At The End Of My Rope

[Colorado1135]

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

[pacmanx1]

Did you get your chiropractor to write a medical opinion of your condition and submit that to VA? Do you see a doctor on regular bases? Do you have any other conditions that could be service related or service connected?

Hope the best

[Pete53]

Welcome to Hadit. You are going to need treatment for your Medical problems first. Good treatment will help and I suggest that you ask VA to help you with all of your medical problems.

[Colorado1135]

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?

[pacmanx1]

I would strongly suggest that you try to get a PCP (primary care provider) at your local VA hospital. Yes, I know it is 80 miles away but I think that is normal for most veterans. I think I live about the same distance and it takes me three days to recover from one VA hospital trip. I hate going but that was the only way to get treated and get the documentation I needed to win my claims. I have canceled a lot of appointments because I could not make it there and back. A lot of times dealing with injuries to the back is very hard to diagnose and treat. It took the VA about ten years before they service connected my back injury but I have been treated for it by the VA hospital for more than ten years. Evidence and treated documentation wins claims so when you are having pain and problems, you need to be seen and treated for.

[carlie]

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.

Yes - they will recoup your severance pay.

Your profile shows 20 percent SC - what is the other 10 percent for ?

I have to wear a back brace to limit this popping out that happens.

Is this back brace something you went out on your own and bought or

did a doctor RX it ?

[Colorado1135]

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.