hypertension Help on claims please

[dkemp]

I am presently service connected for Tinnitus 10 % ; Bilateral Hearing Loss 80 % and TDIU 100 % P&T.  Without going into a lot of discussion this was attained from 2001 through 2013.  I am considering filing a claim for Heart Disease, Sleep Apnea, Hypertension, and Depression/PTSD.  I feel if any of these claims prevail it will have to be secondary to my service connected hearing loss and loss of employment.  I will try to explain this without having to write a book someone can give me some advice.  My service connection disability had never been a factor for me until I was 48 years old and after working twenty two years in my chosen profession in law enforcement. I had never filed a claim for hearing loss mainly because my VA service rep twenty something years earlier told me they probably wouldn't be able to find my medical records and I wouldn't prevail.  In 1992 at age 48 my agency demoted me, cut my salary, loss of other benefits  and threaten to fire me due to my loss of hearing.  I had just started wearing hearing aids so it made the hearing disability obvious.  After this happened I became depressed, angry and still depressed to this day.  I was ordered to see different psychologist and had to undergo weekly visits for six months.  In addition I began to have hypertension problems, chest pain and marital problems.  Priver or to the action related to my hearing I had never been treated for any of these problems and no hospitalization of any kind since I was very young. Before all of this I still was walking several miles a day and in excellent health.  I ended up having to file suit to get my benefits back and prevailed in that regard.  I have taken medicine for depression since 1992 and finally took an early retirement in November 2000 and moved back to my home state.  I retired with two stents in my heart, high blood pressure, depression and frequent angina. I took a part time job as a US Marshal working in a federal court in my home state.  Six months into the job I was medically terminated due to my hearing loss.  In 2001 I filed my first VA claim for hearing loss.  I was granted service connection with increases up until 2013 when I was granted TDIU. I had tried two different times for TDIU prior to 2013 and was denied.  My depression is documented by VA medical records. Since 2001 VA has diagnosed seep apnea and issued me CPAP.  I take VA prescribed meds for depression.  In addition I have 15 stents in my heart, two heart attacks and quadruple by pass surgery after having a heart attack at VA medical facility in 2004.  Sorry this is so long but is there anything secondary or otherwise I can hang my hat on in this information.  I know I am blessed to have the TDIU but feel my heart condition and depression are both related in the chain of events over the years.  I know I am not likely to die from hearing impairment but surely the heart disease will prevail.

[jbasser]

The only way to win is to have a good doctor connect the dots in making a strong nexus.

J

[broncovet]

CAD (heart trouble) can be a presumptive depending on if you were exposed to dioxin.  (Vietnam, and a few other places).  This is sometimes called "Agent Orange", AKA, "Nehmer" Vets.   Since you are Navy there is a "blue water Navy" class of Nehmer Vets.  Some "BWN" info is here: http://bluewaternavy.org/

or listen to the podcast at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/haditcom/2015/06/10/haditcom-blog-talk-radio-show-blue-water-navy-update 

SMC "S" (housebound) will get you another 347 per month.  To qualify for SMC S, you need "100 %, plus an additional (combined) 60%, or if be substantially confined to your home.  Bradley vs Peake lets TDIU "count" as 100% for purposes of SMC "S".  

There are other different Special Monthly compensations (such As SMC K)  for "loss of use", such as a foot, SEVERE hearing loss, blindness, even loss of use of a reproductive organ (such as Erectile dysfunction).  SMC has to be service connected to be compensable.  You can have up to 3 SMC "K's" for loss of use, with each one adding about a hundred bucks a month to your compensation.