JFizzle

Hello Hadit.com Members, I am new to the site, but I have reviewed a lot of information throughout the different forums and I must say the collaborated efforts to assist an in need fellow veteran is refreshing. Hopefully I am not too much of a burden with my situation and hopefully I can benefit from your guidance because right now I am at a loss on how to approach my claims. I served the USAF from 2000 to 2007 with an honorable discharge and I am currently 40% service-connected for TMJ - 20% ACL Reconstruction - Knee Joint Pain - 10% Right Ankle condition with Achilles tendonitis -10% Here is my issue: In 2005 I suffered facial trauma to my nasal area while participating in a squadron event that has since then continued to affect my breathing to this present day. During the event, one of the participants collided into me very hard at full speed, descending from an airborne position, and inadvertently came downward with his elbow ramming into my nose, which resulted in my visit to the Emergency Room. Upon impact, there was a break in the skin (aka hole) to my nasal area that required 3-4 stitches to reconnect the right alar sidewall to my cheek. My nose instantly bled internally, as well as from the right alar sidewall. I suffered a headache, dizziness, facial pain, and obstructed breathing. The impact felt like my face was broken. During my visit to the Emergency Room, the Emergency Room doctor looked at the injury and after 3 minutes of observation recorded his findings (without an x-ray or CT scan) as a facial laceration (I strongly disagree with this finding because of the symptoms I have experienced since the injury). The Emergency Room doctor then sent one of the aids to stitch my nose, prescribed Motrin for the swelling/pain, and told me to return to the Emergency Room in a week and one of the aids on site can/will remove the stitches. When the stitches were removed, I was still suffering a headache, nasal pain (tenderness), and difficulty breathing through the right side of my nose and made it known to the aid and she documented that. Since this event I have experienced various episodes of sinus troubles and infections (to include sinusitis), and a constant and consistent feeling of a blocked nasal passage. 2009 - sleep study diagnosed mild sleep apnea Could not tolerate the CPAP machine... felt like I was suffocating 2009 - 2013 Various sinus issues including sinusitis, allergic Rhinitis, and headaches. referred to ENT doctor and he stated there was a high septal deflection with Internal Nasal Valve narrowing on the side that may account for my complaints. Would require surgery for correction. 2013 - sleep study diagnosed moderate sleep apnea Trying to use the machine but it feel like I am suffocating.... may ask for different options on visit in 2 weeks. My questions are: Is there away for me to challenge a military ER diagnosis as an incomplete diagnosis to reflect the damage caused? My initial claim for my nose injury was denied because I claimed facial laceration. I did not have a VSO at the time, but when I acquired one, we put in an appeal claim in for a nose injury which has been pending since 2009. Will a nose injury suffice for a claime or does it need to be more specific? Could my sleep apnea be service connected if my sleep doctor provides a nexus letter stating that the moderate sleep apnea condition is more likely than not aggravated by the nose injury that occurred in 2005? or would the nose injury need to be connected first? Would a sleep doctor or ENT specialist opinion trump an ER doctor? Any direction or opinion or answer will be welcomed and respected.... sorry for the long story JFizzle

Hello Hadit.com Members, I am new to the site, but I have reviewed a lot of information throughout the different forums and I must say the collaborated efforts to assist an in need fellow veteran is refreshing. Hopefully I am not too much of a burden with my situation and hopefully I can benefit from your guidance because right now I am at a loss on how to approach my claims. I am currently service-connected for TMJ - 20%