It has been a journey to get to this point, but I just found out yesterday that I’m now 100% disabled from the Veterans Affairs Administration.

What does all this mean?

Three years ago, I finally started the VA disability process so I could receive disability benefits from the Veterans Affairs Administration.

When I left the Corps, the Navy doc who did my exit physical told me that I need to submit for disability so I can collect for my shoulder, two bad knees, and my feet. Well, some 20 years later, I finally got around to it. Why the delay, you ask? Well, that is 100% on my part, and I was very naive about how all this works. And it just isn’t me; thousands of veterans have never filed because they don’t know how and where to start. I’m going to talk about all that in a later post.

When I originally filed, I submitted for my knees, feet, shoulder, RA, Fibro, and a few other things. I was approved for my knees, shoulder, and foot; ironically, they denied the worst one. That put me at 40% (10% for each knee, 10% for my foot, and 20% for my shoulder). That part was rather quick and painless, well, painless is a really poor word to describe it, since all my submissions cause me pain.

I then filed for a few other things that were not on my exit physical, but on my medical records, and as a civilian, are still causing me issues. I got a HUGE win, with my lung at 60%, which put me at 80%.

I resubmitted for my RA and Fibro, only to be denied again. Then I decided I was going to pull out all the stops. I did all the legwork, so everything was right in front of the VA when they got my new package. It was some 65 pages of doctors’ notes, a Nexus letter from my rheumatologist, buddy letters, and the whole work.

A few months later, I got a letter telling me it was denied again. What do I need to do to prove it to them? Then I got a phone call about a C&P exam for my RA and Fibro case. That is strange; according to the VA website, that case is closed, but I played along. It was a very long C&P exam, nearly 1.5 hours.

Then came the waiting again, and finally, I got notice that I’m now 100%, and they approved the Fibro for 40% and the RA for 100% of the total body.

FINALLY!!!!!!!!!!!

If you are fighting with the VA, dig in for the long haul. Hit me up if you want to discuss it. I’m always open to helping a brother or sister out (and all you non-Marine veterans, don’t worry; I consider you my brothers and sisters, too).