Filed first claim today

[Dha]

I decided to file a claim for some issues I’ve had that were discovered while on active duty and was wondering if anyone would provide some insight to what I might be instore for. Any difficulties or possibly what type of rating these things typically get assigned. I will list them below and hopefully someone could help. 

1. Anal fissures resulting in surgery and leakage from rectum. Discovered while on active duty. No treatment given and a couple years after separation resulted in emergency surgery and discovery of infected punctures inside rectum/colon. Since surgery, which was several years ago, I still bleed and require several trips to bathroom to clean up.also have scaring.  Very embarrassing. I have all paperwork from hospital where surgery was performed. 

2. Problems with foot from fractured MT.  Documented while in combat training and first duty station. Subsequent knee problems from favoring this foot. Can’t jump down off of any elevation of any kind anymore. Can’t run with the  kid. That sort of thing. 

3. Discovered a growth in ear canal during final physical before separation. Sent to civilian ENT and was told a bowny growth formed( can’t remeber medical term). Could be caused by irritation, ear plugs that sort of thing. Loss of hearing in that ear and pain when wax is built up which requires me to get cleaned out by ENT every few months. During the visit to civilian ENT he marked me down with T&A hypertrophy (enlarged tonsils/adenoids)  I have never been to sleep study but believe I have apnea  always wake up gasping for air  

4. Tinnitus( ringing humming in ears)

5. Shoulder pain due to an injury that was given limited duty for for about 6 wks while on active duty. 

6. Fell on wrist and had sharp pain for several weeks  I was never given any kind of X-ray but have it documented in record book  Started rearing it’s head again over the last few years  with pain that comes when held in certain positions  

I thought maybe this was too much to put down for a claim but the veterans advocate I was working with said it was fine. I have all medical records from in service to back it up. And most dr. Records from after discharge but not all. 

Any info or even anyone who has any experience with these symptoms and their experiences would be appreciated. I get a little anxious when it comes to this sort of thing. 

Thanks 

[GeekySquid]

49 minutes ago, Dha said:

Will do. Great info thank you. 

you are welcome..good luck.... let us know what happens.

I also want to touch on something that you may or may not realize /see.

When you talk to a VA doc or C&P examiner you should of course always be truthful. What you should not do is try and paint a good face on your problem. Always remember and relate the worst symptoms, episodes, experiences. Don't try and minimize the outcomes and certainly don't portray that you have been 'handling things just fine'.

Doing those things can sink your claim. Minor problems or stuff you can handle on your own are often viewed as not needing compensation as they are not serious enough problems in your life. They mean the military nexus really didn't harm you that much.

Again don't lie or exaggerate, just don't sink your own claim by putting on a brave or macho face.

 

[Oceanbound]

Start seeing a private physician in your town, might take a while to find one that is vet friendly, and talk to their front office. Can't judge a book by the cover until you scratch the surface. I googled specialist I wanted to see, ie orthopedic surgeon, neurologist, etc. Good luck

[Dha]

1 hour ago, GeekySquid said:

you are welcome..good luck.... let us know what happens.

I also want to touch on something that you may or may not realize /see.

When you talk to a VA doc or C&P examiner you should of course always be truthful. What you should not do is try and paint a good face on your problem. Always remember and relate the worst symptoms, episodes, experiences. Don't try and minimize the outcomes and certainly don't portray that you have been 'handling things just fine'.

Doing those things can sink your claim. Minor problems or stuff you can handle on your own are often viewed as not needing compensation as they are not serious enough problems in your life. They mean the military nexus really didn't harm you that much.

Again don't lie or exaggerate, just don't sink your own claim by putting on a brave or macho face.

 

Absolutely. I’ve got majority of records to back up. But I do tend to say things aren’t that bad. Thanks for the heads up. 

[GeekySquid]

1 hour ago, Dha said:

But I do tend to say things aren’t that bad

That is a trait i believe you share with most of us vets. no matter which trite phrase was used most often in your branch and unit (stiff upper lip, be a man, grow a pair, deal with it, etc ) and formative years, the fact is we would not be applying for help if we did not need it, and should not be applying for compensation if we did not earn it. Therefore, to my mind, we also need to make sure we don't sabotage our own claims by making the mistake of talking in those ways.

In my case for almost 2 decades and with 12 attempts the VA literally refused to help me, even going so far as saying they couldn't find any record of my service. This with my DD214's in hand along with Service Records and contracts. I got fed up and "figured it out" on my own. Found out how to get by.

When I finally got rated, I still did the "i dealt with it thing" and I ended up with a 70% rating for PTSD. I can only guess what the outcome would have been if I had been brutally honest about my situations instead of putting on a happy face. 5 years later they re-evaled me and bumped me to 100% P&T. in essence I potentially lost out on 5 years of compensation with the difference between 70 and 100. currently that is about 1600 a month. imagine that for 60 months. it is almost a 100k.

so learn from my mistakes. get past any idea of painting lipstick on that pig....you don't get compensated for "handling it".

 

[paulstrgn]

I always bring copies of x-ray and MRI results to any C&P, I just tell them I brought them a copy in case they needed it. All but one has always been grateful that I brought them (I have only been seen by QTC & LHI). Like has been said above be honest but tell them about your worse day when asked, after all only you can tell them what your worse days are like.

Good luck.

[Buck52]

All the information you have got here is priceless and well intended.

However I've seen were Vets are denied for some off the wall reasons  when they have  all their evidence presented in their claims that show all favorable to the Veteran and still be denied...This can be beat by Appeal,  but its a needless Appeal when the person trained to make a decision on your claim fails to read  all your evidence ,Unfortunately  this happens a lot and keeps  the claims appeal back log Clogging the system and further frustrates the Veteran  having to Appeal.

When we think we have a slam duck The VA Can slam that shut.