Ankylosing Spondylitis, IBS D, and Irisitis/Uveitis

[Usaf9498]

I served in the USAF from 1994-1998. Deployed to Bahrain, Turkey and Saudi, and was at Khobar Towers in 1995 when it was bombed. I am currently rated at 90% total. 70% PTSD from the bombing, 50% sleep apnea secondary to PTSD and 10% Tinnitus. 

I have suffered from IBS for over 20 years. It was finally getting bad enough this spring that I went to the VA and talked to my primary care. She ordered a colonoscopy and referred me to the GI department. Colonoscopy came back relatively normal, with a few polyps removed and biopsied all coming back negative. They put me on fiber twice a day which has improved my issue a little. My GI nurse told me in a video conference yesterday that she was finally officially diagnosing me with IBS type D.

About the same time I was having the worst of the IBS issues this spring, I also started having severe joint pain. I was referred to rheumatology and was sent in for a CT scan, and gobs of blood work and x rays. They diagnosed me with Ankylosing Spondylitis. My bloodwork did show that I am HLA-b27 positive, but have no family history of AS or any type of auto immune diaseases. I am injecting myself in each leg once a month with 300mg Cosenyx. The injections help but they are talking about adding a pill to help get it under control 100%. It is really affecting my knees, my thumbs, and my ankles the most and I am afraid of it getting worse. I drive a truck for a living and I really need my joints to work to continue to provide for my family. 

During the Xrays of everything, they found several masses in my lungs. They did a CT scan and said that they were likely not cancerous, but wanted to do follow up tests in a year to compare to make sure nothing was growing. I was a smoker for a few years so I cannot say that is from the sand but who knows? 

For about the last 3 years, I have had a few bouts of irisitis/uveitis which my civilian opthamologist said was likely rheumatoid arthiritis. It is also a common side effect of my AS. I take a steroid eye drop when I have flares and when I catch it quick enough, knocks it out before it gets really bad. I have had one flare up since I have been going to the VA, and had them look at it and document it, and now get my prescription eye drops from the VA.  

I know IBS is a Gulf War Presumptive. I am wondering if my AS would be condsidered GWP also? Would it be secondary to my IBS? Should it be a stand alone claim and the irisitis be secondary to AS? I am not the kind of guy that is trying to claim everything wrong with me is somehow a VA claim, but this stuff just has gotten the better of me and I can see no reason why I am having these issues. 

As always, I appreciate all of the help!

 

 

 

[GBArmy]

Usaf9498 Sorry to hear about your disabilities man, especially being a truck driver. Vision and joints driving is tough. If you can get the IBS as s-c, do it. The thing about Gulf War syndrome is I believe you have to rule out everything else and when there is nothing left, then it is considered. You GW veterans are going to be fighting that uphill battle for 50 years, just like Vietnam guys have with A.O. I don't think it is too much of a leap to figure your conditions are likely to get worse, so start planning. If they get so bad that you can't drive anymore, TDIU may be something you need to deal with. Can you link your eye condition as secondary to a s-c condition? Try to figure out a plan to get to 100% scheduler, rather than having to hope for TDIU and not being able to work at anything. How about pain as secondary to all your conditions; it would be a MH issue, but keep working on getting more ratings. SMC's may be in the future by setting them. Consider getting a lawyer on GW disabilities. Yes, it will cost you, but the VA will fight really hard to stop 90 going to 100%. And GW stuff they reject at a 80% rate anyway. Your odds of winning will be a lot better on whatever you go after, IMHO. Think of it as an investment. You're still young; the payback is worth it.

[John Mull]

Stop working and file a claim for increase to the 100% rate based on the fact that all your service connected condition preclude you from gainful employment.  Vet Rep PVA...

[bwilson]

 I was in Bahrain in the early 80s and some other sandpits was hospitalized 24 months later for GERD and diarrhea, that was in 1987. I hurt everywhere as time clicked by. My Gi doc 5 months ago found out that I had picked up Helicobacter pylori the damage done of the years can not be fixed but not being anemic and finally up taking fat soluble vitamins like K, D and calcium sure make you feel just a little more alive. They did not test for this until after two docs got the nobel prize in 2005 and the treatment is the same as amtrax it sucks but worth it.

Edited November 26, 2020 by bwilson

[cwatson]

The IBS is not in any way related to nor can be related to a AS condition. I know that working supports our family but I had to quit after I increased my education to make certain that I would or could do sedentary work management. AS just as many Rheumatic conditions only worsen the older we get and especially the longer we are physically active. I filed for TDIU because I had 90% and that increased my rating to 100%. Then I added SSDI twenty years ago as I am now 72 years old and I began to take better care of myself. Good Luck.

[TexasVeteran]

7 minutes ago, cwatson said:

The IBS is not in any way related to nor can be related to a AS condition. I know that working supports our family but I had to quit after I increased my education to make certain that I would or could do sedentary work management. AS just as many Rheumatic conditions only worsen the older we get and especially the longer we are physically active. I filed for TDIU because I had 90% and that increased my rating to 100%. Then I added SSDI twenty years ago as I am now 72 years old and I began to take better care of myself. Good Luck.

I'll have to disagree here sir. People with AS or IBS both typically have the HLA-B27 marker. And those with AS are more likely to develop IBS (5-10 percent of people with AS develop IBS according to Joel Taurog, MD from a 2013 EverydayHealth article). 

Your AS should be the primary and IBS secondary. If you have pain in your back, neck, hips, and/or knees, you will need to be rated for for those separately. You will need to get an Independent Medical Opinion and Nexus letter completed by someone like Dr. Ellis out of Oklahoma City (Ellis Clinic). Stating his opinion of the nexus between your AS and military service and the connection between your AS and IBS. It's probably not unreasonable to say that it is "more likely than not" your IBS is due to or made worse by your serviced connected AS condition.

Dr. Ellis would be your very last stop and you should have a complete case file before going with medical records (military, va, and private), diagnosis letters, buddy letters (multiple, from family, friends, and co-workers), work absentee letters, appeals cases close your case, and any medical journal articles which support your claim and connection from AS to IBS. Having all of that should be a rock solid case.

Before you go to your C&P exam, be sure to download the DBQ's they will be using to evaluate you. Those are no longer available on the VA's website, but are archived here: https://helpdesk.vetsfirst.org/index.php?pg=kb.page&id=3300  (google: "vetsfirst DBQ 3.1").  Be prepared for all the questions they could ask from that form and understand how you will be rated by researching each condition's rating criteria, simple google search on that.

https://www.everydayhealth.com/ankylosing-spondylitis/inflammatory-bowel-disease-and-ankylosing-spondylitis.aspx

 

[Rattler]

On 11/26/2020 at 10:05 AM, GBArmy said:

Usaf9498 Sorry to hear about your disabilities man, especially being a truck driver. Vision and joints driving is tough. If you can get the IBS as s-c, do it. The thing about Gulf War syndrome is I believe you have to rule out everything else and when there is nothing left, then it is considered. You GW veterans are going to be fighting that uphill battle for 50 years, just like Vietnam guys have with A.O. I don't think it is too much of a leap to figure your conditions are likely to get worse, so start planning. If they get so bad that you can't drive anymore, TDIU may be something you need to deal with. Can you link your eye condition as secondary to a s-c condition? Try to figure out a plan to get to 100% scheduler, rather than having to hope for TDIU and not being able to work at anything. How about pain as secondary to all your conditions; it would be a MH issue, but keep working on getting more ratings. SMC's may be in the future by setting them. Consider getting a lawyer on GW disabilities. Yes, it will cost you, but the VA will fight really hard to stop 90 going to 100%. And GW stuff they reject at a 80% rate anyway. Your odds of winning will be a lot better on whatever you go after, IMHO. Think of it as an investment. You're still young; the payback is worth it.

So the real question here is did the  GI nurse tell him that she/they wee going to rate him for the IBS so he is services connects him with IBS type D.  Question no. 2 if it was the VA who sent him to rheumatology for the diagnoses with Ankylosing Spondylitis the VA should rate him for that also. Both of them IBS and AS are autoimmune diseases and I would think if you can service connect one the other should be too.  Given the fact that he is already 90% total. 70% PTSD from the bombing, 50% sleep apnea secondary to PTSD and 10% Tinnitus all he needs is another 30% to 40% to make him an extra schuldiger 100%.  100% TDUI is grate if he cannot work and he can get a Doc to say so do to any of the above.  I am supised that the let him keep his DOT medical with a diagnosis of sleep apnea.  IMHO he should go for the extra schuldiger before trying to do the TDUI. 

 I have call into Under Security Paul Lawrence Tele-a-town halls a couple of times. (Note Call even if they are having on NOT in your are/state) With the change of administration I don't know if he will still be there because he is a TRUMP appointee.  It is my hope he stays regardless as he is a Vet and him and his staff are top notch.  In my case it took a couple of calls to get through but when I did through his office and his staff they were able to get my C-File and a copy of my C & P exam and help advance my case at the BVA do to a Motion to advance that I filed.  I cannot say enough about them.

 

Under Security Paul Lawrence Tele-a-town halls

https://benefits.va.gov/benefits/teletownhall.asp#FAQ6

Tommy

 

Edited November 29, 2020 by Rattler767