Peripheral Arterial Disease

[Glenn Lego]

I have been diagnosed by my Medicare provider that I have peripheral artery disease in my legs. I was serving on the USS Holland (AS32) in 1968. The day I reported aboard in February 1968 I had to go down a flight of stairs to check in. The very first step I took I slipped and fell down the stairs on my right hip and leg. I just worked through the pain the rest of my enlistment but in recent years I have gotten to where I can’t walk without a cane. I was given a 50% disability for having served in Vietnam but I think I should have been at least 70% I can’t even prove that I served on the Holland let alone how to prove that I was injured by the fall on the staircase. 

[GBArmy]

Glenn You were "given a 50% rating for having served in Vietnam"; not very accurate on your part. If the VA has given you a combined disability rating, it is for injuries or diseases you have that may be attributed to being in Vietnam? Your new disability has nothing to do with serving in Vietnam; it was ain-service accident that caused an injury.Do you use the VA for health care, or just use Medicare? If you use the VA Health Care system, call and see if they will mail you a copy of your rated disabilities and their rate sheets. 800-827-1000. You want to know specifically what your disabilities are. If that doesn't work, you can try getting a VSO from VFW, DAV, or possibly a county VSO. They can look that up for you. If you don't have your medical records, you have to take steps on getting them. You want to see if there is any record relating to your accident. Submit a VA form SF180 for that, or see a VSO. Next, the question is have you had treatment for your PAD over the years; you have to show that the injury is related to your current condition and you have been receiving care for some time. Get the records and then see your doc and ask if your current conditions are "at least as likely as not because of your original injury." If you get all that you have a shot at getting a new VA disability rating, but from what I described there is a lot of work involved in getting the nexus or connection that may need some professional help from a doc who specializes in that sort of thing. Ask questions.

 

[Berta]

Good advice from GBA- I am confused about your post.

What did you mean by " I was given a 50% disability for having served in Vietnam but I think I should have been at least 70% "

The USS Holland, as far as I know, was never in the Blue Water Navy vicinity.

You probably mean, you did have incountry BOG service in Vietnam.

Va can rate PAD but you will need a nexus to your service and probably a very strong IMO/IME that establishes the cause of it. I do not foresee any way to associate the PAD to the inservice fall.

You stated:

" I can’t even prove that I served on the Holland let alone how to prove that I was injured by the fall on the staircase. "

Have you accessed all of your Military Records, to include any deck logs?

If not I suggest you go to NARA-https://www.archives.gov/, and click on the Veterans records button and fill out the SF 180, follow the rest of their directions, and ask them for all available records to include your inservice personnel file.

You might be able to get a buddy statement, or even two are better than one--- at this ship's web site:

 https://www.ussholland.org/

They have a re union roster and you might find a shipmate with an open email addy or phone #.

My husband was  determined to have both PAD and PN due to his DMII ( Vietnam vet).

Do you have diabetes mellitus? Also he had IHD from Agent Orange-and either one of these disabilities can cause PAD, but it is not a direct AO presumptive.

You would have to prove that a service connected disability caused the PAD, maybe the 50% SC did, but we don't know what you get that for.

 

 

Edited October 23, 2020 by Berta