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What's Your Opinion Of This Imo

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blackbird

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Please read this IMO and let me know what you think,

Thanks, Blackbird

To Whom it May Concern:

Mr.XXXXXXXXX is now 51 yrs old. I have been seeing him since 1996. At that time, he came to me with a foraminal disc at L4-L5, had a foraminal diskectomy done, and had continued degeneration of the 4-5 disc and subsequently underwent a 4-5 fusion. Relevant to this, I have reviewed XXXXX's SMR'S. He notes that when on deployment in Egypt from Oct to Nov 95 he was pulling on a heavy parts box from a stack of boxes and had a sharp pain in his back radiating down his left leg into his left foot. This is the exact distribution of discomfort for which I operated on him subsequently in 1996. It is more than likely the pathology for which I operated on he incurred in the lifting incident when he was deployed in Egypt. Theresore, it is more than likely related to his military service. He has intractable leg pain as a result of injury to the dorsal root ganglia and it was the ultimate cause of him requiring a fusion at L4-L5. He has had subsequent disc herniations most recently at L2-L3 but he has also had disc disease in the cervical spine rrequiring 5 additional fusions.

There is no question in my mind that there is a direct causal relationship between the injury sustained in Egypt and the necessity he had for an L4-L5 diskectomy and subsequent L4-L5 fusion.

Please address any questions to me, Dr. XXXXXXXXX

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Blackbird,

Didn't realize there were 2 threads on this.. just found this.

The IMO is actually good. Your exit exam will not help you, it just documents what your medical history documents. My exit exam was not even considered for my service connection ( i had no problems on it ).

The one problem you have with all this is that Degenerative Disc Disease is not something that just happens, it is a longterm issue. Though any condition aggrevated by the military is still service connected.

I would get letters from your civilian job stating that when you left for active duty in october you were able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. Also get letters from your spouse if you are married, or significant other. And any letters from anyone who can say you arrived from the exercise completly screwed up. ( the VA will take family letters and they will put wieght into them.. though not sure if they will for nexus, but for severity they will help ).

It is a shame you didn't go on sick call while in Egypt, just one sick call slip would probably nail this for you. ( for my claim, my SMR's were basically destroyed, I had my own copy of 2 sick call slips, and that was it ). THe VA understands that active duty medical people do sleazy things.. like destroy medical records. You could easily have explained that you went to sick call and they blew you off, because you were NG. and that the only proof you have now is the people you worked with.

What date were you on light duty??

Also you might want to ask on this board about the buddy letters. Email them to a few of the experts here for feedback.. The wording will matter.

Hey Airborne18,

I was on light duty each drill weekend when I returned from deployment untill several months after surgery, about 6 months.

Also I talked to my NCOIC when I was in the Guard and he remembers telling me to move the boxes to fine the manuals during a phone call from Egypt to home station. During the second call I made the same day, to say that I still hadn't found them, he remembers the conversation and me telling him that I had looked through most of the boxes but stopped when pulling on one made my back hurt, and that I had repaired the generator without the manuals.

He is writing a letter and having it notarized for me to turn in to the Va. Hope it helps.

I didn't actually start two threads about the same thing, but the kind of "grew" toward each other. Sorry for the confusion.

Blackbird

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I also have degenerative disc disease and had a laminectomy L-4 removed because of herniation 20 years ago. Not sure though if I can proved it was hurt by my work in the USAF. As back then I only had developed a knee injury. So, I would think you would need to show proof it developed while on active duty. I am a mess and Basket case. Just thought I would chime in. Having this disc disease is more hell. I am currently being treated for the pain. They gave me some type of shots there recently and they are going to do more soon. it is really crippling.

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I also have degenerative disc disease and had a laminectomy L-4 removed because of herniation 20 years ago. Not sure though if I can proved it was hurt by my work in the USAF. As back then I only had developed a knee injury. So, I would think you would need to show proof it developed while on active duty. I am a mess and Basket case. Just thought I would chime in. Having this disc disease is more hell. I am currently being treated for the pain. They gave me some type of shots there recently and they are going to do more soon. it is really crippling.

Hey Retiredat44,

You can normally tell people with back problems, they get up early in the morning, usually because they're in pain. That's one of my problems, got up this am at 4:00! It's aggravating but I've gotten used to it. I try to I find something to do that's quiet.

I definitely know where you're coming from with the back issues. No one knows what back trouble is like until they have it. I've been disabled since I was 42, nine years ago due to one herniated disc. I try to look at positive things such as spending more time with my kids, and if I want to go somewhere I don't have to ask off. But I do miss working and being around people.

Hope things start looking up for you soon!

Blackbird

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