So I'm 51 now, been out since 2005. I'm currently disabled for a total of 14 things, but some of my things are getting worse, I apparently didn't try to get some things I should have, and at least one thing I have a major issue with the VA didn't mark as service connected even though it very clearly is.

My plan is to write up a 4138 description on the history of every issue I currently have, as well as the new ones. I'll submit all these, along with 21-526EZ, and a nexus statement from a doctor and one from my wife for getting the 1 thing clearly related to military service actually noted as such.

So my question is, should I just be "buck-shotting" all these? Basically taking every possible thing and writing it up and trying to get disability out of it? Or is it better to be more surgical?

Also, I'm a fairly smart guy, and I've been reading the 38 CFR extensively. This means when I write up those 4138s I know what terminology to use, how to explain things so they check the appropriate boxes. For example my headaches related to DDD I'm tracking a 1-9 scale by day that I'll submit, denoting how they knock me on my ass when they hit a certain level, and so forth. I'm curious if I'm being *too* detailed on these. Some of my 4138s are a couple pages long with the history of what happened and how it impacts my life and stuff. Am I going to come across as somebody trying to game the system or just a know-it-all? Should I dumb these down and be very succinct instead of verbose with the history?

Also, if somebody I have already can be related to a new thing, like DDD to lower back pain, should I just state that I think it may be that in the 4138 even though I'm not a doctor because it could be related? Again, I don't want to sound like a know-it-all or somebody who went through the 38 CFR and just picked everything (I've had 14 issues for 10 years, just adding tinnitus and 2 things that was diagnosed in my medical records that was never added for some reason.

Thanks for any help.