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Secondary Or "residual" Service Connected Conditions?

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Guppy

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Lost and confused... In the big bad VA world... Ask three people, get three different answers... This is a long post, but it wanted to be all inclusive

On behalf of my Vietnam Veteran father, USAF, Decorated rescue helicopter pilot, 21 years... I ask the following series of questions, that I am unable to get a "clear" answer from any person on the other end of a phone at a VA call center or RO, or VSO. Sometimes I feel like I know more than they do?! Help.......

He has been rated 100% SC P and T for 2 years for CAD, following placement of 3rd stint, after many years at combined rating 60% for hypertension, tinnitus, perforation of ear drum, mastoiditis.

Two months prior to the 100% rating he developed AO related limited stage Small cell lung cancer. He was temporarily rated at an additional 100% for this during treatment for 6 months., housebound also awarded for six months. After the 6 months he was dropped to 0% due to lack of diseases present. He NEVER went in for any follow up C & P exam for " residuals" of the cancer treatments, both chemo and 10 brain stem radiation PCI treatments. He was feeling "good" and was happy to be beating this horrible odds cancer. I wasn't in the loop about how he followed up with his medical care until most recently, as his condition , 2 1/2 years past treatment now has begun to deteriorate on all levels, physical, cognitive and mental.

He now has bowel and bladder incontinence , mobility limitations (walker), soon wheelchair,, and difficulty with communication and speech ( almost Parkinsonism in nature), COPD, asthma , non diabetic Peripheral neuropathy and Oxygen therapy 24 hours a day at 2L at rest.

Seems like a no brainer, Problem being.... Aside from the incontinence (which in and of itself is demoralizing for him) , he had pre existing degrees of all the conditions listed that we're not on file at the VA because he didn't think they were service connected , but NOW they are debilitating and most certainly exacerbated by the "temporary" service connected active lung cancer and treatment., now rated at 0%. I have requests out to his private sector doctors for records as well as applicable DBQ's , as well as a housebound and aid and attendance form completed by his primary care physician.

So finally to my ultimate question, are these secondary to his lung cancer disease or residuals, ? Which form(s) should we file, use Ebenefits. ? , FDC? Everyone I have spoken to on the "help" lines gives me a different answer,,, this is my favorite,.. " he's already rated at 100%, you can't get anymore than that"? WHAT ?! How about SMC, housing grants (SC respiratory conditions), added conditions for eventual DIC for spouse.? Etc.... Am I crazy or headed in the right direction? He spent over 1000 days in Vietnam flying through Agent Orange in a helicopter., ....I need... Help..

Thank you

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Can a retired military guy's spouse get DIC and military survivor benefit at the same time? For all the other conditions if you want help for your dad you must file claims for housebound or A&A. If he has secondary conditions due to SC conditions you should claim them as well. You might want to take him to a private doctor and identify which conditions are secondary to the cancer or SC conditions. Doctor's need to make decisions about secondary conditions. Maybe he does have Parkinson's but you need medical evidence to establish that then it would be SC.

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John is on the money. I currently have an A&A claim for my wife to be my care giver. As a result of my recent C&P exams, I will more than likely be 100%. I have 4 or 5 secondary conditions, and I am going to submit another FDC here in the next few months. I would submit for any conditions that the VA might grant, that way it is better to be Schedular 100%, and that way we don't have to mess with IU, and not worry that if the VA tries to take away any condition, we will still have the 100%. When it comes to the VA, better to be 1000% disabled, then a wobbly 100%.

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Secondary or Residual is where I spent a lot of brain cells trying to figure this one out. That would be the VA's job. So, anytime you file for compensation and you don't know whether it is Secondary or Residual just put it as "Secondary/Residual' and let the VA figure it out. For crying out loud they do this for a living and they are supposed to be helping you.

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Thanks for reading my long explanation scenario. I am meeting with a "State veterans" employee next month. I live on the other side of the country and will be traveling home for a month to get this stuff rolling. During our several conversations she doesn't seem very "gung-ho" , about getting the conditions rated. Just more focused on getting basic A & A. I feel like I can maneuver through the ebenefits system effectively and am hesitant to turn his representation over to her, as she is insisting. Can the system be effectively negotiated by a lay person with brains? ;)

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Well Guppy yes and no. I mean it should be but then the VA is another creature all together. I remember on my first claim I learned a lot and did quite a few things wrong but found hope here and another site and was able to finally find my way.

You will find also that it is consuming at least to us trying to get a deserved benefits! There are many frustrating times when you send things in to your RO and they claim they either did not get it or you find they didn't read it! Brings to mind one time when I was dealing with one of my conditions and sent in some supporting evidence and a few months later I got a denial. I was reading the denial when I looked at the area that says what they used to decide my claim and all the information I had sent wasn't there! I called the office and finally got through to some one there and ask why. They said to me that yes they had received the evidence but did not know what it was for!! It was clearly marked to! I asked for a reconsideration and was awarded my SC.

Dealing with the VA is different from in a business or individual I have ever dealt with. You will figure this out as you move along but you will have to stick with to get all that your dad deserves!

Stillhere

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