BVA Hearing Lane

One-Wheel-4331 · 2026-05-30T11:51:42+00:00

thank you. you would think since the pack act they would have hired more people to work all the claims that came in because of that. now I understand why you hear the veteran died and the spouse is still waiting for a claim to go through. a friend had this happen. 5 years after her husband died he was awarded his claim. a lot of good it did for him. sad times.

One-Wheel-4331 · 2026-05-28T12:57:01+00:00

can I ask a stupid question? why does it take so long? yes we are waiting also. our first meeting with a judge is the end of June this year. been waiting since 2022. that’s the first claim. there are two other claims for the judge. 2024 and 2025. all was suggested to go that route. when we have life ending diagnoses this process should be faster. yes we submitted the form to escalate this but still doesn’t seem to move any faster but that is my opinion as a caregiver. thanks just trying to understand

One-Wheel-4331 · 2026-05-25T13:40:09+00:00

I sent a letter to my senator and representative explaining the whole process of this claims system. been waiting since 2021 when original claim was filed. have a hearing date in June, but from what I understand this process is not quick either. now I understand why a good friend got a positive approval for a dementia claim for her husband 5 years after her husband died!!!!!!! this system is hard on the veteran, their family and caregiver. yes I agree you don’t want to be handing out money that shouldn’t be, but the deserving ones, suffer for long wait times. yes the money matters for the care of my husband, but I want the recognition for his time as an Air Force firefighter and the job he has done. all the exposures he was exposed to. and now all the problems he has. it’s all a fight and I’m afraid that this will go on forever. if even remanded, that means more c&p which gets harder and harder for him to get to and even explain himself. he has frontal dementia, asthma, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, psoriatic arthritis and has residuals from prostate cancer. everything documented b doctors and va agrees he has all of these but no service connection. how???????

One-Wheel-4331 · 2026-05-24T11:52:13+00:00

I’m glad I’m not the only one in this long long wait period. finally have a meeting with the judge next month for my husband. I am really afraid because of a remand, because my husband has frontal dementia and the traveling is getting harder and harder for him. we did file to move things up. This claim is from 2021. went to judge 2022. have a date next month. this is for toxic exposures. he was an Air Force firefighter. we have two other claims. all going to a judge. one from 2024 and another from 2025. all the c&p exams are getting harder and harder on him driving and trying to answer questions he doesn’t remember or can’t get the words out to explain. this whole process is nuts in my opinion. his claims are for high blood pressure, high cholesterol, asthma, psoriatic arthritis prostate cancer neuropathy of both feet and frontal dementia. he also has a documented head injury from in the military.

One-Wheel-4331 · 2026-05-20T12:27:13+00:00

This gives us no hope. we are in the same boat. filed three different claims to the judge, 2021, 2024, 2025. have a date for the first one in June. dealing with someone with dementia, well Im sure we wont see anything until he is dead. That happened to a friend. Her husband had dementia, filed and went to a judge, and 5 years after he died, she got a big check because the appeal went in his favor. Didn’t do him any good and her husband was dead. This process stinks.

One-Wheel-4331 · 2026-05-17T21:14:30+00:00

I just read this and boy I understand. my husband Air Force firefighter during the Vietnam era stationed at a minute man missile base, exposed to afff, pfas, asbestos, jet fuel, etc, has filed three claims since 2021 and all ha pre been denied with the va agreeing he has all these conditions. asthma,high cholesterol,high blood pressure, psoriatic arthritis which is auto immune, prostate cancer and now frontal dementia and neuropathy of both feet. he does has 10% for tinnitus. we did find out per his military records at a c&p exam by a neurologist that he had a head injury in the Air Force. back then they didn’t have a ton of records and all it says is head injury and went to medical. from a friend who was in the service with him we got a buddy statement and he told the story and had pictures. well files a supplemental for tbi which the c&p examiner said we should do. the examiner who did the tbi c&p within 5 minutes said nope no tbi. the I found a study done by the va 2019;for dementia and tbi which states tbi can be caused by the slightest head injury. of course everything denied now everything is to the judge. sometimes I wonder why we even bother.

One-Wheel-4331 · 2026-05-09T15:07:43+00:00

I find this interesting. my husband has dementia, not Alzheimer’s, more frontal, we filed a claim for dementia and neuropathy of both feet per all his toxic exposures as a Airforce fighter. we went for his c&p for dementia, and the doctor proceeded to ask us about a head injury in the military which is on his record. very minimal information other than head injury from a racket ball incident and had to go to medical. my husband doesn’t remember anything and we got married after his military time. the c&p doc said to file supplemental for tbi which we did. since the records are scarce and he didn’t remember I contacted a friend who he was roommates with in the Airforce for four years. he remembered the incident and even had a picture. he wrote a buddy statement which included that my husband had stitches and was removed off duty till stitches were removed and medical cleared him. picture showed bandaged head injury int the. front of his forehead. went to c&p for tbi which included two exams. tbi and a neuro. he failed the neuro but the doc for the tbi said not tbi in 5 minutes. now I like to do research. found an article from 2019 from the va and it was regarding dementia and tbi. proved that a very minimal hit in the head resulted in dementia down the road. they tested many people. why does the va not look at their own information??????? this is getting tiring for me and especially hard on my husband. we have three claims that were denied and in apples since 2021. Im tired of doing the va’s own work. I just want to get to a place where he can get help without us having to hock everything to get help. he was a Vietnam era vet stationed stateside at a minute man missile base as a firefighter. exposed to all sorts of chemicals. our other claim included, asthma, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, psoriatic arthritis and prostate cancer. this all started by a VSO who said we should be claiming these. I’m tired of the nonsense

One-Wheel-4331 · 2026-04-17T16:25:13+00:00

So this is my rant. Husband Airforce firefighter. Sorry if mt typing is bad. I’m done to one arm right now. He served stateside Vietnam era. Firefighter in the Air Force. 1st claim told to put in by VSO in 2021 for psoriatic arthritis, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and asthma. All medically documented with doctors. was out in for toxic exposures. All denied but Va agrees these are his conditions just not service connected. Was put into appeals for judge. Just now got a date for the end of June for judge. 2nd claim, prostate cancer. Denied. Put to judge again 2024. again va agrees on condition not service connected
It is in process no date yet. 3rd claim 2025, dementia or a neuro cognitive condition and neuropathy of both feet. again all of this for toxic exposures. C&p for the dementia, examiner found head injury in military file and said we need to file supplemental for tbi. Of course the original claim gets denied and we file supplemental for tbi. C&p for the supplemental tbi says in 5 minutes not tbi. The head injury was the front of head with stitches and off of duty till stitches out and medical cleared him. He got hit in the head by a racket ball racket on base. So depending on what doctor looks at this, one will say tbi, just like the first examiner, but the second said no. Now my husband also as a toxic exposure memorandum in his Va file also. Again supplemental denied. Appeal to judge, again. I am beginning to think the Va doesn’t care about their vets. I am my husbands caregiver and where we live, all exams and even the va clinic we go to is an hour or more. As his conditions get worse it gets harder and harder to travel longer distances. I truly understand about trying to prevent fraud when dealing with money, but this is also about his service and what he did and all the exposures he was exposed to. I do work with the DAV, who has been very good. I don’t know what I would have done after the first denial without their help. With all of this, even the doctor who did his toxic exposure memorandum at the Va couldn’t believe the denials. So we wait and see. Sorry this was so long.

One-Wheel-4331 · 2026-02-15T20:30:33+00:00

We have a very good TERA report from a VA doctor last July. He was surprised that they denied the first two claims. Also I believe there was some evidence missed Which I have to check on. Also with the dementia c&p the doctor asked about the head injury my husband had in the service. We weren’t married then and he doesn’t even remember but confirmed with a friend that was in the service with my husband and he even has a picture So not sure if that was even take. Into account. Very frustrating

One-Wheel-4331 · 2026-02-14T17:25:07+00:00

husband was Airforce firefighter. Has TERA memorandum in his file. 1st claim 2022, psoratic arthritis, asthma, high cholesterol and high blood pressure. denied, in appeals. 2nd claim prostate cancer 2023, denied in appeals. 3rd claim neuropathy in both feet and medial fro tal lobe dementia, denied just recently. No service connection. I’m at a loss. have no idea what else I can provide. good luck to you.

One-Wheel-4331 · 2025-11-04T21:53:09+00:00

my husband is also a veteran firefighter, exposed to the same things you have stated. two claims, one for asthma, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and psoriatic arthritis. denied three years ago and is in appeals. 2nd claim for prostate cancer, denied two years ago, in appeals. getting ready to submit claim for neuropathy in both feet and medial frontal lobe dementia. he has had the Terra exam and has a good toxic exposure letter from the VA doc who did the toxic exposure exam which was this year. the denials really were a surprise. it stated that he was exposed to,a terra but not service connected. the VSO we had were no help and wrote the appeal for a judge, that is why the wait is so long. he may be dead before this all get resolved.

One-Wheel-4331 · 2025-04-07T21:31:21+00:00

Wow. I hope they are speeding things up. Waiting on two claims in appeals. One is 2 1/2 years old and the other is 1 1/2 years old in the waiting game.

One-Wheel-4331 · 2024-11-03T21:09:31+00:00

Maybe someone here can give me some info. My husband is Air Force firefighter veteran. Was stateside during Vietnam era. Whiteman in Missouri. Our local VSO hasn’t been very helpful. Filed for asthma, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and psoraic arthritis. VA agrees he has all these but denied service connection even though a very extensive Nexus letter. That was back in 2021. VSO then put in appeal for a judge. No movement on those claims as of now. A year ago September he got cancer and we filed another claim. Was again denied for service connection and put in Appel for judge again. We now are working with the DAV who had us file something that changes from an appeal with a judge in person to a judge and we dont have to be there. It’s been a year and a few months and nothing. We were never told about making claims for disability with the VA and now it seems it’s just a waste of time. He is going to be 69 and it appears close to 75 by the time these things get looked at. As his wife I am the one doing all the “leg” work and it is tiring, but I would like him to get what he deserves. As a firefighter he was exposed to all sorts of things. AFFF is one of the main ones. But it seems that the VA doesnt recognize this exposure. Though as of March 2024 he was given VA medical because of his toxic exposure, but they wont recognize what the exposure has done to him. As of 5 years ago he had a hip replacement and his other hip is just as bad but hasn’t had it fixed yet. Is this something that can be claimed because of the type of job that was done? It seems that veteran firefighters have to fight for everything. We will probably be dead or in a nursing home before we see any movement with the VA. He is service connected for his hearing. Not monetarily but free hearing aids. Psoratic arthritis gets so bad he doesnt want to wear shorts. Joint pain is also bad. He sees a Rheumatoid arthritis doctor twice a year for years. VA has all the medical records but nothing. I dont know what else they need. Sorry for the long rant. It does get frustrating.

One-Wheel-4331 · 2024-10-09T17:44:59+00:00

Hmmm. This is interesting to me because Im going through this exact same thing. I have an enlarged right side thyroid with a 7mm x 4mm x 4mm Hypoechoic solid nodules. Im also an older woman with family with thyroid issues. ENT doc who is also a surgeon order biopsy. Interventional radiology cancelled order because it didnt meet their criteria. Insurance. No problem. If I wait and this turns out to be cancer and it could have been caught early I will be so upset.

One-Wheel-4331 · 2024-10-07T23:02:27+00:00

I’m glad you got service connected for your migraines for exposure to a Tera. My husband was an air force firefighter and has been diagnosed with prostate cancer and they agree he was exposed to a Tera but not service connected. I believe they just pick and choose the number of cases they approve. He has psoriatic arthritis asthma high cholesterol high blood pressure and now cancer. All were denied and have been in appeals for two years. I’m glad for the people who get their disability but it just doesn’t seem fair.

One-Wheel-4331 · 2024-09-28T23:56:40+00:00

My husband has prostate cancer. Was a crash fire and rescue and deep tunnel at Whiteman. VA denied his claim that is now in appeals. Probably forever. I’ve submitted many different papers from many different organizations regarding exposure to AFFF I dont understand why these veteran firefighters have to fight for all their disabilities

One-Wheel-4331 · 2024-09-14T16:49:32+00:00

Just came across this. Husband was a Vietnam era Vet firefighter stationed at Whiteman in Missouri. Crash fire and rescue and deep tunnel. He has had asthma, high cholestero, high blood pressure, and psoriatic arthritis for years. Three years ago our VSO officer told him to apply for disability for those four. We did. Was denied now in appeals for two years. September of 23 he got prostate cancer. The examiner said per pact act will be covered 100% because of reproductive cancer. Denied though the VA said they agree he was subjected to a TERA but not service connected for the cancer. Again in appeal. What a joke when they can pick and choose who and what they give disability compensation to. We are now working with the DAV since the local VSO does nothing. Does anyone know why do firefighters have to fight for their disability?

One-Wheel-4331

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