Heart Attack And Working Through The Va System

[mcarter985]

Good Morning!

I had a heart attack on the 24th of May and ended up with a single stent. After researching why it happened to me I found the AO tie-in (I was a medic in Viet Nam for a year with the Infantry 1969-70) and filed for disability soon after (a couple of weeks later) with the DAV as my rep. I have my C & P this Monday and will see what I get. I am on meds for the rest of my life so I guess I'll get at least 10% with the METS testing results possibly getting more.

Some of the threads on this forum are heartbreaking with some of the crap veterans are going through with their health through no fault of their own. My own health isn't anywhere as bad and I feel like a wimp compared to some of you but did want to report my efforts to get disability for someone just starting out and not knowing how to start.

I guess this whole process is going quickly...heart attack in May with a C & P Monday. I did submit a Fully Developed Claim (Discharge Summary from the hospital and also gave them my in-patient records from that admission and my DD-214 proving my time in VN) so for me, that seemed to speed up the process.

I'll let you all know on Monday how things went with the C & P!

[mcarter985]

Thanks Asknod for the honesty and you're probably right and I won't have a problem appealing a low rate. BTW...I owned a 1974 TR-6 for years and miss it every day!

[mcarter985]

I finally have access to my medical records online and can see what the doctor wrote down during the C & P for my heart attack. My METS is 3-5 and LVEF is 55%. I guess there is a chance my LVEF may drag down my rating. Time will tell.

[georgiapapa]

You should be rated at 60%. The key word in the ratings schedule is "or." Mets 3-5 "or" EF of less than 50%.

If they rate you at less than 60%, appeal. JMO

[Chuck75]

If I remember correctly an LVEF of 60% is more or less normal.

Since I'm below that, I haven't bothered to keep track of what the VA is doing

when an LVEF is between 50 and 60%.

If a heart attack occurred, and was treated with stinting, there is also a temporary rating

of 100% that can be assigned, based upon hospitalization, etc.

[john999]

I would not let the VA care for my cardiac condition. Get the best cardiologist in town. You can get compensation from the VA for this heart condition, but not treatment only from the VA. You cannot spend or save compensation if you are not around to access it. I met a guy at the VA hospital who had allowed the VA to do brain surgery on him. He had other insurance, but wanted to save a buck. He needs brain surgery.

John

[mcarter985]

If I remember correctly an LVEF of 60% is more or less normal.

Since I'm below that, I haven't bothered to keep track of what the VA is doing

when an LVEF is between 50 and 60%.

If a heart attack occurred, and was treated with stinting, there is also a temporary rating

of 100% that can be assigned, based upon hospitalization, etc.

Hi Chuck...I was told by another poster on this site that in order to get the temporary 100% you have to have had a diagnosis prior to the heart attack. I also had an attack and had a stent put in but since I wasn't diagnosed previous to the heart attack I won't get the temporary 100% rating. I am, for sure, not an expert in any of this but just what I was told by someone who seemed to know what they were talking about.