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What Should I Expect From The Va?

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jesse(ss)

Question

About five years ago while underway I had a backwards fall and landed my head on steel door lip.

I got an awesome scar across the back of my head and about ten staples to close up the gash.

I was medivac of the boat, not because of the head injury but because I had neck pain.

The first year after my injury was absolutely horrible and my Docs attitude towards my complaints and request for treatment was at best apathetic. (not looking for sympathy just illustrating that I received no follow up care) I never even heard of the term TBI until a few months ago.

In 2005 I separated (HON) and went to see a DAV rep for help with filling a claim. The VSO advised me that it would not be good thing to have a rating while pursuing a career in law enforcement and that I could file the claim at a later date. Obviously I took his advice, and I even kind of guessed on my own it would not be a good idea to seek treatment from my personal physician lest it be documented.

Im not criticizing the VSO, he didnt pressure me not to file the claim.

Fast forward to today, with the prodding of a fellow vet and being fed up with the ailments that are still present I have decided to file a claim. (Well maybe not)

Currently I have these symptoms they are in order of "most annoying" i.e. driving me nuts. Everything has pretty much been stabilized for past 2 ½ years

Insomnia (almost every night)

Headaches (wake up with massive ones 3-5 times a month) + dull ones all the time

Tinnitus (both ears comes and goes daily sometimes it actually hurts(I don't know if anyone has ever heard of painful tinnitus?))

Memory- try selling a car to someone whose name you can't remember (I can't remember all the things I can't remember)

Concentrating + Learning things for work (It's like I forget what I'm doing)

Scar and back of my head still somewhat painful. (I think I remember my chief nicknaming me divot but, I don't trust my memory anymore I could be imagining that.)

So anyway, as I mentioned I did not receive follow up care and I'm pretty sure that my CoremaN didn't document very much (before separating I got my hands on my med rec., wasn't very thick), the only thing I am sure of is that on my separation medical I listed the accident, headaches and some of the other incidentals too.

My question is, (drum roll) without any further documentation/ treatment is my claim doomed? I would almost rather not pursue this, than to have a 10% rating and bottle of Motrin thrown at me. Not worth my time or the insult to injury and stigma of a tbi. From reading these boards I am worried that by the end of the claim process I will have to add anger issues to the form.

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julzs,

Welcome to Hadit.

Please start a new thread for your topic.

Also, the doctor really only needs to write "as likely as not",

"most likely" is better - but "as likely" is OK and can help bring in the

Benefit of the Doubt rule.

jesse (ss),

Welcome to Hadit.

Looks like you have a few different conditions of concern.

I will put links for your research.

Headaches: See Diagnostic Codes 8100 and/or 8045.

http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/cfr_2008/jul...38cfr4.124a.pdf

Tinnitus: - Must be opinioned by an Audiologist or Neurologist if due to head injury.

Must be recurrent, doesn't matter if bilateral or not, pays 10 % max.

Diagnostic Code 6260

http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/cfr_2008/jul...f/38cfr4.87.pdf

Scar on back of head:

Check Diagnostic Codes 7800 - 7805

http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/cfr_2008/jul.../38cfr4.118.pdf

These will show you the disability percentage levels you could possibly

be granted in your claim, due to whatever medical evidence you may have,

or gather down the road.

Hopefully this will help you determine if it would be worth your while to continue on,

as you questioned in your post.

Hope this helps a vet.

carlie

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My father-in-law had a severe TBI during WWII. It had profound effects on his behavior as time went by. You could not look at him or talk to him and see the problem. It came out in his behavior when he was under stress. I read that the VA believes that there may be 150,000 TBI cases from OIF/OEF. This is a ticking time bomb. I knew a guy from high school who got a TBI during Vietnam when he was blown off a tank that hit a mine. He never got a dime or any sort of claim as far as I know. He told me he had horrible headaches. That was 30 years ago and I don't know what happened to him. If you have any sort of TBI get it evaluated, and if you need treatment get it at the VA. You want to start building your file now.

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I am seeking tbi rating from the va. I went to the poly-trauma team. The neurologist stated that I have Memory loss, ringing in the ear, organization, loss of words, concentration, and some others due to the fact of a head injury while serving in the military. That was 16 years ago that I got out. As long as they can tie it to service connection then the va rep said it should be a no brainer. You just have to have a doctor say most likely.

Yep, it's a good idea to start a new thread.

Did the neurologist refer you for neuro-psych testing?

Do you have records of a head injury in service? If not you'll need some type of statement that you were subjected to a blow to the head, a fall, a blast or something.

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Yep, it's a good idea to start a new thread. Did the neurologist refer you for neuro-psych testing? Do you have records of a head injury in service? If not you'll need some type of statement that you were subjected to a blow to the head, a fall, a blast or something.

Speaking of neuro-psych testing.  With descriptive words such as moderate and moderate-severe describing the current condition of memory and attention on a neuro-psych test, would this make an rating similar?  8045 code example:  mild=40 moderate=70 severe=100.  These are the ratings for objective results on testing, I would assume this means testing such as a neuro-psych test.

Any experience with the VA's interpretation of civilian administered neuro-psych testing would be helpful.

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This is what I can tell you, do your reserch on what they will asked you, I was trying for find the forms that VA sends the doctors to make an evaluation but could not find it. Maybe someone else knows were to find it.

It's better to know than to show up blind and the question hit you blindsided.

Izzy

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