Term Lv In 2 Weeks! Requesting Help For Filing Initial Claim [long Post Warning}

[MDB1968NM]

Hi Folks,

I will TRY to cut to the chase as I spend more time talking with doctors now than I do with my family.

BLUF:  I will be on Terminal Leave starting in 2 weeks...12 Feb is my last day on Active Duty (terminal leave starts then).  My retirement date is 31 May.  I will be applying for the BDD (benefits delivery at discharge) program here within the next month.

Let me first state that this is going to be a LONG post....a bit embarrassing for me at times but I am looking for assistance here.  You all have been SOOOO helpful in research and support and I am here asking for some more of your time.

I have probably SCREWED up according to many people including my flight surgeon by NOT pursuing MEB/PEB actions.  I want to state up front...this has been MY CHOICE 110%.  When I entered the military, I wanted to serve my country and I entered into service:"that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion, and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office upon which I am about to enter, so help me God."  The reason I did not want to pursue such actions (MEB/PEB) is because I came into the service on my own terms AND want to leave this way as well.

So now that you know my rationale for my decisions, here is a disjointed summary (I am unloading a bunch so if it is too much just ignore it):

I underwent 6 knee surgeries on my knee due to an ACL blowout in 1990 while on Active Duty.  I have had multiple revisions to that and this ultimately ended up in a total knee replacement 7 months ago.  Three years ago I was in an aircraft severe turbulence incident that knocked a molar loose and separated both of my shoulders.  After a year and a half of sucking it up/complaining/trying to remain on flying status I finally demanded to have MRI's done on them.  Both shoulders had significant labral tears that have resulted in surgery on both of them within the past 17 months.  In 2004 I had an aneurysm one of my eyes that resulted in a blind spot in my central vision....not huge but just out of my direct field of view.  I was allowed to remain on flying status after much persuasion to the flight docs.  My other eye compensated enough to pass all my visual acuity tests, but the blind spot remains.  This has been documented on my amsler grid testing with a couple of times being either mis-annotated on my physical OR was something I really could have cared less about at the time...just get me in the air.

Fast Forward to the past 15 months....the USAF placed me on several drugs to get rid of the pain that I was enduring (and still do).  The list is long and distinguished...Oxycontin was the horrible part.  I was referred to a civilian pain management doctor to help wean me off of it so I could undergo my total knee replacement.  That was a success, however, the pain in my shoulders/lower back/plantar fasciitis remained. (all of these conditions are being treated still by civilian providers).  After the TKR, 7 months ago, my pain has increased twenty-fold.  Pain management has performed injections in my sacral region and more to come in my groin due to torn tissues in the pelvic region....WTH is going on????  I am also on morphine sulfate and percocet 6x daily to get through the day.

I referred myself (after discussion with my flight surgeon) to the Mental Health clinic for Chronic Pain problems and help with dealing with them.  I apologize for being disjointed but the treatment at mental health began when I started on the narcotics over a year ago.  The support that I have been receiving from them has been 100% incredible!  The psychiatrist literally saved my life....for things that I simply cannot get into here (I 'coded' and 'left the Earth' while at WHMC in 2006).  I have also been seeing a colleague of my MH doc who is a psychologist and has been prescribing Effexor for help in dealing with the pain receptors and my ability to deal with the pain.  I have also been on multiple drugs for insomnia due to the constant pain I am in.  They have agreed to continue seeing me until the issues are resolved even after retirement (I AM GRATEFUL FOR THIS)!

Three months ago, my flight surgeon did a battery of blood tests that showed that I have a "strong" possibility of having an auto-immune disorder.  Will all the issues I have been having (too many to list tonight) he stated that it was time to see a Rheumatologist.  What has transpired since, has been a medical nightmare for my flight doc/pain doc/rheumatologist/gastroenterologist.  In December, chest pains that I have been having for a few years caught up with me.  My blood pressure shot up to 160's over 110's and my resting heartrate was over 110 beats per min.  After rounds of meds, we have found that HCTZ/Norvasc/Atenolol combination has reduced both the BP and HR to normal levels.  However, the pain in the chest persists as well as dry-heaving a few times per day.

A priority endoscopy was ordered just before Christmas and my esophagus is 'sloughing' off tissue in the entire lower half.  My stomach looks as though there is a cup of 'salmon eggs' coating the bottom to a depth of about 1/4" (as far as I can tell) and there is a ring of tissue right below my sternum that has restricted the size to less than half.  I have been treated with multiple proton pump inhibitiors and zantac to try to stop the esophagitis/gastritis that is happening.  The drugs have been of no help to date.

A month ago my Rheumatologist discovered that I am not making/absorbing Vitamin D and has stated that I have 'osteomalacia' which is in my terms "mushy bone syndrome".  Basically my bones are soft due to the deficiency and we are attempting to treat this now.  The Rheumatologist thinks that this is why my plates failed in my knee prior to the TKR and why the TKR is so awfully painful now with increased swelling.

Last week some of the 20 vials of blood 'donated' in the same week have come back to say that I have no measurable testosterone in my body.  I am awaiting an appt next week to see what we can do about this......geeze what else can go wrong?  Has my "warranty" expired...LOL....at least I have my humor right?????

There are a litany of  other 'issues' that pale in comparison to what I am going through now that are at the "bottom of my list":  Migraines 2-3 times per month with loss of vision for the past 18 months, numbness in the arms/hands, a shoulder that needs another surgery, herniated calf muscle, foot injections that have not worked (huge bone spurs perhaps???)...I could definitely write a novel.

SOOOOO....where am I going???  I have put off the retirement stuff to the very last minute (began the checklists/outprocessing/benefits briefs/reports/decorations for others) and I am in the final stretch.  I realize that my "date" to participate in BDD is rapidly approaching.  I have not yet contacted a VSO to help...but I will in two weeks.  I have a partial copy of my SMR's (2500 pages as of 6 months ago) and have been looking at them, albeit briefly.  My sole job now is to finally take care of MYSELF and figure out how to do the claim.  {{BDEWEY if you read this, you are the ONLY exception to this....whatever you need let me know}}

Any suggestions on how to proceed would be invaluable to me.  I will NOT be working after retirement.  I have decided to volunteer with the local canine shelter AND the Airman Family Readiness center.....time to give back to a hugely personal cause and to help others that have served as I have.

Thanks for all the help and at least letting me put a few things on the table.....I guess this my way of finally asking for some help.  I promise to 'pay it forward' and you can take that to the bank!

Regards,

Mike

NOTE:  I have obtained all of the MRI/CT SCANS/X-rays with reports from the civilian providers AND the VA (our Med group is co-located with the VA...I am still on Active duty until 31 May).  I have never been in the reserves/guard as some may ask.  20 years Active.  I was DNIFed in March 2008 due to vision loss from migraines and then the multiple surgeries on shoulders/knee.  Med Disqualified from flying 12 months ago finally.  My Commander (as well as a confidant/friend who I will admire for eternity), his wife, my docs....are all some of the most loving and caring individuals you could ever hope to know.

I have made my decision long ago to retire from the USAF and be with my family after 20 years of faithful service.  I want to retire on my own terms and NOT be retired due to some medical 'issues'....again many will think I am crazy, but it is what I will do.

[fanaticbooks]

Sounds like you are going to do great!

Organizing a little for your own knowledge, with some notes to remind you to mention, as well as extra copies for security!

And sounds like a GREAT VSO! Those kinds of VSO's are GOLD!

I truly wish you the best as you begin your journey.

[MDB1968NM]

 Berta/Fanaticbooks,

I will be one happy camper when I finally turn in all of this stuff.  Still going around to offices to get the civilian records of stuff.  Since I am still under their care for quite some time in the future, should I ask them to write some sort of a summary on what they think may be wrong with me?

For all of you that have been down this path, and those who might be in the future, it sure is a stressful time.  Simply gathering my thoughts and my records are one heck of a job to do.  Also actually reading some of the stuff in my records tends to 'sting' a bit and bring back memories I would rather just assume forget.

To me it would just be easier to have it all over and done with (claim) and await for an envelope than to go over all of this stuff again...but as you have all indicated, now is the time to do things the RIGHT way and make sure I have all my ducks in a row....if not, then (and I am sure something like this may happen) the appeal process may have to begin.  I am very fortunate to have a beautiful, understanding, compassionate wife....she understands the stresses and puts up with me....LOL.....I wouldn't trade her for the universe!

Regards,

Mike

PS....Is it acceptable or suggested to have your spouse attend the C/P exam????  What are your thoughts?

[fanaticbooks]

PS....Is it acceptable or suggested to have your spouse attend the C/P exam????  What are your thoughts?

YES, Have your spouse attend! I went to all my hubby's. Was in the room while the exam was done. Actually, I was able to help a little because as the doctor asked a question on his medical exam about earlier stuff, I was able to delve into his records which we had brought and give the doctor the answer. Did that for all his exams.

Even exam for Depression.

When we saw the Psych doctor, I of course did not speak unless requested but was able to give him information about what someone else sees and has to put up with. In the C&P report the doctor noted that as part of his observances.

All told it gave my hubby confidence to have me there and I also had the knowledge of the records since I had been the one working them. I was able to add to what was being done, of course without putting myself forward.

As for asking if doctors should write a summary for you, I don't know. Someone more knowledgeable will have to answer that query.

fanaticbooks