Question
Hi Jim,
I was diagnosed with Alopecia within a year before I retired in the service ( 22 1/2 years), saw an MD at our clinic and was diagnosed with ? thyroid or endocrine disease. Ordered labs but I didn't know the results because I had retired and didn't follow it up. Six months after retirement, I worked at the VA inpatient dietetics Dept and decided to go to the VA primary care MD whom I was incidentally diagnosed with thyroid disease 8 years after my initial diagnosis. I had procedure done on my thyroid at the VA and now taking thyroid meds ever since. I filed a claim for that along with other complaints but was disapproved. Can an MD connect that the 2 diagnoses 8 yrs apart are interrelated to support my claim? Thank you!
Jim's Reply
Your history is a bit of a challenge to follow but I'll try to cover all the concerns I can sort out.
Alopecia isn't easy to rate since it more or less goes away in most cases, leaving no permanent conditions. The Schedule rates it like this...
7831 Alopecia areata:
With loss of all body hair...10
With loss of hair limited to scalp and face...0
If you were diagnosed with thyroid disease while active duty and there's a record of that and any active duty treatment, you probably have a claim for thyroid disease. If you didn't follow up there isn't much to be done.
It sounds as if 8 years passed by between the time you allege an initial diagnosis of thyroid disease and the time you can show that diagnosis.
To claim a condition that existed within a year of exiting the military, we can file a well grounded claim and VA will treat it as if the condition existed on active duty. For example, if there were documented symptoms that indicated an illness but no firm diagnosis was made and the veteran became acutely ill 6 months after discharge, a case can be made for service connection. Unfortunately 8 years appear to have gone by since you claim a first diagnosis and you don't have evidence to support that.
Without firm medical record evidence of that initial diagnosis, I don't see how the thyroid condition can be service connected.
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