hernia

[overthere]

have no idea how I got here, or what forum Im in.  Just says "ask new question".  I cant find a list of things, I cant find how to use this site.  It just sends me into the twilight zone.  here goes.

injured in Vietnam 1970.  booby trap explosion foot or two in front of me.  exploratory laparotomy, multiple shell fragment wounds w/bowel perforation, colostomy for a few months.  9 inch vertical scar from just above belly button on down.  severed major artery repair left groin area,  blood transfusion.  injury abdomal wall muscle.  awarded 0% for abdominal wall muscle injury.  10% for the multiple sfw/bowel perf/temp colostomy.  artery repair surgery never mentioned.  time marches on, had other injuries, eventually awarded 90% then unemployability 1984.  1998, surgery for ventral hernia same area, some type of medical "patch" stitched in.  always thought hernia surgery probably related to the other stuff, esp the abdom wall muscle injury.  once saw on ebenefits  the DAV rep made note of it.  nothing about an increase, new injury, etc. dav reps I had never seemed very good.    recall dav rep telling me things like "better than nothing"...."not bad, huh"?   but, long story short ...too late for that...hernia thing/abd wall muscle injury always bugged me, seems it would be related, guess ther dav rep never thought so.   I would often read to keep an eye on things even if rated 100%.   always felt stigma of 'nam combat vets looked down on by society and the system, let lots of things slide.  this is just one of them I've wondered about when I feel the discomfort in that area.  I've rambled on long enough, Im sure this is quite a minor thing compared to most issues on here.  thanks for listening.   hope I can find this spot again to see if anyone had any thoughts, not sure where/how I got here. 

Edited August 29, 2021 by overthere
length

[GBArmy]

Overthere  Sorry brother, seems like you have your share of bad. Actually, I'd like to comment on two things for you though. First, we don't like veterans downplaying there disabilities with comments similar to "others have it a lot worse" Every veteran deserves to be compensated for their disabilities and every one is different. If you have the symptoms and you get the diagnosis plus a nexus, submit the claim. That kind of comment discourages veterans from getting what THEY deserve. The other thing is have you ever been diagnosed with that hernia? I'm not a doc, you aren't a doc, and I'm pretty confident the DAV VSO isn't one either. But be careful. You're rated 100% with TDIU, correct. It's been long enough that you could request re-exam to make it P&T if that is something you want.. That said, I'm not sure why you want the new hernia be service connected unless you can mayne get close to SMC's. But get it evaluated, get it diagnosed and repaired whether or not it is s-c. Lastly, maybe we were "looked down upon" back then, and maybe we still are by some. It's a bitter pill but nothing you or I can ever do to change it. So it's ok. Welcome home brother.

[Marine Corp 69/70]

Overthere  Wellcome home (BROTHER). I can’t help you because I will say things which other people think but will not say about the VA we fought for and ungrateful Country. Semper Fi Brother Marines till we die  

[overthere]

of course I dont want to discourage others.  guess Ive just read bunch of much worse stuff than mine.  diagnosed(?).  yes...I said I had the surgery for it in '98.  I am rated P/T.  But I think on here somewhere, I read a vet should still go aftter things that might be serv/conn.  might have read it somewhere else, not sure, and cant recall what the reasons were.   yes, quite a bitter pill.  just the way things were.  even thou it took long time, glad attitudes changed.  would have been horrible if things continued or got worse.  thanks for the welcome home, I dont get tired of hearing that ---Quang Nam Province ---  p.s.   still dont know the title of this forum Im in, this is most confusing site to navigate I've ever seen, I can never figure out where I am/how I got there/how to get somewhere I want to go.  seems I click on something, but I dont go to where it says.  I dont see a title for this forum anywhere....is my comp not showing things properly??

 

Edited August 30, 2021 by overthere

[Buck52]

Overthere 

Remember we can file on secondary conditions our original  sc condition can cause or be related too...One of my disability is chronic combat PTSD , I  got that first try  and now I have another condition that my PTSD causes or is related to  like Sleep Apnea...I have been diagnose for Sleep Apnea by the VA Doc's  and I could file a secondary claim for that.. its 50% with a C-pap machine  medically necessary to use,  so if you have a service connected condition and it has caused you to have other  disabling condition's   you can file it as a secondary condition   ..You will need a Qualified Dr to nexus the two  and mention that it is at least likly as not your new condition is caused by  or related to  your original service connected condition.

with a sleep apnea claim and Doc says its medically to use  and it is caused by /or related to  your other sc condition  that's a 50% rating with  the C-pap machine.

once you get   a secondary service connected for another condition that is disabling  it becomes part of your other condition or original condition.

[Berta]

"injured in Vietnam 1970.  booby trap explosion foot or two in front of me. "

This is a valid stressor- do you believe it has caused you to have symptoms of PTSD?

You would need an additional 60% rating, independent of the ratings you have now- to obtain SMC =Special Monthly Compensation.

Plenty here on SMC in our SMC forum.

Have you ever received a NSC ( not service connected) rating for the hernia?

 

 

[Berta]

Here is how the VA rates service connected hernias:

https://cck-law.com/blog/va-disability-benefits-for-hernia/

If you can get an independent medical opinion that will assess that your hernia is service connectable ,by medical evidence , the opinion should contain any medical information you have,  have to reveal what percentage it should be in , due to your medical evidence....meaning your evidence might reveal it is in the 60% SC range and that would give you SMC S.

I dont know how you would prove service connection- but you could try for secondary to your stablished SC disabilities., but for SMC, the condition must be independent of the main disabilities.

I will give personal example:

My deceased husband was 100% P & T SC for PTSD.

He also had a Section 1151 stroke ( which VA caused) rated at 80% and than at 100% P & T,

The stroke was independent of the PTSD. VA awarded him SMC (posthumously)

USMC Danang 65-66 1stMARDIV,1st Amphibious Tractor Battalion