Question:
I was in country in Vietnam for a year (1969-1970). I use the VAMC for my medical needs. I have type 2 diabetes with oral medication for which I now receive an AO related benefit payment. Last October I had an acute ischemic stroke; it was suggested at the hospital and by my primary care person at the VAMC that the diabetes was high probable cause of the stroke. I have an appointment with a VFW rep at the Detroit VAMC building on the 29th of Jan. 2019. I have been contacting veterans groups and reading everything I can find on the Net about VA AO benefits and ischemic stroke. So far all I can find is it doesn't appear that ischemic stroke alone is within the guidelines of VA benefits. What I can't find is if ischemic stroke that is considered highly likely to be the result of diabetes is within the guidelines for AO exposure. It seems the connection would be pretty solid. Do you know if anyone has ever had an increase in VA AO related benefits for my condition?
Jim's Reply:
Yes, yours is a very common situation. Your diabetes (DMII) is the service connected primary condition. A primary condition like DMII can and usually does cause damage to arteries (atherosclerosis) throughout the body. In your case it's likely the stroke originated from the carotid artery in your neck. When discussing your stroke, always be sure to differentiate between your ischemic stroke (caused by blockages preventing blood flow) as compared to hemorrhagic stroke (caused by bleeding at the site of the storke) since the first is a secondary condition of DMII and the latter usually isn't. You can easily file this claim yourself and simply state the obvious; that your vascular conditions are secondary to the DMII. Again, this is a fairly common sequence of events for IHD, stroke, renal vascular disease, PAD and a lot of other vascular conditions that are well known as secondary to DMII.