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]

Ricky I agree with Time get a pro that specializes in it to write the IMO to show the link/nexus to your SC conditions Dementia sounds like an "old" persons disease but sometimes us younger ones get hit with it to, I was 36 when I had my stroke, the doc treating me couldn't believe I had a stroke so after doing a cat scan and other stuff to soon, she decided my problems were stress related and recommended I see a shrink, so I did, but I still kept forgetting things, tripping and falling etc, after 2 years and I had back surgery on L5/S1 they sent me for physical therapy and the nurse there asked me when I had the stroke because she noticed the weakness in my right side muscles my supposedly stronger side, and the Nuerologist I went to then ordered an MRI and they found the scar, after the appt where the doc told me the MRI results I went back and told the Blitch she was right it was in my head, just not the way she thought, yes 36 year old healthy men have strokes to.

I was kind of like that Senator that just had the brain surgery, I guess if I had been a Senator I would have gotten better health care and I would have been operated on that day, instead of having to wait 2 years and thinking I was crazy and that my wife and kids just kept making up those crazy ass stories about me

Strokes, dementia and the other brain medical problems suck because it's not like a broken arm or leg you can't see it so it can't be you Ricky I know where you are and I feel for you

Berta like Rod I told the Docs the same thing deem me incompentent to handle my funds it didn't matter to me, my wife has been handling the money for so long I wouldn't know what to do with it, it's bank deposit and we use debit card for everything, we hardly ever have cash I guess when you tell them go ahead your wife does it anyway, the VA does it out of spite and deems you competent, it's only when ypu are fighting them do they stick it to you

[qrdgv2tebc]

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

[qrdgv2tebc]

A couple of month's ago, my Psych doctor at the Va, look at two reports of MRI's i had and medical notes from my Neuro doctor, these Mri's were done about two years ago within siix months of each other. and the Neuro exam was done about the same time, i was diagnosed with Dementia, i have been getting Aricept from the Va for about eighteen months, about three weeks ago my Psych doctor call me and told me she took the report and medical noter to the va neuro doctor, she told me that when i come in for my yearly visit, she wanted to see me, also the va Neuro doctor, i went to the va clinic two week ago saw my Psych doctor and the va neuro doctor did some test talk to bothe of them for about thirty minutes. i received the medical notes, to long to put in here, but the results are they both agreed that i have Dementia, along with PTSD and Depression, chronic, my Psych ask me if i ever put in a claim for Dementia, i told her no,she said to put in a claim now that i have been diagnosed by the Va neuro and Psych doctors. but i know i am going to run into a brick wall,and i am not up to the fight to try and get this S/C.

Also the VA clinic here in Manila have drastically cut back on medications, S/C and No-S/C., they said it was because of budget cuts, what a bunch of CRAP.

Patrick

[timetowinarace]

Patrick,

If you can get the neuro-psych testing that backs up your dementia diagnoses or if it is shown on the MRI's, it's a fairly easy claim to win. No one can refute concrete testing or imaging.

Might be a good idea to get it SC. As age continues, you may be in need of housebound or SMC. Don't want them saying that old age is causing it years down the road.

Just a thought.

Time