[At The End Of My Rope]

yes, I too use a fan.. very soothing blocks out noise and gives moving air.. and keeps me cool...

I wasn't treated fo back problems, only had complaints of leg pain and stomach issues and toxic checmicals with petroleum chemicals illnesses. So, I owuld have to have th eleg pain connected to my degenerative disc disease, that didn't dhow up until after I got out..

I have done more research on my own, because the doctors don't know whats wrong. I have found information on unstable spine, and the symptoms match mine almost to a T. even to the point of it not being able to show up on normal xrays and MRI's. I called my rep and now the hurdle seems to be overcoming the wrong diagnosis. we'll see how it goes but it looks to be an even lengthier process and I could still end up being screwed under their disability rating. correct me if I'm wrong but shouldn't being say 50% disabled mean your body operates at 50% capacity?

[At The End Of My Rope]

While I have many other fish to fry and am fighting for intestinal disease a and neuro problems, I to have a bad back. I had degenerative disc disease.. when I was on active duty I had horrible kee pain. I asked the doctors for help.. but they said they could not find anythign wrong.. and a few year later it turned out my muscles were weak and I also had degenreative disc disease... not sure how to get them to link it, but it is very common for back problems to give leg pain... I suppose you need a doctor to link the pain to the back, leg etc..

also, I had a disc removed that broke and pushed into my spinal cord.. in a surgery 20 years ago..

But, since I have many other problems, this will go on the back burner (so to speak..) also , every couple of months I have to get injectionsin my spine for the pain and muscles..

I've had so many needles in my back injecting drugs to help my back, nothing worked. I feel so helpless right now. I see no way I can even support myself after I graduate college in december. I've looked at every option and I come up with nothing. I guess i can plan on December as the deadline for something to happen. after that my future looks extremely grim.

[New Here, Want To Say Hi]

"I got 20% total, 10 for my back and 10 for the tenitis."

When did you get this VA decision?

Did you appeal it yet?

The VA stated why they gave you this rating. Do you have medical evidence to show you should be getting a higher rating?

Did they list in the Evidence section all treatment records you sent to them?

Did they have documentation of this?

"after a year of this I was referred to a specialist orthopedist who put me on limdu for DJD and I received treatment for a year, and had a surgery consult in until they saw my" etc

Did the VA mention at all that the diagnosis was DJD?

Can you scan and attach here (cover the personal info) their exact Reasons and Bases for the low ratings?

update -

the VA disagreed with the DJD, they called it a lumbar sprain, then said since nothing showed up on the Xray or MRI that there was no evidence of anything at all. so all my pain, limited motion and inability do do things is unfounded and they suspect malingering.

unless something happens I'm screwed. I can't work, I'm living off of school grants/funds and vocational rehab through the VA. but I graduate in December of this year. job market sucks for my major. I hate to think where I will be come January. I'm starting to think more and more that there is no help.

[At The End Of My Rope]

it was given to me by the Navy Doc, and the VA gave me another one, along with one of those units that shocks the back muscles. kinda acts as a massager if you turn it up all the way, but it doesn't do anything else for me. been having to wear one daily since 2006

the other 10% is for tenitis, I can only assume I got from working in the engine room of a steam ship, even though I had hearing protection there was a decline in my threshold and a constant ringing. I keep a fan on at night so the hum of it offsets the ringing.

[At The End Of My Rope]

my chiropractor kinda screwed the pooch for me, first he said that I occasionally went in for mild relief, why he said that I have no idea. I only went occasionally because thats all I could afford. and never have I used the word mild to describe my pain. ever. I read the summary of what he sent and I'm wondering if he had me mistaken for another patient perhaps? because none of it made sense

the nearest VA hospital is 80 miles away, I have gone down there but my doctor ignored my military record of treatment and started me at square 1 with exercises and a mild muscle relaxer, and physical therapy. been there done that wasted 8 months in the Navy trying that stuff and it didn't work. bottom line is no one really knows whats wrong, probably because no doctor has really tried, in my opinion. they talk to me for a few minutes and then say its chronic back pain of one type or another. and none of them can explain the popping thats happening, its like it dislocates and goes back on its own. thats the only way to describe it. the pain starts in my hips and then grows up my spine making movement difficult and causes a lot of pain to just move. everyone I talk to says "the VA doesn't compensate for pain" ok, that may be true but what the heck is causing it? there has to be a way to figure out what it is right? this is so frustrating. I can't do half the things I used to before I got hurt, and because the VA disagreed with my Navy doc then they say it must be nothing. wtf?

[At The End Of My Rope]

to start off I'm a 31 y/o Navy vet, I injured my back while in the Navy. I fell while responding to a fire out to sea with all my gear on, pain started getting worse everyday until I went in to medical. the sawbones told me it was a pulled muscle and gave me motrin. this went on for a year until the radiating pain, numbness and loss of mobility made me demand to see a specialist. I got in to see one, he said I should have come in a year ago when I was hurt by now it was too late to fix it and it would bother me the rest of my life. after a year and a half of countless injections, manipulations, physical therapy nothing worked and I was discharged at 20% for degenerative disk disease, and a few other back problems that were part of it. on one of my last doctor visits my orthopedist said I likely need surgery, was going to put me in for a consult but said there wasn't enough time and after I was discharged the VA would take care of it (I was out of limdu time to be able to recuperate.) I get lost in the system for 2.5 years, I called numerous places trying to get in to a VA doctor and I must not have been talking to the right people. I had filed all my VA paper work before separating, but didn't get any findings back until 1.5 years later. they diagnosed me with a "lumbar strain" gave me 10% and then said they would keep my compensation payment until 2014 to "recoup" the separation pay. I filed an appeal, but later found out I needed to file for a reevaluation, so I do that. yesterday the results come back. they said since the MRI and xrays looked ok, that there must not be anything wrong with me, they found no evidence of DJD and maintained it was a lumbar sprain. and because I was in noticeable pain and my abilities shown during the exam didn't reflect my xrays that they suspected me of malingering or faking it. they even went as far as saying I made no mention of radiating pain or episodes of extreme pain. so because they disagreed with my orthopedist in the Navy then

I have chronic pain that never goes away. a few times a day my back will pop out of place and back in within seconds to several minutes, causing excruciating debilitating pain. I have to wear a back brace to limit this popping out that happens. walking isn't too hard most of the time, sometimes it can hurt just to put pressure on my legs and stand. the pain is so severe it has caused me to get light headed and is nauseating at times and will stiffen way up, sometimes taking days to go down, chiropractor visits help from time to time to reduce the intensity of the constant pain, but do nothing for the extreme pain episodes. I can't lift anything without risking my back to go out, sometimes the popping is audible when it goes. If I try to do chores around the yard/house the pain grows in intensity and if I don't stop and take all pressure off the spine I'm in for a world of hurt. I don't know what to do. I finish college in December, I'm afraid of how much pain or further damage I will do once I start working full time, since I can barely go to class and take care of myself and my 2y/o son. I can see the writing on the wall unless something happens

[New Here, Want To Say Hi]

Colorado,

Yes, you did introduce yourself in it -

BUT -

there is plenty of information in this first post of yours that members will comment and ask questions on.

If you want me to bury this back in "Introduce Yourself" I' will, if that's what you want.

carlie

yes please, I was just trying to give a back story, I'll be more careful in the future

[New Here, Want To Say Hi]

Welcome to Hadit.

I am moving your post to the Claims/ Benefits research Forum.

but its an introduction, there is no valuable info for claims benefits.it will just get lost there won't it?

do I need to do a different intro?

[New Here, Want To Say Hi]

why is there no chronological order to the posts? I can set it to be the main post first but then right below it is the most recent reply, if I change it it just shows the most recent reply, is there no way to just have it show oldest to most recent?

it would sure make it easier to follow if you can start with what was originally posted and then each reply after, kinda like catching up on a conversation. maybe I just have a setting different

[New Here, Want To Say Hi]

hello everyone, my Name is Ryan, I am a disabled vet from the Navy, I was an MM3.

when I was aboard ship I fell down a ladder well and hit hard on the deck below, shortly after I developed worsening pain in my lower back that spread to my hips and legs, causing numbness, tingling and often severe pain. after a year of this I was referred to a specialist orthopedist who put me on limdu for DJD and I received treatment for a year, and had a surgery consult in until they saw my enlistment was ending soon so they cancelled it, handed me my medical record and wished me luck, and said the VA would take care of me. here it is over 2 years later, the VA has little record of me, I have received NO treatment for my back because of this, and my "findings" were that I had a lumbar sprain. I got 20% total, 10 for my back and 10 for the tenitis. I haven't been able to work because you say back problems at an interview and never hear from them again. unemployment rate is too high. I cleaned out my TSP, used my separation pay and even sold my house to make ends meet. everything including 100% of my medical treatment has been paid out of pocket. my american legion rep told me yesterday that I pretty much have to accept what the VA gives me and the good news was eventually I will be able to see a doctor there. I'm in college, the vocrehab made that happen for me, otherwise I don't know what I would do. I'm also a single dad and lost my best Navy buddy a week ago to suicide in virginia.

I came across this site and see that I'm not alone, there are a lot of Vets experiencing similar situations as mine. I've been a member for only a few hours but its a comfort to be able to communicate with others like me.

I hope I can contribute as much as I can to help others. I wish I would have found this site sooner.