Question:

Jim, Just wanted to say thanks for all the help you have provided to Vets in years gone by. I have been a lurker, but recently found your advice concerning Watchful Waiting re: Prostate Cancer to be most helpful. VA recently sent me a notice that they were dropping my 100% disability because they "noticed improvement in your Malignant growths of genitourinary system"! For the first seven years since my diagnosis I received annual calls from a Urologist at Fort Harrison and I provided him with copies from my local Urologist of my PSA reports. This was followed with a notice from the VA that my 100% Disabillity would be continued. Then no requests for the last 3 years so no test results were sent to them and then this notice that they intended to reevaluate my disability do to the "improvement" in my condition. I have now (with the help of Montana Veterans Affairs Office) sent them my last 7 PSA reports with readings from 7.93 to 14.25 indicating active cancer. Long story short - I suspect either intentionally or unintentionally the failed to request my data annually with the goal of denying me disability. Hate to be so suspicious but then again ---------- Again thanks for your blog and help in getting me to wake up.

Jim's Reply:

Thanks for your kind words.

What happened to you happens dozens of times every day across the country. When the rules and regs were written, nobody would have thought that we could live with prostate cancer. The VA is totally committed to 1960s health care when the prostate was going to be removed no questions asked. The regimen was that every man with an elevated PSA was to be subjected to cutting the prostate out by any means necessary and blasting the whole region with radiation.

Then someone noticed that all that cure offered to us didn't cure anything. It just made us more miserable while we aged and died of some other cause.

Watchful waiting or active surveillance for many of us makes a lot of sense and the law is clear...if we have an active cancer, the rating is 100%. VA doesn't seem to be making any sort of coordinated effort to rob prostate cancer patients of earned benefits but they don't seem to be smart enough to grasp that cancer that isn't treated hasn't improved.

I'm glad you got it straight...many give up before that happens.