Re-evaluation From VA

 I"m assuming you're a boots on the ground Vietnam vet?  To answer your question as to the percentage of sevice connection and pads.......that would be no.

...mmm, stand corrected, but will check it out on return to work come Tuesday...I've always heard PCa is just that, PCa as far as VA is concerned....but then the squids got screwed on that one..

David..agent Orange has been identified to be one of the reasons for PCa. Vets that were exposed to agent Orange are allowed to receive medical treatment at the VA hospitals for this disease without too many questions being asked from my understanding. I am also a squid and was never exposed to the chemical so I don't have any other info than that.

David, your risk would appear to be very low if at all. This was primarily for the guys on the ground. I have a couple of Marine buddies, including one that was a tunnel rat and so far they haven't had this disease. So I don't know what qualifies and what doesn't as far as the VA is concerned.

Bluenose,

I believe that we both may be correct in our understanding.  When an in-country viet vet has PCa, he is considered 100% disabled during treatment.  Grunt was asking about the re-evaluation process.  My response assumed that the PCa was "cured/removed" during the treatment process and the re-evaluation just deals with the remaining impacts and side effects of the treatment, which are typically urinary, although there is also some compensation for ED as "loss of a creative organ".  (That terminology always cracks me up)

However, if the vet still has PCa at the time of the re-evaluation and is still undergoing treatment, it is my understanding that the disability will remain at 100%.

I'm not sure how they address the PSA bounce or decling values related to radiation, especially Proton Beam, but I assume that those SE will emphasize urinary frequency, although I have heard that some vets that maintain significant PSA levels following radiation may stay at 100% for a longer time.  But, that's just a guess on my part.

Regardless, it's certainly not worth it to get PCa to obtain the benefits, but they are substantial.  My payments at 100% were about $2,700/month, tax free.  The lesser benefits are significantly reduced, but still a big help.

John T,

I really don't know about the length of benefits or much more than I have already posted but, due to the fact that you are retired Army, your situation may be even better. You should contact your local VFW office at the local/nearest VA and let them know of your situation. As you may already know, the VFW's job is to act a your advocate and to guide you through the system. They certainly have helped me.

....as far as your disability and service connection goes though, you're still recieving that right? 

Bluenose....yes, for the present.  However, I recently had my re-evaluation and anticipate a substantial reduction in benefits.  I did not have treatment or diagnosis at a VA clinic so they petitioned my records from the treating facilites.  I don't know how much time that takes but the VA is not the quickest to respond, which means that I get the current disability until they finish the paperwork to reassess me.  However, since it will certainlhy be a reduction to a max of 60% (not counting my current disability rating), I would expect them to be faster in the reassesment than they were in the initial determination since the economy is not good and the feds are trying to save money.  Hopefully, that is not the case as I am a strong supporter of VA benefits.  Many guys gave much more than me in service to their country and are entitled to as much benefit and respect as possible. I'm one of the lucky ones that came back intact, both mentally and physically.

BTW, I didn't think that you were doubting me and there would be no problem with me, even if you were.  We just need to get the information out to the people that need it and discussions like this are always beneficial in doing that.  I don't have any information other than what I have found during my condition; there's a lot of it out there and I'm sure that most of that is subject to interpretation.

Thanks for your help.

This is my two cents on this topic. I am not a Vietnam era vet, but I am a retired squid (over 23 years). Retired Sep 2007 and was diagnosed Feb 2008. They rated me 100% effective the day I was diagnosed and not the day I retired. The guy from American Vet who is helping me on this claim told me that I'll be 100% for a year then I will be re evaluated. He also put a claim for ED. I haven't got the results of the ED yet. I agree with TSFFZ that it's not worth to have PCA to get monetary benefits. Yes with me and a wife plus a kid in college I got like $3,000. Money is good , but if can go back in time I rather have zero percent disability than having this PCA and go through all the hassle of incontinence and ED. Zero percent will get my kids free anyway to any University of California or California State.

I am a Vietnam vet who is currently rated 100% for Ca of the prostate.  My reevaluation already took place and I expect to have my rating reduced effective May 1 to 20%, plus special monthly compensation for loss of use ($96 extra).  Every "in-country" Vietnam vet who had a radical prostatectomy for cancer, no matter which surgical procedure is used, should be entitled to the extra $96 benefit.  I used to work for VA doing rating decisions, but the prostate issue for Vietnam vets stated after I stopped doing that work.  The number of pads used, etc., as described earlier in this string, applies.  I'm fairly certain that the minimum rating for post-op prostate ca is 20%.

I just saw this forum today for the first time, so sorry for the late contribution.  I'm 14 months post-op, Gleason score of 6 (Dr. Gleason was a VA doc by the way), using trimix with success but hoping to get off injections soon.