Intestinal Disease Questions

[retiredat44]

Intestinal disease questions:

some of you might already know about me, but I have a question that I really haven't asked like this before, in this way..

in the USAF I worked with petroleum chemicals, and got sick... and was removed form my job, with doctors orders, but was placed into another job with more chemicals causing more of the same disease symptoms..

I suffered from intetinal disease, gastritis, swelling, blood pressure problems ( hypertenision), headaches, etc..

this went on for at least 2 years and included tests and hospitalization for gastritis, headaches, etc..

later, after I left the usaf, I developed full blown intestinal disease and continued treatment in less than 8 years after seperation.. also spinal disease,, also neurological disease..

my intestinal disease finally got so bad I ended up with chronic pancreatitis.. and spent 6 months in t he hospital becaase of a 5 inch pancreas cyst.. (removed through surgery with severe complications) severe edema, muscle wasting., neurlogical disease like MS, Dystrophy, etc.. portal vein thrombosis.. (tranfusions, several blood infections..ets... internal bleeding)

simplified,,, for this forum and questions..

my question(s).

the gastritis had already been disagnosed and in my records..

the usaf had already given me 50% for the headaches from chemicals..

My main question for this thread:

the gastritis,, in rating the disease, do they look at it as in addition to pancrease disease part of pancrease disease.. all intestinal diseases lumped together..

the liver and pancreas together, the portal vein thrombosis added...

the 6 months hospitalization added

the inability to eat and walk added...

convelescence added... physical therapy in both the hsopital and home therapy... (I had nurses coming to my home afte leaving the hospital with special equipment for me installed in my home..)

the conditions I have a chronic and permanent

including severe chronic pain for 30 years..

does the VA disability claims only look at the gastritis as continuing for 30 years since the original diagnosis on active duty 30 years ago.. or do they include the advancment of the disease including all the complications, surgery) and diseases of the digetive system. Are they added, seperate.... both physically and rating numbers (added together, full percentages, etc???).

I think I ended up confusing people with my problems...

if so I am sorry, but my case is a nightmare and most of the professsionals have said my case is really complicated and a real doozy..

some of the doctors have asked if have considered wring a book about my experiences..

(I have simplified this info... the records take up at least 10 reams of paper just for 6 months of hospitalization records..).

thanx..

Edited April 14, 2011 by retiredat44

[jbasser]

You need a IME, Pherhaps an internal Medicine Doctor to list your issues, go through the records and place all of them together in a ubdebatable format. You should be rated a lot higher than 50 percent.

Do you know any other Hadit Members who live in San Diego?

I know a few.

J

[retiredat44]

You need a someone, Pherhaps an internal Medicine Doctor to list your issues, go through the records and place all of them together in a ubdebatable format. You should be rated a lot higher than 50 percent.

Do you know any other Hadit Members who live in San Diego?

I know a few.

J

My VSO already went through them. and organzized the papers, when I filled out the appeal papers and went to the DRO hearing.. I am just tyring to figure out how they would rate this stuff.. and just in case I do lose appeals,, get some ideas...

I thought I would just ask in case anyone else wne through a similar situation,, I don't want to twist anyone's mind with this if no one knows, that's ok,,, but ya never know, soemone might have alreayd had a similar situation and understands what they do with cases like mine..

when they gave me the copies from VA records, they came in boxes of reams.. and were organzied by date in sections, like progress notes, in one part, lab reports, in anothers, but treatment and tests were just in order by date, not by disease or symptom, so they had to be read line by line... it's monumental. If they were al scanned into a computer then they could just be looked using a computer searching programs, but scanning them into a computer would take a crazy amountof time and elbow bending placing each page on a copier glass,, and million pages..

anyways, my VSO with the American legion helped me when I took the boxes to her...

Edited April 14, 2011 by retiredat44

[Guest]

I will try to make this as plain as possible and hopefully not add any confusion. According to the CFR 38 part 4 multiple digestive problems could be combined and compensated for the highest rate of disability:

§ 4.113 Coexisting abdominal conditions.

There are diseases of the digestive system, particularly within the abdomen, which, while differing in the site of pathology, produce a common disability picture characterized in the main by varying degrees of abdominal distress or pain, anemia and disturbances in nutrition. Consequently, certain coexisting diseases in this area, as indicated in the instruction under the title "Diseases of the Digestive System," do not lend themselves to distinct and separate disability evaluations without violating the fundamental principle relating to pyramiding as outlined in §4.14.

§ 4.7 Higher of two evaluations.

Where there is a question as to which of two evaluations shall be applied, the higher evaluation will be assigned if the disability picture more nearly approximates the criteria required for that rating. Otherwise, the lower rating will be assigned.

Also keep in mind that you may have secondary issues that may be ratable. I agree with jbasser that you need to see an Internal Medicine Specialist to help you understand your conditions and how they can be linked together.

[carlie]

If they were al scanned into a computer then they could just be looked using a computer searching programs,

retired,

Have you ever asked your RO if they have your C-file available on CD ROM ?

[retiredat44]

You need a IME, Pherhaps an internal Medicine Doctor to list your issues, go through the records and place all of them together in a ubdebatable format. You should be rated a lot higher than 50 percent.

Do you know any other Hadit Members who live in San Diego?

I know a few.

J

my IMO doctor charged me $2,000 for one hour and to read and evaluate 1" of documents... inclduing a quck exam,, that IMO was included with my claim...

she is a Toxocologist who once worked for the VA and now owns her own Occupational medicine practice specializing in Toxicology, with specialties in petrochemicals. I could not afford have her do more than she already has.

I already talked to one member here who lives in my area and gave me some sound advice before my DRO hearing about the hearing.

The only other person that has a similar situation had the same experience , but had cancer, where in my situation, there was no cancer, but we both suffer the same sysmtoms, some of the same surgery and same hsopital stay,, but he only had to stay 2 months, mine was more complicated and needed 6 months... his claim was denied...

in fact I gave him this website info to ask for help here, he's a disabled Navy vet. I guess he never aksed for help here... I think he wanted o go back to work... (even though he had the whipple procedure to remove the cancer and part of his stomach and pancreas).

The 5 inch cyst on my pancreas was non cancerous,, I still have many smaller cyst call psuedocyts... which become infected often..)

I could never go back to work..

otherwise I do not know anyone else with a similar situation. I am one of a kind..

many diseases...

Edited April 14, 2011 by retiredat44