Important Topics - Please Review This Thread.

[mike/3/8/cav]

Thanks T-bird. i understand and hope that everyone else does also. This site is a blessing and so are all the folks here. The opinions and experiences that are shared are only our to use if we choose. And I find it easy to trust most opinions given by experienced vets and their spouses and family members.

[RSG]

There is no question about the exposure. It was there at TI, I was exposed, I now have type I diabetes, plus a bunch of other

Maladies. If you need printed matter with reference to this TI Stuff, I got it all.

Rsg

sayad,

the question here is about exposure to hazardous materials on the base, in the soil, buildings etc. One building used for training personel was a neuclear desaster site in the 50's. I suppose radiation disapates quickly so theres nothing to wory about?

Damage control training area and that old traing ship they had was full of radioactive material, plutonium discs. Much of the base had agent orange used on it.

If you did any fishing off the docks or the ship, you may have ingested contaminates.

They didn't write any laws or regulations on the plutonium discs that were hiddin on the base, nor were we trained for it. They didn't want anyone to know it was there.

Edited March 4, 2009 by RSG

[willie 74]

Since there are so many claims for spinal conditions, I'm making an attempt to put everything in one thread. Tbird...could possibly pin this so it can be easily found?

Here are the rating codes/criteria found in 38 CFR 4.71(a):

The Spine

Rating

General Rating Formula for Diseases and Injuries of the Spine

(For diagnostic codes 5235 to 5243 unless 5243 is evaluated under the Formula for Rating

Intervertebral Disc Syndrome Based on Incapacitating Episodes):

With or without symptoms such as pain (whether or not it radiates), stiffness, or aching in the area of the spine affected by residuals of injury or disease

Unfavorable ankylosis of the entire spine 100

Unfavorable ankylosis of the entire thoracolumbar spine 50

Unfavorable ankylosis of the entire cervical spine; or, forward flexion

of the thoracolumbar spine 30 degrees or less; or, favorable ankylosis of

the entire thoracolumbar spine 40

Forward flexion of the cervical spine 15 degrees or less; or, favorable

ankylosis of the entire cervical spine 30

Forward flexion of the thoracolumbar spine greater than 30 degrees but not

greater than 60 degrees; or, forward flexion of the cervical spine greater

than 15 degrees but not greater than 30 degrees; or, the combined range of

motion of the thoracolumbar spine not greater than 120 degrees; or, the

combined range of motion of the cervical spine not greater than 170 degrees;

or, muscle spasm or guarding severe enough to result in an abnormal gait

or abnormal spinal contour such as scoliosis, reversed lordosis, or

abnormal kyphosis 20

Forward flexion of the thoracolumbar spine greater than 60 degrees but not

greater than 85 degrees; or, forward flexion of the cervical spine greater than

30 degrees but not greater than 40 degrees; or, combined range of motion of

the thoracolumbar spine greater than 120 degrees but not greater than 235

degrees; or, combined range of motion of the cervical spine greater than

170 degrees but not greater than 335 degrees; or, muscle spasm, guarding,

or localized tenderness not resulting in abnormal gait or abnormal spinal

contour; or, vertebral body fracture with loss of 50 percent or more of the

height 10

Note (1): Evaluate any associated objective neurologic abnormalities, including, but not limited to, bowel or bladder impairment, separately, under an appropriate diagnostic code.

Note (2): (See also Plate V.) For VA compensation purposes, normal forward flexion of the cervical spine is zero to 45 degrees, extension is zero to 45 degrees, left and right lateral flexion are zero to 45 degrees, and left and right lateral rotation are zero to 80 degrees. Normal forward flexion of the thoracolumbar spine is zero to 90 degrees, extension is zero to 30 degrees, left and right lateral flexion are zero to 30 degrees, and left and right lateral rotation are zero to 30 degrees. The combined range of motion refers to the sum of the range of forward flexion, extension, left and right lateral flexion, and left and right rotation. The normal combined range of motion of the cervical spine is 340 degrees and of the thoracolumbar spine is 240 degrees. The normal ranges of motion for each component of spinal motion provided in this note are the maximum that can be used for calculation of the combined range of motion.

Note (3): In exceptional cases, an examiner may state that because of age, body habitus, neurologic disease, or other factors not the result of disease or injury of the spine, the range of motion of the spine in a particular individual should be considered normal for that individual, even though it does not conform to the normal range of motion stated in Note (2). Provided that the examiner supplies an explanation, the examiner's assessment that the range of motion is normal for that individual will be accepted.

Note (4): Round each range of motion measurement to the nearest five degrees.

Note (5): For VA compensation purposes, unfavorable ankylosis is a condition in which the entire cervical spine, the entire thoracolumbar spine, or the entire spine is fixed in flexion or extension, and the ankylosis results in one or more of the following: difficulty walking because of a limited line of vision; restricted opening of the mouth and chewing; breathing limited to diaphragmatic respiration; gastrointestinal symptoms due to pressure of the costal margin on the abdomen; dyspnea or dysphagia; atlantoaxial or cervical subluxation or dislocation; or neurologic symptoms due to nerve root stretching. Fixation of a spinal segment in neutral position (zero degrees) always represents favorable ankylosis.

Note (6): Separately evaluate disability of the thoracolumbar and cervical spine segments, except when there is unfavorable ankylosis of both segments, which will be rated as a single disability.

5235 Vertebral fracture or dislocation

5236 Sacroiliac injury and weakness

5237 Lumbosacral or cervical strain

5238 Spinal stenosis

5239 Spondylolisthesis or segmental instability

5240 Ankylosing spondylitis

5241 Spinal fusion

5242 Degenerative arthritis of the spine (see also diagnostic code 5003)

5243 Intervertebral disc syndrome

Evaluate intervertebral disc syndrome (preoperatively or postoperatively) either under the General Rating Formula for Diseases and Injuries of the Spine or under the Formula for Rating Intervertebral Disc Syndrome Based on Incapacitating Episodes, whichever method results in the higher evaluation when all disabilities are combined under

[Stretch]

Willie 74,

This is a repository for information. You should ask your questions in the Claims and Research forum. Sorry someone didn't notice sooner.

[Tbird]

NEW Link To Great Site for Disabled Resources

[carlie]

Alex was a Hadit member and an Attorney.

He helped tons of veterans and VA Claimants.

Although these are older posts,there is tons of

great information Alex provided here at Hadit.

Unfortunately Alex had to leave this world.

Due to all the new member's Hadit continue's to get

and us old timers that are still helping other's

and doing research ----

I thought it would be nice to post a link to Alex's

contributions at Hadit.

Sooooo, especially you newbie's, check it out as

it's like finding a pot of gold.

Hope this helps a vet.

carlie

http://tinyurl.com/cecg5z

Edited April 19, 2009 by Tbird
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