hypertension White Matter Disease

[Ricky]

Recent MRI shows that I now have multiple lesions termed as "White matter disease" consistant with a person suffering from hypertension, and DMII. I am SC'ed for both hypertension and DMII. Is the WMD ratable and if so under what disability code? MY civilian Neuro says that based upon my symptoms, unsteady balance, short term memory loss etc..... I probably suffer from mild dementia. I thought that dementia was something you got from a psychiatric type problem and not brain injury type problems. Wife says that I have become a different person since my stroke. She says I have constant mood swings and have become real mean. I don't see it that way. Maybe she is trying to get rid of me for some reason. Hell I don't know cause I have not done anything. I do know that she and the doc have been talking a lot lately.

Edited December 15, 2006 by Ricky

[Testvet]

Well since I know I have had a stroke about 14 years ago and I have the same problems let's just imagine that your wife and doctor are talking is because what she says is happening really is, and since the stroke you can't tell the difference because as far as you are concerned you are the same person, right? so it can't be you,can it?

Why do I put it this way, I accused my wife of the sane thing, I even forgot to pick the kids up from school, I use to get lost driving my car to work, but hell No it wasn't me having problems, everyone was picking on me, Ricky the night I knew there was really a problem was when I was sitting at the table and I wanted a bottle of the red stuff for my french fries, and I could not rmember the name of the red stuff, ketchup. Yes, the srtoke had caused a lot of damage I refused to admit until that happened, the short term memory loss makes you forget the bad stuff, even if you just did it, or if it was last week.

I can read a book or watch a movie and three months from now watch the movie or read the book and it is brand new again to me, and this is 14 years later, so will it get better, maybe or maybe not, I am sure it's ratable as stroke residuals just how I don't know.

I wish you well, and when your wife and your doctor spend that few minutes talking it is to help you not screw you, learn to let them talk in front of you and no going off like a rocket either, you'll be surprised to learn the crap you really do, my shrink talks to me for 5 min and my wife for 20, it works. I am still mentally competent to handle my own funds, when they go to stop that then you are in trouble but I realize that day may come for me to, my scar is about 3 1/2 inches in the occipital/parietal lobes. Plus the advanced brain shrinkage (premature) they say as you get older it is supposed to shrink anyway but mine is like the average 80 yr old I was 47 at the time.

Ricky, all I can do is wish you luck, because the first 1-2 years after the stroke was hard on me and the whole family. I thought they all hated me and were lying about me

[Berta]

uh----the medical term is multi-infarct-

This is consistent with DMII, and is revealed on MRI-

I have considerable literature on this type of lesions due to DMII-that is if this is due to ischemia (clotting in arteries of brain) - if this is hemmoragic ischemia -that is more difficut to associate to diabetes.

The VA should consider this as brain damage consistent with atherosclerotic involvement to the brain-

as secondary to SC DMII and the VA can assess the actual ratable additional disability.

I hope the doc is documenting what the wife says- this could be significant to this claim.

Dementia sounds like an odd term but in fact this is what Rod's med recs say- 'dementia, and considerable brain infarction -very unusual for man of his age'-he was 45 at time of MRI.

Atherosclerosis from DMII and its cause of HBP-causes accelerating aging of the white matter of the brain and other organs.

Actually- I mean the VA can assess this-if you get the right doctor-

in Rod's case- the VA could have suggested his brain problems ,and not PTSD, were causing him

additional disability-

his shrink gave him 6 or 7 intensive tests-ruling out personality problems,

revealing catastrophic PTSD, revealing very little cognitive difficulty-he still had intellect, but reveal profound memory problems (short term), as well as revealing visual problems due to ischemia.These tests took two days to complete.

SSA said he was incompetent due to PTSD-but he could challenge that determination- the VA said he wasn't.

He liked the 'incompetent part' and told SSA I always handled the money anyhow- he could not feel coins,nor write a legible check, and could not tell whether he had a five or a 20 dollar bill due to brain lesions and white matter damage after a major stroke. WHat you had appears to be -to me- I am not a doctor-mini stroke with resulting transcient inschemia.

This shrink-one of the BEST the VA had- unfortunately retired now-

I suggest that you get a good psychiatric IMO doctor who can support the infarcts as secondary to your DMII.

Proper diagnostic testing (which is an expense that the VA doesn't want to have)

can help claims like this considerably.

Your symptoms are like my husband's- he would get angry at me because he would forget stuff-

even got a little paranoid-thinking I was making stuff up-

I can assure you -your wife has your best interests at heart-

some people wont even talk to a doctor in their spouses behalf.

She is noticing things that might be critical to your claim for a secondary SC of this to either the DMII, or to the SC HBP due to the DMII.

Edited December 15, 2006 by Berta

[Ricky]

Thanks guys, I appreciate you being candid. During my good moments of the day I am sure she is only thinking about my best interest. I have a very good job and fight each day to keep it. The loss of it would mean that my family's standard of living would take a nose dive. However, I do not know how long I will be able to hold on. Every time I see the doc he asks me to give up so we do not get along. I know how testvet feels as several times a week I have to call my wife and have her direct me to a known or one I can remember location for I do not know where I am at or how I got there. As for the secondary disabilities of my stroke I have Dejerine-Roussy Syndrome, which you can look up if you care to, in which the VA has been very generous and given me a whooping 10 percent. As a result of this the neuro has provided his treatment records and several very indepth IMO's but none of that has been used in my ratings eventhough his testing and diagnosis has determined that as a result of the D-R syndrome I have complete functional loss of foot and hand. The diagnosis of the radiologist who conducted the MRI was multiple lesisions from blocked veins resulting in Severe White matter disease, consistent with HTN and DMII. I thought maybe I could file a claim for this but can not find what it should be filed under. Not trying to get anything free just seem to be going down hill fast at this point which is 2 years post CVA. I pitty those vets with PTSD that have to deal with the VA as my condition does allow me to think clearly sometimes. During these times I try to work my claim but I have bad memory problems even during the good times and can not remember the areas of the regs that I need to assist me. Once again thanks a lot for your help. Hopefully I will get better in the near future for I fear that if I do not I will lose my job, my family and my will to go on.

Ricky

[Berta]

Ricky- I believe you should file a claim for:

functional loss of foot and hand

under the regs for SMC-

This is the K award under 38 USC 1114:

I would state and refer them to the Neuro report that supports this-I hope the wording of the report meets this criteria-in the actual reg- that you have functional loss of one hand and also one foot and should be rated under 38 USC 1114 "K":

"The rating schedule does define loss of use for purposes of

special monthly compensation. For that purpose loss of use

is held to exist where no effective function remains other

than that which would be equally well served by amputation

with prosthesis at the site of election"

meaning a loss of use of is the same as loss of-

In this claim below:

"The special monthly compensation based on loss of use of an

extremity is provided by 38 U.S.C.A. § 1114 and is payable

where the veteran, as the result of service connected

disability, has suffered the anatomical loss or loss of use

of one foot or one hand (the "k" rate), one hand and one

foot (the "l" rate), both hands or both legs, or one arm

and one leg at a level preventing natural knee and elbow

action (the "m" rate). Higher rates are payable for

greater combinations of disability."

from :http://www.va.gov/vetapp06/files4/0621925.txt

YIKES- I just noticed this in above claim:

"In January 1996, the RO was notified in a letter from the VA

Office of the Inspector General (VAOIG) that an investigation

had been concluded concerning false claims made by the

veteran relating to her receipt of VA benefits.

Investigation determined that the veteran provided VA with

false information relative to her disability during a VA

hearing wherein she claimed that she was unable to walk and

had limited use of one arm and that these conditions were

permanent. Contrary to her claims, investigation revealed

that the veteran was able to walk and use both arms with no

apparent limitations. "

This is why I always add an oath from time to time to my submissions of evidence-

although the first oath on a claim probably covers it all anyhow-

Why would anyone lie to the VA like this veteran did?

Edited December 15, 2006 by Berta

[timetowinarace]

Well, dementia is in no way a psychosis. It is an organic brain condition in any form.

I have dementia due to head injury. I'm 39 years old.

I can't comment on the possible cause in your situation but here is the rating codes.

9300 Delirium

9301 Dementia due to infection (HIV infection, syphilis, or

other systemic or intracranial infections)

9304 Dementia due to head trauma

9305 Vascular dementia

9310 Dementia of unknown etiology

9312 Dementia of the Alzheimer's type

9326 Dementia due to other neurologic or general medical

conditions (endocrine disorders, metabolic disorders,

Pick's disease, brain tumors, etc.) or that are substance-

induced (drugs, alcohol, poisons)

9327 Organic mental disorder, other (including personality

change due to a general medical condition)

The code I'm rated under is 9310.

Also, I have had this for about 15 years and didn't know untill last year. Before diagnoses, some family members thought I had a drug problem I was keeping secret. I got lots of talks for that. Point is, I did not know I was different, that my personality had changed. And yes, I got mean. Only now that I can look back, can I see it. My cognative dissorder is not one that is easily noticed by average persons. So there is no social stigma attached.

I agree with Berta, see a Pro. I recomend neuro-psych testing. It will hold the most weight in the claims proccess and give everyone a better idea of what's going on.

Time

[LarryJ]

Actually, loss of or loss of function of, one hand and one foot is the "l" rate.

just sayin..............