Medical Records Have Arrived!

[ArmyDaughter]

So when I got home from work yesterday there were 3 large packages waiting for me! At first I was confused because I didn't recall ordering anything.....then I seen the return address! Wow....lot of information there!!

I made it through about 1/3 of the first package and wow! There are so many things I didn't even know my dad had gone through! Things he was diagnosed with that I had no idea...guess parents hide things like that from kids sometimes! Haven't found any EKG's yet, but did notice that he was on multiple cardiac meds. There is much more research to be done and I'm thankful that I am a nurse and have been in the medical field for years. These records are so jumbled, from 11/04 to 4/04 to 9/04....duplicates of records it's crazy! So my plan is this weekend to clear out my living room and lay everything out and get it in order!

Besides the EKG, Heart Attack, Stent Placement, is there any other key symptoms/medications they are looking for specifically??

Thanks

Leah

[Philip Rogers]

You should keep the file in the order you received it, as it could point out some errors that were made. I suggest either making another copy for you to work with or number the pages in the order received, so that you can put them back in the original order should you need to. I believe the c-file is divided into 3 sections. Not sure how, tho. jmo

pr

So when I got home from work yesterday there were 3 large packages waiting for me! At first I was confused because I didn't recall ordering anything.....then I seen the return address! Wow....lot of information there!!

I made it through about 1/3 of the first package and wow! There are so many things I didn't even know my dad had gone through! Things he was diagnosed with that I had no idea...guess parents hide things like that from kids sometimes! Haven't found any EKG's yet, but did notice that he was on multiple cardiac meds. There is much more research to be done and I'm thankful that I am a nurse and have been in the medical field for years. These records are so jumbled, from 11/04 to 4/04 to 9/04....duplicates of records it's crazy! So my plan is this weekend to clear out my living room and lay everything out and get it in order!

Besides the EKG, Heart Attack, Stent Placement, is there any other key symptoms/medications they are looking for specifically??

Thanks

Leah

[Guest terrysturgis]

I must have missed your other post so am asking what you are trying to do. I assume that you are trying to get service connection for IHD or other Agent Orange related disease. Do as Phillip has suggested as the VA lives for paperwork. Also I would file for any Agent Orange related problems ASAP to get the ball rolling and then organize your evidence as you will have lots of time while the claim is getting processed. Terry

[ArmyDaughter]

Okay....so didn't actually think of it that way, but I see what you mean by keeping it in order! So that saves me several hours this weekend! Thanks!

Terry,

I received information regarding my dad (who is deceased) because he had filed a claim. Have already went through the process and got denied, so now I am doing my research because I had no idea what all went on with his medical history. Finding out now that I have received his records that there was LOTS goin on! Now to sift through and see if I have an appeal :)

Thanks for the help!

Leah

[Berta]

"Besides the EKG, Heart Attack, Stent Placement, is there any other key symptoms/medications they are looking for specifically?? "

I assume this is an Agent Orange IHD claim?

I used 3 EKGs, an ECHO report, and one ER certificate.(and stuff from my past FTCA case from General Counsel)

My husband was unmedicated for IHD, his treatment was deemed as negligence by the VA, so I dont now what cardiac meds they would give.

The ER certificate in my case (misdiagnosed heart attack)should have been my EED (earliest effective date for retro benefits)

but it wasn't and NVLSP is looking into that.

An ER certificate can often be the first presentation of IHD due to a sudden unexpected heart attack.

Is this a Nehmer case? IF so have you contacted them yet?

The VA will seek the earliest entitlement date (or the date they knew the disability arose) as evidenced by the initial diagnosis and treatment records, if this is,in fact a Nehmer claim and the IHD was coded or should have been coded (Footnote One Nehmer) in a past denied rating decision.

Sorting it all out is the VA's job but still, it pays to do it all as a claimant.

But I dont think you need to do too much here yet.

What is the status of the claim?

Edited March 23, 2012 by Berta

[ArmyDaughter]

Morning Berta!

They denied my Nehmer claim stating that when he filed his claim for IHD they diagnosed him with CHF. I've made it through the first package of medical records and have found a couple interesting things. One was a doppler reading and the results showed (and I'm paraphrasing because it's not in front of me) aortic sclerosis and it says specifically "Ischemic Heart Disease". There is also mentioned a couple times so far that he was on aspirin daily for "Ischemic Heart Disease". He was also taking Plavix and HTN medication and hyperlipidemia medication.

I'm sure I will need more than the doppler reading, but I still have 2 packages of medical records to go through!

Thanks

Leah

[Berta]

Are you able to scan and post the denial letter here? We need to see their reasons and bases and why they disregarded the IHD,which is different from CHF.

Can you also post the Evidence list they used (Cover all identifying info before scanning)

They correctly left most survivors claims for adjudication , until the bulk of veterans Nehmer claims were resolved.

I recently helped a survivor daughter whose Nehmer decision held a major error and they denied her, as well as they made a major error on my Nehmer claim in December and this might be the case in your situation.

Once the other widow's vet rep read the NVLSP Nehmer training guide,he could see the same error I saw and I passed on advise to him as to how to get it fixed fast- so there are errors being made on these decisions, but NVLSP has only seen a few big VA errors they had to get involved in.

In your situation, these medical records are what the VA itself should have carefully gone over.

“aortic sclerosis “, as a medical finding -does not mean ischemia.

Hyperlipedimia, while indicative of what could become potential atheroscerotic heart disease and ischemia, is only a symptom and treatable.

Aspirin is often only preventive medicine regarding heart disease.It is highly effective but this med itself does not indicate heart disease.

The Doppler itself should reveal any presence of ischemia.

Do you have a vet rep helping you?

I cannot determine without more info from their decision, why they actually denied your claim.

The VA's definition of IHD is pretty clear andI have posted it here many times..

The evidence needs to fit into the VA definition (which comes from Harrison's Principles)

For my AO claim,. my husband was never diagnosed by VA with IHD nor treated for it. (diagnosed 3 years after death with fatal misdiagnosed IHD)

I used the medical evidence documented in his records to

spell out exactly when he first presented with IHD, what 3 EKGs revealed, what the ECHO Doppler revealed, and of course what the autopsy revealed.

That was the sole documented medical evdence I had.

In spite of also having a VA opinion from OGC that he had fatal ischemic heart disease, left untreated by VA, as I said ,the VA still made a major error in my decision and I took swift action. VA Central called me in December to tell me a VA doctor was rendering a medical opinion on my evidence.

The new VA medical opinion corroborated my claim immediately and they sent the award letter.

My point here is , if they did make an error on the decision, you need a good vet rep to challenge it and back you up.

I told NVLSP of the error I had and sent them the info but they knew I would resolve it myself, as they are specifically interested in the EEDs,once the claim is awarded.

If we can read the Reasons and Bases and the Evidence list they used ,we can help more.