sawgunner

October 26, 2009

Larry....

That's what I"m asking....

I have never been tested for nerve damage and honestly dont know how to even ask for it.

All I can tell you is that I have noticed the nerve in the left side of my neck for sometime but have no idea as to how to explain it.

Are nerve conditions common with DDD and hip injuries?

October 21, 2009

I blew out my hip back in 1998 and again in 2003. I first filed in 2005 but was denied.. I re-opened my claim in Jan 2008 and after getting my Congressman involved I got a rating of 10% for the DDD in my lumbar spine and 10% for the IT band/ Hip Snap Syndrome in my left hip.

I have started developing probs in my neck over the last couple of years or so and have a history of treatment... I was at my orthopedic yesterday and he is going to write a letter to the VA stating that the probs in my neck C-5 and C-6, I believe.... were "at least as likely as not" caused by the DDD in L5-S1 lumbar spine. I am also going to have aletter from my chriopractor stating the same... These are the same doc's I used to get my claim on the DDD and hip.

I have limmited range of motion in my neck as well as chronic pain. I ahve been treated with steriod shots and PT for the condition...

Couple of questions....

What are the chances of getting a rating on my neck the first go around and what % might I be looking at? Again... the problems in my neck are related to a condition that I allready have a rating for, thee dd in my back.

Also.... How do I go about filing for any nerve damage that might have been caused by any of my conditions?

If any of you guys have any information to share, I sure would appreciate it.

Thanks in advance.

saw-gunner

June 11, 2009

No.

No Doctor.... Just a note from in the PT records.

June 11, 2009

All three letter will state that the chronic problems I have today are "at least as likely as not related to my military service".

I messed up my hip in 1998 in AIT and again in 2003 at Ft. Eustis. The doctor said bursitus and took no xrays. The PT at Eustis made note of me having back problems. "scoliosis".

The letter that I have in hand now with 2 more to follow states that he belives my injury is at least as likely as not to have caused DDD and hip snap syndrome as opposed to bursitus.

With that said....

How much weight will these letters carry? The ortopedic NP is awsome!! But he is not an MD. DO I need to plan a trip to Maryland to see DR. Bash or am I ok with the letters I have?

The expense is beginning to add up. Today I finished up 4 weeks of physical therapy and the head PT stated that she want's to see me for AT LEAST 2 more weeks. I see the ortopedic again on the 19th and will likely receive another 2 weeks to include treatment for my neck which is messed up because of the DDD per the first chriopractor I saw.

I work full time and have health insurance but EACH time I see a MD,NP,PT or chriopractor I have to pay a $35 co-pay. Thats $35 per PT secession!!!! I have been going 3 times per week for one month now and I am looking at 2 more weeks and mabey a month. Thats $105 per week in co-pays just for the physical therapy!!!!

I have be receving civi treatment now off and on sence 2004.

I will have paied between $600 and $800 in co-pays for the PT alone this spring and more to the other docs.. Over $1K in total.

I have a heel lift, take meds, and muscle relaxers at night to help me sleep. "I have had a hard time sleeping for some time in part due to the pain".

I have been thinking alot lately about going to someone for depression that I"m sure I have but I just don't have enough money to pay for all the medical co-pays.

Now I'm just venting............ :D

So what do you think guys...?

I have been denied for not having enough proof. I managed to locate my military PT records from Eustis and my prescriptions list from AIT that shows anti-inflammatories,a nd now I have the civilian medical records.. I just don't know what more they want/need.

Do I have enough?

Can I do more?

What say ye?

June 10, 2009

I have 3 letter written in reference to my claim for left hip/lower back DDD and hip snap syndrome.

1 From a chriopractor, 1 from an orthopedic nurse pratitioner, and 1 from a physical therapist.

I posted earlier that my claim had been denied for lack of proof..... So the next time I go to the VA I will have my military physical therapy records as well as a list of the first meds I was ever prescribed for my hip, plus my 3 new letters.

I am also getting my mother and a friend to write letters stating the change they have noticed over the years. My sister has promised to write a letter as well.

How much help will all of this stuff be?

June 3, 2009

B)

May 28, 2009

I see one tomorrow...

He will let me know in the AM if he will write the letter.

I allready have a letter from an orthopedic NP...

I figure anything extra can't hurt as long as itis consistant with other letters.

If I can find another chrio who will be willing to submit a letter.. I"ll use him to.

I am also going to try to get a letter from my PT.

May 27, 2009

snipercolt77@yahoo.com

Thanks.

May 20, 2009

Hi Carlie.

My Doc/Orthopedic NP has written an opinion that the event I suffered in basic/at that caused my hip to pop and become very difficult to walk on was caused by DDD as opposed to hip bursitus as the Army doc stated.

He also diagnosed me with ilotibial ban syndrome.

This was likely the cause of the poping I heard then and have heard over the years sence... I have had probs in my hip for years now and chrinoc pain in both my hip and back. I am in psyical therapy right now and on anti-inflammatory meds but I have been down that road before and have Army medical records to prove it.

In extreme cases surgery my be required and I tend to think it may ahve to happen on my hip, as I have have trouble now sence 1998.

Thanks guys....

I have been denied and I really need all the help I can get in fighting the VA. I was not able to provide my military medical records or an opinion letter the first time. I have that now and I feel that I"m in better shape but I still need all the advice I can get.

May 19, 2009

What I am asking is should I and how do I file for the chronic pain I have been in for years with my left hip and lower back for which I have a pending claim?

Is the assumption of pain a part of the rating process, or do I need to go to a pain management specialist?

May 19, 2009

Can I file on this condition in my hip?

I have a claim on my left hip as it is off set and has caused me alot of problems. I also have DDD in my lower back that is related to the probs in my hip. I first noticed pain in my back after a twisting injury to my hip.

May 19, 2009

If I have Chronic pain in my back, hip and neck and it is determined to be realted to my SC conditions...... DDD and problems with my left hip...

How will the pain be rated?

I understand that to file on pain I need a letter connecting it to my other conditions and so forth.... But would you get a single rating for pain, or would pain in each area of your body be rated in a seperate way?

May 17, 2009

Just last week I saw a orthopedic NP who wrote a very good letter to the VA on my behalf in reguards to the DDD in my lower back and chronic pain/problems with my left hip.

I then went to a chriopractor in an attempt to get him to further validate the first letter. I showed him the letter as well as my military records going back to 1998, but he was not nearly as favorable as the NP.

How can I locate good doctors who will actually listen to me and be helpful to me in my area?

I live in Southwest Virginia, near Bristol.

I don't mind going to multiple docs in order to collect evidence but I wish there was a way to have an idea a head of time if the doc will work with me or not. Those co-pays really start to ad up.

Thanks in advance.

May 17, 2009

I have good news!!!

I went last week to an Orthopedic office and saw a NP.

I got the NP to write a letter to the VA stating that he felt that my injuries in 1998 and the problems with my hip and back were at least as likely as not to have been due to DDD rather than hip bursitis as the Army doc had stated.

He noted limmited motion in my left hip and also made comments about pain in my back allthough no motion limmits.

He prescribed me PT, new meds, and a heel lift.

He also made mention of my Army PT reoport that noted scoliosis in my back.

It was a full 2 page letter that seemed pretty fovorable!!

I also went to a chriopractor to try to get him to echo the statment without much luck.

He is going to write a letter but I don't think it will be as good. I will look for another doctor and will also try to get a letter from the PT.

May 13, 2009

When does it go from "proposed" to reality?

May 12, 2009

My hips are offset by more than an inch.. I was originally treated for my hip in AIT back in 1998. I requested xrays but did not get them and was told I had bursitis in my hip.

I now walk with a slight limp that I am sure is a result of my hips being offset.

Chiropractor stated that the DDD is likely caused by my hips being offset. He also stated that the DDD is causing the trouple in my neck. I can only move it so far to the left.

I need to be able to link my hips, back and neck together as they are all related.

I had asked about the rating for DDD becasue I want to have an idea as to what a fair rating would be for everything.

How hard will it be to get a rating on all counts? Hip, Back and Neck?

What is a fair rating percentage? At what rating percentage would you appeal?

At this point... Based on both my mlilitary records and civi records, I tend to think I will get a rating.. But I expected to be shafted in that rating.

What do you guys think?

Thanks a million!!!!

May 12, 2009

Thanks....

It's good to hear that I may be on the right path!

I am also getting family and friends to include my mother and sister to write letters stating how they have observed the changes in me over the years sence I was first injured.

I went to a chiropractor who advised me that the pain and loss of motion in my neck is realted to my back... But he did not want to write a letter or get invloved in any way.

Should I see another chiropractor in the NP or PT won't write a lietter linking the neck condition to my DDD?

May 12, 2009

http://www.hadit.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=27475

Above is a link to my first thread....

I have been able to locate my physical therapy records from Ft. Eustis late last year which was about my hip mostly but made a note about my hips being offset and one leg being longer than the other... It also made note of scoliosis in my spine... Thats not what I have.. I have DDD.

I have just last week been able to obtain a list of meds to include pain and anti-inflammatory meds, that I recived in 1998 at Ft. Loeon Wood when the injury first occurred.

I was able to get the NP to wirte a letter statingthem my current hip and back condition are at least as likely as not to have been casused by my military service.. I am going to a civi physical therapist this month, whom I will also try to get a letter from. I am also going back to the doctor who first diagnosed me with DDD.

Thanks for all the info and advice guys.

May 7, 2009

Hello.

I"m Brian.

I work as a police officer in Virginia.

I joined the Virginia ANG back in 1997 when I was 20. While stationed at Ft. Leonard Wood "12-B", I injuried my hip while marching. We were just marching... No big story here, but as we turned right, my left hip went out on me and I had a great deal of difficulty walking and was forced to fall out of the formation and report to sick call.

I saw a doctor there on at least 2 ocassions and was prescribed medication. I was able to get through AIT but the pain never really went away. I noticed pain in my back for the first time and had trouble getting out of a car after driving for any distance. Again, age 20.

My unit got called up for the war effort in 2003 and while stationed at Fort Eustis, I re-injured my hip and back and spent most of the 5 month deployment on a light duty profile. I was in physical therapy, was prescribed medication again, and was considered for a medical discharge but our orders were cut and I ets'd before I heard any word from the med board, I actually didn't even know about it until I searched for my records and found about it this past year.

I did an lod on both my back and hip but it was not in my medical records jacket that I recived from the VA, infact, nothing about my hip and back was in that jacket. NOTHING.

I have moved a couple of times and was no able to locate my copies.

The VA denied my claim for failure to show the injury was service connected.

Now I have finnialy located a copy om my physical therapy records and have sent them to my Congressman's office.

I have been diagnosed with Degenerative Disc Disease in my back and one hip sets one inch higher than the other. I also now have trouble with my neck.

I have had chronic pain in my back for years now. It hurts every single day of my life. I have trouble sleeping at night and I am not able to do the things I used to do. I took a job as a campus police officer to get off the road and I like my job, but I wish I were able to do other things, in case I ever wanted to.

I"ll be the first to admit that I do not know how to deal with the VA. Sometimes I feel as lost as I did when I first filed my claim back in 2005. I fliled a new claim in 2007 and provided my medical records to DAV. Their reps would not return my phone calls, or even respond to certified mail.

Same with the VA.

I sent a letter of objection to their last denial and they told my Congressman they never recived it. I"ll send a new one tomorrow via certified mail.

Can anyone here offer me advice?

Alot of what I see here I don't understand. I don't get alot of the abbreviations and suck, so please take baby steps with me.

I spoke to an attorney who advised that she thought I had an excellent case.

What do you guys think?

Advice?

I still have not been able to locate my records from Ft. Leonard Wood but I remember the doctors stating that I had burstis in my hip.

Thanks.

Brian.

May 7, 2009

If my civi doctor orders me to not lift anything in excess of 25 lbs,but I have ot had surgery, what kind of ratiing can I expect on my back?

April 10, 2009