Kidney disease

[Jayco]

Wanting to file a claim for third stage kidney disease as secondary to heart disease and diabetes type 2.  Was diagnosed with kidney disease this year.  Eight years ago cysts were found on my kidneys, but were claimed to be filled with water.  Just need to keep a watch on them which I did not do.  Reason being the doctor said they should be okay as long as they did not get too big.  Blood work the last 8 years said kidneys were fine.  This year blood work is coming back saying things are not fine.

A few years ago I filed a claim for sleep apnea and got denied.  I believe it was due to my inexperience in filing claims.  I have severe sleep apnea, but yet could not get approved.     If I file the kidney disease claim I want to be sure I am during it right.  If I can find an attorney I will turn over to him.

There is article after article on the internet showing how kidney disease is caused by heart disease and diabetes which I could use for support.  But it is my understanding that is not what they want.  VA wants proof of connection of "my" kidney disease to "my" heart disease and diabetes.  Not general articles from the internet.  I have a doctor treating me for kidney disease.  I take medication.  I get blood work done every two to four weeks.  How do you connect to heart disease and diabetes?  I could get a letter from my doctor, but I did that with sleep apnea and it did no good.

Can someone tell me what the VA is looking for?

Thank you in advance.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[GBArmy]

Jayco You should order your c-file if you haven't gotten it yet; there can be some valuable insight on your previous claim process, etc. The thing is you can't make the nexus for connecting HD and renal or kidney. You need a medical doc to do that. Two approaches: go do your own research and find the connection of medical published studies, trial. journel articles on research etc. that show the link. Then get a specialist to write the IMO nexus if he or she agrees with the connection and can use it as reference backup for their opinion. Or, you can go and get a nexus from a doc that does that. It is expensive, no guarrantees of approval, but much more likely you will be sucessful compared to the first method, because they are familiar with the VA claims process. By the way, I believe there is a connection between sleep apnea and HD also.

 

 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed

[broncovet]

Great advice by GB Army.

   Of course, you need to review your cfile, and your decision(s), and find out the real reason you were denied.  Did your appeal make it to the BVA?  If not, you probably need to appeal again to get it there.  About 80 percent of claimants that go through BVA are either awarded or remanded.  

   You may well be right about the attorney.  While you can self represent, you are going to need certain things to be successful.  

Among them are:

   1. Communications skills.  

   2.  Good enough health to see it through to completion.  

  3.  Organization skills, as well as an ability to attend to details.  

  4.  Ability to do searches online.  

  5.  Persistence and patience.  

6.  Willingness and ability to pay costs.  You may have to buy an IMO, a VBM manual, pay for certified mail return receipt requested, and other costs such as some hospitals charge to send you your records.  

      If you lack one or more of these 6, then you should consider an attorney as it will improve your chances.  We can help with "some" of the above, but we cant do all 6.  For example, lets say you dont know how to word your appeal and need help locating the forms.  We can help with that.