** pacemaker/defibrillator **

[david dupe]

Looking for proper direction.

i’m rated 80% I/u at100% p&t

7005 cad associated with hypertension secondary 60% sc

5212 residuals fracture, right elbow, radial head (major) 10% sc

6600 copd 10% sc

7101 hypertension 10% sc

5242 mechanical low back pain with degenerative disc disease residuals of fusion at L5 S1 10% sc

9440 anxiety disorder 10% sc

1 denied for sleep apnea, not sc, they diagnosed me with central sleep apnea in 2005 with a bipap machine.

2. Denied ptsd, I was diagnosed it

since this rating , i’ve Lost my spleen no reason found, stroke, afib,  conjestive hear fail several times, stent, aortic valve replacement, then denied a& a, just got out of va hospital 3 weeks ago, where I was diagnosed with high & low bpm tachycardia & bradycardia, sent me home with zio heart monitor for 2 weeks, they are leaning towards a pacemaker/ defibrillator, I have cardiology appointment in 4 days to get results. 

1 Should I file a claim ? If so what should I ask for?

 

 

 

 

[GBArmy]

Hi David. You got a lot going on there. SA was diagnosed before PTSD, so you didn't have a s-c condition yet. You need an IMO to say that your SA is caused/secondary to the PTSD. You didn't list PTSD as s-c either, so you'd have to put in for that as well. I am assuming it has been diagnosed by the VA. If not, it is much harder to get s-c, but doable.  Your heart conditions can be connected to your CAD and HTN, but you need to get a heart doc to nexus/connect them . I don't know how old you are or if you have any ideas of going back to work., or how long you have been rated s-c for each disability.You are rated 100% P&T, so the money isn't going to get better unless you can qualify for SMC's. There are many posts here on this forum that talk to those. You could get there but you have to win a lot of your potential big claims to get them. PTSD and SA for a couple. Your heart problems are also major posabilities. You have a lot of research to do to figure out what to do or not do. But you have to do it; nobody can make that decision for you.

[paulstrgn]

Like GB stated you have a lot going on. Since you have COPD and SA you have what is called "overlap syndrome", I would ask you sleep medicine doctor did your COPD cause SA. I think a good sleep medicine doctor could give you an IMO that ties the two together. WebMD has some more information on this issue. https://www.webmd.com/lung/copd/copd-and-sleep-apnea-link#1

COPD, SA as well as hypertension can cause heart issues. I am sure your cartiologist can tie your your issues to both you COPD and hypertension. I am not sure if you are being seen by the VA or private doctors.

I would start a claim as soon as possible for your heart issues and sleep apnea. You will probably need IMOs to have your claim approved.

Good luck and take care of yourself.

[david dupe]

Thanks for the responses. YEs I do have a lot going on, please forgive me if I don’t understand some things. A couple of the bradycardia symptoms is confusion & forgetfulness which is getting worse, I guess that’s why my va Pc dr. Is on me about needing  someone to live with me and move closer to the va hospital which is 2 1/2 hours away. Yes all of my care is at a va hospital. According to pc dr. Most of my problems were probably the result of smoking. My ptsd stems from a BAD Ship Wreck that one can find online. ( us navy hydrofoil phm4 hits whale). The central sleep apnea the va diagnosed me with, apparently this’s is different than normal obstruction apnea. Oh I’ve had a heart attack, I have cirrhosis of the liver, I’m anemic they had to give me blood before my open heart surgery. They don’t know where I’m losing this blood, it’s not in my intestines. I think most of this cardio (blood)problems are linked.

 

[ShrekTheTank]

David,

So I need a bit more information.  When and where did you serve? 

The reason I am asking is so I can help you find out if these can be secondary conditions or presumptive.  

Also you hypertension could link all of these issues and you could claim all of these as secondary to it!

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/high-blood-pressure/in-depth/high-blood-pressure/art-20045868

 

[david dupe]

Shrek,

i was active 1981 to 1992, Philadelphia ship yard 1981-1982, Charleston sc 1982-1987, Pensacola fl 1987- 1990, key west fl 1990-1992.

when I was stationed at naval hospital Pensacola, I was diagnosed with hypertension at 25 years old after a stress test where my blood pressure reached 240/178, they would not allow me to take physical readiness test.

In Philadelphia ship yard I did inhale a lot of asbestos, but dr. Says it has nothing to do with this.