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My husband was a CW2. I know that he was no fly for about 6 weeks prior to his release due to nervousness. That is all I can find in his C-file. So I didn't know if he asked or if they released him. It may be one of those questions I will never know. Thanks

I am going through my late husbands c-file and I am trying to make sure I understand everything. My question is on his DD214 the transfer of discharge data : Reason and Authority says: Title 10 USC 681 (a) DA Mag 011631z Dec 70 SPN 644 Early Rel fr AD for Warrant Officer aviators. I looked up 644 and I am really confused on what it means: 644 Voluntary & Involuntary REFRAD - convenience of government or as specified by Secretary of the Army Can anyone explain what this means? Thank you

I have a question before I start yet another claim avenue for my late husband. I tried to prove my husband had PTSD for more that ten years and was denied since he had not had previous treatment through the VA. He had only one time that he had a prescription for anxiety medication four years prior to his death, he basically drank to cover his problem. Well I just received his Cfile and there were a couple of pages of medical notes from when he was in Vietnam and 2 different appointments they show putting him on Librium for his nervousness. They happen to be right after a heroic act that he was awarded medals for and one month before the end of his tour. In anyone's opinion does that show the start of his PTSD. Thank you for your time.

Only once while in patient (had three different stays in a one year period in a different state) did they schedule him for a EKG and after asking for a copy many times I received a hand written message that there were no EKG's at their facility, it's documented that my husband complained of nausea and dizziness three different time in a one month stay. His medications were changed 2-3 times while inpatient and then again two days before his death at the local VA clinic. Tests while on adaptive servo ventilation shows desats, tachycardia, no documentation on that or any follow up on anything. I am attaching 2 one minute pages so you see what makes me feel that something wasn't right. I have spoke to different organizations and lawyers and they have all brushed me off because there is such a lack of information and tests. Now that I have additional information and with all the "lack of" does it seem that I should follow through and get an IMO?

Thank you all for responding. There was no autopsy, I was in such shock from trying to revive my husband (I walked in to find him unresponsive in his recliner) that when the coroner said there was no autopsy needed, I remember just agreeing. His death certificate showed primary "cardiac arrhythmia" and secondary PTSD and sleep apnea. My husband had two additional sleep studies with in six months and given a VPAP. In all the records I have and read through numerous times, there was no additional follow up on anything other than his PTSD and medications. I (with the help of my congresswoman)even specifically asked for the doctor's notes for the day of his last xray (march 09) and they said they didn't have any. He received his Vpap in April 09 and he was inpatient care for his PTSD from the beginning of june 09 till July 31 09. My husband passed 12 days later. The line that says "Attn needed" was not on any other copy of the same report, only found that on Xray I received in the last 6 weeks. As for the sleep clinic, I ended up contacting the State Attorney General because of #'s being different and why they only reported on issue's when he was asleep and not while awake. They informed me 2 months ago that they did not find anything to show the clinic made any error's. I even sent an email to the lawyers at the Attorney General to state that I understood they couldn't release information to me, but I took their words that the VA was responsible for interpreting the sleep studies. I apologize for going on and on.... I am attaching a copy of the same report that does not show the statement. Thank you all

I know it is over 6 years since my husbands death of cardiac arrhythmia (no autopsy, long story) no diagnosis of it prior. (in fact VA letter states no previous cardiac arrhythmia diagnosed) My husband's care was 100% VA. In the last year I have received additional records that make me question if some of his care was "lacking". Last year I finally received his sleep test from the provider (VA ordered and paid for) that shows "ECG appears irregular with unifocal PVC's" and then this year I finally received his chest Xrays and 2 different States sent me the same records for both states. Except the state that didn't do the Xray showed a line that has never appeared in any records sent me. I don't know what the sentence means and before I try to save money for IMO, I want to know if this sounds like I have an 1151 claim? Thank you for any time or comments on this.

I know I am asking alot. I have had two different opinions on what this shows. One person said they see scarring, maybe from old MI. Another said they don't see it. Can any one give an opinion so I don't waste time and money on an independent Doctor. Thank you

I am attaching a different page so that you see that there are parts that look normal. That is why I don't know what it is showing, but I know it doesn't seem normal. I appreciate the links I will look at them.

I hope I didn't post this twice. He was not on sotolol ever. I am going to go back through his files again. You have given me new breath. I don't have much luck attaching files, but I am going to try and attach a page from more than 16 hours of feed of a ECG. This is only one of many portions that don't look right to me. I don't know anything about ECG's, maybe this is alright. As far as VSO's, not New York and all they had was my name and I was a widow. No calls. Thanks again for taking time.1128ecg2.tiff

You are an angel. First let me jump on your band wagon about autopsy's and add I have told family members active in the military to ask for their medical records often and read through them. The situation at the time of my husband's death, besides the horror, was once the attending EMT found out about PTSD we counted all his medications to verify nothing was missing before the coroner arrived. I absolutely reacted to the situation and not common sense. I was awarded accrued benefits to his first visit in 2008, educational and no to CHAMPVA. I do use the exemptions. There was only one C&P (that I have) and I looked at it and there was only the part for PTSD and hearing. There is nothing in his file saying anything was wrong. Nothing about check for IHD, only hyperlipidemia,PTSD,sleep apnea,ed. I believe I have attached the sleep clinic page, there were outsourced by the VA. (I have done this twice and lost it) Let me say I have tried numerous times to have the local and state VSO help me and no one ever called me back or contacted me. So to say the least my last attempt was trying to grasp at straws. The evidence was sending them pages of his medical records showing his complaints of dizziness and nausea at different times, one entry showing that he requested a stress test and they said there were no indications for him to have one. I also sent an EKG from 3 years prior by someone else. They would not accept because there was no heart diagnosis, or signature by Doctor, only consider left atria enlargement and his name didn't show on second page. Of course it was closed unless I came up with new material. Once the VA told my Congress person there was no other information, I felt I should try contacting the sleep clinic on my own. So here I am... Please understand, I made a promise to myself and his memory, that I would try absolutely every avenue till there were no more. Every service member deserves that. I

Thank you for resonding. I will do my best to answer without running on. Death Certificate:Part 1 Only shows cardiac arrhythmia. Part 2 significant conditions, but not resulting in the underlying cause: PTSD and Sleep Apnea. I was able to get my husband 100% disabled due to PTSD after he died. His one and only C&P showed PTSD and hearing loss. My husband was a helicopter pilot in Vietnam. After many years of issues, we found out about PTSD in late 2007. He started all his medical needs through the VA in january 2008. The ECG's were part of 3 seperate sleep studies, for his severe sleep apnea. So all I have are the monitored vitals EEG,EMG,EOG etc... The words were typed on a copy of his sleep study from an outside clinic the VA had do the studies. Those are dated August of this year when the sleep clinic finally sent me the file. The tests were done 9/2008, 11/2008, & 3/2009. My husband passed away in August 2009. My husband was treated at clinics in one state and his 3 months of inpatient treatment for PTSD in another state. My husband's records show he was on Simvastatin, then off in one state and then back on from the other state. He was on 80mg prozac, 20mg Simvastatin(?), 1mg clonazepam(3x). They did 2 chest xrays that say heart within normal limits While inpatient my husband after complaints of not feeling well, his file says set up for EKG. No other information or appointments are in the file after that. They even hand wrote on one of my requests for copies, "There are no EKG's at this site". No diabetes, and occasional higher BP readings. So basically no problems by their records. My first letter to the VA was regarding sentences I saw in the records. It was from the doctor ordering his last sleep study it said " do not disturb patient due to his severe post traumatic sleep apnea" and PMH: severe PTSD and as in Vietnam. So based my first letter on that, denied. Based my second letter on more than 10 years of trouble, denied. Did that one trying to keep the file open. The last one was based on finding out about Ischemic Heart disease and related it back to all his symptoms. denied. It has been more than a year from that one. So asking and getting the monitored vitals from the sleep clinic was trying a new avenue to get additional information. I thought originally that if I got the vitals (if they kept that kind of information) maybe they would show a sign of Ischemic heart disease, did not expect to see anything about an irregular heart rate. The sleep reports I received from the VA showed alot of numbers that meant nothing to me and at the bottom of each report from the sleep clinic a sentence, "Clinical correlation and followup regarding these findings is necessary". Other than getting a Vpap there is not much in his medical records about sleep apnea. Please forgive me if this makes no sense. I get really flustered when trying to explain any of this. Thanks again!

I could go on and on of all the ins and outs of my fight (DIC) with the VA about my husband sudden death from cardiac arrhythmia. (I do understand all about service connection) The VA has sent me many denials, one specifically says he was never treated for cardiac arrhythmia and there is no evidence of it. I tried many time to get his complete records from the VA (he was 100% treated through the VA) and they said they sent me everything. I had given up until the 5 year anniversary of his death sparked me to try again. I decided to try directly through the sleep clinic to see if they had any information other than what the VA had sent me. To my surprise I received a CD with an ECG on it. They have typed, “Irregular heart rate and PVC’s” on the accompanying documents, some places it looks like scribbling instead of an ECG. My question, if I get these verified that there is cardiac arrhythmia, is that grounds for an 1151 claim for not diagnosing and treating? His death certificate says: Primary: cardiac arrhythmia, Secondary: PTSD and sleep apnea. He also had hyperlipidemia. I did not have an autopsy; I was in such shock from trying to revive my husband that when they said there was no need for an autopsy, I didn’t question it. I appreciate any thoughts.