Tbi Screening Gone Wrong...?

[doc-up8404]

First time poster here. I just wanted to vent my frustration with my first tbi screening appt today.

Background – I had a concussion during my drill weekend in late 2009 with very brief loss of consciousness (a few seconds) due to me slipping on ice and falling on my head. I was fine after 2-3 days. Fast forward to Nov 2011 in Afghanistan, I was involved in a really big IED blast, suffered a mild TBI. I got better in a couple weeks later. Came back to the sates in Jan, by early Feb 2012 I start getting worse symptoms, dizziness/vertigo, irritability, loss of coordination, loss of some memory, BAD HEAD ACHES over Left eye as well as constant neck stiffness with tension head aches, sleeping only 3-4 hours a night because I am constantly waking up.

End of March I get off orders. Now I have my “TBI screening” today. Thinking I am going to the VA to be put through the ringer of tests (or at least schedule the tests) or do SOME TYPE OF TESTS???? the Doc makes me touch my nose with my finger then with the same finger touch his nose, back and forth. Then he asks me to place one hand on top of another and flip the top hand over and back repeatedly as fast as I can. He also stated "I walked in the room with no problems" so that was a great sign I’m doing just fine.

So here is the kicker. He tells me here is some sleeping meds, you need to see mental health, and once you get sleep and talk to someone about your anxiety & anger problems you should be fine, your symptoms should go away, “YOU ARE JUST TIRED”. WTF? Are you kidding me? Yes I do have bad sleeping problems but does that cause these serious head aches that I have to shut down my life and ride them out? Does that cause all these other several symptoms I have?

I don’t know what just happened I just know I have something wrong with me that isn’t just caused by “lack of sleep”. I could go on but this should be enough info I hope. Any wisdom, guidance, help is appreciated.

[carlie]

Welcome.

It does sure sound like the provider feels you have some mental health issues

that need to be addressed.

Mental health problems can also be a residual effect from TBI.

At this point are you seeking

1) Medical Treatment

2) Service Connection/Compensation

3) Both

Other's will chime in.

Sometimes there are not as many replies when the week-end rolls around.

[Reddit]

DID you filed for migraines, sleep apnea, PTSD,., if not you need to. Is this your first claim., there are other things you need to make sure you filed..

If you have sleep apnea, you could have headaches from that, If you have migraines this can cause you not to sleep well, and then it goes on from there. Make sure you filed everything that you are suppose to. because later on you are going to need it.

Go to your mental health appointment and tell them what is going on, and start seeing a physician, before it get worse. keep a paper trail.

Reditt

[Berta]

The TBI Training letter is here:

You could at some point need this info too:

The blank VA C & P protocol for TBI exams is here:

I feel you need a good vet rep to make sure the VA is foillowing their own TBI protocols here.

As others stated, there can be many causes for your symptoms, but TBI itself can cause considerable residuals.

I assume that the IED incident and the resulting treatment you got for it is documented clearly in your SMRs.

I hope you have a copy of them.

We have TBI vets here and under TBI search we have discussions on TBI claims.

Thank you for your service!

[cooter]

​Hang in there my freind and it'll all work out for you. I don't think there's one sole on this forem that hasn't been angry and/or frustrated at first. That just makes you more determined to fight this. You already accomplished the first requirement, and that's signing up to Hadit. Now all you have to do is take the information given here and run with it. You'll be grateful of the results. Welcome Aboard and thanks for your service!

Coot

[doc-up8404]

Thanks so much for all the replies everyone.

Carlie, yes treatment is definitely what I am looking for. Also due to the fact that I have 4 documented issues in my medical record I would like to file a claim for PTSD, GERD, TINNITUS & TBI. I am so new to all of this though. I thought I had to get diagnosed by the VA before I could file a winning claim? Is that true? Or could I go to a totally random outside Dr for treatment and diagnoses? If so i would much rather that. I did look into it on this site but, sometimes the long explanations are hard to follow. Thanks.

Reddit, I didn't even think about filing for migraines or sleep apnea as they are not really well documented in my service record. As I was a corpsman I know about paper trails and I just could not agree with you more. It's literally the number one thing I told every one of my Marines, so great advice there. Thanks.

Berta, those are all great links, I do have trouble with reading everything and it's things like reading where my concentration has diminished. I do have the IED incident very well documented, and the concussion I got a few years ago is in documented in a hand written soap note (sf600) but it was done by a fellow corpsman so it should be good. It was not however, signed by a provider, hopefully that will still suffice?

Cooter, thanks man. Yeah this whole thing is going to be a long drawn out process, I just want to make sure I do everything right the first time, so I only have to do it one time.

[john999]

If you are looking for treatment that is one thing but if you are looking for SC that is another. I would not go to the VA for treatment if I had other resorts. Not everyone does have other resorts. My treatment at the VA pain clinic convinced me not to go there for real treatment.

John