Located An Old Ekg ......

[VetsLady]

Several years ago my husband went to the VAMC received an examination to be included on the "Agent Orange Registry" - he had already been denied sc and an appeal had been filed.

I located the report and EKG that was done that day by stopping at the local VAMC FOIA room and lo and behold, there is an EKG from that day indicating up on the top bar "Cannot rule out Inferior Infarct, age undetermined" and abnormal ECG

I remember seeing this EKG before, long ago and pulled my copy out and this language was not on top.

Whenever we asked his docs at the VA how his heart is doing, they all said "okay, within normal limits"

The emergency room he was taken to early last year did an EKG and told us about the "inferior infarction" - age undetermined

Took the report to his VA doc and she did another .... this was 4 days after the ER visit. The report indicated that compared to the EKG done at the VAMC 2 years prior, "The QT has lengthened" nothing else was indicated

I think about what you went through Berta and immediately made an appt for my husband with his private cardiologist and we're dropping these four EKG's off at their office today so she can review them.

Interestingly, I just found another piece of evidence ...... he saw the private cardiologist in May '04 on a referral for chest pain. Findings were a right bundle branch blockage. The Agent Orange Registry EKG was done in Sept. '04. Seems logical to me the silent heart attack occurred somewhere between those two dates.

AO examiner also ordered a chest X-ray and there was left ventricular hypertrophy found to be present.

I'd be most interested to hear any comments or ? that anyone may offer.

Edited January 12, 2012 by VetsLady

[VetsLady]

Harv,

Thanks for the response. First and foremost is proper medical care of course. Being proactive in his claim process, having to dig up information, question results, great note taking and learning about patience through the years (even before the VA claims were initiated) I have come to find that perseverance pays off.

Yes, he is a Vietnam Veteran, boots on ground and sc for AO conditions already.

Thank you for the response.

[Lorraine]

Vet's Lady

Wishing you the best of luck with pursuing this claim - seems like you have some good medical evidence and you know your way around the VA claims process if he's already 100% SC, so go for it! I can tell you are watching out for his best interests with his health. You take care.

Lorraine

[Harv]

VetsLady,

I know how this must alarm you and your Vet, just as I was alarmed. I now don't stress

myself as I usually did, just take it easy. You have done a marvelous job in research and

perserverance. I wish your Vet good luck upon seeing his Cardiologist. I also have a

mild left atrial enlargement, so just changed somewhat my lifestyle to not overdo anything.

My hats off to you for your dedication, and I wish you and your Vet only the very best.

[treysnonna]

Posted Today, 01:53 PM

so our family doc did a ekg and stress about 6 yrs ago and ask my husband if he had, had a heart attack. he seen something that made him think that. if he did have a heart attack it was mild and we never went doc or is there such a thing as a silent attack. i think there is. now is cardio just found the valvular heart disease. but he never has said that an ekg showed anything. but he is also one of these that kind of snarls his nose at va claims. at least that is the way he has made me feel. and if the one from our family doc shows anything, should we get a second opinion on this. he had a blood clot in his lungs on feb 15, 2011. they never did find where it came from. they checked his legs etc. he has a leaky aortic valve.