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OIFMedic

Seaman
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About OIFMedic

Previous Fields

  • Service Connected Disability
    90%
  • Branch of Service
    Army

OIFMedic's Achievements

  1. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (Snake).pdf

    As requested.. Let me know if you can open this one. 

     

    Thanks

  2. I am unable to view the DBQ. I have a C&P for CFS scheduled soon. Could you possibly repost it?
  3. I joined in November 2005. I was given a slew of vaccines in Basic. When I got to my first unit, I received my "pre-deployment" vaccines which included smallpox. I had a terrible reaction to the smallpox, resulting in MULTIPLE peritonsillar abscesses and tonsillar surgical intervention. Whole body ached, joints, everything. Anthrax vaccine was, at this point, "voluntary." Deployed 2006-2007. Deployed again in Iraq 2008, "Anthrax" vaccine was now made by the DoD to be "MANDATORY" (y'know, 'cause of all the anthrax related deaths over the years) and I was threatened by my leadership, after I refused to take it, with the usual "general order #1, you're our property. If you don't take this, you'll just go to jail." Which in hindsight, would've been a much better alternative. A few years in jail or a lifetime of disability? Mid-tour, I develop chronic inflammation. Wrists won't work to do pushups, costochondritis in my chest so bad that I could hardly use my left arm and literally felt my ribs grinding on my sternum. Late 2008 deployment, we get a new "SNIFFABLE" flu-shot. I refused again. I get told the same "get stuck or go to jail" shpeel. I am less than 1 year from getting out, so I take it. I develop whole-body stiffness and tension. I have never before felt such pain and agony in my body. I could hardly put my boots on my feet I had such intense pain. This lasted for about 8-9 days, gradually lessening in intensity, however, I am never the same physically. Before this deployment, I never had an ache or pain in my body. I never knew what "knee pain" was or would wake up every morning with my arms numb and tingling. After I got out, I made so many excuses for my failing health. I was only 22, so of course, I thought I could "get better" by listening to my doctors and doing things that would help me. I had knee pain, wrist pain, shoulder pain, hip pain.. feet were so tender I simply cannot walk more than 2 minutes on my bare feet. Physical therapy didn't work. The more I did, the more tired I would become. I would work on my car, lets say, replacing a starter.. only to be left completely debilitated for the next 2-3 days.. couldn't use my hands properly because they were so "sore" and "weak". I constantly had to tell my young wife that I couldn't do things because I was tired, sore, and weak. The weakness is the absolute worst I think. Pain sucks, but being physically unable to hold a wrench without my hand "giving out" or being able to lift something because my muscles just won't work right is a huge huge problem for me. Mowing the lawn cripples me. I just turned 30 last month. I am close to being 100%, but the closer I get, the more "real" being disabled becomes. I am 30. I still have dreams of what I want to be "when I grow up" y'know? But really, my life is symptom management. I probably will never be able to own a boat or go on a family vacation to Hawaii and go surf with my boys on such a low fixed-income. It doesn't matter that it's tax free and all that garbage. I never wanted to be on benefits, and I still don't. I would much rather be PHYSICALLY ABLE. What good is money if you can't enjoy it? Even if I had 300 million, it wouldn't change my damaged physiology. I wanted to be a role model for my children and family, not living a cursed life.
  4. Had to resurrect this thread. I posted here in 2014/2015 regarding my symptoms and situation. I am now rated at 90%. A few weeks ago, I received confirmation that the VA has officially rated my fibromyalgia at 40% and my IBS at 30%, max ratings for both. These two additional ratings only raised me 10%. I can say that, if it were not for me pushing my VA primary care (who over and over said there's nothing she can do for me) to send me to the War Related Illness and Injury Study Center in Washington, DC (it's regional based) then I would not have made the progress that I have made, OR received the max ratings on my claims. I implore ANY VETERAN suffering from these Gulf War Illness symptoms to educate yourself on the WRIISC and go to your VA PRIMARY CARE so that they can REFER you to the WRIISC. It will take a long time, like everything with the VA, but stick with it. Stick with it, OK? After receiving these ratings, I have put in for a Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (which between the ptsd/fibro/CFS, I am either in debilitating pain, my brain won't "wake up" or I am in such a frustrated/anxious state that I simply cannot function) C&P exam. My primary care (NON-VA) physician in Florida has set me up for such success, I feel like I won the lotto with him. He is an amazing physician, family man, he has his degrees in psychology, general medicine, and medical law. While becoming BAR certified, he volunteered at his law school which had a "veterans advocacy clinic" where he used his medical knowledge to help the lawyers and veterans pursue the most accurate claims, and also advised on medical diagnostic avenues. He has seen my suffering. I have brought him records, explained how the VA has bounced me around and around with no answers and he is absolutely amazed at the dysfunction within the VA and their inability to properly diagnose and provide medically competent care and proper diagnostic avenues for veterans. He referred me to this veterans clinic, which operates PRO-BONO (no cost to me) and I have had excellent results. They have helped me tremendously with filing claims, being my representative at my Board of Veterans Appeal Hearing, and handling really any task related to claims and things of that nature
  5. I'm a 27 y/o male, OIF veteran who was recently diagnosed with fibromyalgia. I also apparently seem to be suffering from classic gulf-war illness symptoms. I've had chronic IBS, fibromyalgia, fatigue, memory and cognitive dysfunction, etc. I'm going to submit a fully developed claim once I get all of the medical records in order. I am already service connected, totaling 80%. I am having trouble maintaining employment and although I am attending school, I am having to take less and less classes to ensure that I am not failing on top of my health problems.
  6. Thank you for this. I think only recently am I coming to terms with the possibility of being "disabled" for the rest of my life. It's been kind of a devastating thought at this point in my life right now. Been suffering for 6 years (since 21) already and have a baby on the way. I have 2 boys that I may not be able to be active in their lives *as I thought.* Expectations and realities for me are kind of a bummer right now. I understand that there is no modern medicinal cure that has been studied and published. I am just now starting the process of starting diagnostic testing (getting appointments made) so that I can get some clues as to what I may have, although I think my current symptoms and past history, including the costochondritis diagnosis in 2008, I would be surprised if it were not fibromyalgia. I would like to get it documented and service connected so that at least I can have some type of history of care if it progresses even further. It would just be nice to have a better idea what I am afflicted with so that I can start self-treating NOW (possible diets or stretches that may help, what to avoid/what to consume type of stuff) so that I don't have to wait on the VA boneheads to take a year or two to tell me that I might have a condition.
  7. Hello Flyfisher, I am interested about hearing more about your pressure points and perhaps about the onset of your problems. I am 27 y/o male who deployed 2x to Iraq totaling nearly 21 months of service in theater. I have multiple possible exposures including: biological, anthrax and smallpox vaccines, burn pits, etc etc. I have a history of inflammatory problems throughout service and after service that were nonexistant in my life and I have no family history of these types of medical problems. My wife and I have been dealing with these ailments for years on our own, however I am SC for PTSD and arthritis in both ankles, sinusitis, etc. I do go to the VA mental health clinic and see a psychologist there. I am very concerned about my health as of right now. I have bad pain in my feet, ankles, knees, wrists, neck, inner elbow, hip, back 24/7. I also have point tenderness at nearly all tendons and points of attachment of my lower extremities. My wife is a massage therapist and she is amazed at how tender and how many points on my body are inflamed on a daily basis. I have been diagnosed with costochondritis, have early onset of hammer toes, etc. Honestly, the pain is now coming to a point where it severely effects me every day of my life. I have a 3 year old son who I simply cannot be active with. I am having more pain, more stiffness, less mobility, and as a result, more depressive thoughts and feelings as the days roll on. I also have many other symptoms related to PTSD and who knows what including memory loss and trouble concentrating. Over the years, I have continually told my primary care at the local VA about my pain and she would reply "well there's not much we can do about that other than offer you medications." Now I am at a point where I think all of these separate issues could be apart of something greater. I am now trying to go to the WRIISC in DC to go through their diagnostic tests, and hope I can get some type of diagnosis or SOME type of answers. I am very upset about my primary care not having the wherewithal to do some blood tests or even consider the possibility of some type of degenerative condition which I fear I may have as a result of exposures. A little history. I eat well, I am one of those "organic" people. I eat raw fruit and veggies, nuts and generally eat very healthy. I understand micronutrients and nutrition. I am a student of biology at USF with a history working in healthcare. I buy awesome shoes that support my feet properly. I try and exercise to the best of my ability, and I am not overweight. I take my vitamins and drink plenty of water daily. I do not smoke and have limited alcohol consumption. I try and make make conscious health decisions every single day and yet I have these debilitating aches and pains all day every day. Sorry for the crazy long post, but I've been out for 5 years, been dealing with this for 6, and I am just looking for some possible answers. After looking at the onset/symptoms for fibro and RA I am concerned about my undiagnosed ailments. Thank you, OIFMedic
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