So Confused About My Shoulder Injury

[SpcDearman]

Hello my fellow veterans. I do hope that I have the correct forum here. First of all I would like to thank the creators of this forum. I have researched and this site is the most informational. I do not know how I changed the font just now but here we go. I fell from the rope pull about halfway up in basic training and damaged both arms. I dealt with the pain due to WANTING to through with basic. I finished basic and moved to Korea for my first assignment. While there, i swamped one m2a1 bradley and again fell off trying to exit the vehicle. I was then stationed at FT. Hood Texas where the injuries started taking its toll. I went from vehicle driver to dismount (wlaking clicks at a time with a pack and radio. I sometimes had to hump with the m60's gear on my back. Lo and behold, I get another opportunity to drive and drive sideways into a tank ditch (ok you can laugh now). Upon exiting the vehicle, I fell once again and really felt alot of pain. I complained about my shoulders upon reaching FT. Hood and had at leasxe 3 complaints a week. This is documented in my military records. Long story short, I have recently only been able to be on a pain level of 8 when the winter comes. Now, I consistantly vary on pain daily from 5 to 10. I went to the VA and had two MrI's done due to PT being detrimental to my physical being. It made me at a 10 constantly. I cam confused due to being in a developmental status since may of 2011. Here is what the MRI results told my doctor and I. If anyone can help with these I would greatly appreciate it. All are without contrast.

Right Shoulder

Mild inferiror osteophytosis of the acromioclavicular joint with probable mild impingement of the supraspinatus myotendious junction

Probable degenerative fraying of the anterior labrum

Mild sprain versus partial tear of the humeral attachement of the glenohumberal ligament.

Mild tendinosis of the long head of the biceps tendon

Partial Thickness rim rent tear with tendonitis of the supraspinatus tendon.

Tendonitis with partial thickness deep surface tear at the subscapularis tendon; mild atrophy of the subscapularis muscle.

****And here is the kicker**** Other findings as discussed

Primary Diagnostic Code: Abnormality; Attention needed

I am as scared as a Republican having to run against President Obama. Ok not funny. Can someone please help me with this. the bad thing is that this is only for the right shoulder. The left shoulder is just as bad. I am a big boy. Let me have it. :)

[SpcDearman]

Lung condition:

We were in Ft.Hood in 1995 and were in the process of clearing rooms for Urban warfare training and some dufus opfor officer threw HC grenades in every window. This effectively neutralized my entire squad. We all had to be transfered to Darnell (OMG) Army Hospital. If youo have been there you would know what I mean. Five days later, I receive a call from my Company Commander telling me to go again to have chest xrays. Lo and behold there is a small spot on my lungs. I am told that i will have a broncoscopy and placed in a room with a Doctor and his students. Basically, I was a guinea pig. I was able to watch as cultures of my lungs were taken. Yep. Watched it all on a TV monitor. I saw the long needle come out and felt the prick. It was the most horrible experience of my life I kid you not. Here is the worst part. Not only am I now sore but I caught walking pneumonia. I was a pharia for going to sick call the next day. I didnt go due to the pressure even thouogh my temp was 104.5. I went in the next day with a 102.5 and told the medics. There was a huge issue with that that I believed black balled me when I needed future help with my shoulders. I believe they are so torn from all of my service work that now they are really not wanting to work. You guys should have seen me take 2 bags of groceries up for my wife yesterday. She just shook her head. Oh and Ms. Carlie, I just noticed that you wanted my date of Seperation. It was June, 1995. I have had only one visit for the shoulder injury but NUMEROUS for depression due to some issues that I experienced while seperating from the military.

[SpcDearman]

JVR i had to literally go on emergency status to the ER to get ANY information from the MRI. They were going to make me wait until I went to the ortho to find out what was going on. If I would not have begged the doctor to let me know whats wrong with me I would not have the information that I have now.

Hamslice (awesome name) I have very limited range of motion. Physical therapy was for me to get that range back slowly. It was so painful that my therapist stopped treatment. It is notated as "Physical Therapy Treatment cancelled buy clinic." The range is so limited that my wife had to help me put on my work clothes once again this morning. I can go about halfway up and the pain is unbearable. It hurts to even turn door knows because of the twisting motion. I am under exaggerating on the pain. Its almost unbearable.

The other shouolder is just as bad but it has a SLAP tear. That even sounds horrible. :)

[jvretiredvet]

May I presume that this was but a fairly recent MRI of your right shoulder? And, that you have yet to have to have a follow-up with the orthopedist?

Why was it such an emergency to get the actual MRI results themselves at that time? It appears to me that all it did was to aggravate your anxiety.

And, why didn't you demand copies of the MRI itself, so you could interpret them yourself?

JVR i had to literally go on emergency status to the ER to get ANY information from the MRI. They were going to make me wait until I went to the ortho to find out what was going on. If I would not have begged the doctor to let me know whats wrong with me I would not have the information that I have now.

Hamslice (awesome name) I have very limited range of motion. Physical therapy was for me to get that range back slowly. It was so painful that my therapist stopped treatment. It is notated as "Physical Therapy Treatment cancelled buy clinic." The range is so limited that my wife had to help me put on my work clothes once again this morning. I can go about halfway up and the pain is unbearable. It hurts to even turn door knows because of the twisting motion. I am under exaggerating on the pain. Its almost unbearable.

The other shouolder is just as bad but it has a SLAP tear. That even sounds horrible. :)

[SpcDearman]

I wanted them due to being told that I have a torn shoulder muscle for 16 years. I called in to the VA office wanting to come in and get something, anything done to stop the pain for that day. I felt pain even walking down stairs. I assume that it was gravity pulling down on it. My PM&R doctor told me to come in but immediately called me back saying that she needed MRI results and they werent ready. I swear five minnutes later, she calls me back stating that she had an appointment set with an orthopedic doctor for the following month. Now if they werent ready, how were they made ready in 5 minutes. I assumed that she had them and simply did not request for copies until I called in at that time. I have been through so much denial from the military as a whole that I even made myself say "hey, its not that bad just deal with it wus". Well, after the last two years I really dont trust them very much. I just wanted to get a second opinion on the process. I cant understand how it shows up and down my military records for shoulder complaints and now it seems as if it cannot move past the developmental phase. I take the name for what its worth. the are developing my claim. At one time, they were stating that they are having problems with making it service connected. I was told that they needed a DD-214 (which they were provided a certified copy) and a letter from my wife, mother, any relative to state the problems that I have been having. Now, they do not need this information and it is still in the developmental phase. I havent even listed the issues with the left shoulder. I guess that I feel slighted a bit. I had this injury less than 3 months into my service commitment and made it completley through with "strained shoulder muscles" when in fact it was all of the issues listed originally. Ok you are correct. I am venting now. I apologize. Wait. I have also had a c&p exam for my knees and for the lung condition. Could one of these be holding up the process?

[jvretiredvet]

I understand your angst.

However, my point, if I had one, was to suggest the dangers of raw data and misinterpreting that data. Some - many - times, all it does is cause unnecessary worry, misunderstanding, and concern.

For example, a veteran sees a doc: The doc writes: "Pt is SOB r/t AO." The vet is really pissed because he was just called a son of a bitch ... but, he files a claim for this as a mental problem because the doc related it to Agent Orange. However, SOB is shortness of breath and AO is airway obstruction (and, the vet had no known VN service. For those of my readers who look for those far less than 1% situations, there was no known exposure to 2-4d outside of VN either).

I am not suggesting that you don't take an active part in your own medical care, but let's let the docs have a whack at it first.

As for Could one of these be holding up the process? ... I wouldn't say that it is delaying the compensation process, rather it it is merely a part of the process if you had claimed all of those three items at the same time. However, the compensation determination process shouldn't be delaying any treatment for the right shoulder.

I wanted them due to being told that I have a torn shoulder muscle for 16 years. I called in to the VA office wanting to come in and get something, anything done to stop the pain for that day. I felt pain even walking down stairs. I assume that it was gravity pulling down on it. My PM&R doctor told me to come in but immediately called me back saying that she needed MRI results and they werent ready. I swear five minnutes later, she calls me back stating that she had an appointment set with an orthopedic doctor for the following month. Now if they werent ready, how were they made ready in 5 minutes. I assumed that she had them and simply did not request for copies until I called in at that time. I have been through so much denial from the military as a whole that I even made myself say "hey, its not that bad just deal with it wus". Well, after the last two years I really dont trust them very much. I just wanted to get a second opinion on the process. I cant understand how it shows up and down my military records for shoulder complaints and now it seems as if it cannot move past the developmental phase. I take the name for what its worth. the are developing my claim. At one time, they were stating that they are having problems with making it service connected. I was told that they needed a DD-214 (which they were provided a certified copy) and a letter from my wife, mother, any relative to state the problems that I have been having. Now, they do not need this information and it is still in the developmental phase. I havent even listed the issues with the left shoulder. I guess that I feel slighted a bit. I had this injury less than 3 months into my service commitment and made it completley through with "strained shoulder muscles" when in fact it was all of the issues listed originally. Ok you are correct. I am venting now. I apologize. Wait. I have also had a c&p exam for my knees and for the lung condition. Could one of these be holding up the process?

[SpcDearman]

• JVR sir you are awesome. I see that I am doing exactly that. When I first found out all of the results, I immediately was elated. Some stupid brain cell decided "Lets see what this means". As soon as I saw surgery required I assumed it would be the same with me. Does this process normally take so long. I figured that I would have to wait but I wen tto see the examiner and started explaining my military medical history. He immediately stopped me and stated "I see it in your medical files". I advised everything that I am claiming now on my outpatient exam when ETS'ing. I figured that the process would be a bit expedited due to me constantly having to go on sick call for this. And the lung issue is even more perplexing. I have complained to VA about coughing up a white substance from my lungs and they have dismissed this. Imagine taking a small amount of baking soda about the size of an M$M and make it hard and white. this is what I was coughing up at one time. Also JVR, I really appreciate all of the responses on here. I am going to keep you guys advised of the outcome of my Ortho appointment. I only have 13 more days.