Agent Orange,and PC

Hello All,On the advice of 81GyGuy,John_TX I applied today for VA compensation today.I went to a local DAV center today(Disabled American Veterans)center and they helped me file a claim.It was easy.I just brought down my DD-214 and my diagnose papers from Quest pathology,my Uros name and address that was on the lab results and the DAV volunteer filled out the forms.He then gave me the forms to be mailed.I took the forms to the post office and mailed them today,priorty mail.Really a piece of cake.I really urge all of my Brothers that were exposed to Agent Orange to file a claim.There are many cancers attributed to AO.The VA will pay about 3K a month at 100% rating for this cancer.Please do yourself a favor and file.I even brought a picture of me when I was in the Que-Son mountains,RVN,I-Corps,that was de-foliated,Agent Orange.Yes we drank water from blue lines,ie,rivers,streams,bomb craters along with Malaria,jungle rot,disentary,all that BS.You guys have a right to a claim.Monsanto made millions on our asses.SemperFi

I got 100% for about 18 months. The first retroactive pay was quite large. Later was cut back to 20% for residual symptoms.
I was treated outside the VA system.

0311 -

So glad to hear that you did the VA application. The posts above are accurate. In my own case it also took about four months until my first direct deposit (a large amount, since it was retroactive), then followed the regular amounts for the remaining months of the temporary 100 % disability.

Then eventually you will be called in for what's called a "residuals" exam, where they examine you post-treatment for remaining side effects from either the cancer or from the treatment for it. Following that, your disability rating will likely be revised to less than 100 %, since the treatment was most likely helpful. On a Vietnam vets forum that I'm a member of, the figure of an average of 20-40 % permanent VA disability rating awarded following residuals exam is commonly cited.

As for the AO connection, you're right, anything could have been a possible source for it, including the things you mentioned. In my own case I distinctly remember leading a recon patrol outside my base camp (I was a 1st lieutenant, Army) once through a brown, dead area where it looked like a herbicide had been used (use of AO was very common around CuChi in Three Corps, where I was). I have often wondered if my men and I breathed in something while in that area that day, and it lodged in our lungs or somewhere, and has risen up over forty years later to cause PCa and possibly other issues. That's only a guess on my part, but, like so many aspects of this PCa journey, it’s just one more mystery of the thing.

But to our government's credit, it's been considerate enough of our situations to grant us "presumptive" status, that is, if we were ever there in Nam, even for a short while, the government just goes ahead and acknowledges that an AO/PCa connection is possible, without making us submit to tests, lengthy paperwork, etc. Thank you, VA and government!

Again, 0311, glad to hear that you are taking advantage of the these benefits that you have earned, and here's to continued hope that it all goes well for you. I also hope that you will stay around the forum here, and continue to give us updates on your situation, as well as posting on other threads here if you would like.

0311,
Glad to hear you filed your VA paperwork. And a well done to the DAV also. I don't use the VA for my primary medical care, but I do go to the VA in Boston for hearing and vision tests. Once you are in the VA's system you are eligible for eyeglasses and hearing aids if/when you need them. I have a buddy from high school--who is also a Navy corpsman Vietnam vet. He's got two, nearly invisible, in-ear hearing aids from the VA that he says are really top-notch equipment.
Jim