I served 4 years active USAF from 1986-1990. Worked avionics...lugged heavy toolboxes and worked in cramped spaces and on flight line. Fast forward to 2001...C5-6 disc rupture resulting in cervical myelopathy and incomplete spinal cord injury (quad with para function). Apparently I have a very narrow spinal canal which obviously existed when I was in the AF. The degenerative processes in my neck had already begun by that point.
On 11/30/2015 I submitted claims for:
Spinal stenosis, cervical myelopathy, quadriplegia, neurogenic bladder (I have to cath), neurogenic bowel (I have an ileostomy), severe spasticity and muscle spasms, tinnitus.
They scheduled C&P's quickly but only for bladder and tinnitus. Claim moved fast. Today I was granted 60% for neurogenic bladder and 10% for tinnitus. Everything else is listed as non service connected.
While I'm extremely grateful for the 60% rating, I'm confused because the neurogenic bladder was caused by the spinal cord injury which they didn't service connect or even do a C&P on. I submitted a lot of medical records from Mayo Clinic regarding the spinal cord issues so they may have used those but I don't understand how they can rate the bladder but not the spine.
Because they only rated the bladder, I assume I won't be able to pursue IU because the bladder is not what is keeping me from effective employment...it's the spinal cord injury, spasticity and pain.
Can anybody shed any light on it?
Thanks!!!