Thanks to hadit.com and so many great members here, I won. Keratoconus is a condition where the cornea becomes thin and stretched near its center, causing it to bulge forward into a conical shape. Fast forward to 2017…After lurking in the shadows and reading tons of Had It posts, talking with other vets and doing my homework on how to PROPERLY submit claims and evidence, even down to how to handle C&P examinations, my 40% was increased to 70%. While AD in the early 70's, my vision changed from 20/60 to 20/200. Hadit.com was a life changer for me. Keep the good work up. This is a bit over-simplified, but in a nutshell that's what happens. § 1521(j); 38 U.S.C. I was able to obtain medical records, my claims file, and ask my doctors for medical opinions. I learned how to work my claim and DRO appeal from Hadit.com Very thankful! I WON! The information on hadit.com led me to a 90% rating and a clear path to 100%. Eye refraction. Members offer vulnerable personal details at times, for the purpose of helping others in the struggle. Then, one day while searching on Google, I found this forum and started reading the experiences and advice of other vets who’d been treated the same way as me, but had apparently decided they’d HAD IT with being gracious losers every time they dealt with the VA. No money yet only waiting for a extra schedular rating from 86-98. I submitted a CUE request and am waiting for the VA to review and hopefully revise my initial ratings. Keratoconus, often referred to as ‘KC’, is an eye condition in which the cornea weakens and thins over time, causing the development of a cone-like bulge and optical irregularity of the cornea. For many months, I’ve been quietly reading and researching about the VA claims process on your site. I was like Dorothy (well, not LITERALLY like her, I’m a man, but…) in the Wizard of Oz. In 2009, I found hadit.com and joined. I requested & received my service and medical records in October 2014, did several months of research (Thank You Very Much HadIt.com!! All I can say is thank you for creating HADIT and thanks to all the folks who have provided me and many other people with great advice and hope that all is not lost. Can you qualify for Social Security Disability on the basis of fibromyalgia? I won I out lasted the V A system Thanks to all here Lenkl T2 rated. In the United States, if a person's best-corrected visual acuity in both eyes is 20/200 or worse — whether caused by keratoconus or some other condition — that person is considered legally blind and may qualify for disability … I learned to stand up for me, and how not to surrender and walk away mumbling about losing out again. In the meantime, I have opened a Veteran peer support service and facility which will offer a wide range of support at NO COST to our sisters and brothers in arms. § 3.311; leukopenia; ionizing radiation; plutonium; Palomares, Spain; Referral for VA Administrative Decision for Character of Discharge Determinations, VA High Risk List Action Plan, Managing Risks, and Improving VA Health Care. Though I have been absent for a few years, I will tell you that Hadit.com has a wealth of information, and knowledge that is right at the Veterans Fingertips. Call us at 1-844-838-5297 today. In the United States, if a person's best-corrected visual acuity in both eyes is 20/200 or worse — whether caused by keratoconus or some other condition — that person is … He o… Since that time Ive had 4 corneal transplants: right eye in 1981 and left eye in 1983. “Fight til your last breath”. Blessings, ……NEVER GIVE UP…….C.C. 17-2574(Argued September 2, 2020 December 17, 2020); “sound evidence” requirement applies to both subsections (1) and (2) of § 3.311(c); radiation dose in the context of 38 C.F.R. Ha ha ha!). Thanks to good folks on here like Carlie and Berta, I was increased to 100% VA, granted SSDI and my Wife is now paid to be my VA Care Giver. I enjoyed the victory, but I didn’t stop there because I knew that the VA was still shorting me. I truly believe we can make life better for each other and build strong community bonds showing everyone we still have more to give. Thank you so much and God Bless HADIT.com!!! I wouldn’t have made it this far without Hadit.com. Ended up getting a 30% rating for my migraines, which I never got until I started having to wear hard lenses, but the VA rated my eyes as 0%. I was diagnosed with keratoconus in both eyes by a military doctor at McChord AFB, Tacoma, Washington. HADIT.com has been a spectacular entity. For my first FDC for PTSD, I was scheduled for a C&P Exam & attended it on 07 April. My story, but that’s not what this is for. I am very grateful to hadit.com that veterans and their survivors here have often followed my advice on multiple issues that either I or my dead husband had personal experience with , and got positive results, via the VA. I was fired from my job specifically for being a Veteran with a disability and turned to you guys for help and advice. This is assessed on a case-by-case basis. Veterans Compensation Benefits Claims Research, Appealing Your VA Disability Claims NOD, DRO, BVA, USCAVC, PTSD Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Claims, Latest Posts VA Disability Claims Community. Many people with keratoconus have a history of nearsightedness as well. Veteran LLC | VA Disability Community Forums | Podcast | News, Disabled Veterans Property Tax Exemptions by State, Requesting A Copy of Your VA Claims Folder (C-File). Knowledge, as Tbird says , TRULY IS POWER! I recently won retro to 1986 after a 29 year fight. But, my advice to anyone is don’t give up and keep on fighting for what you’ve earned. I use the ratings calculator frequently to double-check my math estimations for combined rating percentages. There I sat crying like a whipped pup as she read everything from my MTR. Skaar v. Wilkie, No. No functional disability, no rating. Kind Regards & Favorable Claims! In keratoconus, your cornea becomes weaker and thinner at its centre. Keratoconus is a non-inflammatory eye condition in which the normally round dome-shaped clear window of the eye (cornea) progressively thins causing a cone-like bulge to develop. Thank you, Grateful. Unlike other service-connected disabilities, mental health disorders are not rated in 10% increments. To diagnose keratoconus, your eye doctor (ophthalmologist or optometrist) will review your medical and family history and conduct an eye exam. Is Keratoconus Disability ,Find insurance quotes and insurance resources to help you choose the best insurance, Is Keratoconus Disability . I have three vertebrae (L4, L5 and S1) that are fused together because the insulation material between the vertebrae are gone. I am eternally grateful that I accidentally read a post from this forum. He or she may conduct other tests to determine more details regarding the shape of your cornea. It’s very helpful when these conditions and issues we deal with are so debilitating as well as overwhelming at times. When assigning a disability rating for a service-connected mental disorder, VA uses the General Rating Formula for Mental Disorders. I had been diagnosed immediately after discharge with General Anxiety Disorder and low-balled at 10%. Knowledge is power. When does Social Security pay the first disability benefit check? This thinning causes it to bulge outwards in an irregular cone shape and can make your vision blurry and distorted. After submitting my appeals and waiting, I eventually won in 100% P&T in 2013. What sets hadit.com apart from other veteran resources is its pro-veteran member base. In March 2014, all 7 disability claims were denied. Type 2 Diabetes and Filing for Disability, How to get disability with Plantar Fasciitis, How to file for disability in Massachusetts, My Social Security Disability SSI appeal status, Eligibility criteria requirements for disability, Decision on disability case, are you eligible for a disability award. I can’t thank you enough Had It! I became a member of hadit.com in 2004, and during that time, I have learned a lot about the Department of Veterans Affairs claim process. 100% SC P&T Can they reduce payment amount after re-examination ? I eventually won my due but so did more and more who came to the site. The Eye … Long story short, info, med records, doctor statements advice from the hadit.com website… I just received my little brown envelope in the mail last week and a nice deposite into my bank account… 100% P&T with chapter 35 benefits. If you are unable to secure and maintain substantially gainful employment as a result of your service-connected narcolepsy, you may be entitled to TDIU. Site administrators are helpful and run a tight ship. The second round of transplants were in 1991 and 1993. Navy04, thank you so much you been of so much help and support. I posted a few things and got a lot of great advice. Disability User Boxes ♡ I don't take requests at this moment! It is an awesome feeling. It is OUR Veterans Affairs. I had a forklift accident while in the Philippines in which I broke fingers and sustained a mild concussion that did not result in losing consciousness. When is a Person Considered Disabled by Social Security? He recently contacted NKCF to ask how he can help. In other words, keratoconus itself is not a disability, but vision loss caused by keratoconus may be severe enough to qualify as a disability. If you appreciate what we are doing and can afford a monthly commitment, this is a great way to support us, Support HadIt.com with a purchase of this Tshirt. I don’t believe I would have gotten as far as I have without the words of encouragement and the wealth of knowledge that has been afforded to me here. Thank God I fell upon this site.It has helped me so much understanding my claim,and hadit.com is teaching me so much,where I feel I can help others. I just won a DRO de novo review for Bipolar Disorder and was bumped up from 80% rating to 100% P&T. Sistah Cannabi. At that point, I made it my #1 priority to learn more and while I was doing some internet surfing to figure out what went wrong with my claim, thats when I found Hadit.com in 2008. I’m a very old voice from the past, back in the day HadIt.com was a “bulletin Board” run by a gracious lady by the name of “T-Bird”. I was a FNG even 3 years after i got my rating. … It will be running on a queue. They’d flash the lightning and thunder and deny and I would put my head down and go away and just lick my wounds. I have keratoconus in both eyes one is Mild at 45 the other is 55 at Advanced Stage which is 20/400 with no lens but with lens I am about 20/200. Keratoconus is a disease of the cornea, where overtime, cornea thins out in the middle and takes a shape of a cone. Even if that took many years, in some of our personal claims. There are many bad days, that Had it.com helped me get thru with my Severe PTSD. Keratoconus affects your cornea, which focuses light into your eye to help produce a clear image. meeting or equaling a relevant listing for a specific condition. The wealth of info on this site is great for filing your claim. Keratoconus. This opened my eyes to realize that when the VA made my initial rating decisions in 2000, they failed to apply the laws properly. I was asked by my medical provider if I’d had any accidents that would have, or could have, triggered these diseases. With current treatments now available most patients with keratoconus are able to lead normal lifestyles. When i received a letter stating that the VA was going to reduce me i was lost, i had never heard of that. I did not know anything about the VA claims process. These wonderful folks dedicated so much of their time and energy just for us…broken down old Vets. VA Disability Claims Discussion Forums – Welcome to the community! I love reading success stories, and I would advise anyone who is battle-weary to take a break from the other forums to read “Success Stories” to put some wind back in your sails. 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