hypertension My Bdd Journey

[Joe30045]

My intent on posting this is to provide my experience as I go through this process. I will attempt to post updates and if something I have done helps even one other vet, then it will have been worthwhile. Sorry for the length. Thanks for your service to all of those that have gone before, those currently serving, and those that will serve in the future, for no greater love....

Joe

My status is currently on active duty in transition with a retirement date of 1 February 2013. I filed a Benefits Delivery at Discharge claim on 14 August 2012 or 171 days prior to my retirement. My eBenefits status changed on 12 September 2012 and the followng is what was posted as my status:

Details of Your Claim

Claim Received: 02/01/2013

Claim Type: Compensation

Estimated Claim Completion Date: 10/03/2013 to 02/08/2014

Contentions:

sleep apnea with CPAP (sleep study of record) (New), hypertension (New), GERD (New), fractured

right wrist (New), coronary artery disease (surgery X 1) (New), basal cell carcinoma (New), kidney stones (New),

osteosarcoma (New), squamous cell carcinoma (New), right elbow condition (New), right shoulder condition (New),

right knee condition (New), left knee condition (New), hearing loss (combat) (New), migraines (New), insomnia (New),

bilateral tinnitus (New), testicular cancer (New), lower back condition and thoracic spine condition (New), sinusitis

(New), lung condition (New), head trauma (memory loss, concussion with loss of consciousness, combat) (New)

Change of Status: We determined that your claim required additional review. If any additional information is needed,a letter will be sent requesting that information.

Next Steps:We will review all available evidence and make a decision on your claim upon receipt of all requested information as outlined in the headings, "What Do We Still Need from You?" and "What Have We Done?".

Several factors will determine the duration of the "Development" phase, including:

type of claim filed

number of disabilities you claim

complexity of your disability(ies), and

availability of evidence needed to decide your claim.

Additional Details

Your Designated Power of Attorney

DISABLED AMERICAN VETERANS

Regional Office of Jurisdiction:

Winston-Salem

Send Documentation To

Department of Veterans Affairs Regional Office

Regional Office

Federal Building

251 North Main Street

Winston-Salem, NC 27155

What Do We Still Need From Others?

This is a list of all items that have been requested from 3rd parties.

Items From Date Requested Due Date ", Follow-Up Dates

FB QTC 09/12/2012 11/11/2012

What Have We Received?

This is a list of all items that have been received from either the Veteran or a 3rd party. Please be advised that it may

take up to 21 days to receive, process, and annotate in our system any information that you mail to one of our

Regional Offices. Don't see an item listed? Check our "Unsolicited Items" page to see if it was received by VA.

Compensation & Pension Claim Details - eBenefits

Items Date Requested Date Received

VA form 21-526c Pre-Discharge

Compensation Claim 08/14/2012

VA form 21-22 Appointment of

Veterans Service Organization as 08/14/2012

Claimant's Representative - DAV

Memo from Transition Service

Officer with attacked documentation 08/14/2012

for claim

Signed VCAA notification 08/14/2012

Copy of service treatment records 08/14/2012

VA form 21-4138 Statement in

Support of Claim with list of claimed 08/14/2012

condition

VA form 21-674 Request for

Approval of School Attendance (3) 08/14/2012

VA form 21-686c Declaration of

Status of Dependents 08/14/2012

Social Security cards (8) 08/14/2012

Marriage certificate 08/14/2012

Birth certificates (6) 08/14/2012

Divorce Decrees (2) 08/14/2012

[Joe30045]

The "Claim Received: 02/01/2013" is already an error.

Oh Boy !

Carlie, I think they put that as the received date because that is my actual retirement date. Not sure though.

Hey Joe,

I lived in Hope Mills for thirteen years, before packing it up and moving back to Texas.... I retired out of Fort Bragg Civil Service 112th signal battalion in 1999.

Fort Bragg's VA office does some good things for veterans leaving service. Jerry Lowerstein, DAV is an excellent advocate for Veterans and Bob Patterson MOH winner worked out of that office until recently when he retired and moved to Florida. I worked with Jerry for some time, before he moved from the VA Hosptital to the Fort Bragg Office .....You are in real good hands.....

Teac, Thanks for the reassurances and I concur that Jerry is a Godsend to a lot of guys getting out here at Bragg. He came highly recommended by some buds that retired the year before me. If you haven't been back in a few years, you won't recognize Hope Mills or Ft Bragg. We may have crossed paths, although I was never in 112th, I have been in communications here since 1990.

[Joe30045]

Received my first VA "letter" on 24 Dec 12. First paragraph says

"We are still processing your claim for COMPENSATION. We apologize for the delay. You will be notified upon completion of processinbg. If you need to contact us, be sure to show the file number and full name of the veteran."

Second and third paragraphs are the standard "confirm mailing address" and "contact info" blurbs followed by the signature line of the Veterans Service Center Manager.

[Joe30045]

A new "wrinkle " has developed. After several years of not being able to breathe when running, a pulmonologist just this morning diagnosed me with asthma. This comes after countless negative LFT's, and every other test in the book including ruling out a cardiac issue and even doing a laryngoscopy this morning. I am still on active duty for the next 15 days, should I submit this diagnosis with the current BDD packet or wait and file an amendment? TIA for any advice.

[Joe30045]

Ebenefits shows a status change to "Under Review", a different "Estimated Claim Completion Date" of 10/10/2013 - 03/14/2014, and my "Contentions" are now VBMS(New).

[meghp0405]

if you have new medical documentation that may have merit on your claim, submit it and do it now!

[Joe30045]

So I went in Tuesday to get a copy of the paperwork with an asthma diagnosis so I could update the VA. No paperwork because what I had actually gone in for last week was a laryngoscopy, which proved negative, and the Doc had only given me a verbal "You have asthma." I immediately made a follow-up appointment for today to get in and see the pulmonologist. Came home, got on hadit and researched what I needed to do and here is what I did. Printed out a VA Form 21-0960L-1 (DBQ for Respiratory Conditions (other than tuberculosis and sleep apnea)), took it in when I went to see the pulmonologist and requested he fill it out, he didn't mind a bit. Stopped by the Soldier Support Center, made a copy, and dropped that off with my DAV rep for forwarding to the VA. Thanks again to the paragons of knowledge that inhabit this site for everything you have provided so that others might have an easier time of it.

Edited May 8, 2013 by Joe30045