fred685

I'm rated 10% for hypertension that developed during active duty. I also developed sleep apnea during the same time. I was told byothers in the barracks, that I had it. I didn't know anything about sleep labs or sleep apnea, so I was never treated. No official medical records of sleep apnea. 4 months after I was discharged, my primary care Dr. sent me to the VA sleep clinic for teeth grinding. I was diagnosed at that time with severe sleep apnea. I filed a claim and had 5 guys from the barracks write letters confirming they heard me stop breathing at night. The letter I received from them stated, "The evidence of record was reviewed and considered but there is no evidence of a medical nexus between your current diagnosis and active service. Therefore, service connection for sleep apnea is denied since this condition neither occurred in nor was caused by military service". Is this something I should appeal, or am I just out of luck because there is no medical diagnosis during active duty? Any opinions are welcome. Fred