diabetes Smoking Service connected

[saddletramp]

I had a C&P last week and talked to the examiner about DMII in relationship to my cateracts, in Fayetteville Arkansas. The examiner explained , Cataracts are not contributed to by DMII?? The National Institute of health states on their website (National Eye Institute) That it is secondary to Diabetes. The examiner asked me if I smoked, and I told her I started in my Late teens (Mliitary  Vietnam) and quit in my early thirties. So she didn't even mention it in her report. She informed me that smoking causes Cataracts, and age.

This dawned on me today, The Military gave me cigarettes and approved of us smoking! In every pack of Both C and Lrrp Rations were Government Issued Cigarettes, as a matter of fact, that is when I started smoking, along with some other people. So in essence, weren't we encouraged to Smoke??? Cigarette brands issued included Camel, Chelsea, Chesterfield, Craven "A"-Brand, Lucky Strike, Old Gold, Philip Morris, Player's, Raleigh, and Wings.  So , when I was 17 in basic, we had C Rations occasionally, and in Vietnam Both Kinds of rations (With Smokes)

Saddletramp

[Berta]

https://www.va.gov/vetapp15/files3/1527349.txt

This is a very long but informative case at the BVA in which the veteran claimed nicotine dependence.

It includes the VA rationale on nicotine dependence and subsequent disabilities, that it could have caused.

Cataracts have many causes.

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/cataracts/symptoms-causes/dxc-20215129

DMII could have certainly caused the cataracts. But that would take an opinion from a real doctor.

Or if you had the C & P examiner in this BVA case:

https://www.va.gov/vetapp17/files1/1703874.txt

However , do you expect cataract surgery?

I ended up with 20/20 distance vision after cataract surgery- but I am a civilian.... does anyone hear know how they would rate cataracts that are successfully removed?

Have you googled the examiner's name to see if she was an Opthamologist or had any eye- related expertise at all? She sure cant be an endocrinologist.

Do you get VA care for the DMII or see a private endocrinologist?

 

 

 

[Buck52]

Ms berta I see that this veteran was denied on all claims.

I Never known a veteran to get S.C. for smoking cigarettes? even if the military gave them away.

I don't smoke but if there's a claim for smoking cigarettes secondary to?

I can help a lot of veterans that do smoke  but I'm thinking they will need to Quit!

[Berta]

There are two OGC Pres Ops on this and I believe they are cited in the decision above that I posted.

If not One is Pres Op 19-97 and the other is Pres Op 02-93 which more or less subsumes the former Pres Op.

The dates of the Pres Ops and date of the claim controls the disability and whether VA will SC or not.

This vet has a very good chance at getting the cataracts SCed to his DMII.

I think that would be far easier to do than trying to fall into the latest Pres Op.

I dont think the C & P doctor had a clue on cataracts.

Edited April 16, 2017 by Berta