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Head injury in service I just remembered, ironically....

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armyvet89

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Hello all you wonderful folks! 

I just found some of my service medical records the other day and in it was a LOD from where I suffered a head injury while training. I had (no pun intended) completely forgot about it. I dont feel that there was ever a diagnosis provided but it did knock me out and I was out for quite some time, so I'm told. I dont really remember much after that. I was told that the doc that was seeing me said that I was out for a while ordered bed rest WITHOUT sleep and to follow up the next morning. I did not go to the hospital but I guess she was asking me several questions to which I had inconsistent responses for like what is todays date? President Obama was my response. I still get jabbed about this from my buddies that were there. It took a good day or 2 before I came around to being close to normal. I was also involved in several explosions in iraq (rockets and mortars and a parachute grenade). The parachute grenade hit next to my truck and it knocked my gunner out. We were all pretty stunned. Since all of this I have had some serious issues with MH also headaches/migraines, balance and dizziness problems, tinnitus (SC'ed), blurred vision and a twitch in my left eye that is also documented on the LOD. One of the mortar blasts forced me off the top of the MRAP and I hurt my left knee. When I came back to the states I was put on pain meds most with tylenol in them and when I would complain about headaches it never made its way into my VA records because I was told that its likely do to the high blood pressure and the knee pain. So what I am getting at is that I think I may have covered up some of the headaches with the pain meds I was on and I think this is going to make it look like they arent bad at all when in fact they are. I am not taking the pain meds anymore and this migraine stuff is for the birds. In 2011 I was also diagnosed with PTSD and depression NOS by a VA doc and have continued treatment and medication ever since but last year I was denied PTSD from the RO because my c&p doc was a xxxxxx xxx. The exam doc works for another company on the side where they fight against people going for social security based on MH contentions. I feel like he is completely inadequate at his job and isnt deserving of the position he holds so I wrote the VA and told them about it.

So now I have recently submitted a claim for headaches, migraines, TBI, residuals of TBI and PTSD. I feel like if i can get them to SC me for the TBI that it would help with my PTSD claim. What are your thoughts? How should I approach this? What should I prepare for? Since there was never a diagnosis given for the head injury will the VA not provide a TBI diagnosis?

Not sure if it matters but I am currently connects for left knee 20%, Right knee 10%, Radiculopalthy right side 10%, lumbosacral strain 20% and tinnitus 10% totaling 60%.

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On 4/17/2017 at 3:24 PM, armyvet89 said:

Broncovet- This is where I get very aggravated and confused. I feel that I do have the 3 pillars of service connection. In the records that I have I was 1. Diagnosed with PTSD, anxiety and depressive disorder NOS by a VA psychologist 2. Submitted my award of a Combat Action Badge to verify one of a few inservice event along with 3 buddy statements from guys that were there as well as news articles that it actually happened and 3. In my treatment notes it shows that my doc at the VA diagnosed my PTSD due to events that happened during a combat tour of duty to Iraq. Mind you I had 5 years of treatment and care under this doctore before I even filed for PTSD. So this doc knows me and my situation inside and out and then I met with the VA C&P Doc for 45 minutes and he decides I dont have PTSD and the claim is denied. Heres the tricky part. My VSO said that since I had all 3 pillars all the C&P doc should have done was asses my current occupational and social deficiencies levels for a proper percentage. Now I have not filed an appeal or NOD on it yet because the VSO I was working with has "no call no showed" and they fired him. So I am wanting advice from you folks here because I feel there is more to learn here than sitting down with that VSO. What do I do here? I feel that this was done wrong. I honestly think that trying to connect my head injury to the LOD and opening PTSD up again is a quicker route than an appeal. Maybe I am missing something but I never understood why vets would appeal a decision and wait years on end when you can get N&M evidence to submit to reopen the claim.

 jfrei- your head injury, is that event what causes or linked your PTSD? I was hit in the head by another soldier during training and I also was involved in several blasts but there is no record of the blasts causing me any sort of headaches or anything other than them just happening. I have been fighting the VA since 2011 and I just got to 60% but that was mostly secondary service connections on back and knees stuff. 

 

Thanks for all the help ladies and gents. I feel like I am some what knowledgeable about this sort of stuff but I definitely rely on any and all info and support I can get from you all!  

Honestly that was never determined although the doctor at my PTSD exam stated I showed signs of wreck less behavior prior to my accident after watching my friend die on a hospital bed after an IED. But since my car was recalled ten years after my accident and also was involved in several investigations one finding GM at fault for 124 deaths 275 injuries mine being one of those injuries but because they filed bankruptcy after my accident I couldn't sue. It made me bitter after finding out they knew since 2006 what caused my crash I was even in the their internal investigation of how my ignition switch turned off and it went into detail how it happen. This is how i won my appeal in 5 months with no hearing. Now the fight hasn't even begun with GM since now the bankruptcy shield has been lifted by the Supreme Court yesterday but I just am tired of fighting whether it's been the VA or weeding through GMs lies I'm exhausted... My last battle I'm currently battling is awaiting to see if the VA will grant me PT which Ted Ebert yesterday explained yes they are looking into it now. Apparently I was scheduled for another exam in four years to determine that but nothing will change I've been the same since 2007 and no short term memory unless I use the saying "repeat reuse and repeat til it sticks"!! The VA granted me IU because the doctor saw that even with that last statement I've still forgotten basic steps because I was impulsive and could have jeopardized lives of people on board the aircraft I used to work on. I only continued it taking temporary jobs since I didn't have to disclose to them my disabilities until I kept failing at the job.

 

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