How Much Longer, I Really Hate This Question, As I Know All You Hate Seeing It..

[retiredat44]

how much longer, I really hate this question, as I know all you hate seeing it..

I know when this question is asked everyone says, whenever it's ready it's ready,, stop asking,, go fishing come back in 10 years,, please stop asking.. etc..etc..

the usual, and those that know me, already know,, but I have to ask,,

had claim 2009, denied,,, all the usual appeal stuff

had DRO hearing December 2010, had SOC January 2011...

so far,, out of 6 issues, 3 had the SOC (plus SSOC). The remaining 3 issues had no answer, awaiting a decision..

been a long time...

Maybe in each region, there are differing times on when they get around to working on claims..

actually, I had one thing move in my claim, in January 2012, I had another c&p, this on for my left knee...

other than that no movement.. at least not openly, known to me

I have a representative, an American Legion VSO,

my VA Regional Office is San Diego..

I have no idea if it makes a difference if I am already rated, but I am currently at 50% since 1997...

the issues I am claiming go back to when I was on active duty, and all were from medical conditions and issues from when I was on active duty 30 years ago..

I already had a Form 9 in for an appeal to cover any issues that are still denied, so there is nothing left for me to do..

How close for an answer for my DRO hearing from December 2010, on the remaining 3 issues that I never got an SOC for,,

I believe the SOC I got for 3 issues means they are still denied, and the remaining 3 issues are not denied, and am awaiting their decisin.

My Question, how long for an answer, as it has almost been 1.5 years since the DRO hearing...

Should an answer be coming any day now, or will it be even longer than 1.5 years for the answer on a DRO hearing, from this office? Is it the current normal time for DRO hearing 1.5 years for answer on issues that have not been denied? Did the C&P for an issue mean it's moving forward at the current time? Does anyone have insight on San Diego and if they are slow or fast in this 2012 time frame?

My big problem (6 issues,, is pancreas disease,,,) I don't want to rehash all issues, but depression, Neuro diseases (tremors, shaking, balance, weakness, limb jerking, muscle twisting, fatigue. The there are more problems like, knee damage, limb swelling, intestinal disease. Degenerative disc disease, eye disease, very long list and more.

Not all issues are being claimed

Chronic severe pain and meds for it (20 years)

I am dying slowly from pancreas disease, the don't know how long I have but it's incurable. I am just wasting away...

MY main question is, how much longer for a decision for the DRO hearing on the 3 remaining issues, main disease pancreas disease, and hospitalization and surgeries going back since hospitalization in 1980 for intestinal disease on active duty. Chemical exposure (soaked in chemicals causing disease is in my SMR's from active duty.. and that is not in dispute... as the Air Force doctors actually noted the problems with chemicals and illness while on active duty.. for swelling and headaches.., also for tremors, and gastritis...).

Is the DRO getting closer to the decision? 1.5 years..... and boxes of medical records that the VA has had the whole time...

I know everyone will say when they are ready, they are ready,,, but someone must know some time frame??

my family desperately needs closure and help... all these years have destroyed our lives... my daughter has struggled for school money and help... our cars are junk.... my disease has kept me laying around sick for 20 years,, with no ability to work...

yet this constant wait and denials destroyed our lives... plus I live with constant suffering, and exams so they can watch the cysts on my pancreas continue to grow,,,,, knowing the next surgery could most likely be my death, since the last one was 6 months in a hospital bed to try to remove a 5 inch pancreas cyst.. learned to eat and walk again after 1 year in wheel chair... showing signs of new disease,,, and getting a new disease every couple of years.. just how much longer for a yes or no, and then the BVA hearing can use the tape from my DRO hearing.. for any issues left denied..

Thanx, for listening to me ramble on again in these forums, I know I have asked many times before... I Just wanted to say thank you, as just being able to ask again in these forums helps...

Thank all of you for your ears..

Steven

[retiredat44]

Tomorrow I am had delivering a form:

VA FORM 21-4138, AUG 2011

STATEMENT IN SUPPORT OF CLAIM

to the regional VA claims office, and a copy to my VSO..

it says (my words):

I was unsure when to file for more claims even though I spent all those years, 20 years going to doctors, begging for help, scraping money for insurance, losing employment because of the inability to preform work while too sick and losing jobs. Working in sever agony from leg pain, disc, back disease, neurological disease, tremors, shaking, and intestinal disease weakness, weight loss, severe Diarrhea. I lost the ability to pay for health insurance. Was denied SSDI, Social Security disability, insurance payments.

The doctors were unable to find the cause of so much illness. The intestinal disease even destroyed my teeth which melted in to chards of sharp enamel, which cut through my flesh and bloody mouth, with pieces of teeth coming out day and night.

I was unable to function in my family nor care for my daughter or attend any functions, I lay in bed sick. I tried to work until 1995, and cried and screamed and crawled every day until I gave in and lay there with no income curled up either on a bed or on the floor as the years passed. I had lost Kaiser Insurance in the early 1993 shortly after another operation, I had more than one.

After the five inch cyst was found (with a cat scan) after years of begging for help with a huge object in my body, under my right rib, by my stomach, they had found I was suffering from pancreas disease, Intestinal disease, and more.

After 2008, was more than 3/4 of the way and much therapy to learn to eat, walk, and go out, I went to get help with my new Veterans disability claim. The Different organizations were all booked up and told me I could not see anyone for many, many month. My case is very complicated, and needed to see them in person.

To make these matter much much, worse, I have a very hard time thinking clearly as I am and was taking huge amounts of narcotics to keep me a live and kill pain, and I am a real mess.

I had been sent to see phsycologists over the many years to cope with illness and was sent often. I volunteered a few times myself to cope with the nightmare.

I found an opening to start a new claim, but with so many issues, and claims that were denied 15years prior, I hoped they could give me the help with my claim I needed badly to get through this nightmare of the claims process. I have so far beaten the odds and lived through times when the doctors for for my life, and I went through hell, no one should ever endure, and still do. Every day of my life I wake up in hell, and wonder if it's the day I go back or die. There is no cure, they cannot help, they said they don't know when I will get sick again. The complications were so bad they were unable to consider transplant.

I am just laying around waiting to die, and need the claim to go through for my family, before I die. The claim is going nowhere. I just wait, and wait, and wait, and no one helps much at all. No one gives answers. I am applying for a hardship claim to speed up my claim.

Thank you,

Edited April 11, 2012 by retiredat44

[carlie]

retired,

What are the conditions you are SC'd for and the percentage for each?

[retiredat44]

retired,

What are the conditions you are SC'd for and the percentage for each?

I don't undertstand,

I can only tell you I am currently rated at 50% for headaches from chemicals from working with petroleum chemicals and fuels.I was rated in 1997. The other parts of my claim for intestinal disease were denied, but I didn't appeal, because I was stupid and thought they had read all my evidence, and I was very sick, and cannot think when sick, and still can't..

Edited April 11, 2012 by retiredat44

[retiredat44]

if I really get my IRIS inquiry about a week later after I sent it (I sent it Monday 04-09-12 / morning), I should find out the satus of my claims,, but of course no time table.. so hopefully sometime next week I should get that info by mail later next week..

[deanbrt]

My own VARO told me that I could submit a hardship request to speed things, as the other person noted. You do not need a form but their trigger for action is strict. You need to show that you have a terminal illness, are about to have the house foreclosed, etc. Anything less and they will not take action.

I think any action you take raises attention to your plight, and that is the important thing. Getting people at the VA to know your circumstance. Call your senator's office and asf for his help.

[midnight340]

I will relate my experience as maybe it can be of some help.

I was also told by several people that I could request hardship consideration. It can be a simple request, but documentation and evidence of what you say is important. I wrote a simple one page letter requesting my claim be expedited due to financial hardship and due to being homeless. (I was not on the street, but was dependent on a non-relative to have a place to live, which I was told was considered homeless by the VA.) I included legal copies of my bankruptcy and foreclosure.

IRIS emails told me that my claim was marked for hardship. But it true VA style, nothing happened for a couple of months. I called the number of a service rep who has an office in my VARO. She checked and called me back telling me that "they are sorry, but your file was never tagged for hardship as it should have been." She said it was now in the hands of a rater. At this point it was then decided within about 10 days.

(I was denied service connection due to their not reading my records carefully... but I am working on getting this made right.)

The point being, you should definitely request to be expedited due to hardship, and waste no time doing so. Include medical records supporting you statements. Good luck.