Great ToeNail, bilateral remnants cauterization, scars, open wound, chronic

[ToxicSgt73]

Question: 
I am not even sure yet what my question is? 

Situation: 

I had ingrown toenails on great toe bilateral chronic in service.  Aggravated by weight control program policy (I was on 3 years, 8 months, 29 days) of running in combat boots, and last ditch effort of adding speed (amphetamines USAF strength). I did a lot of running from basic till the end, a lot more than I had not been on that program.

After multiple inservice removals of nails (complete).  USAF hospital at Tyndall removed nails and cauterized the 'matrix' the 'roots, or bed' of the nails where the nail grows from.  The idea was my nails would not grow back? Bad idea....

An Airman First Class was assigned the task. 

Result: My nails grew back.  Except neither one the same, and neither as original stock equipment.

I have 3 nails remnants on one toe, I have one nail that grows 90 degrees to the horizontal flat plane of the top of my toe.  This causes repeated open wounds? breaks in skin? over scar tissue? They are a nightmare to trim, as they are deformed and multiples times as thick as originals.  Varying degrees of pain during the time span between trimming, and great pain, open wounds and blood every time trimming is necessary. I can no longer trim them myself as my tremor isn't part time much of the time.

This has limited my choice of footwear over the years, as hard shoes don't feel that great with a toenail growing straight up.  Probably affected my gait, posture, etc. (never thought about it that way) until now that i have arthritis in my knees, just had an xray of my right knee, no obvious trauma to knee, just arthritis from oral report (request in for written and image). I do know that my running days were over when I left the service.

 

I am starting to build my claim.  I am using VLB template along with my other research into everything.....and I still am stumped as to how to treat this one.  

I have read a lot of denials for ingrown toenails on the web, and only one instance period of anyone having this cauterization done.

I though I would use this injury as first question about go about the claim process as it seems to be multiple routes.

Would this be pyramiding if I also have peripheral nephropathy? 

I am going to have a lot of doctors visits ahead if I need doctors to diagnose everything that isn't documented (I know the answer to this one).

Where does this injury fit into the claims types?

[ToxicSgt73]

thanks for all the details, 
Got form 10-10 ready for sending out on Monday.

So, really the only unclear area, is that last question? I am still trying to understand if I were to submit say 1) tininitus, and it is rated, and then I submitted toenails and it was anything but rated......does the tinnitus follow the toes, until it gets to a point of a denial or award?  Does that make sense? 

And one can have only one claim? That claim can have multiple conditions or a single condition on it, but only one claim at a time?

I can see where an understanding of what actually can happen is important to strategy in a complex situation.

My goal I am thinking is to get a rating for something, while I don't need the $, and use that time to perfect my other claim. I probably should have as little friction in my first claim as possible, if I am understanding all of this.

[GBArmy]

The VA decides a new claim with a decision on every item submitted, so in effect one item can slow down the process, so to speak. As long as a claim has not been finalized you can also add new items to it. This is usually not a great strategy because in theory, the whole claim goes back to the staring point and is totally re-evaluated and compared with the other items to see if there are any interrelated elements. Do your research; pardon my French, but if you don't the likely hood of success is not great. Read. A good place to start is https://www.va.gov/disability/how-to-file-claim/ and https://www.va.gov/disability/how-to-file-claim/evidence-needed/fully-developed-claims/ So, if you submit a claim for tinnitus, wait and get a (favorable) decision, get a service-connected (s-c) disability which is one of your primary goals,  you then submit  a claim for your toes in your example. Also realize, that will take  time which you are concerned about. If you submit two items together, one gets approved and the other denied, you can appeal the second item via the secondary lane with new relevant evidence, the process time for the second option can be considerably less than the first. Start reading.

[ToxicSgt73]

This post is for my benefit.  So, it is not addressed to any individual.

I own the reason for wanting to do so, and own the need to do so.

That said, I must quote from a prior post, from GeekySquid, 

 

 "really doubt you will do this. In fact I suspect this whole response will just piss you off even more. I also don't think you will be honest about that facet in any response you make."

What I own, I believe I must change what I did when I signed up here.  The reasons and anything else really don't matter, and should not be brought here.  There is no reason, there is no excuse. 
I have read through other emotional posts and threads and some found some keywords used by me and others that illicit a hearty response.  I see the value 'now' of removing all of that from here. It will be good training to have a good chance at success in my claims.  

I 'now' see, at least that is what I see from this.

So, I am appreciative of being 'pissed' off in the 'present',  so 5 minutes later I could wonder why? so I could see the value of what that accomplishes in real time.  I have been closed off in a box so long, in solitary, that social skills are not something I use very often and I can see where I am using the above, I am not getting the results I want. 

I have had some high bars to hurdle before, and I usually grin when I hear the word impossible, I am not always successful, but I am brutally honest to myself either way. So, once again I set myself a high bar, not for anyone else, but for myself and for my family. I know I will have setbacks, but I won't live with failure, I never have. Whatever setbacks cost me, well that is the cost of admission, and I turned in my ticket a long time ago.

I want to rehabilitate myself as being eligible to veterans benefits, having a honorable discharge, and having in service events, and chronicity and present chronic diseases and conditions, and questions.

And I have questions, ( I can see this is ongoing education, that never stops) my wife and I are assembling a war room for the long haul, as the toxic claim in me will definitely take a long haul to SC, but only after I get into the system with smaller claims. 

I am going to move on with questions.

[ToxicSgt73]

On 8/31/2019 at 4:50 AM, GBArmy said:

The VA decides a new claim with a decision on every item submitted, so in effect one item can slow down the process, so to speak. As long as a claim has not been finalized you can also add new items to it. This is usually not a great strategy because in theory, the whole claim goes back to the staring point and is totally re-evaluated and compared with the other items to see if there are any interrelated elements. Do your research; pardon my French, but if you don't the likely hood of success is not great. Read. A good place to start is https://www.va.gov/disability/how-to-file-claim/ and https://www.va.gov/disability/how-to-file-claim/evidence-needed/fully-developed-claims/ So, if you submit a claim for tinnitus, wait and get a (favorable) decision, get a service-connected (s-c) disability which is one of your primary goals,  you then submit  a claim for your toes in your example. Also realize, that will take  time which you are concerned about. If you submit two items together, one gets approved and the other denied, you can appeal the second item via the secondary lane with new relevant evidence, the process time for the second option can be considerably less than the first. Start reading.

Thanks, 

Got it. 
Developing the claims right now, I believe I have this set of issues answered to where with what I have read.....I have some work cut out for me to do right now.  

[Buck52]

ToxicSgt73

Welcome to Hadit

PLEASE FEEL FREE TO POST ANY QUESTION VA RELATED , CLAIM RELATED , OR  VAMC RELATED  ANYTHING VA RELATED YOU WANT TO OR NEED TO KNOW.

Members here Volunteer their time away from their family's to help a fellow Brother Veteran , Most of us have been there done that  ect,,,ect,,

So a lot of  years of experience &  knowledgeable Veterans here can help  and its all free brother .

  Remember with these VA Claims ''Knowledge is Power'' the more knowledge you recieve the better chance your claim will be approved and that's what were all about here at Hadit.

We here at Hadit will leave NO VETERAN BEHIND.

Here is just a small part of my advise to you .other members can chime in  they will be other ways you can try to get your Toe service connected, I am fairly sure  this is just some of my advise for you to try.

*Note  some of the things I mention below you may or may not have already tried?  but in case you have not...try it.

If your wanting to get this toe or toes that are giving you problems  service connected..&.possibly rated?

 check for your military medical records  request your C-FILE lot of times it will have old military records and notes will be in it  that you may have forgot about ?

you need something to connect the problem your having now (great toe nails deformed) to your military service you need your military medical records......

Have you used the VA Medical Center Hospital  to  treat your toe?or toe  especially the Great toe  or all of them ?

 During your military service  have if they (your Toes) all give you problems?...

Having the nail removed and then they  cauterized the 'matrix' the 'roots, or bed' and later grew back and deformed ect,,ect,, did you go back to the Dr's? VA or Private?  you need these records if you did if not?

  What you can do is get an IMO from a Private Foot Specialist   if the VA Foot Dr's won't help?  they may help you with your toe problem but unless your in good with the VA Foot Dr's I doubt they will help you with a claim  it don't hurt to ASK??

..if not try the private foot Dr  let him know what all you have tried and what they (military Dr's did to them while in the military.?

This Dr can read up on some of that (YOUR MILITARY MEDICAL RECORDS THAT PERTAIN TO THIS FOOT/TOE  PROBLEM, and examine you and treat your foot/Toe  and you can ask this Dr if he will give his opinion that it ''is likely as not''  this Veterans Great toe  problem is caused  or related to from his military service..or something close to this   the private foot Dr can give is medical opinion and if he does all this    you can submit this as your evidence to service connect your Toe.

  and also ask this specialist if this Toe problem can generate other conditions that you may have?   if he says yes ask him to write that down OR WRITE YOU AN IMPRESSION LETTER DETAILING THE MEDICAL PROBLEMS THIS HAS CAUSED YOU.

Once Service Connection has been established the hard part is over.  now you can work on getting a rating  if they don't rate you on the first try.  but Service connection is very important it has to be established to file a claim for compensation.

.. Now you can file a secondary claim to your service connected Toe.

   Also if this has caused you to be depressed  you can file a secondary claim for MDD (Major Depressive Disorder)   just go to the apporaite clinic's like MH and the foot clinic and other clinics depending on what the secondary condition can be?

and have them to check out all these possible secondary conditions that could be related to or caused by your (Great Toe Problem) 

It will take a little work but if you can get a Dr's opinion that your Great Toe problem you had in the military and now giving you other problems/medical conditions .

 you need a Foot specialist to give his favorable opinion...but first go for the service connection  once you get that   this is when the secondary conditions may come in?..if you know what I mean? 

but you will need a foot specialist to help you out.

I'm sure other hadit members will chime in here.

Again Welcome to Hadit.

.....

[ToxicSgt73]

Buck52, 

Thanks for all the tips, I have quite the smorgasbord to choose from. 

I think I have just about nailed the toes down, I am hoping to get the toes to help me get my foot in the door. 

I have a plan now, just have to follow it through and wait. 

I do have a few other issues but will bring those up in another question.

I am in process and will be doing a few of the things you brought up.

There is a tremendous amount of info here, its hard to stop reading and getting to actually the working the plan. Just waiting on the in service medical records to see what I have to work with before I will finalize anything.

So, thanks again, for taking the time to add to my tool box.