Moonrover, it is very important that you either study the VA rating system or get a DAV (or other) knowledgable rep for your case. Kidney cancer isn't on the AO list, but just because cancer is in a kidney doesn't mean it is kidney cancer. Prostate cancer sometimes goes to the kidney. There are soft tissue sarcoma's covered on the A0 list.
Veterans' Diseases Associated with Agent Orange - Public Health
In reading through your journey as outlined on this thread, it appears you haven't understood how the VA Medical side is different than the VA Disability Claims side. The claim will trigger an exam about the claim and additional medical files from the medical side won't be added unless you request it to be added.
You are best served by getting your claim on file, then when the documentation is asked for submitted it all together (with your name & file number on each page). When anything is added once that initial gathering of info phase is done, it starts the wait time over again for the the assigned agent to review the claim.
Each claim will be evaluated on you presenting symptoms and if service connected.
If you have cancer (AO related) when you file your claim, you should get 100% rating. Approximately 6 months to a year after treatment there is a 2nd exam. If you have side effects from the surgery/treatment, you could then receive a % rating for them. You don't get anything for having had cancer. If your cancer is diagnosed as returned, you have to refile the claim and you would receive a 100% rating.
The most common side effects have to do with urinary problems post treatment:
This didn't copy well, but you can check 38 CFR (Code of Fed. Regs.) for specifics.
Voiding dysfunction:
Rate particular condition as urine leakage, frequency, or obstructed voiding
Continual Urine Leakage, Post Surgical Urinary Diversion, Urinary Incontinence, or Stress Incontinence:
Requiring the use of an appliance or the wearing of absorbent materials which must be changed more than 4 times per day 60
Requiring the wearing of absorbent materials which must be changed 2 to 4 times per day 40
Requiring the wearing of absorbent materials which must be changed less than 2 times per day 20
Urinary frequency:
Daytime voiding interval less than one hour, or; awakening to void five or more times per night 40
Daytime voiding interval between one and two hours, or; awakening to void three to four times per night 20
Daytime voiding interval between two and three hours, or; awakening to void two times per night 10
Obstructed voiding:
Urinary retention requiring intermittent or continuous catheterization 30
Marked obstructive symptomatology (hesitancy, slow or weak stream, decreased force of stream) with any one or combination of the following:
1. Post void residuals greater than 150 cc.
2. Uroflowmetry; markedly diminished peak flow rate (less than 10 cc/sec).
3. Recurrent urinary tract infections secondary to obstruction.
4. Stricture disease requiring periodic dilatation every 2 to 3 months 10
Obstructive symptomatology with or without stricture disease requiring dilatation 1 to 2 times per year 0
The doctors doing the compensation exams use forms like the one at this link for neck/spinal problems (different forms for different ailments):
http://www.vba.va.gov/pubs/forms/VBA...60M-13-ARE.pdf
The doctor will make a judgment that the ailment "is more likely than not service connected" and you win... if they don't find it service connected, you'll probably lose.
Your explanation was you were denied on the cancer, because it is gone. If you have problems related to the treatment, ask for reevaluation on those problems (needing pads or getting up several times during the night to void)
Several people have suggested you get documentation of the aviation crashes and you mentioned service awards mentioning them. You need any and all of that to prove the service connection. If they weren't considered initially, you need to ask for reevaluation for this claim too.
I'm no expert, but I have done all the paperwork for my vet husbands successful claims. The VA's site has gotten much more user friendly in the last 8 years, but various vet forums have a wealth of information for you to draw from. Get help, but no one knows your case better than you, so keep up being your own advocate.
Wishing you the best luck with treatment and the claims bureaucracy.
Any suggestion on how to handle the interview? They have all paper work from my heart doctor already.
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