ao Persistant

[Persistant]

Berta told me about Footnote One Nehmer yesterday and I had not heard about that although I do know about Nehmer.  And yes my husband was rated for Ischemic heart disease before it was added to the presumptive list. And his death certificate signed by his GP at VA saying long term heart disease.  It was rated as secondary to diabetes (which was rated 20% initially) and was already a presumptive condition. He had applied for both at that time - about 2003 or 2004.  He was rated 30% initially for his heart even though he had had a quadruple bypass (Dec 2000) with neurological complications, extensive scar tissue from many previous heart attacks that had to be cleaned out before the bypass could proceed in surgery.  He had a TIA on the operating table and post pump syndrome from being on the heart lung machine so long (due to the cleanup) for surgery.  He was told by his heart specialist he could no longer work at what he was skilled to do. He was granted SS Disability as a result 9 months later.  

He filed his first VA claim a couple years later when his buddy finally persuaded him to do it.  He had been diagnosed with Type II Diabetes in 1997.  They didn't address any of the neurological stuff (from the heart surgery) as I recall at all or the post pump syndrome (which usually goes away rather quickly but was a problem for at least a couple years for Don).  The lower left ventricle of his heart was dead already before surgery from previous attacks we didn't know about - silent due to diabetes.  And his ejection fraction was 25 before and right after surgery and then came up to 30-35.  It bounced around some over the years but was usually 30-40. He had an echocardiogram every year which approximated it. After 2 hospitalizations for Congestive Heart Failure over the next few years, they finally rated him 60% heart and 40% diabetes (when he became insulin dependant.  Shortly after starting insulin  - a few months -  Don was put on an insulin pump because he was needing so much insulin and put him on the U500 insulin which is very closely monitored because of being so very strong) and VA rated him for 10% each leg for Peripheral Neuropathy.  Don also claimed PTSD, which should have been granted, as we had a few years worth of records already from a private practice psychologist the VA had recommended whose report said he had it and it was from VietNam (non-combat).  But Va's C&P psychologist or psyciatrist said he wasn't sure of that origin. He agreed Don had it. They asked us to prove Don's stressors.  We searched for months for other guys Don remembered being there, found one but couldn't prove the stressors.  They never contacted us when the requirement to prove stressors was lifted to re-evaluate his claim.

In 2006 they rated  him TDIU and his heart 100% by itself in the same decision with effective dates a few months apart???  Makes no sense to me since the TDIU was then dropped due to the 100% rating.  That was his last rating - 2006. He developed kidney failure late 2010 with a hospitalization of a few weeks for Congestive Heart Failure because the kidneys weren't removing the fluid with normal types of hospital treatment. He was treated by a team consisting of his heart specialist,  his GP who had admitted him, and the new Nephrology group the GP brought in. All Private Practice doctors and hospital. They finally tried something rather bold, I'm told, that started the fluid draining.  After discharge, at home, he had a few weeks of digital monitoring of his stats, reports I had to give them on weight and output amounts etc. and nurse visits and was told to prepare for dialysis.

About that time his doctor at VA called, alarmed, at his rapid decline in kidney function. That is in the medical records at VA along with numerous notations of him being on dialysis and having a port in his abdomen for it, every time he went in for a 6 month checkup.

As you know, Berta, we asked about rating his kidney failure (which his doctors say was from diabetes making it another secondary condition of diabetes and so service connected..) and 3 different VSOs in 3 locations each said we couldn't go above 100%. I didn't know about these kind of forums then.  And only discovered the blog I reference below, by accident.  We also asked his doctors at VA and they didn't know either.  But one of them (unbeknownst to us) requested payment from VA for the 'dialysis treatment plan' and they agreed to pay for supplies, treatment, bi-monthly clinic followups with the 'team' (nephrologist, nurse, dietician, social worker). They also covered delivery of supplies to our home bi-monthly (huge amount of heavy bags of fluid and much more.).  He had started dialysis April 2011 and they began paying April 2013 and continued until his death Dec 6, 2015.  In March 2015 I saw a blog about Special Monthly Compensation and about rating conditions beyond the 100% level. I asked for an analysis of Don's case and the attorney agreed requesting Don's C-File from VA in March. It didn't arrive until late Aug 2015.  The analysis  wasn't quite finished when he died.  A & A was definitely something he qualified for as well and I have many statements from friends, relatives, our pastor etc as well as notes in VA's files and doctor statements about it. But that's another story.

I don't know if Nehmer affects anything I've said here or not.  Does anyone else?  Berta?  And we were not ever contacted by VA or NVLSP about it.  Maybe because he was already 100%? 

I did apply for DIC and Accrued benefits within the year following his death and was granted DIC and denied accrued because they said there weren't any.  They never checked his C file or medical records or Treasury to discover anything really. I had thought the attorney would represent me in an appeal but he's decided not to.

My DIC was granted at the higher level due to Don having been 100% for over 8 years.  I'm not sure what you thought I interpreted wrong about that Berta.  

[Berta]

I answered a different thread you posted today.

The 4 lawyers I mentioned will get what I mean on the PN ratings, if any of them feel the CUE I wrote has merit.

(Bradley V Peake)

Please do not ask them for my private phone number or email. 

It is not required that any of us post our personal contact info here.