pumibel

Good job Andy! I was not sure if I had TMJ disorder or not so i chose the broader "jaw condition" option. I just got some of my medical records from my local VA- not my STR, I found out that I have been diagnosed with conditions that the doctors did not bother telling me about, maybe because they are hard to pronounce, I dunno. Only one of those would date back to my service, though. I am not sure I can prove it, and I'll have to wait for my actual STR to see.

Hey, I don't mind! It makes me look popular lol. No, I am not that pathetic! You do need your own thread since you obviously have a lot going on, though, Talon. My thread title will not draw enough attention to your questions. Stop back in any time though!

Oh jeez that is one horrible nightmare, but you forgot to mention the clowns! I spent a few days in the hospital after I had my daughter (c-section, I'll spare you that story). It was the first time I had ever had invasive surgery and had to stay overnight in a hospital. Awful! I was *that patient *- I disconnected my IV so I could use the bathroom. They had tangled the lines up so badly that I was unable to bring the little roll-y thing with me, and no one would come help me when I pushed the magic button. So the poor nurses had to clean up a trail of blood. But I did NOT wet the bed, by golly. You are welcome nurses!

Talon- if you went to ER, and they kept you, it would get your treatment started. I know that is scary. Lord knows I am terrified of a hospital stay, but they may only keep you a couple of days to see if meds calm you down and if you are a danger to yourself and others, blah blah, blah. It would highlight just how much you need help and get the ball rolling. From what I have read here, you would only benefit from the experience. This is coming from someone who gets nauseous at the thought of staying overnight in a hospital.

Crap, that was a lot of work, but you finally got it- yay for you! I hope I don't have to go to board hearings...

Yeah, Andy. From what I remember about the VONAP claim, I could only choose left or right jaw condition. There was no specific entry for that one.

Talon- I had mine removed by my family dentist while I was still a freshman in college, so those military dental students were very disappointed that they would not get to practice on me! I think they made up for it by removing all of my fillings and replacing them. Andy- I don't think I grind either. I know I clench throughout the day because I have to remind myself to stop and then stretch my jaw. It crackles and pops, and sometimes comes close to either locking or dislocating >"<. Scary stuff. I have tried OTC night guards, but I always spit them out in my sleep. Since I don't wake up with jaw pain, I really don't believe I grind in my sleep.

Talon- I am not sure if the ridges are rateable by themselves. I did not claim them, but I claimed the jaw issues that are caused by clenching. The ridges are evidence that person has clenched his or her jaw for a long time, so their existence is proof of that claim. If clenching is responsible for TMJ disorder or broken teeth, headaches etc, then there could be a connection to military duty. In my case, I have records of these problems from AD, so the fact that I still clench and have the scar tissue supports my claim for jaw problems and headaches. Even if I don't get any money for the issue, it would be nice to get VA dental care. The problems it has caused are pretty bad. ETA- Clenching is a symptom of anxiety and stress, so those ridges may also connect to other related medical issues.

Thanks Andy! I knew it had to be something like that. I should have records of the TMJ as well as a number of PC visits where the doc blames my problems on stress. I feel like my PTSD statement covers where a large amount of my stress came from, but I doubt that there are any notes in my STR that mention the 9/11 events specifically. I do not think it takes much imagination to link these two, but from the many posts I have read here, it may not be enough. I just have to wait and see. Even if PTSD is not supported, most of the other issues I claimed are documented in my STR. I had numerous visits for back and neck pain as well as migraines and any number of issues that would cause clenching. Hell, military duty is stressful by nature!

I had never even thought about whether my doctors were residents or staff docs! I found out one time when the ophthalmologist treating me brought in all of his residents to have a look at my eyes. I was in there because I thought I had another bout of uveitis (inflammation around the iris), but I had exposure keratitis (cornea inflammation) from sleeping with my eyes partially open. A case like that had not come along yet, so they all got to examine my eyes and see what exposure keratitis looked like. I'm so glad it wasn't a "lady" appointment! I don't mind having residents treat me, but I prefer that the staff doctor be involved, especially if I have something serious or really weird. I have had three or four encounters where something was odd, and the young doctor had to go get his supervisor, and that is how I found out that he was an intern or a resident (are they the same?). At least they get someone to verify!

Have I seen your work on any road rage YouTube videos, Talon? rotfl! Man, the bird was pretty mild up in DC. One of my troops got in trouble for flipping off a Lt Col. Then I got in trouble for telling said LC that he should get used to it if he was going to run people off the road habitually. A grown man, jeez! Was she supposed to salute him? Crying over a bird finger. I'm getting the rage and I'm not even in a car, lol.

Well, ADodge, as a mom, I can say that what happened to you is right up there along with death of a child when it comes to a parent's worst nightmare. I feel for you, and I wish you the best. I don't know how old your children are now, but I think it would be beneficial for all of you to have counselling. At least have a talk with them to explain how that experience affected your relationship with them. It may seem like it is too late or too little, but you would be validating their feelings and it is never too late to love your kids with all of your heart. It is important that the children know that the reason why you held back. It is important for you to feel free to heal and to help them heal.

Does the VA offer driving services for the chronically nervous drivers? I could use that myself. My mommy has to drive me to my appointments out of town, and I am 42! Plus, I am not safe to drive at night, so if she needs anything, she drives, and I go into the store to get it. She calls this "the crippled leading the blind."

Mike, If you file an FDC online, the form will go through without any names of the dead soldiers. They want you to provide as much detail as you can, but not all fields are required. There are many situations where a person can suffer trauma without knowing any details about the fallen or even seeing death.You could explain in your statement that you know the nicknames, and put those in the narrative. I would recommend adding what you wrote about your father's death along with the other details you remember. That is a powerful memory, and it tells the reader a lot more than you probably realize. I am sorry for your pain and your loss, and I hope you are able to get the help you need.

Jbasser, I would love to that video! I have had 2 cats that would fetch. One was a male cat, Sultan, who would only go after the little clear plastic caps that cover spray pump tops on hair sprays and stuff like that. My cat Tina was partial to pompoms. Neither would fetch any other type of object but the one they preferred.

Hi Vync- I wish you luck with the behavior training for your cats, lol. Someone once told me that, unlike dogs, cats actually domesticated themselves. I have not verified this assertion, but I believe it! They do make good emotional support animals, though. When my cats give me the adoring looks, the head butts, and the purrs, I feel loved, even if sometimes they are really trying to get me to share my food!

I'd only be a snack for the average grizzly. The ridges you describe, Andy, are exactly what I mean by "seams". They look like seams to me, lol. I spend far too much time clenching my jaw, but the worst is when driving or going out in public- crowds.

I want to clarify some of the information that I have shared on this thread because I may have posted some misleading info. According to http://servicedogcentral.org/, if you have an emotional support animal (ESA), then the only accommodations your letter provides are to allow your pet in pet-restricted housing and in the passenger area of an airplane. That is it, period. Service animals are another story altogether. They are specially trained and certified animals that have a lot of paperwork. I call my Dee a "service dog" but technically she is not. However, I do not try to take her inside shops and restaurants, either. Another thing, there are a lot of websites that claim to be official service dog and ESA registries, and they are mostly scams. You pay for a certificate and vest and a listing in their database, etc. If you have an animal that was officially trained by a reputable organization then you do not need anything from one of these sites. If your ESA is prescribed with a genuine doctor's letter (psych type, not the PCP), then you don't need anything from this site, either. If you want to scam business owners into letting your animal in and are willing to pay a $200 or more to get some official looking letter and badges, then these sites are for you. I am not encouraging that kind of thing, of course. To be clear, there is nothing wrong with buying patches, vests, ID tags and other items for a legitimate ESA or service dog- that is a good idea, actually. But it is not okay to pay for a prescribing letter from some remote Internet doctor or certificates of training from a faceless online "expert". This is illegal. Furthermore, anyone who uses their ESA letter and "props" to bring their pet into a restaurant or store is wrong, and they are abusing the system. Here is a passage quoted from the site I mentioned So my ESA paperwork only gives me leverage when I request accommodation from my landlord or the owner of a business where I may want to take my pet. I have to ask if I want to bring her into a public area where dogs are not normally allowed. They can say no without violating the ADA. Airlines will want a prescribing letter as well. Legal service animals are more protected under the ADA because they serve to perform tasks that the disabled owner cannot do or could not do if they had a medical emergency, like call 911 if the person has a seizure or a diabetic crisis. Trained PTSD dogs are psychiatric service dogs, not ESAs.

I see your point, Talon, and not just for my own situation, but in my mom's as well. It is hard to distinguish what came first- the depression or the pain. I know her pain from degenerative arthritis causes some of the depression, but she has never been a happy woman, and she is still harboring a lot of emotional pain and damage from her childhood. I know she is in pain, but I really believe that depression makes it worse. Moving around is essential for people with arthritis, yet the depression keeps her from doing things. I am not up for a wilderness adventure! I hate bugs, and I have night blindness, lol. I would totally feed the bears, too. Bad camper!

You probably do Andy! I clench as well. I have a habit of calling it grinding, but that is another thing. I clench. There are these permanent seams inside my cheeks from it, and one of my molars broke from the pressure.

That is what I did, actually. My logic is that I was doing well, handling my responsibilities and the stress, then we had Sept 11, anthrax letters, and the DC snipers all in a one year period, give or take. During that time I was a rock. I had to be calm and reliable for others, and I had to take on duties that had nothing to do with my official job. I think my first cracks appeared in 2002 or 2003, when I was having so much random pain. I was already terrified to drive anywhere that was unfamiliar, and I had also started grinding my teeth and jumping at every noise. My body was always so tight from tension that I would get muscle spasms. One of the dentists at Bolling had done casts of my teeth to make me a night guard because I was wearing down the molars, but it was close to my separation. When he called me back to let me know that he would have to redo the impressions, I was officially a civilian, still working on base. I couldn't get an appointment again because the dental office was for active duty and dependents. My tension never went away, so my muscles and tendons were always tight, and I started to have chronic fatigue and serious depression. I was dxed with the fibromyalgia in 2006, and I had to leave my GS-11 position in 2008 to go back home to mama. I had become a total mess by then. I was on some MH meds, but they were not the right kind, apparently, and the chemical imbalance along with Effexor withdrawal made me an invalid for two years. Once I was in the VA system in 2010 I was diagnosed with anxiety, depression, social phobia, and recently my pdoc put forward a tentative PTSD, but not really a solid DX. Even if I don't have clinical PTSD, I feel like the long periods of extreme anxiety and tension have led to my musculoskeletal pain and neurological issues. Anxiety--> physical tension-->grinding teeth = back, neck, jaw pains and fibromyalgia. Oxidative stress can lead to autoimmune issues. All the teeth grinding and muscle tension can lead to migraines. So that kinda means I blame it on MH too lol! Some of my issues are also due to repetitive injury though, of course. I had migraines before 2001, but not before I entered the military. All of this should be in my STR, and I pray that it is!

I know, Andyman! I figured I would remain a patient even if I didn't go in there that much. Considering the wait time, it seems like they want to keep you from coming in anyway. I have been making a list for my new PCP. I told the last one that I was concerned about being taken seriously, and she seemed so sympathetic and concerned. She was the one who ordered my braces for me too. I think that once they see I have normal blood work they just write me off. Problem is, they may have ordered the wrong blood work, or maybe the blood is not going to show what is wrong. Also, I suspect my MH history might make them question my credibility. I am not delusional or anything, but once you get a dx of depression and anxiety, they want to blame everything on that. Same with fibro.

Hi Erin- your husband may not be able to remember if he checked on the claim or what they told him if he did. It sounds like he is not in a good place to take care of this himself, and if he is on meds, it may create more issues with memory and motivation. I doubt he was lying, really. You are working so hard on it, and I commend you for that. Once he is able to get proper treatment for a while, he might regain some of his previous executive function and motivation. Also, he may not have had a single stressor for the PTSD. Maybe he was in a prolonged stressful situation during which he stayed in the "warrior mode" without really processing the horror of his situation. The act of "winding down" after the experience usually brings out the symptoms of PTSD. Several months or years in a combat situation may seem normal to a soldier, so he or she doesn't see this period as a trigger. He may have forgotten events, or maybe he thinks that others should be able to figure out why he was traumatized. It is really hard to talk about stuff like that, and when you do, you start remembering things that you had compartmentalized before in order to cope. My uncle is a Vietnam vet, and he still doesn't tell his "war stories". When person is depressed, every little task becomes an ordeal for him, and one day blends into the next. Every time you asked about his claim, he may have thought that he just answered you the "other day", so he gives you the same vague answer. His mind is not in it, really, but your hard work and devotion will pay off, and it is good that you now have the advocate. Best wishes!

Awww shucks Buck, I'm blushing! In all honesty, my mom isn't sweet at all, but you are for saying that! lol. I called VA yesterday to make an appointment. I just wanted to make sure I could still see my eye doc in December, but I was told by the lady in the eye clinic that since it had been two years, I would need a referral from my PCP. Okay, my blue button notes from my last eye appt (not quite 2 years ago BTW) states that I should return in 2 years. Fine, hatever- I am overdue to see my PCP, anyway. Next I called the VA to make my PCP appt. The nice man told me that since I had not seen my PCP at the FVAMC in more than two years, I had been removed from that clinic. Whut? The reason why I had not seen my PCP in two years: I had given up making appointments with her because in the past I had to wait at least six months to be seen. Then I had to take a list of problems for her to handle in the visit. Even though she concluded that I must have some autoimmune issues, she never did anything else with my case even though she had promised to do more research. My blood work was mostly okay, and she never got back to me as she had promised, so I went on with my life. I needed to make more appointments, but I figured that it would be another 6 or more months again, and then I would have to go through all of this again. Now I have a future (Dec) PCP appointment to a clinic that is only 9 miles away. Before, I would go to the Fayetteville VAMC, which is at least 40 miles from my house. I am happy to travel less, but I bet when I take the list to this new doctor I will be starting all over again. Maybe it won't be as bad since the drive is quicker. I know now to make an appointment at least once a year so I can get blood work and maybe not drop off the list.

I would think twice, personally, about using Enterprise after reading the OP. I was always partial to Budget anyway, but now I know to steer clear of "E" unless there is a very impressive redress for the incident. I don't mean firing the guy. I think the company should evaluate the current policy regarding service animals or create a clear-cut policy to address this issue, and then make internal memorandums to educate employees as well as a press release to inform the public. Just making a policy is usually not enough- you have to get the word out as well. Perhaps this has never been addressed by Enterprise execs before, but then again it could be in writing already. If so, it is time to give employees a refresher course!