Finally, VA and BVA are starting to see that PCT (Porphyria Cutanea Tarda) is present in a lot of HCV cases. So is Cryoglobulinemia, DM2, Fibromyalgia, Chronic Pain Syndrome, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome(sore throat forever, anyone?), peripheral neuropathy, and about 10 others I forgot. Check this out for 2007. Clarksburg, W. V. I have seen several good HCV decisions come out of there on appeal and get SC. Vietnam Veterans of America is perhaps one of the Better VSOs around in my book. Use them if you can for your claims. Avoid the rest. But always supervise your SO. They aren’t perfect- don’t expect them to be. That’s why you’re here reading this anyway, isn’t it? To be prepared like a boyscout? It’s a Jetgun claim of sorts, for lack of a better risk factor. Treat it like that.

http://www.va.gov/vetapp07/Files3/0724747.txt

You will probably recognize VLJ Cheryl Mason’s name(she is mentioned in several other decisions here in ASK NOD). She has made some smart, clean, well thought out decisions on Hep C with the Vet getting SC where it was clear that he /she deserved it. She has never resorted to tortured logic that ends up with a train wreck of phrases that contain the “it is at least as not likely as not that the hepatitis in question is not related to the hepatitis we are talking about here.” This decision is basically a ” Well. Its clearly obvious we don’t know what caused it, so it could be Jetguns. There doesn’t appear to be any other big, bite you in the ass reason.” Thank you Judge Mason, on behalf of thousands of HCV positive Vets. We wish we could have you as our Judge every time. $100 says she isn’t a Blonde. As we all know, peroxide causes brain damage…