Good news from the VA finally..after nearly 3 years

Last Thursday, the VA, in their delayed wisdom, finally changed my status from 100% total disability to 100% total disability and permanent. The coveted T&P rating.

It only took 3 years when they first approved me, plus going through 3 C&P appointments to accomplish this. At all 3 C&P's, the doctors instantly agreed that in my case, it should have been "Permanent" from the start, but in my original findings, someone typed further examinations will be scheduled because its likely the cancer will improve".

Funny, because the only time I was ever undetectable, was the 90 day mark after my initial surgery in 2008 at .05. I have been highly detectable ever since then. Currently above 4X.XXX and rising steady again. Not sure where or why they thought it would improve after failed surgery and failed SRT.

I had my 2nd exam a year ago May, and the doctor said for sure it would be T&P. Didn't happen. So had my 3rd in May a few weeks ago. The doctor was actually angry at the VA for screwing around, and promised me, that I would never have to go through that again.

He was right, 17 days after the exam, I got the word from VA regional that I was approved for T&P. I spent part of Friday and this morning at my county VA office, and they have started all the extra benefit paperwork I am entitled to, including some special South Carolina benefits.

My advice to those new to the VA process for Agent Orange cases, just go to your local VA county office and let them handle the whole paperwork trail. My office did a wonderful job, after I wasted nearly 3 years on my own getting the initial approval. Could have saved a lot of frustration had I done so.

So I am getting (2) permanent auto tags, and will never have to pay property taxes on them again, plus getting a refund for the most recent taxes, and will never have to pay property taxes on our home. They allow your primary home and up to one acre of land, and a refund will be due on that as well. Plus now my wife will be on ChampVA health insurance, free of charge. Plus a lot of other lesser benefits to come.

Just wanted something positive to post for a change. I had total faith I would win this one out, just took a long time.

As a side note, speaking of VA, I will start to be treated for PTSD based on medical trauma and chronic pain starting next week. Not sure what the plan or program will be like, but it took me a long time to come out of denial after all I have endured for the nearly past 8 years. My VA home nurse had her suspicions 6 months ago, but I kept blowing off her suggestions for help. A few weeks back, I was screened for PTSD, it was like 12 really odd questions. I had answered "yes" to 11 of the 12 questions. They said that even 4 "yes" answers indicated a serious problem.

I feel I owe it to myself, wife, and family, to still try to keep helping to help myself. Still not ready to give up, though some days, I have very " not so good personal thoughts" and the means and opportunity at a moments notice. But not going in that direction. The VA here treats any threat of PTSD very seriously, which is a good thing

Glad to here a success store with the VA. I have yet to win one with them. As for the "not so good personal thoughts", those things cross my mind more often than I like. Remind yourself of the accomplishments, all the good with your family, take a moment to really look at the nature around you and realize the incredible detail in that. That helps me Purg, as well as talking to a proffesional who can be objective with you. Just finding a way to get it off your chest can improve your mood. Bill

Extremely happy for you, David, and you certainly deserve every benefit that the VA awards you, whether in the past or now.

Sometimes it does seem that so many things are one step forward, two steps backward, but this is definitely a step forward, maybe even two steps forward.

And your wife will be taken care of as well? Icing on the cake.

It's good things like this to call up and think about whenever those disturbing thoughts come around. That as bad as it seems sometimes, it's not all bad, not all the time.

Remember that good days like this one do come around, perhaps not as many or as often as we might like, but they do come around.

So do just remember, the next time it seems that things aren't going so well, that another good day like this one is on the way, and could show up at any time.

Glad to hear that news David, but for some reason I just figured you were PT. I can see the PTSD in what you have been through, so I am happy you will attend tx. for that. They made me PT last year after I did some letter writing and documents sent in with the letter.
Michael

Purg,
Good news and good advice; "Let the county VA service office handle the paperwork"..Have no idea what the PTSD help is about but hope that it is beneficial.
Bill

Post Edited (gunfighter) : 6/7/2016 10:13:21 AM (GMT-6)

My county VA office is great regardless. Ran by a team of 3 women. The person in charge is one tough cookie. She is the elected official of the team. She got out as a E-9, highest level Sargent in the Army (sorry I was a Navy guy, so not sure the title), and she served 4 tours in Nam in a Surgical Mash Unit. Can't get any tougher than that. And she knows the VA systems inside and out, and won't take no for an answer about anything. Her only mission, is to take care of all of us vets here in Pickens County, SC.

Alf, in the simplest of terms, if you are a U.S. Veteran that served any time on the ground in Viet-Nam, and you contract PC at any point in your life, you are qualified for VA Disability, as well as other benefits associated. They (the VA) presume you were exposed to the highly toxic and carcinogenic Agent Orange, that our military sprayed by the millions of gallons to defoliate the jungles in Viet-Nam during the "war". There are other maladies and locations that give you the same rights.

Part of the problem, is in the records. John_Tx above is correct, there was a terrible military records file fire back in the mid-70s, I believe it was in WV, could be wrong. Some men are fortunate that their records were spared, other's not so lucky. Part of mine were fine, but part of them were missing. I was in an Aviation squadron (land based, not carrier based). And we were constantly de-ploying and re-deploying from the Phillipines to Thailand to South Viet-Nam. Half the time, the Navy on a given day ,didn't have a written clue where our plane were at in a mission. On every flight, there are suppose to be flight logs that show the names of everyone on-board on a particular mission, but due to combat conditions, record keeping was often sloppy or missing. I flew as an enlisted man as a spotter on a regular basis, even though I didn't officially have an aviation rating, because almost every day, there would be crew members either sick, drunk, or missing (AWOL) and those observation spotters seats had to be filled. I hated being stuck in the office, so I would be first to volunteer to go.

Sounds like fun, but you were strapped to a canvas seat for long mostly over the sea low level flights for up to 14 hours or more at the time. We flew "Market Time" patrol missions over the South China Sea, Mekong Delta extensively, all over SVN. Sometimes we would lay over in Thailand, but mostly at Cam Rah Bay in SVN. I liked doing it, as you got flight pay, and combat pay on each mission.

We have a great group of Nam Vets here at HW PC, and have had so for years. One for all, and all for one - including Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and even Coast Guard. For those of you too young for that war, there is a special brotherhood that can't be broken, and may not be fully understood or appreciated by those not involved in the Viet-Nam war. No offense to newer and younger Vets.

Many have no idea how ill treated a lot of VN vets were treated upon returning home to the US, those stories are not made up. Many of us were hated, cursed, flipped off, called Baby Killers and worse. These days, you can be in the Army handing out toilet paper your entire tour at a base in Texas, and everyone will come up to you and call you a hero.

I find it both amusing and offensive at the same time. Viet-Nam was the last old-school really brutal war we fought in, not these clinical clean smart bomb and drone stuff covered on CNN. Don't get me wrong, all wars cause death and destruction.

Sorry, didn't mean to go off on a rabbit trail, but all this talk stirs up memories, both good and bad. I came home on a Red Cross Ambulance Plane on a stretcher, and I will never forget, there were more dead soldiers in body bags on that flight, then we that were lucky enough to be alive. It was a long, long, dark and depressing flight. When I finally made the last leg into Tampa, FL, we were met with anti-war protesters. A lot to take in when you were only 18 to 19 years old.

David: So glad to see your thread start with the words, "Good News". You deserve all those benefit as and more. I sincerely hope and pray this will add piece of mind that will aide your mallities.

Jim, we got a Unit Citation for taking out a NVN trawler done up as Red Cross boat, didn't fool anyone, lol. And the few ancient diesel subs they used, never had a chance either, as our P-3's even in those old days, could sniff the most minute amount of exhulst in the air. The P-3's replaced the older P-2's, but there were still a lot of them involved in Market Time as well. We were the White Lightnings, and our sister squadron was VP-50.

Back around 1986 or 87, I took my oldest son to tour the U.S.S. John F. Kennedy when it came to Portland, Maine. We were in a line of some 3k people, waiting all day to get on a ferry to take us out to the huge carrier. While waiting for hours and hours, ended up meeting one of my squadron's pilots, just randomly in line a few people ahead of us. Hadn't seen him since 1971, it was such a chance meeting. My son just had to see a F-14 Tomcat in person, so we waited and waited. It was worth it in the end, and the pilot and I caught up on the old times back in VP-17. Never ran across another member since.

I am thrilled to read of a piece of good news for Purgatory! the coveted T&P!

Congrats Purgatory, for finally getting the benefits that you and your family are entitled to-

Hello Purgatory,

Some good news for you, I'm so pleased to see ...

You've got a tremendous and moving life story ... you should start a journal, filled with your memories of your service to your country in Vietnam ...

I was a boy during the Vietnam war ... I remember the soldiers from my hometown, classmates and friends of my father, coming home from Vietnam when I was a boy ... and the sobering realization that not everyone came home alive.

As a boy, you don't understand everything about war, but it shapes your vision and childhood experiences and I remember the gravity I felt towards the situation ...

My great-grandfather served in World War I and my grandfather served in World War II ... the tears flowed at the cemetery as the bugler played "TAPS" to honor their service ... that's the loyal devotion I feel towards every veteran ...

My life's pathway did not include military service ... my pathway was teaching ... I do my best to convey the loyal patriotism we all must convey towards our country's military history and our veterans ... and you can be assured that all the hundreds of students in my school still proudly say "The Pledge Of Allegiance" every single morning ... my classroom is filled with patriotic memorabilia and American flags.

I went to see the Vietnam War Memorial, after I grew up ... "The Wall" ... a moving experience ... I stood there silently ... there were no words to speak that day, because words could never convey the emotions. If you've never been there, I hope you take a sojourn there someday ... it would be a pilgrimage for you ... moving beyond words.

You mentioned post-traumatic stress disorder --- I am mindful of everything you have endured and everything you have faced from your military service.

In that vein, I have to share something with you --- a good friend of mine trains therapy dogs for veterans --- it has become his passion and life's calling to do this --- he has brought therapy dogs to my school to meet my school children, and to speak about the work he is doing on behalf of veterans impacted by post-traumatic stress disorder --- his work with the dogs is moving beyond all words, especially when he is telling his story to my school children. He works with these dogs, day and night, to prepare them for their life as future companions for veterans ... a true calling for him, in his work with these dogs.

Just hearing what it takes to train the dogs is inspiring to me ... and you can imagine the emotions my school children feel, when they meet the dogs and hear the trainer's story and devotion to the dogs.

If you are a dog lover, it is something you should consider --- adopting a dog, trained especially for veterans. It's a remarkable, life-changing event, for the dog AND the veteran ... the incredible bond that emerges --- truly life-changing --- just something to consider and mention to you --- or an idea to share with a fellow veteran or comrade that you might know.

These dogs have brought comfort, peace, and solace to thousands of veterans across this great country of ours. I also honor those who train these dogs for our veterans.

Keep looking for the light, Purgatory ! Proud to know of your Vietnam War service to our country and proud to know you as a fellow "Battle Brother" here on the forum !

Handshake across the miles,

CYCLONE TEAM FAN ~ Iowa State University

Hey, David that is great news from the VA, you really should've had it years ago, but it's one battle won! You have my continued prayers and well wishes with your health battles...stay strong, we are with you...
Prayers...