hypertension Just Got A Call From Doctor's Office

[huskerfanfl]

I just got a call from my doctor's office. Over the past seven years he has treated me for hypertension, frequesnt nighttime urination, GERD, and have complained to him about lack of sleep on many occasions. He says that my sleep apnea is due to my weight gain since I retired (primarily in the last year) and will not write a letter. All those things he has been treating me for are signs of sleep apnea. I have to go seem him for another matter Monday and am going to have a talk with him personally.

[old romad]

Getting a doctor to comment on the cause is very difficult,mine says it is connected to my dm-2 but getting a letter to this effect is very difficult. I am still at the same size I was at discharge 42 years ago ,so it is not weight related. Good luck getting it connected to service.

[Berta]

Many doctors won't write an IMO-

the doctors who have IMO experience are always the best best-

Of course they charge a fee but if this is the only way to get SCed, then the fee has to be viewed as an investment.

Then one has to realise that ethically any doctor cannot state something that isnt supported by medical evidence-

we had a member here who angrily called me constantly even late at night---and emailed me relentlessly blaming me for a "lousy" 2000 bucks IMO he got- based on fact I gave him the doctor's email addy at hadit.

The problem with the IMO was that this veteran- and his claim is at the BVA-

claimed all sorts of AO exposure as well as polio residuals and PTSD etc and the actual BVA denial shows what he was trying to pull-

He had the nerve to send me his email to and from Dr. Bash that was just awful---on his part-

I told Dr. Bash in my opinion -this vet is just an xxxxxxx- and do not pay any attention to the vets ridiculous statements.

IMO doctors can only opine on the evidence they have.

If you have evidence that can support a good IMO-then the price is well worth it for the IMO.

MedOpinions and Dr. Bash and many others can write IMos that conform to the VAs IMO criteria.

I posted the IMO criteria here recently.

[Ricky]

Good luck. Most doctors will not comment on service connection and sleep apnea as there are many spoons in the pot. Weight, DMII etc.... The entire medical community is at battle over the issue as to what causes what when it comes to sleep apnea. The only constant they agree upon at this time is weight. If you are over weight, regardless of what other diseases you may have, they will only say it is due to your weight.

If you have any indication or comments in your SMR's about sleep problems or maybe bad counseling statements for being late to formation etc.... that would help. However, if you have been out of service for more than a couple of years this is a hard one to win even with a doc's statement.

Just my opinion

[SLEDGE]

Speep depravation can really cause some very serious complications that can kill.

Fortunately for us, the VA understands that treating the apnea with a CPAP or BiPAP is 'extremely cheap' preventative medicine.

On the other hand, they will claim that the treatment is also a cure and claim that there is no longer any percentage of disability, service connected or otherwise.

As I'm already T&P and TDIU for PTSD I've never pushed for service connection for sleep apnea.

Like disability compensation for the 15 years between the VA discovery of my apnea and the start of any treatment.

Do what you think is best in your own case, not what the VA claims is your only option.

sledge