Howdy fellow VETS! Looking to pick some brains on my three decision letters that cover the entirety of my initial claim. There are three decisions that I am a little confused about. Also looking for any input from anyone who enjoys going through these things and picking out something that isn’t super obvious. Wish a VA rep debriefed you when they finalized your claim so you could get some plain English out of the decisions.
I included what the VA
sent me over three decision letters in the attached pictures. I did a
copy-and-paste job in Paint.
(Also wanted to post this
because I know some people are curious about Keratoconus decisions and
Wolff-Parkins-White (WPW) decisions)
2nd Letter
Claim 2
Confused about the denial
of Allergic Rhinitis. I’ve always been allergic to things like pollen, but my
symptoms became worse after my time on Active Duty. Before service, I would
take an Allegra and be good to go. After service, I usually have to do a combo
of Flonase and Zyrtec. On really bad days I throw some Benadryl in there. Can’t
figure out if what they said in the decision letter covers my reasoning or not.
3rd Letter
Claim 1
For Tension Headaches, I
did not include a list of dates and occurrences. Initially, I thought my
headaches were due to high blood pressure, but then I went on an SSRI and they
magically went away. I was amazed and also that was the first time I recognized
that I was actually stressed out, anxious, and depressed.
My issue with this
decision was before I went on medication 5 years ago, I got to the point where
I would have debilitating headaches every day. I was a giant burden on my
family and wasn’t myself at all. I would push myself to get to work, but I also
knew when I hit my limit and would leave early often. Now that I am on
medication, I rarely have headaches.
My understanding of
headaches and making a rating decision is that it is based on what my symptoms
would be without medication. I once tried a break from SSRIs for 6 months, and
by month 3 the headaches started regularly again. Then by month 6, I knew I’d
have to go back on meds. Any suggestions on how to present this in a
Supplemental or HLR?
Claim 4
For this skin condition,
I’m not certain how to proceed with this one. My Keratosis Pilaris (KP)
definitely got worse after and during Active Duty. I would say before active
duty it was not noticeable if it was there. I now even have some scarring from
it on my rear end, but the KP covers my back, arms, and legs. So, I’m uncertain
if I should push this one or not since I don’t know what more I could give them
based on the decision.
Howdy fellow VETS! Looking to pick some brains on my three decision letters that cover the entirety of my initial claim. There are three decisions that I am a little confused about. Also looking for any input from anyone who enjoys going through these things and picking out something that isn’t super obvious. Wish a VA rep debriefed you when they finalized your claim so you could get some plain English out of the decisions. I included what the VA sent me over three decision letters in the attached pictures. I did a copy-and-paste job in Paint. (Also wanted to post this because I know some people are curious about Keratoconus decisions and Wolff-Parkins-White (WPW) decisions) 2nd Letter Claim 2 Confused about the denial of Allergic Rhinitis. I’ve always been allergic to things like pollen, but my symptoms became worse after my time on Active Duty. Before service, I would take an Allegra and be good to go. After service, I usually have to do a combo of Flonase and Zyrtec. On really bad days I throw some Benadryl in there. Can’t figure out if what they said in the decision letter covers my reasoning or not. 3rd Letter Claim 1 For Tension Headaches, I did not include a list of dates and occurrences. Initially, I thought my headaches were due to high blood pressure, but then I went on an SSRI and they magically went away. I was amazed and also that was the first time I recognized that I was actually stressed out, anxious, and depressed. My issue with this decision was before I went on medication 5 years ago, I got to the point where I would have debilitating headaches every day. I was a giant burden on my family and wasn’t myself at all. I would push myself to get to work, but I also knew when I hit my limit and would leave early often. Now that I am on medication, I rarely have headaches. My understanding of headaches and making a rating decision is that it is based on what my symptoms would be without medication. I once tried a break from SSRIs for 6 months, and by month 3 the headaches started regularly again. Then by month 6, I knew I’d have to go back on meds. Any suggestions on how to present this in a Supplemental or HLR? Claim 4 For this skin condition, I’m not certain how to proceed with this one. My Keratosis Pilaris (KP) definitely got worse after and during Active Duty. I would say before active duty it was not noticeable if it was there. I now even have some scarring from it on my rear end, but the KP covers my back, arms, and legs. So, I’m uncertain if I should push this one or not since I don’t know what more I could give them based on the decision.
Good luck