VA grants Dx MS with service connection

[Ufrustrated2]

Q & Lu & et. el,

letter from VA today. they granted a Dx of MS & determined it to be military service related...24yrs later!!

the fight for VA MS diagnosis is over. a bit of a shock as i didn't expect it. that is to say, the VA ratings dept saw no different documents/tests etc than what i've been showing doctors there all these years.

thanks to Doc Q, Lulu and others, wanted to let the crew here know.

mixed emotions if that is what it is called, though very good news for a change.

[Ufrustrated2]

Doc A,

thanks for the help and humor through all this. happy i had some positive news to pass along for a change.

great humor!!!!

[sllowe]

Sailrosong Dennis:

Yes you are right, my comment was to Ufrus.
I inadvertantly referred to him as Dennis -- I'm so sorry. Perhaps you were on my mind as I read his news. I pray you are next buddy. Been a tooo long a road for you.
(((I'm sorry hug)))
-Shell

[Sailorsong]

Shell,

   I don't think you understood what was said in this thread. I have yet to get anything from the VA. It will be about 1 more year before I even get a chance to go to a hearing to present my case for benefits.

Dennis

[sllowe]

Hurray!

It's about time! And, I can't believe they acknowledged service related, on official paper even! This is wonderful news. It's precidence too. I hope your win creates a path for the future of others.

I'm so happy for you, Dennis - getting what you deserve!

-Shell

[Quixotic1]

U2 - UnFriggin' believable.  Of course you and REAL experts had them hemmed in - and on record - but, I didn't think that organization had the ability to admit it was wrong.  I was already to take you in front of a Senate SubCommittee.  Sheesh!

Congratulations, Guy, you deserve some bigtime RETROACTIVE  something or other - preferably money!

All I can say is, IT'S ABOUT TIME!

I'D USE BIGGER LETTERING, BUT THEN I WOULDN'T HAVE ANYTHING LEFT TO USE TO COMMENT ON THE END OF THE WORLD.

Someone needs to take your and Dennis' story and do a human-interest story for the local paper.  Seriously, have someone call them.

Quix

[Ufrustrated2]

http://helpdesk.vetsfirst.org/index.php?id=36&pg=kb.page

please see the above link. it explains the VA criteria better than i.

as for if you want me to list bases or exposure to chemicals or shots taken, i have nothing specific to say about that. some of the bases, ports, ships had many different "exposures" i'm guessing. i wouldn't have a clue though.


>>Who knows maybe i have MS from something i was exposed to on one of the bases we were at.

many veterans believe this. but since there is no known discrete cause for MS, trying to say that on a claim will just get it tossed out. i know vets who have done so. the VA denies such claims. no one knows what causes MS.

although i was not in the gulf war, this site is very helpful to veterans looking at the "exposure" angle. there are other sites as well.

                                   http://www.91outcomes.com/

[gypcwmn]

Hi, I came into your situation half way through. Forgive me if this sounds rude. I am a vets wife and was curious since I also have MS. How is your MS service related. Thanks for filling me in. Who knows maybe i have MS from something i was exposed to on one of the bases we were at.

[Lulu54]

You raise such an important point about trust - how do you trust a medical system that has ignored and denied you all these years?  

Do you have any clue what the tipping point was in your paperwork that made the pencil pushers change your dx?

[Ufrustrated2]

>I probably have still 1 more year before they will do the hearing on my service connection disability.

hang in there!! looks like we both have a bout a year to wrap things up in this area of our lives.

at our age a year isn't long. they go by so quickly now.

thanks for the support!

[Ufrustrated2]

>>Have Faith that everything is going to settle in and be alright!

this is the best food i take! a never ending process as some days/nites are better than others

>>You may also want to check in your community to see if their is a Local MS Support Group :)

i do go to a few. have been for a number of months. was with two other guys with MS from the groups today. we wnet to a disability seminar held at a park today. one of the guys has the same neck issues i have and we both have lesion(s) there along with dawsons fingers. we seem to be the first for each other in that we have that same neck issue, especially regarding sleep and comfortability.

the other is a vietnam vet splashed with AO in cambodia(i know, no one was there) and has MS. our symptoms are a bit different for each but each has their own MS obstacles so we help one another a bit. at the least just hanging out a bit helps.

was still hot today here. i got too fatigued and came home and crashed.

so yes, i like the groups. thanks.

[Ufrustrated2]

thank you...i'm working on it. it is like a sine wave though. but that is better than a flat line, yes?! LOL

thanks for the support, this group has indeed enhanced my living quality!

[Ufrustrated2]

well Lu, as for VA benefits i think it means this:

my current disability percentage will go up an auto 30% due to MS diagnosis as it was determined to be service connected. 30% is minimum MS rate under VA rulings.

from what i was i told by the PVA, now we get my secondary illness/symptoms tacked on to the MS rating that are directly linked to MS. like hearing loss, depression, bowel/bladder, vertigo, speech, cog, etc. the VA has a Dx code for everything and they have to be listed and submitted back to the VA for a rating on them. more paperwork and appts, i know. but, without the MS dx the secondary's could not be tacked on respectively with each of them carrying a disability rating themselves.

the fact i got injured and the MS occurred while on active duty and the VA recognizes this, then the disability rating of MS and what secondary issues i get listed, i can request retro pay beginning from that date, 1986.

weird isn't it, that non-doctors ended up granting and calling the dx MS. that is, the VA ratings folks. the VA doctors/system saw the same tests and history for years and simply dismissed it, etc. i was still listed as "unspecified demyelinating disease of CNS" at the VA until this rating. and they didn't list that much until a couple of years ago!

now, i keep asking myself, how can i go back to the same VA neuro office knowing what i know, and having trust in what they say to me? i spent last week's shrink session going over that as a result of the C&P exam. that session didn't help me trust any more at all. nada.

now you can see why there is a push for veterans to have a med health insurance card so they can see non-VA doctors. i mean, someone must tell these VA doctors to ignore and/or deny things. they do it all the time for service connected issues simply so the veteran doesn't get the increase in benefits.... if that isn't true, then someone else explain the real reason. it happens to thousands of veterans every year.

obviously the VA doesn't have to grant the retro but my particular case supports it as the VA itself now recognizes my MS as service connected. you have to fight for that too. but this opens a door instead of closing it. they won't open the door any further, the veteran has to do that.

[Lulu54]

I'm sipping my morning tea and scanning through here and a few responses I wanted to make and then I saw you post - opened it, and just about spit out a mouthful of tea as I exclaimed "it's about **^$#%$^ time!"

This news makes my day and my weekend.  I won't go so far to say it restores my faith in the VA system, because there are still way too many of you waiting to be evaluated and treated respectfully and taken seriously with your complaints.  It still angers me the amount of time, energy and lost years you have spent trying to get this acknowledgement.

Thankfully that civilian neuro knew the difference and started you on dmds anyway, albeit more than 20+ years after you knew something was wrong.

Now tell us, what does that mean for you in the way of benefits, since it is service related?  Or is it too early to know?  I hope it does more than put an * beside your name.

Thanks for starting my day with a smile - it must feel great to finally get this validation.  Your roller coaster ride can't pull into the station yet.  You already know you have MS and are on treatment.  Now you have to deal with the emotions from dealing with this system.  

hugs and more hugs,
L

[Sailorsong]

Hurray! Maybe there is some hope after all for Vets with MS.

I probably have still 1 more year before they will do the hearing on my service connection disability.

Dennis

[tonyad]

   So glad that you Finally have validation!  Mixed emotions are  to be expected and then some. It is a complete Roller Coaster Ride of mixed emotions, denial, relief, Oh my Gosh It's REAL, Now what, and so on!

   Take time to let it obsorb and be kind to yourself as you "Buckle Up".  Sometimes having a Journal and writing your feelings down as you go through this Journey is somewhat healing also.  Have Faith that everything is going to settle in and be alright!
You may also want to check in your community to see if their is a Local MS Support Group :)

Take Care,
~Tonya

    

[supermum_ms]

OH MY GOD THAT IS FANTASTIC NEWS!!!!!!!!!

Now for the reality of all the years of carp, breath in, breath out and relax. Please try and let the news free you from the years of angst, you are finially being heard and that is wonderful indeed.

CHEERS..............JJ