montanagray

I dont mind about the rating for the leak, just want to make sure that if I get surgery it is done by someone that knows what they are doing.

I think right now my name is mud with the VA. 6 years ago I was involved in a government vehicle accident that broke my hip, shoulder, collapsed left lung, broke leg and some other stuff. My bad luck was that it happened right before I PCS'd so I got transferred for the after care at a military hospital. For 2 years I had to deal with a fractured hip that didnt heal right and the military kept telling me that it was in my head. So I ETS out of the Army get lined up with the VA and they tell me the same thing. Even though my hip would lock up and I couldnt move it. Then the VA sent me to a ortho VA doctor in another state and he told me that MRI's arent a refine science and my hip was fine. So I wrote a letter to Senator Byrd about my situation and within two weeks I was allowed to go to a private doctor, had the MRI where they stick the fluid in your hip and BAM they had it diagnosed and I had surgery a month later. I couldnt believe it. But because I wrote a congressional they thought I had a problem with the VARO and I didnt at all. It was with the doctors. I honestly think that the VARO here is pretty good and I know most of them down there. They try to get everything done right. But the doctors at the local level leave something to be desired. I went 5 years with a hip that didnt work until Sen. Byrd got involved and now in my C file it shows that I filed a congressional and it had nothing to do with VARO. Our C&P Physician Assistant will even follow the veteran out of the hospital to see if his walk changes or if she perceives his claim for a back injury is bogus. WOW.

To the Senior Chief that asked about my CSF temporal bone leak. I have had major headaches since the gvmva and couldnt figure out why. I do have leakage out of the ear once in awhile, but a majority of it is drainage in the throat. I had the neuro testing and I dont have the results in front of me right now. I know I had some scores in the low 40's but I did do well on the math part of the test. My wife told me that she is worried that I can go to wal mart and add up as the cashier goes and even tell her when she missed something. WEIRD. I would be willing to deal with this better if the VA just had a little bit compassion and speak plain english to their patients. My ENT doc in Pittsburg was not a student, but a student had to tell him where the damage was. When I left the Army in 2004 all I wanted was to have all my military related injuries documented so I could be taken care of. Now it seems like anymore they think a vet just wants money. I have worked as a DVOP for 3 years now and most vets that I deal with just want an honest diagnosis.

Just wanted to say thanks to all involved in helping me with my father. I have completed the PTSD statement for him to include with his packet held at the VA Regional office. They are currently looking at him for PTSD, Head Trauma, Hearing loss, vertigo, chemical exposure at Tarawa Terrace when they were leaking chemicals into the water for the families station there, mulitple lipomas that were intitially discovered after he left Tarawa Terrace, high blood pressure, in his medical records from the Marine Corps it also states that he was exposed to asbestos while Active Duty. I know during one of his three surgeries to correct his hearing while active duty they had to do a skin graft of of his forehead to transplant to his ear for correction. On his PTSD statement the one or two episodes that stick out in his mind is being involved with photographing marines that were run over by a semi and they were logged into the drive shaft of the truck. The other episode/s is when he had to participate in autoposies for military dependent children. The military hospital currrently has him on sleeping pills and to continue to use his sleep apnea machine. He is also taking anti depressant for severe/moderate long term depression. It is really hard trying to help a retired Marine and no offense to Marines, he just thinks that if they find anything else wrong with him he will be homebound and not be able to do his activities that he enjoys. For example: three weeks ago we went hunting and we both got two does. I like hunting, but the smell of death makes me gag since I have came back from Bosnia. My dad gutted the deer and held up the heart and said look at the damn thing "Wow, he said." Being a Rehabilitation Counselor I though that was odd. He has no emotions when it comes to death both human and animal. His other big issue is that if he doesnt not eat on a regular basis he develops vertigo and dizziness. I dont know if this is contributed to his medical issues of the medication that he is on. On another note, I just recieved a rating letter from the VA in refernce to my TBI. They granted me 30% due to long term impairmnet and said nothing about the temporal bone leak in my right side. I went to the VA in Pittsburgh and they told me that they were checking for fluid in the ear. I told the doc that is not what the MRI showed and finally after 5 minutes of sticking tubes in my ear he finally looked at the MRI, he said that he couldnt find anyting and called another doctor in. She told the problems were highlighted on the screen. He then proceeded to laugh at my sinuses that I had surgery on. He then told me that the leak or whatever it was in my temporal bone was too sensitive to fix and to come back in a year. Yeah right.....when it comes to my brain I am not waiting a year to find out information. Any thoughts or opinions HADIT.COM Gregg

Hello everyone, I am a disabled veteran myself and trying to give my dad some advice on his disability. When he retired from the Marine Corps he submitted for tinnitus and hearing loss. He was given 10% for tinnitus and 0% for hearing back in 1998. He is currently getting his records together for a new claim on the following information: 1. His blood pressure 2. Sleep Apnea (uses a breathing machine) 3. Hearing loss again. He got the hearing test used by the VA just to have a hard copy to compare. Here are his results: RT EAR 1000=35, 2000=20, 3000=25, 4000=55, LT EAR 1000=30, 2000=15, 3000=30, 4000=50 The results of the speech audiometry are as follows: MVL, SRT for RT EAR=15 and then some goofy number that is under HL/PB% those numbers are 75/100, LT EAR SRT 15, HL/PB% 75/88 and his masking numbers are 55 for both ears. 4. Exposure to toxic chemicals at Terrawa Terrace, Camp Lejeune. Both of his natural children were underweight and learning difficulties. 5. Multiple Lipomas, he has about 50 of them. The VA has even removed some of them for him. 6. PTSD, was a combat camerman/photographer in the USMC. He photo'd alot of dead bodies to include military dependent children. HE DOESNT KNOW WHAT TO WRITE FOR THE STRESSOR since it spanned quite a few years. 7. He is currently seeing a military physician for his diagnosed longterm depression and takes anti depressants and sleeping medication. Does this fall under PTSD or another diagnosed criterion. 8. Head trauma during military service. Is there any suggestions that you may have to help my dad in this process. Thanks, montanagray