Everybody likes to hear the success story. The one that didn’t get away is far more newsworthy than the one that did. So it was with great joy when I came in from gardening last night to find that our very own Randy has finally joined the 100% ranks without going to DC. I can’t propound enough on what a shame it is that many of you came here after you’d lost and had a far more difficult time winning at the BVA. It’s not so much that its harder but that the constant rounds of remands back and forth often stretch it out to a decade or more.

Randy has been sanding and filing his claim down for several years using some of the techniques we advocate here and it finally paid off. He did it all himself I might add. Giving advice is all well and fine but the individual Vet is the one who carries the water. Some come here asking me to do it for them in toto. I cannot. I have my own fish to fry. I offer DIY advice only. The law actually precludes me from engaging in it unless I am accredited.

This raises the number of wins to 30 since 2008. The two losses were unavoidable due to circumstances that included willful misconduct. They were insurmountable given that the individuals had contaminated the claim with too much information. Add to that the drug hanky panky on record and it became a negative objective.

Herewith, I present the fruits of Randy’s long, hard-fought battle with the defenders of Fort Fumble in Denver.

Randy has hit the wall with these chuckleheads over the pyramiding aspect of hepatitis and  cirrhosis. Fortunately they haven’t gotten anally retentive and made life miserable for him. I summed it up thusly in a post game wrap:

Daily fatigue, malaise, and anorexia (without weight loss or hepatomegaly), requiring dietary restriction or continuous medication,

 or; incapacitating episodes (with symptoms such as fatigue, malaise, nausea, vomiting, anorexia, arthralgia, and right upper quadrant pain) having a total duration of at least two weeks, but less than four weeks, during the past 12-month period

Daily fatigue, malaise, and anorexia, with minor weight loss and hepatomegaly,

or; incapacitating episodes (with symptoms such as fatigue, malaise, nausea, vomiting, anorexia, arthralgia, and right upper quadrant pain) having a total duration of at least four weeks, but less than six weeks, during the past 12-month period

See how DC 7312 conflicts (pyramids) ? 10%  says  Symptoms such as weakness, anorexia, abdominal pain, and malaise 

DC 7354 20% says  Daily fatigue, malaise, and anorexia 

7312 @ 30%  Portal hypertension and splenomegaly, with weakness, anorexia, abdominal pain, malaise, and at least minor weight loss

7354 @ 40% says  Portal hypertension and splenomegaly, with weakness, anorexia, abdominal pain, malaise, and at least minor weight loss

vA is a past master at creating a problem and then fashioning a solution that takes you to LA via Beijing. What they are loathe to do is just give you the hep for 100% and perhaps the cirrhosis for 30. God forbid. What they did here is far more convoluted and confusing. Winning the DM2 will be anticlimatic. They’ll lowball you and you’ll show the insulin use. They’ll finally go to 40% from 20% after a lot of hemming and hawing. Rest assured that you are not the first victim (nor the last) to be sandbagged by them on the hep/cirrhosis game.

As a last note, I’d like to thank Randy for sharing this with you folks. Some are recalcitrant about the publicity and politely decline. I don’t blame them. What vA does to us is criminal. The fear of retribution is large on our minds. Witness that I use the handle ASKNod for similar reasons. After observing what they are capable of, I don’t suggest being BFF with them or assuming they’ll be like-minded. Lastly, I recommend putting your wallet in your front pocket and sitting with your back to a wall when you have occasion to visit. Merry Christmas Randy. It only took Santa three years to get here. I guess this is what they call a Rocky Mountain High.