This Section is for everything that doesn't fit in any of the other sections.     How's that?   .. good.

    You can email me your messages, advice, updates, or inquiries and I will sort them out and place them in this Forum.

    First installment:   something that just happen to me, on the way to the doctor.     Yep.   You really can't appreciate disability or disabilities unless you nave one .. or, two .. or, three.     I will leave the specifics or the doctors' names out of this -- that isn't really important.     It's what happened, or more accurately -- what didn't happen.

Preface:

    I enjoy the majority of the healtcare the V.A. provides me.     Thank you.     Thank you very much.

Chief Complaint:

    I love that expression.     After obtaining all my V.A. medical records, and began reading the various entries for my appointments with nurses and doctors, there it was -- "Chief Complaint" .. was there .. "Less-than-chief complaints"???

"This is a very pleasant 59-year old diabetic veteran."

What ?!     Hey -- I've got to start complaining .. I kid you not -- one (pleasant) doctor began his notes on me with that statement.     I guess I should say "thank you" -- thank you .. I work on being pleasant, and it is nice to be appreciated.

    But, this item, in the computer print-out, a section for "Chief Complaint:"

  I've got to start complaining !!!

    So, on the way to my primary care doctor, I was trying to make a list of things that bothered me, health-wise, of course.     And, one was a (fine) doctor looking at my labs and telling me my "red blood cell count" is down.     Okay .. it's down.     So?     "That can lead to being anemic."     Oh.   Okay.   Now, what - doc?

"There's some medication you can take for that."

"Cool, doc -- I'll get right on it."

    Approach my (primary care) doctor with the question, and he "brushes" it off; says:   "Once you get on dialysis, it will go away/improve."

    Huh .. wait til dialysis .. what if I don't want to go on dialysis, ie, put it off as much (or as far) as I can?   Yeah-know .. being hooked up to a machine isn't my idea of a great date ...

    So, I left his office thinking about the "non-solution" to my (chief) complaint ...

    I get on the Internet, our buddy, and start my research about "being anemic" or anemia and the good news is it is a "rating disability" .. yeah .. "crank that rating up!"

    The bad news is that I have all the (horrible) symptoms:   major fatigue, shortness of breath and, well here is a message board entry that has some advice in it:
 

CONCLUSION

    Personally, I didn't enjoy that story .. especially, after meeting with my primary care (is their a paradox there somewhere? .. primary care?) doctor and "issuing" my first (chief) complaint and not getting any satisfaction ...
 
    Here is a good website explaining .. drum roll -- blood.

  Click here,
for Medicine dot-net advice on Anemia.


Patient's Rights

    I certainly hope you don't have that experience
and get things straighten out ...

Be good .. first installment.

Send me your experiences, jokes (clean jokes) and I will try to publish them here for ya !

---

MILWAUKEE (National Anemia Action Council) - In people with diabetes, study results show anemia is underdiagnosed and undertreated.

    "Anemia is a key indicator of [chronic kidney disease], yet most patients with diabetes are rarely tested for anemia and are unaware of the link between anemia and kidney disease," Dr. Paul E. Stevens of Kent & Canterbury Hospital in Canterbury, UK, and colleagues say in Current Medical Research and Opinion.

    Stevens and his team questioned 1,054 diabetics about their current health, duration of diabetes, other illnesses, awareness and understanding of anemia, and the impact of fatigue on their daily activities. The study participants were from six European countries: the UK, Belgium, France, Greece, Italy, and Germany.

    The survey revealed that 83% of the diabetics had heard of anemia. However, most of those patients thought the cause of anemia is always dietary, and only 14% of them were aware of the link between diabetes and anemia. Yet 73% of the diabetics reported fatigue to some extent, and 51% thought they were tired more frequently than other people.

    Altogether, 132 patients had been diagnosed with anemia, and another 22 had sought treatment for symptoms. But of these 154 patients, 20% had not received any treatment. Nearly half of them were told that treatment was unnecessary, and 14% were incorrectly told that treatment was unavailable. Yet 39% of these 154 patients reported needing time off work, 68% reported struggling to get through the work day, 71% reported needing sleep during the day, and 51% reported having a reduced sex drive.

    Of the patients who did receive treatment, most received iron or were put on a special diet, while 12 received blood transfusion and five received recombinant human erythropoietin.

Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD)

    A condition which occurs when the kidneys can not do their job of cleaning blood of toxins and waste products. Anemia is a common complication of chronic kidney disease because the kidneys are unable to manufacture enough erythropoietin, a hormone that regulates the production of red blood cells. Diabetes and high blood pressure are two main causes of CKD.

Sources:

Anemia.org     eHealth Forum     Anemia Lifeline     Physician's Weekly     The Doctor's Lounge
Chronic Kidney Disease     According to the National Kidney Foundation, 20 million Americans have chronic kidney disease (CKD) and more than 20 million others are at increased risk for CKD, an irreversible condition in which kidney function declines over time. In some cases, CKD can progress to End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD). People with ESRD require either kidney dialysis or transplantation to survive.

    Anemia is a common complication of CKD. As the kidneys deteriorate, their ability to produce adequate erythropoietin is impaired, resulting in decreased production of new red blood cells and anemia. As they accumulate, these toxins can shorten the lifespan of existing red blood cells.

    The anemia of CKD is closely linked to kidney failure and other significant medical complications, including heart disease. When the number of red blood cells decreases, the heart works harder to pump blood to send more oxygen throughout the body. If the heart works too hard, it can develop a rapid or irregular heartbeat, and/or another serious condition called left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), an enlargement of the heart muscle that in turn can lead to heart failure.

Secondary (Conditions) to Diabetes     What is diabetes.

    Did you know that identifying your service-connected diabetic condition (primary) does not alleviate the necessity to identify (specify) the various secondary conditions, or complications of your diabetes condition?     That's right.     The V.A. assumes a disability rating only as to the primary condition, service connected or not.     You are responsible for specifying all your secondary conditions (as a result of the onset diabetes, diabetes mellitus.)     Here is a good summary from another veterans advocate website, VetsHome,   click here.     Filing a claim,   don't go it alone.     Neuropathy, a major secondary condition classification that affects (is) the nervous system which causes horrible pain, foot ulcers, bladder conditions/infections and much more.

    In my attempt to remain an ego-less advocate, for the benefit of all, there are several other good (informative) pages on this site worth review.     In this case, diabetic cases and I recall the ignorant case denials for veterans with onset diabetes (type II) that were denied because of no evidence preceeding their dependency on insulin shot medication, ie, oral pills, etc.     It boggles the mind to think of the veterans discriminated against because they lived un-diagnosed where their diabetic condition progressed to the point of insulin dependency and then had no prior evidence of their condition.     Well, if anything, the law as it stands today for being assumed of "sound body" on enlistment to their service should have been more than adequate and every swingin case denied should be retro-pay, with interest and damages, for such incompetence.     Diabetes medication.

    Once my personal claim case is settled and the dust poof, I will be documenting (for the record) all the unnecessary (incompetent) delays in which the VARO here in Nevada has subjected me to in order to win my rightful disability claim which includes a medical opinion from my V.A. (staff) primary care physician and associated secondary condition submissions from, what else -- my V.A. medical records; records available to the V.A. administrators.     See also benefits available.

Veterans' Benefit Network

Social Security Disability Secrets,   click here .     Veterans' Filing Tips .

Disability Advocate Evaluation Form.     FAQ re:PTSD/SSI or SSD

The Law Firm of Binder & Binder will provide you with a free evaluation,   please click here .     Or, please call them at (800) 662-4633.

Allsup, Inc.     Free Eval; or, call (800) 279-4357     Need a Lawyer?

The claims procedure for social security benefits is similar, and the denial rate too.     That is, if you are not a dialysis patient, like me.     In my orientation, the healthcare social worker informed me that I could apply for medicare now because of my disability condition.     That is probably the only good news you will ever hear regarding dialysis treatment other than there is now a third option where you can perform dialysis treatments at home, at your convenience, and on your own schedule.
 
    For Your Benefit Column

Sunday, May 29, 2005

"Service reps are accredited by the VA"

Question:   How can I become a service organization representative?

Answer: Service organization representatives are benefits counselors who service veterans and their families. Service representatives are full-time, paid, professionals. They are accredited by the Department of Veteran Affairs and have been appointed by their parent veterans service organization to function as their representative and receive continuing education in VA claims processing from both their organization as well as from the VA. In addition, accredited representatives who successfully complete VA's training program, may be allowed access to VA's highly secure electronic information databases to assist a veteran with his or her claim.

Veterans have the option of choosing and designating a service organization to represent them. Upon doing so, they convey power of attorney to the representative, who thereafter receives copies of all VA correspondence sent to the veteran. The representative then becomes the veteran's consultant, who can be helpful in communicating the status of a claim, clarifying correspondence communications, assisting with a formal appeal, or participating in a hearing. The power of attorney designation remains in effect until specifically revoked by the veteran. For more information, contact the VA at (800) 827-1000.

Question: I have a VA service-connected disability rated at 100 percent. Am I entitled to commissary and exchange privileges?

Answer: Yes. Certification of total disability is done by VA. Privileges overseas are governed by international law and are available only if agreed upon by the foreign government concerned. Though these benefits are provided by the Department of Defense, VA does provide assistance in completing DD Form 1172, "Application for Uniformed Services Identification and Privilege Card." For detailed information, contact the nearest military installation.

Working with Your Rep

Keep in touch: You should talk to your representative at least once per month while your claim is pending. Whenever you get mail from the VA, call your representative to make sure s/he has gotten it and that you both understand it. If you move, let your rep know.

Ask questions: If you do not understand something about your case, ask about it. Don’t worry about asking a stupid question—your representative works for you and part of his or her job is making sure that you understand everything.

Be insistent: If something needs to be done, insist that it happen. Do not be talked out of anything unless you understand what is going on.

Know & Understand 38 U.S.C. § 5103A & § 5103 .

Presenting Evidence in Support of Your Claim

You do not help yourself if you simply dump a wad of loose records on the VA. Organize the records and explain their significance in a letter you and your representative prepare together.

You almost always want a hearing at the VA Regional Office if it denies your claim. The hearing will be before an official (the Hearing Officer) who was not involved in the earlier denial.

Source:   MenStuff.org     (Slightly out-dated material, ie, 1999; prior to 2000 reform.)
 
More Links

Disability Law Blog     Veterans Benefits Administration   (VBA)

County Assistance   (Nationwide)

Veterans Benefits & Social Security   Bulletin Board   (Carolina-Disability dot-com)

Adato on Veterans Disability     Nam-Vet Network Help

A pathetic (human) case with a "Word to the Wise".

The Points of the Story, of course, are:

1. Have a clear understanding of what you want to accomplish.

2. Do some research at the library on ADA or EEO case files of other suits like mine and ask them for a list of reputable attorneys.

3. Remember that the employment office won't force you to take a typical minimum wage guard job if you are fired from a better paying job, so don’t listen to attorney’s like mine who said, "That is the way it is set up at that company and I can't change that" regarding my return to a dayshift Guard I—the only conveniently making minimum wage--rather than nightshift Guard II.

4. If you work at a government installation, get an attorney that specializes in ADA suits as well as government lawsuits.

I spent more time arguing with my attorney than anyone else. She never even visited the place where I worked and checked out the fact that the EEOC signs are not posted as required by law. "Well, that doesn't have anything to do with YOUR CASE" was her favorite statements.

And, I might add -- think twice about any retainer as this poor fellow did not, evidently.

For those that want to contact Charles Owen,   email charlesowens39@comcast.net.

Twelve Step Approach to PTSD