-
Searches Community Forums, Blog and more
- 0
-
Our picks
-
Type 1 Diabetes recent onset!
Marc14 posted a question in VA Disability Compensation Benefits Claims Research Forum,
I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in September 2017 OUT OF NOWHERE.
i am a Navy Reservist and deployed in later 2009 to mid 2010 and again later 2014 to mid 2015; had a 2 year recall between those deployments.
Only healthcare received since commissioning in 2008 was from the Navy and no issues EVER.
insulin dependent and have dietary restrictions and in a non deployable status.
VA denied initial claim due to Type 1 not showing on active duty and now appealing.
Anyone with successful experience getting a rating with my circumstances? I live in Upstate New York.-
- 9 replies
Picked By
Tbird, -
-
Agent Orange Kadena Afb Okinawa
clynch726 posted a question in Agent Orange,
I am looking for anyone who was on Kadena AFB, Okinawa or .Chanute AFB, IL. My dad was there from Oct. 68-April 70. He has ichemic heart disease, diabetes which has resulted in the amputation of his right leg below the knee and peripheral neuropathy. We were denied in 2002 AMVETS filed a claim on his behalf for heart condition, diabetes and back problems. I refiled in December 2011 and have just received the claim statements and medical release forms. I am familiar with filling out this paper work because my husband is a combat veteran of Iraqi Freedom. I have been reading articles from the Japan times and I am a member of the Agent Orange Okinawa facebook page. Another thing that helps make my dad's case is that he was on Chanute AFB, IL and it is on the EPA Superfund list and has PCBs/Pesticides and Dioxins/Furans listed as ground and water contaminants. I welcome any advice, tips or articles that I may have missed in my own research.-
-
- 15 replies
Picked By
Tbird, -
-
CBO Options for Reducing the Deficit: 2019 to 2028 Published Dec 2018
Tbird posted a topic in VA Disability Claims Articles and VA News,
CBO Options for Reducing the Deficit: 2019 to 2028 - This CBO Report has been making the news. This post includes parts relevant to veterans. Nothing has been decided as of yet and some seem very unlikely but you never know. Forewarned is Forearmed.
https://www.hadit.com/cbo-options-for-reducing-the-deficit-2019-to-2028-published-dec-2018/-
- 8 replies
Picked By
Tbird, -
-
2019 Veterans Benefits
Tbird posted a question in VA Disability Compensation Benefits Claims Research Forum,
State Benefits, Space A and More ... https://www.hadit.com/2019-changes-to-veterans-benefits-state-and-federal/-
- 2 replies
Picked By
Tbird, -
-
Appeal granted and closed.
Renegade87 posted a question in Appealing Your Veterans Compensation Disability Claims NOD, DRO, BVA, USCAVC,
My appeal was granted and closed on November 9. I got an unofficial notification from the DAV on November 15 stating "appeal granted with an evaluation of 30%" which is great! My question is this: How long until I get the official notification from the va? Nothing on ebennies has updated since the appeal closed. Appeal is now in historical and just says complete and at originating va office. I understand no one knows va timelines to a tee but a general timeline would be great. Thank you all! Hope you have a Merry Christmas!
Edit: This was my first time appealing and it was a VBA grant.-
-
- 6 replies
Picked By
Tbird, -
-
-
Ads
-
Popular Contributors
-
Ad
-
Latest News
I just got back yesterday from a trip to Atlanta to participate in a DOD sponsored study being done by Dr. John Shoffner at Medical Nurogenetics. They are still looking for another 20 or so study participants. Dr. Shoffner is particularly looking for GWV's that have joint and muscle pain along with the other typically associated symptoms.
Dr. Schoffner is genuinely interested in finding a cause and treatment for GWI. He is using skin and blood samples, looking for genetic markers, mitochondrial damage and I'm sure a whole bunch of other advanced medical stuff that deals with DNA and cellular functions that is light years over my head. I got to spend about 30 minutes with the man and I was very impressed. He is thoroughly versed in GWI (and the ways of the VA) and has been the first doctor that I've ever spoken to that was willing and able to address the myriad of questions and concerns I had. He is already uncovered some distinct findings and is more than willing to share that information with my medical care team. He gave me a handful of cards and urged me to have all my doctors call him as he can give them information that would help them identify and treat some of the things that are going on with me. It was worth the entire trip just to talk to him!
If you are interested in participating, all you have to do is call Emily Voigt (info below), a nurse at the clinic. She'll email (or mail) forms for you to send to the VA to release your medical records as well as a consent form to send back to them. Once they review your medical records and determine that you show the symptoms of GWI, Emily will contact you to set up a date for you to travel to Atlanta from wherever you are in the U.S. It took a couple of months from the time I applied to my actual visit. They pay for the flight, super nice taxi to/from the airport, hotel and a $100 Visa card (which they give you when you check into the hotel). Note: They will only put you up in a hotel if they can't fly you in and out in the same day. I flew in from the west coast and there was no way they could schedule me for one day so I got lucky. If I had the foresight, I would have asked for my flight home a couple of days later so I could have stayed and played tourist.
The clinic staff is really great and made the entire experience quite pleasant. You'll get to interview with Dr. Shoffner for about 30 minutes then they take you into another room where they draw some blood and take two tiny pieces of skin from your arm to culture and study. In and out in less than two hours and it was all quite painless.
Just in case you're wondering, it is cheaper for them to pay for your trip there and back than it would be for them to pay a physician to gather and ship the samples. Plus, they would freeze the skin samples for shipment and they want the samples "fresh." Besides, you wouldn't get to talk with Dr. Shoffner and that would be a huge missed opportunity to talk with a doctor that actually understands our illness.
If you have the time and like to travel, I strongly urge you to contact Emily at the clinic and volunteer to participate. These are the good guys and they are truly trying to help us with what Dr. Shoffner says will be a study with major impact on the diagnosis and treatment of GWV's.
Contact info:
Emily Voigt, RN, BSN
678-225-0222
evoigt@mnglab.com
Here is the an excerpt of the text from the letter they sent me about the study:
RE: Study Recruitment Material
Title: Mechanisms of Mitochondrial Dysfunction in Gulf War Syndrome
Funding: DOD, GW080138
Principal Investigator: John Shoffner, M.D.
Study Rationale:
Gulf War syndrome (GWS) is associated with increased incidences of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, pain syndromes, muscle
complaints that include fatigue and myalgias, as well as other neurological symptoms. Approximately 100,000 individuals of the
700,000 veterans deployed in the 1990-1991 Gulf War have medical complaints consistent with GWS. Clinical manifestations are
similar to those identified in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS). Abnormalities in the part of the cell known as mitochondria have
been delineated in GWS and CFS. We propose that GWS is determined by a complex interaction of variables that impair
mitochondrial function that include genetic susceptibility, pre-Gulf War exposures, Gulf War associated exposures, and aging. This
study will be the first comprehensive investigation of mitochondrial function in GWS. Our objective is to establish the cause for
symptoms in affected veterans, develop testing that can more easily identify GWS, and ultimately develop treatment protocols for
GWS.
The mitochondria have many functions that include changing the foods we eat into a usable form of energy known as ATP
(adenosine triphosphate). All the cells of our body use this energy to run the biochemical reactions that allow our cells to function
properly. Hence, the mitochondria act as tiny power plants inside of every cell. These power plants also utilize about 95% of the
oxygen that we breathe. When the energy (ATP) is produced at normal levels, the cells function normally. When the energy (ATP)
is reduced, the cells develop a variety of problems (analogous to a city during a brown out where energy dependent functions begin
to fail). The central nervous system and muscle are often affected. These diseases can have their onset at any age and can even be
triggered by exposure to certain chemicals and drug exposures. Multiple lines of evidence from the literature and from patients
studied in our laboratory suggest that the mitochondria are not functioning properly in GWS and in CFS. Hence, detailed
investigation of mitochondrial dysfunction in GWS is a priority.
Over the last two decades, our group has been dedicated to working with patients with mitochondrial defects. Over the years, we
described many inherited mutations and biochemical defects that impair mitochondrial function. Our proposal is unique in that we
integrate a variety of specialized laboratory techniques that characterize mitochondrial function into a comprehensive investigation.
Our proposal is designed to characterize mitochondrial function in 50 veterans with GWS using blood and skin cells. We will be
investigating the skin and blood cells by characterizing precisely how mitochondria are working through detailed investigation of
mitochondrial enzyme function, of mitochondria within living cells, of mitochondrial proteins, and of mitochondrial genes.
Participation in the study will take approximately 1.5-2.0 hours of your time. The procedures performed during this
visit are a clinical evaluation by Dr. Shoffner, drawing blood, and a small skin biopsy from the arm. Once again the
consent form discusses the study and the procedures in detail. Dr. Shoffner will answer your questions about the
study.
If you are interested in participation, please call us at 678-225-0222
Edited by sleeper692Share this post
Link to post
Share on other sites