diabetes Chances Of Being Reduced ?

[Greg88]

I have been SC for the last 37 years with the VA, right out of the service at 40% with Diabetes Mellitus Type 1. I'm also have been Brittle (meaning my blood varies from low to high- in my case mainly low), for the last 37 years, I used the VA health care for 21 years, in 1996 I was bumped up to 60% because of Neuropathy in both feet, Proteinurea, and generally poor control due being unaware that sugar was going low (I passed out at work and lost my job in late 1996), I put in for 100% in 1997, Nov. 1997 I had my C&P.

In Jan. 1998 I was granted 100%, my VA endocrinologist (who was my MD since the very beginning 21 years) retired from the VA, after 6 months of seeing Endo residents, I stopped using the VA system. I started the to see my private MD (I had been seeing him regularly for physicals and general medical for a year before my VA doctor retired. After being awarded the 100% the only time I heard from the VA was for COLA increase's, in 2012 I receive a letter from the VA saying they are setting me up for a physical because my Diabetes Mellitus in not considered Permanent.

Sept. 2012 I see my private MD and have him fill out the DBQ for diabetes and peripheral neuropathy, he also includes letters from opthamologist showing I have Diabetic Retinopathy, he also writes a Nexus type letter (I know I'm SCed, but with the VA you have to hit the over the head) saying this disabilty and it's complications are permanent (My MD is not a general practioner, he is the head of internal medicine for a large prestigous hospital in NY), I have my C&P, I get a copy 3 weeks later, the C&P results are a carbon copy of my Dr.s DBQ and note. A brief overview, I take 7 shots a day, test my BS 12 times a day, my blood pressure is high (common in diabetics, 4 medications to control) the neuropathy is so bad I cannot stand or sit for more than 10 minutes, I sleep 3-4 hours a night and need 20 mgs of Ambien and a muscle relaxant to do that, my vision is poor, I urinate 40-50 times a day. My diet is strictly controlled, low protein due to protein urea, low fat due hyperchlosteroemia, and of course now I have Erectile Dysfucntion

I called the 1-800 in Nov. and was told they reached a decision, actually nothing was decided, the farmed out part of my for an Admin Review, that was decided 3 weeks later. By 2013 no decisions, in March 2013 a new claim. a Rating Review, of course the compensation claim is still listed as Diabetes Mellitus (New). DAV who is my POA has been totally useless, when you do manage to get someone on the phone they give you the info, on March 15 I see my Comp claim go from Gathering to Preparation for Decision.

To the present day on Friday July 19th, I decide to go down to DAV and ask whats going on (In Sept it will be 1 year since the C&P and the VA may declare it invalid), 9:00 in the A.M. DAV tells me to come back 2 hours later, I go to the RO across the hall (there in the same Building) and talk the VSO thats their, he's also a Diabetic and he's wondering why I'm not P&T, he calls up the Rater upstairs and she tells him that they are looking at each complication seperatley. So looking at Ebenefits and the unsolicited items I submitted ( under the things the VA solicited were just the C&P exam) the VA showed the Dr.s letters and DBQ and that was basically it.

My question is if the VA looks at my Diabetes at the 60% rate and starts adding the peripheral neuropathy and others complications using VA math, it does not add up to 100% and I know that in 3.5 years I'm at my 20 year mark and theirs nothing they can do at that point, I just have a feeling they are going to try and lower it just to save money. Any input would be appreciated.

Edited July 21, 2013 by Greg88

[Greg88]

Harley, thank you for the advice made appt.s today with DAV for Mon. and my private MD, to find out whats really going on, I will stop at DAV and the RO which is across the hall from them and get copies of my award letters so I can see what they are actually trying to reduce me on. In my mind and most of modern medicine, diabetes mellitus type 1 is as a disease that attacks across the whole body, most of the things that diabetes affects have disabled in my body ie: ED, PN, hypertension, but for me the worst thing has been the hypoglycemic unawareness, like I mentioned in an earlier post my BS was at 48 at the end of the C&P exam, most jobs will not touch you with what I have. I see my private MD on the 12th of August, I will have fill out 2 new DBQs for diabetes and PN, after 37 years of living with the disease I have been unemployed for the last 17 years, what do they want from me.

[harleyman]

I believe you will prevail on this. Please, do follow through with the hearing, don't be anxious or nervous, they need to hear what you have to say and what your primary care physician has to report. Expecially if he fills out the DBQ and addresses your inability to be gainfully employed. I understand where you are in this, as our family has heriditary Diabetes insipidus, most have been diagnosed around the age of 10 or 11. Good luck to you.

Edited July 24, 2013 by harleyman

[Philip Rogers]

The only suggestion I have to offer, once this is straightened out, is to continue seeing the VA docs a couple times a yr. If you don't they tend to think you're cured and you can see what that causes.

jmo

pr

[john999]

This is why I hump out to the VA about ten times a year to complain to my shrink and PCP about my conditions. I have been TDIU for 12 years and HB for three and I don't want them to declare me well. I just put in for an increase in my DMII. It won't get me a dime but it shows I am getting worse not better. If the VA recommends a medication I try it once at least. I, too, have been SC for 40 years and in the first 15 years they did try and shake me loose once, but I had my ten years in and kept 10% rating way back in the 80's.

[Greg88]

I was just looking at Ebenefits (seeing what they used to make a determination) in the comp claim the only thing solicited was the C&P report, the unsolicited things were the letter from opthamologist I suppled at the C&P, the DBQ from Dr. given to the examiner at the C&P, the letter from my Dr. (a Nexus type letter-I know I'm SCed, but you hedge your bets anyway), and the Release of Info for my MD. According to Ebenefits they did not solicit any medical records (called my MD and opthalmolgist, no one asked for my records), so it looks their basing their proposal for reduction only what they saw in front of them. Did they think that the insulin that I need fell from the trees, this is a disease if you don't have insulin you die, now don't get me wrong, this make happy, produce the evidence and the proposed reduction should disappear, notice I said should.

[john999]

Get a CT scan of your legs sometime. Since you have DM type one it may very well show artery disease which is pretty easy to connect to DMII. That can get you an extra 60% because if you have calcification in your legs you probably have it in the heart and brain.....CAD and Stoke. When the VA proposes to reduce a 100% vet they have to look at entire disability picture not just one C&P. They are just trying to get away with dirty work.