS. I was literally out of my mind for 3 days. Only vision I had was shadows and was bedridden for several weeks. I now have short term memory loss, most of vision has returned. I now suffer from aniexty attacks associated with this disease. It was the scarest thing I have ever experience. Fear was never anything that I had ever experienced.Anyway, the VA should have notified me about the diabetes and put me on a program within that 9 month period.Another screw up by VA that had in dangered my life again. No wonder my Boise primary was retired early.Diabetes was suppose to be one of his specialites. I was thinking about seeing if he would help my case till I found out this added info yesterday. I bet he blames me for his termination. No need to respond to me, I just needed to vent a little. I sure hope the VA doesn't read my thread.lol If so I probably have said too much and they will be able to put 2+2 together and know that it is me. OH well, wouldn't be first time I inserted Foot (a) into mouth (b).Mike