When I got out of the service, I immediately got three service-connected disabilities at 0%, but I didn't really understand what that meant. So, from that point forward, I kind of ignored those 3 ailments.
Over the next 23 years, I filed four more times. The first three submissions - everything was denied. I was frustrated and confused - what the doctors told me verbally wasn't matching what I was seeing in the VA's decision letters.
Through the proper VA channels, I requested my medical records twice with no response. Finally, I went to a veteran-friendly senator and got my own records in 10 days. That's when I realized the problem - what the doctor said to me verbally was not what was written in my records.
On my fifth "try" - claim filing, I took a completely different approach. Instead of relying on what I thought I remembered, I pulled everything directly from my medical records and built my case around the documented evidence.
Following this strategy, I went from 0% to 100% Permanent & Total in less than a year. After 23 years of denials, I finally cracked the code. That's when I knew I had cracked the code and needed to help other veterans - because if it worked for me after all those failures, it can work for anyone.
The difference wasn't luck or a better VSO - it was understanding how to use your own medical records to tell your story the way the VA needs to hear it.