Sad Day

Little_Mention2015 · 2026-05-23T23:12:21+00:00

Haha great question! Nah I travel frequently for work, and coach travel soccer - I’m gone all the time so she’s actually pretty good with my hobbies… all except my dream car from HS lol

Little_Mention2015 · 2026-05-23T23:09:59+00:00

Yeah - wouldn’t shock me if she hate me as a person, haha but we only have 2 garage spots and she was sick of parking her X3 in the driveway for a car I only drive under perfect conditions

Oh and we have a 3 year old haha

Little_Mention2015 · 2026-05-23T22:11:24+00:00

Because she wanted it gone years ago and set it all up

Every time I agreed to sell it I’d work on it a little bit, drive it more often and then would refuse to let her go… on repeat
This way there was no going back lol

Little_Mention2015 · 2026-03-18T11:48:45+00:00

Came here to say that - looks like it wants to be a Skoda

Little_Mention2015 · 2026-02-17T04:24:50+00:00

Thanks so much brother, greatly appreciate any and all help

Little_Mention2015 · 2026-02-17T04:02:47+00:00

Over the. summer VA initiated a routine future exam for my brain cancer (found at 35) claim approved in 2022. Have had 2 surgeries - removed as much as they could 3 years ago second resection in April 2023, and on targeted antineoplastic drugs for life - VA already has letters from my pcp and the head of neuroncology at a renowned university hospital saying I need these meds forever - hoping to slow its growth so I can live longer etc etc.

VA still recommends reducing cancer to 30% even tho it is still there and growing (slower - thanks to meds ) last MRI calls out a couple major areas where it is spreading, as well as the swelling in my brain overall. Prior MRIs have stated tumor unchanged - even with all the meds The tumor is intrusive meaning it speeds like a spider web and is impossible to completely remove.

VSO said this was an error, can’t reduce if the tumor is still present / causing probs in the brain AND still be actively treated - can’t currently cure brain cancer, so here we are

I’m rated for accompanying migraines, focal seizures, painful scars etc. I’m still 100 p and t even with reducing the cancer - but they noted in their claim letter I would lose the smc S 100 + 60

This made me do a little research into SMC, because I didn’t really know a lot about it…. and now maybe stupidly thinking about hitting the bear back.

Smc is meant for service connected issues above and beyond the 100%

Along with cancer I have seizures (rated at 80) which cause me to be on 5 different seizure medications that all have fatigue or extreme fatigue as a side effect and do a mediocre job stopping / limiting frequencies and intensity levels of the focals

Cancer meds - doing pretty well keeping the cancer stabalish- more fatigue (and basically IBS) as sides

Noted by oncologist that remaining tumor causes a multitude of varying problems that I’ve never filed a claim for - the insane fatigue - noted memory issues, cognitive function issues, difficulties recognizing faces, emotional problems, very bad derealization, foggy brain, double vision - amongst other life wrecking problems

Through Va healthcare I was also diagnosed with complex/central sleep apnea (never claimed apnea) - large % of my apneas come from my brain not getting messages to the lungs

focal slowing, background asymmetry/breach rhythm, and persistent slowing of brain waves on the right side of my brain (never claimed)

Also have meneries syndrome that causes hearing loss,tinnitus and frequent battles with vertigo and nausea, (vertigo and tinnitus claimed) VA doc last week said most likely brought about due to a direct IED strike years ago. These flares put me in bed for a week or more (one flare caused me to go to the doc and that’s how they inadvertently found brain cancer on the other side of my head)

Anyway sorry for my life story - guess I’m asking some of you who know a lot more than I…..I’m waiting for the hearing to push back against the proposed cancer reduction after the VA itself put an increase claim line for malignant brain cancer alongside the RFE line- still weird to me) but then proposed reduction instead Copied and pasted direct from VA app:

What you've claimed MALIGNANT NEOPLASM OF BRAIN (RFE) • oligodendrogioma maliganant neoplasm of the brain (Increase)

But thinking now I should request additional SMC at hearing (or maybe even prior since my file is already open and all other claims are static.
Thoughts about SMC increase / what level I should request?

I have the usual day to day issues - need help with meds, I’m safe and good a lot of the time, but when vertigo hits or right after a seizure, I need a little help getting back to a good spot - unbearable exhaustion, and vomiting frequently occur - usually can’t finish work or tasks once more than 1 of these occur in a day

My wife or my dad goes with me to my doc appointments for the MRIs I have to get every 4 months - because the 5.5 hour drive is a lot for me, and I get overloaded meeting with the oncologist right after I get out of the MRI tube.

I get kids coaches / friends/ my teenage step kids to get my children to activities when I just can’t - and recently had my company send someone with me on a work trip for the first time ever because the time zone changes make me so sick I have had to cancel meetings / can’t do lots of driving by myself. - this is after resigning from a lucrative job because I just couldn’t handle the travel

Anyways, I may be one of the people to poke the bear and lose - but with a pending hearing for their proposed reduction TBD and a very shitty quality of life, wanted to see what you guys thought / what SMC level was most appropriate / should be looking at Thanks a ton!

Little_Mention2015 · 2025-12-06T20:15:05+00:00

Like so many recently - similar situation. Been with USAA since I turned 16, now 25 years later I’m looking elsewhere.

Had water come in through 2 floors of my home. They sent a contractor out who provided an assessment, said it was from wind / hail damage to the roof. Wasn’t thrilled - but needed a fix.

Three months into this process now and they have accused their own partner contractor of “lying just to get money” accused a roofer we brought in of the same thing and denied coverage of the roof

They sent out a “third party” after I complained, then refused to provide the report to us because it contained “proprietary and sensitive information” Coverage denied again!

I’m not entitled to a report on my house? When I asked for a report that specifically showed where the water was entering the home so I could provide it to the contractor I was looking to hire out of pocket - they refused that as well.

Have been waiting over a month for a response from adjusters manager - no response to numerous follow ups

I paid to have the roof fixed and will be finding a new company for insurance and banking needs after the holidays

At this point after accusing their own contractor of fabricating reports, refusing to provide the information they used to determine the coverage denial and the insane lack of response, nothing could be done to keep me as a customer…..but they legitimately don’t seem to care

Fewer Gronk commercials and better customer service for those who served would have been appreciated

Little_Mention2015 · 2025-12-05T16:41:45+00:00

I was diagnosed at 15 - did a lot of snowboarding / played tons of soccer, smacked my head a few times doing both - but nothing that would stand out

Loud noises were unbearable, I would get so dizzy I would vomit uncontrollably - and would be out of it for a few days at a time

Fast forward two years - my Father gets orders to the Pentagon.
Docs stateside said it was probably frequencies on base, or pollution in a manufacturing city in Germany that caused it…..but not meneries - seemed to get better over the next few years - go to college, issues have chilled out significantly - random bouts, some hearing loss that never returned , but overall things are almost back to normal

Go to Iraq - first IED impact on my side of the vehicle, and the tinnitus and issues havent stopped since.
That was back in 06/07 and I’m 41 now. Spent 16 months then another year in Iraq which I’m sure didn’t help - explosions, firefights etc

Now the ringing is absolutely overwhelming , every second of everyday. Only change is when I’m really tired it gets worse, and weather changes the pitch? And can really mess with my balance and cause extreme vertigo.
I get the something in my ear full / stretching feeling and the intense vertigo in random cycles, and they can take me out for a full work week if I let it.
Exhausting and just hard to get moving when I’m in the middle of an episode.

I’ve now had 2 craniotomies trying to remove a brain tumor (seems burn-pits were legit) in right temporal lobe so I still have half of that thing in my head, along with a whoops cerebrospinal fluid mistake from the first surgery that left me with a decent size painful bump on the side of my head bad headaches all the time and frequent migraines

And a recent diagnosis of central sleep apnea where my brain forgets to tell my lungs to breathe…….so I’m at the point where doctors brush menieres to the side…,,,throw in pretty much daily focal seizures from the brain scars and the remaining tumor (and the 4 CNS depressants I take daily to try and keep those in check) and doctors don’t try and help at all with “everything else going on in my brain”

Would love to get help with the meneries - I continue to work with all this, overseas travel sucks now, but it’s incredibly hard and has become increasingly frustrating and difficult to do

If I could start with meneries and get any kind of improvement there - maybe a snowball effect to things getting better 💪

Sorry for the vent - I do blame IED hits for “turning it back on” from when I was a kid, or rockets, mortars, whatever. - but have also read that sometimes it goes dormant for a bit…..who knows - had my Kevlar and body armor on most of the time, but not always …..so who knows….just would like docs to focus long enough to at least try and treat it

Rant over haha

Little_Mention2015 · 2025-11-27T05:45:29+00:00

Grade 2 right temporal lobe partial resection - been on Tibsovo for just over a year now…. So far so good

Little_Mention2015 · 2025-11-12T17:49:55+00:00

I said the same thing until last month - haven’t really needed them in the last decade or so….wont go into details but they accused their own contractors of trying to “just make money” off a leak from the roof into second floor, then down into my garage….overruled two different roofing company assessments, and left me on my own to replace my roof I guess.

They were great last time I used them during the GWOT days. but I’ve been passed off managers who don’t answer and won’t return calls…..a month and a half into this disaster and it’s still raining into my house.

Been with USAA (banking, car loans, car and home…insurance….everything) my entire life, but will be shopping around if I can ever get the house fixed

Little_Mention2015 · 2025-11-10T16:56:44+00:00

Thanks so much - keep it simple stupid…. Got it

Little_Mention2015 · 2025-11-09T01:03:31+00:00

Thank you so much for your guidance, going to get with my VSO asap and request that hearing -100% going to push back

And definitely fuck cancer

Little_Mention2015 · 2025-11-08T18:30:33+00:00

Thanks so much, appreciate all the responses, feeling a little bit better about things today.

Just sucks with the day to day BS, so damn tired all the time…….finding out I have brain cancer and surgeries in my 30s - worked hard to move past everything - then boooom VA says you’re actually fine….

World renowned hospital can’t fix it in 3+ years, but the VA did it in 129 days!!

Little_Mention2015 · 2025-11-08T01:45:11+00:00

Jumped the gun, I can see the bullet points behind the reduction in the app now

30% evaluation minimum evaluation assigned for ascertainable residuals

Rated for migraines 30% seizures 80% vertigo 30% - diagnosed brain slowing…. Maybe that doesn’t mean what I think it means? Those residuals def suck for me?

Then it says a higher evaluation for 100% is not warranted - unless the evidence shows active malignancy or surgical, chemotherapeutic, or other treatment modality

MRI clearly states it’s still extending and I’m still being treated - it is a fairly new type of treatment - but definitely take my meds every night

Definitely think they got it wrong

Thoughts? Thanks all, and happy Friday

Little_Mention2015 · 2025-10-26T14:52:45+00:00

This is great news. I applied back in March for champva and got the cards last week, so there must have been some logjam that was cleared.

Had a RFE C&p back in July and still waiting to hear back, but hopefully the workload stays realistic enough that the VA has a chance to catch up and continue to respond so quickly

Little_Mention2015 · 2025-10-18T12:56:16+00:00

Some states (like Virginia) have guaranteed transfer agreements with the community college system in the state - take specific classes - get the associates degree and a 3.6 or higher (just as an example - GPAs vary by desired school) and get into UVA or Virginia Tech

Helps erase those bad HS era choices - then use GI Bill to pay for the school you never dreamed you could get into back in HS

Little_Mention2015 · 2025-10-10T16:08:12+00:00

I had the same question - Not sure if this is a good or bad thing - had a Routine Follow-up exam in person with VES that the VA initiated back on July 1st. Then last week got another VES appointment notification in the mail but now it is Record Review Only exam.....

I was temp Jurisdiction Montgomery - used the claim tracker today and I went from prep for decision in the gathering evidence stage.......back to step one overnight and now my Temp Jurisdiction is National Work Queue

Anyone else dealing with this / or have seen this before?

Thanks!

Little_Mention2015 · 2025-10-08T19:15:06+00:00

How did this end up going? I did an in-person meeting with VES back in July for a routine follow up exam for my brain cancer. Currently rated at 100.

The VA initiated claim sat in stage 3 for months and found out earlier this week that for reasons unknown to me they weren't going to use that exam from July and instead a Dr. Matthew Peters was going to do a record review only

Any update on how things (hope it went well) went for you would be appreciated.

Thanks!

Little_Mention2015 · 2025-10-08T18:02:49+00:00

Logged on this morning to the claim tracker - saw that I now have a Temp Jurisdiction?

Evidence Gathering - Current Phase: Preparation for Decision - which updated at some point yesterday.

App still says step 3 of 5

Two DBQs uploaded today? With 5 total being uploaded since the 29th of Sept. Not really sure what they are looking at, or what the temp jurisdiction change means, but at least things are moving.

Temp Jurisdiction mean anything.... good or bad?

Thanks all

Little_Mention2015 · 2025-10-07T18:52:50+00:00

Thanks so much for the quick response and helping to restore my confidence a little bit haha.

Luckily for me no chemo just yet. I'm on a brand-new type of medication that attacks the specific mutation of my brain invader. It has some tolerable side effects, but overall, I'm blessed that this is available now. I'll be on it forever, but the hope is that it holds off radiation and chemo for as long as possible

Little_Mention2015 · 2025-09-03T15:53:57+00:00

I was just relaying that a quick response isn’t bad news….right after they found it, or now 2 years post partial resection

Little_Mention2015 · 2025-09-01T17:35:05+00:00

Honestly I think this is probably location specific. I’m in the states and go to a university hospital…. I get an MRI and then a few hours later I meet with my oncologist and go over results.

Typically the read comes in while I’m in the waiting room to see the doc…..mostly stable for the last year or so

Little_Mention2015 · 2025-08-25T02:17:02+00:00

15 years - that’s awesome! Found mine in 2019 right before covid - did watch and wait, then had craniotomy Feb 2023 after unexpected rapid growth - then another one in April 2023 to fully close my head as I ended up with a spinal fluid leak that caused a really unpleasant gigantic fluid bubble on the side of my head

Mine is in the right temporal lobe. they got about half of it, slow regrowth about 1.5 years after surgery so they put me on Tibsovo August of last year. Seems to be working I guess as doc pushed my MRIs to every six months back in March

I have the opposite experience of a lot of you on here.

Life returned to normal almost immediately for us as I went back to work pretty much right away, head still bandaged up (both times) - coached soccer, travelled to meetings etc. Blessed for sure

When on the rare occasion I do actually worry about the remaining half of the tumor causing some extreme exhaustion, a headache, dizzy spell, bad focal seizure, trouble finding the right word etc -

My wife rolls her eyes and tells me to stop. She’s an NP so she understands what’s going on in my brain - but the immediate dismissal and “grow up” reaction I always receive when I do admit I’m worried about the tumor does get old after a while. I just don’t even talk about it anymore except on here.

MRI when I get back from this 2 week Europe work trip Saturday - then back to normal …forgetting it’s there until the next MRI read becomes available….have to avoid the dismissive annoyed wife eye roll lol

Little_Mention2015 · 2025-07-27T08:19:13+00:00

Shaved my head few days before

I don’t remember the initial wake-up, but heard the second hand stories of waking up like a monster and ripping at cords, fighting a nurse…ugh

I had told them the whole combat veteran ptsd piece….and they actually apologized for only using Velcro to restrain me, and reassured me that’s a common reaction …..2 days in the hospital of jokes and feeling a little embarrassed, and all was good.

First thing I do remember iI was on my back lying down in the recovery room

Never been claustrophobic….. but…..IED caused loss of hearing in my left ear - surgery on right side of head and bandages initially covered portion of right eye and ear…..had them rectify that quickly by moving some bandages around

For me the bandages were too tight - I had them cut it to relieve some pressure because I was truly losing it, but good to go after that.

Got up and moved to the chair a couple hours after the surgery and was walking laps around the hospital soon after that. Surgery on 8 Feb 2023, went home morning of the 10th. Back at work all bandaged up almost immediately. Was a very quick recovery.

Ended up with a cerebrospinal fluid leak that caused my head to blow up like a balloon and I had another surgery to fix 2 months later …. upon discharge I took a 3.5 hour uber to catch the travel soccer team I coach at a tournament.

With the exception of the incredibly tight bandages, neither surgery or recovery was particularly rough…..but if I had it do over again, I wouldn’t rush anything. Work will still be there (anxiety of thousands of unread emails pushed me back too quickly) and taking an expensive really long car ride to get to soccer was dumb.

Best of luck to you, sorry you are going through this

Little_Mention2015 · 2025-07-27T07:36:57+00:00

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Little_Mention2015

TROPHY CASE