3 months and counting on DRO decision and now I am facing more surgery!

[Navy4life]

Well good afternoon my fellow Vet's!!!

I am really deflated right now....It's going on 3 months since I had my DRO review hearing with no end in sight.  I was told that it could be weeks to months to up to a year for the decision.  What erk's me is the fact that I had my hearing why can't the DRO take the time to review and come to a ruling?  It's so frustrating!  I am going on 3 years since my initial claim and almost 2 years since I filed my NOD.  I understand there are others in the same boat or worse boat and I do sympathize with all my fellow Vet's!

Now on top of this, most of you know my story.....I broke my right foot in two places on Christmas Eve.  I had surgery on January 6th, 2016 and I filed an FDC January 12th, 2016.  I filed that my left ankle was the cause of my right foot injury.  I was granted 100% temporary convalescence for 4 months due to my left ankle giving out on me and causing my right foot injury.  Now if you all remember, I have my NOD since 2014 trying to get my right foot/ankle and left toe S/C which was denied in 2014.  My medical records back up my s/c as well as my doctor's letters (IMO) that state my injuries are directly related to my active duty.  But here I sit awaiting the NOD decision.

Well yesterday I took a bad tumble and fell down the stairs causing sever bruising and swelling to my left ankle and left leg.  I am sitting here at the West Palm VA as we speak awaiting to see my Podiatrist for the results of the X-rays BUT while I had my visit with him today, he had another doctor come in and look at my X-rays for my right foot and both of the doctor's state I need revision surgery to my right foot because the bone graft is not "uniting" the bone together.  The Podiatrist I had do my surgery in January put pins/screws/plate in the one fracture but only bone graft in the other.  Since then the bone is separating and the doctor feels the surgery is necessary and will require me to be out about 2-3 months once again!  It's my right foot so I can't drive and it's frustrating!  On top of this, my left foot/2nd metatarsal toe has two screws in it that are "coming up to the skin" and they feel that at the same time they do the right foot surgery they need to look into that!

I literally just got back on my feet and was feeling okay!  My feet/ankles SUCK!  I feel so depressed!

I just want to cry!

I will update you with my X-ray findings but I needed to VENT!!!

 

[Navy4life]

45 minutes ago, cragwex said:

I feel for you. I am in CT and am going on 10 months after my hearing. Went to Courtney's office and got some menendez or something like it retired guy who told me that typically NOD's usually last a couple of years. I told him no they don't, it was a NOD with DRO review. I told him I had another one in 2010 which took 3 months. So I told him I got more help back then and he wasn't doing anything so I declined any further help from him which was none, to which he replies....ok. It must be that I am republican turning independent. I think everything is getting worse from all I hear not better.

Cragwex;

What is "CT"?  Was your DRO hearing in WACO?  That is ridiculous 10 months!  I was told 60 days at my informal hearing by the DRO and obviously that isn't true.  I am going on 6 months waiting and according to my DAV she said it could be up to or over a year.  Also, my timeline according to the VA is March to September and I am RTR, ready to rate

[Buck52]

It's a lot better for the Veterans to work their claim her/ himself and drop your VSO, or  just keep your VSO and work your claim...you can get most if not all the information you need  right here on Hadit.

jmo

..........Buck

[Navy4life]

1 minute ago, Buck52 said:

It's a lot better for the Veterans to work their claim her/ himself and drop your VSO, or  just keep your VSO and work your claim...you can get most if not all the information you need  right here on Hadit.

jmo

..........Buck

I was happy with my DAV rep I had at my hearing, however, the new one I have been assigned to is worthless.

[Buck52]

Navy4life

Unless you recieved an official letter giving you those timelines on the dates?...I would not depend on e-beeny's  b/c most of those  time line dates are just computer generated and unreliable.

They change to often!

[Navy4life]

1 minute ago, Buck52 said:

Navy4life

Unless you recieved an official letter giving you those timelines on the dates?...I would not depend on e-beeny's  b/c most of those  time line dates are just computer generated and unreliable.

They change to often!

It's not Ebennies...I don't rely on that system at all!  It's from a good source on the "in side" that can see my file and it states March 20th - September 20th, 2016 with RTR

[Navy4life]

Beyond frustrated!!!

So I called and talked to my DAV rep that was actually in the DRO informal hearing back in February 2016. Apparently right after my hearing I was put with another DAV rep and she is clueless.  He told me that as of March 24th, 2016, which is the last notes on my appeal, it stated ready to rate with an end date of Septemeber 20th, 2016.  I asked him, why did the DRO state, "give him 60 days", his answer  I don't know....  Then he went on to talk about the NWQ process and I asked him, "wait, you mean they can move my already heard NOD to another state, DRO?".  He seemed to think no but that is my question to the members here, can my NOD that has already been heard by a DRO actually transfer to another DRO?  How is that possible?  If that is the case, how could the DRO it is transferred to make a valid decision?  That DRO would no nothing about my hearing or what transpired.

 

Any of the knowledgeable peeps out there ever heard of that?