Good evening fellow warriors,
My name is James and I am an active duty member of the USAF and I have just been diagnosed with multiple myeloma stage 2 (25 Sept 2013). I have roughly 1.5 years until I retire and I am wondering if anyone out there has retired from military service with this illness. If it’s not too personal, how much medical disability did you receive? What has been your experience dealing with the VA and your multiple myeloma treatment regiments?
Thank you for any information you can provide!
James Webb
Cancer Warrior
Forums
7 posts
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webb1104 - Name: James
- Who do you know with myeloma?: Myself
- When were you/they diagnosed?: 25 Sept 2013
- Age at diagnosis: 41
Re: Multiple myeloma and military medical disability
First, thank you for your service.
If you served in Vietnam era, myeloma is an Agent Orange exposure service-connected condition. I am not familiar with compensation other than medical care. There is a thread here in the forum, however, where you may find some useful comments and suggestions (Agent Orange, Multiple Myeloma, and the VA).
If you served in Vietnam era, myeloma is an Agent Orange exposure service-connected condition. I am not familiar with compensation other than medical care. There is a thread here in the forum, however, where you may find some useful comments and suggestions (Agent Orange, Multiple Myeloma, and the VA).
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Dr. Jason Valent - Name: Jason Valent, M.D.
Beacon Medical Advisor
Re: Multiple myeloma and military medical disability
Dr. Valent: Actually, the VA deemed my husband Dom, a Vietnam veteran, to be 100% disabled, and he received monthly checks. After a few years of complete remission, they cut him down to 20% for his peripheral neuropathy. (Which doesn't seem fair to me, but nevermind) 
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Nanette - Name: Nanette "Deaux"
- Who do you know with myeloma?: My dear husband, Dominic
- When were you/they diagnosed?: Spring of 2008
- Age at diagnosis: 62
Re: Multiple myeloma and military medical disability
I am not retired military but I spent 7 years in the Navy where I served on nuclear submarines. I spent all my time in the engineering department and spent two years refueling the reactor in a shipyard. Many think I have a good case for disability and I applied to the VA but the answer back was that my radiation exposure was within acceptable limits and my myeloma was not service related, so no disability.
But as Dr. Jason said it there is a congressional law that if you served in the Vietnam theater during a specific time period in the law and if you get one of the long list of cancers listed in the law, and myeloma is one of them, then it is assumed it is service related and disability is automatically granted.
You could have been on a Navy ship miles of the coast of Vietnam or simply flown over the country and never stepped foot on the ground, and you would still get disability automatically even if you develop cancer decades after you were in Vietnam.
But if you never served in the Vietnam theater of operations none of this applies and you have to prove that your cancer is service related and a medical review board would have to approve the disability.
But as Dr. Jason said it there is a congressional law that if you served in the Vietnam theater during a specific time period in the law and if you get one of the long list of cancers listed in the law, and myeloma is one of them, then it is assumed it is service related and disability is automatically granted.
You could have been on a Navy ship miles of the coast of Vietnam or simply flown over the country and never stepped foot on the ground, and you would still get disability automatically even if you develop cancer decades after you were in Vietnam.
But if you never served in the Vietnam theater of operations none of this applies and you have to prove that your cancer is service related and a medical review board would have to approve the disability.
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Eric Hofacket - Name: Eric H
- When were you/they diagnosed?: 01 April 2011
- Age at diagnosis: 44
Re: Multiple myeloma and military medical disability
I filed a disability claim just last week . The VSO says it's automatic 100% as I did the Vietnam tour in 69. To get permanent and total takes a bit of a battle but can be done I am told..I am only three weeks into my Rev Dex Zometa, regime and haven't experienced any bad side effects ,yet, .The VA has been great, very quick with test results and drugs. . My oncologist and the needle people all very good..the bone marrow biopsy was more scary than painfull. Good luck..
T
T
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Waldopepper - Name: Wayne m
- Who do you know with myeloma?: Me
- When were you/they diagnosed?: October 2013
- Age at diagnosis: 64
Re: Multiple myeloma and military medical disability
Hi James,
I am currently going through the VA filing process. I filed a VA claim in September 2013 and am now just getting a request for more information about my condition. I'm not sure how the VA will rule. I'm also using the VA hospital for treatment. They are very good, and I am happy with my care. I just completed stem cell transplant this spring, which seems successful at this point.
I served for 10 year and have been out for 30 years.
I'm filing my claim under Presumptive for Ionizing Radiation. Not sure how you filed your claim. I've also noticed that there are new regulations for the Air Force that did not exist when I was in service. Example: The requirement for dosage monitoring. So I'm adding this new data and regulations as part of my claim, since we were not allowed to wear any monitoring devices.
I would check how the Navy described the work you did and its hazards. The VA still thinks in terms of atomic vets from WWII. All the doc that was sent me to complete was for those vets. Not people that worked around radiation or weapons.
Finally, I find it interesting that you could fly over Vietnam and get a claim for doing other hazardous jobs and get nothing when you get sick. Multiple myeloma is not one of the everyday cancers.
We can talk offline if you need more info about my process. And don't stop the process – appeal.
Joe
I am currently going through the VA filing process. I filed a VA claim in September 2013 and am now just getting a request for more information about my condition. I'm not sure how the VA will rule. I'm also using the VA hospital for treatment. They are very good, and I am happy with my care. I just completed stem cell transplant this spring, which seems successful at this point.
I served for 10 year and have been out for 30 years.
I'm filing my claim under Presumptive for Ionizing Radiation. Not sure how you filed your claim. I've also noticed that there are new regulations for the Air Force that did not exist when I was in service. Example: The requirement for dosage monitoring. So I'm adding this new data and regulations as part of my claim, since we were not allowed to wear any monitoring devices.
I would check how the Navy described the work you did and its hazards. The VA still thinks in terms of atomic vets from WWII. All the doc that was sent me to complete was for those vets. Not people that worked around radiation or weapons.
Finally, I find it interesting that you could fly over Vietnam and get a claim for doing other hazardous jobs and get nothing when you get sick. Multiple myeloma is not one of the everyday cancers.
We can talk offline if you need more info about my process. And don't stop the process – appeal.
Joe
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Joe Edwards - Name: Joe Edwards
- When were you/they diagnosed?: 1.5 years
- Age at diagnosis: 55
Re: Multiple myeloma and military medical disability
The automatic presumption that military service was the cause of myeloma for Vietnam veterans only applies to those veterans who served in the Vietnam area of operations, not to all veterans who served in the military during the Vietnam war area. Those Vietnam vets do not have to prove their military service was the cause of their myeloma; it is just presumed it was (by congressional law).
My understanding is that being in the area of operations means being anywhere for any length of time in the area of operations – land, air or sea space. You could never have set foot on land in Vietnam and simply be off the coast on a Navy ship for a single day, or simply take a single flight over Vietnam, and that would qualify. They did not make it complicated when they wrote the law.
I see Vietnam vets are often confused by this, thinking that is has been proven their myeloma was caused by their military service, when it has not been. Maybe it was, maybe it was not. It would be really hard to prove on a case-by-case, individual basis, and that is why Congress stepped in to pass that legislation for Vietnam vets and veterans of atomic testing.
I believe the presumption of cause will get you medical treatment from the VA. How much disability, I do not know, but I have heard of 100% disability cases.
Joe,
As you have learned, If you worked with nuclear weapons outside of the Vietnam area of operations, the congressional law stipulating automatic presumption does not apply, and a medical board will review your case to make a determination if military service was the cause of myeloma or not.
In my case, I did not serve during the Vietnam era, but received ionizing radiation exposure from submarine nuclear reactors, with a higher than usual dose usually seen in Navy service from operations where the reactor fuel was replaced during a two-year shipyard overhaul. The time between my last exposure and my diagnosis was about 19 years. My VA claim was denied.
From what you have said, it is interesting that you did operations where you were exposed to radiation but where not allowed to where dosimetry. Is that correct? If so, that may help you a lot, but I believe you will have to fight and make the case.
I can see why the military’s first instinct is to fight any claims of military service being the cause of cancer from ionizing radiation exposure. Acknowledging that would cause a lot of problems and put the extensive investments made in radiation safety and “proving” that working around nuclear weapons and reactors is safe in military service in question. Think about what all those still serving would think about such finding.
If you are successful with your claim, I would very much like to hear about it.
My understanding is that being in the area of operations means being anywhere for any length of time in the area of operations – land, air or sea space. You could never have set foot on land in Vietnam and simply be off the coast on a Navy ship for a single day, or simply take a single flight over Vietnam, and that would qualify. They did not make it complicated when they wrote the law.
I see Vietnam vets are often confused by this, thinking that is has been proven their myeloma was caused by their military service, when it has not been. Maybe it was, maybe it was not. It would be really hard to prove on a case-by-case, individual basis, and that is why Congress stepped in to pass that legislation for Vietnam vets and veterans of atomic testing.
I believe the presumption of cause will get you medical treatment from the VA. How much disability, I do not know, but I have heard of 100% disability cases.
Joe,
As you have learned, If you worked with nuclear weapons outside of the Vietnam area of operations, the congressional law stipulating automatic presumption does not apply, and a medical board will review your case to make a determination if military service was the cause of myeloma or not.
In my case, I did not serve during the Vietnam era, but received ionizing radiation exposure from submarine nuclear reactors, with a higher than usual dose usually seen in Navy service from operations where the reactor fuel was replaced during a two-year shipyard overhaul. The time between my last exposure and my diagnosis was about 19 years. My VA claim was denied.
From what you have said, it is interesting that you did operations where you were exposed to radiation but where not allowed to where dosimetry. Is that correct? If so, that may help you a lot, but I believe you will have to fight and make the case.
I can see why the military’s first instinct is to fight any claims of military service being the cause of cancer from ionizing radiation exposure. Acknowledging that would cause a lot of problems and put the extensive investments made in radiation safety and “proving” that working around nuclear weapons and reactors is safe in military service in question. Think about what all those still serving would think about such finding.
If you are successful with your claim, I would very much like to hear about it.
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Eric Hofacket - Name: Eric H
- When were you/they diagnosed?: 01 April 2011
- Age at diagnosis: 44
7 posts
• Page 1 of 1