iceturkee

i use an over the counter stool softener. but i also have the H problem (hemroids sp?). preparation h helped the one problem but because it has steroids in it, that caused the bleeding problem. i have been taking milk of magnesia for awhile and it does help.

if you are 100 percent schedular, you don't need to apply for IU. can't answer your SMC question.

i only know one person who let the va operate on his spine and his surgery was successful! this was when the daytona va clinic fell under gainesville. the doc who did this guys surgery was on rotation from shands. it was a shands doc who did my carpal tunnel surgery and it was great! now we fall under the new hospital in orlando and i'm not so sure.

the va generally doesn't prescribe bed rest unless you are in bed. you can't get up and do anything. you have to be in bed. and to be in bed for over 6 weeks, you need to be so helpless you can't do anything. nascar driver tony stewart recently suffered an L1 burst fracture (very serious). he either needs to be lying in bed all day or walking the treadmill. not anything else.

i got mine in 4 months. but then i had a psychologist who did my depression c&p who opined my depression/anxiety would proclude me from working a sedentary job. once the paperwork was filed, it was a little less than 90 days.

i hope your dav rep is helpful. during my first medical board, my dav rep was there but i don't remember if he said anything at my hearing. what sealed the deal for me is the four striper who testified on my behalf. when they asked him what i would be doing in 15 years if they kept me on active duty, he responded running the entire naval reserve public affairs program. having my commanding officer testify was my dav reps brainstorm so i give him credit for that. good luck!

i have an appointment with my pcp on feb. 18. i am going to ask her again about pain clinic options. i would be more than willing to share if she offers any useful information, which she is usually good at.

wish i could answer your question arng11 as i would be curious myself. i have had consults to orlando vamc pain clinic twice. and both times i never got to see a doctor because of their screw ups. i would love to be fee based as i once was. but that doctor wanted to give me epidurals and they don't work. plus i have an adverse reaction to steroids. my last lumbar mri was in may 2014. it showed 5 stage 1 herniated discs; a grade 1 slipped vertabrae; foraminal and spinal stenosis; an abnormal lodoctic (spelling?); 2 torn discs and arthritis. plus i have issues in my thoracic and cervical spine.

yes, i am 40 percent. but when i was discharged in 1988, i was only 10 percent. took me about 15 years to get the percentage increased. from what you have posted about your feet, i would think you could argue pre-existed (so the military gave you a waiver and said you were physically qualified) and that it was aggrevated on active duty. good luck! :-)

can't answer the question about feet but ponder this. i hurt my back in the army. a few years later i went back on active duty in the navy. my back injury was well documented on my physical but they let me in. many years later i received a medical discharge (and almost $32,000) because of my back. they called it pre existing, aggrevated on active duty.

i applied for voc rehab when my back rating increased to 40 percent. my counselor indicated she wanted to get me approvided, despite serious medical issues. a few days later she responded to an email i sent. then i never heard from her again. i never heard from voc rehab again. but they sure wanted to make it sound like it was my fault during my IU application. however, i got the IU and determined to be P&T.

since my entire spine is messed up, with the worse being the thoracolumbar, i am not deemed a surgical candidate. i have been told by ortho several times, that i would be worse off with rods on my back. given the complexity of my spinal issues, i tend to agree.

my last ortho c&p exam noted that i had abnormal gait due to my minimal scoliosis. i remained at 40 percent (although was awarded IU). for the record, i have 5 herniated discs, foraminal and spinal stenosis, a slipped vertebrae, 2 torn discs, abnorminal lordosis and arthritis plus the minimal scoliosis. i was at 12 percent in like 2007 and have never been remeasured. i wish you well but from what i have read, i don't feel confident or comfortable thinking you will get to 20 percent. good luck!

but didn't you post that your mri and xray showed a mild scoliosis?

i have a mild curvature and it didn't apply to my rating. if it was over 50 percent, it would probably be a different story.

they are suppose to give you a trial first before implementing on the spine. the stimulator or pump will sit on the waist (i believe) for i think 2 to 3 weeks. i don't think the trial is any longer than a month. the rationale is if it doesn't help in trial, no use for the surgery.

i am also a lfie member. and i have wanted to ask for my money back as well. sometimes they have been very helpful. and other times, they have insulted me!!

true. but usually your xrays and ct scans or mri will show something significant to warrant the lack of range of motion. something, i am honestly not seeing. but i wish you the best! :-)

as i am 40 percent for my back, what new information did you put in your claim for an increase? any recent mri's or other x-rays? any use of asisitve device?

i hope so too. but i would still be curious what your x-rays showed.

i got my dav letter on a saturday. the following tuesday i had the va package and the retro was in my bank account!

so what do your xrays show if you have no arthritis or a significant vertebral fracture? i am 40 percent for my back. i have five herniated discs, a slipped vertebrae, two torn discs, both foraminal and spinal stenosis and arthritis. while your range of motion would warrant 40 percent, i am concerned that you use no assistive devices, (wheelchair for me but i also have rheumatoid arthritis) and have had no mri's. hence my question about what other diagnostic tests show.

just curious, have you had recent mri's of your back? if so, what was the report?

hard to say without seeing your ROM during your exam.