Exposure To Explosions

[Jon1371]

Greetings all. I have been searching this site for the last couple of months, and just joined.

I was just told by the VA that I can't get screened for TBI because I wasn't in an explosion or in a vehicle hit by an explosion. I got out in 03 right after getting back from Iraq and back then there wasn't any talk of TBI. Heck, I didn't know what TBI was until last month to be honest. I keep getting asked if I was exposed and I always answer yes but nothing happens. After researching TBI I asked my Dr about it and she said I had to hit my head.

I was a 1371 Combat Engineer and helped EOD clear the airfield we took over. Lots of UXO including dud 500 # bombs.

Anyone else close to explosions but not injured(shrapnel) and get TBI?

[jbasser]

Get a statement from your CO or a buddy statements from the guiys you served with.

The VA is blind and deaf, especially when it cones to looking at evidence. They have a form of TBI also. It is called Headamus Rectamus.

J

[Jon1371]

I cut all ties when I got back and then out a couple months later. I just joined facebook to see if I can find any of the people I served with. I'm also requesting files and documentation.

[Carl the Engineer]

As a (Army) Combat Engineer in Iraq in 03, I was exposed to EOD (Air Force) almost every day. Some far away, some closer. And when the enemy blew up the Italian police office in An Hasiriyah it blew the door open on our sea hut and everyone felt the concussion.

That said, I never claimed TBI as I don't think I have one or any, however, I have been screened at least three separate times for it. All negative.

Were you screened for it when you returned? I believe you can be asked to be screened for it. This is separate from a claim for it. But it would be start.

FWIW,

Hamslice

[meghp0405]

If you are experiencing any of the below listed symptoms, I would contact your PCM and ask for TBI testing. TBI testing is extremely lengthy and consists of several tests. many of the symptoms of TBI are, memory/concentration issues; headaches; dizziness; nausea/vomiting; blurred vision; ringing in the ears; bad taste in your mouth; sensitivity to light; mood changes; depressed or anxious; fatigue; difficulty sleeping; profound confusion; weakness in your fingers/toes; seizures and dilation of one or more pupils. These are some of the symptoms for TBI.

There are many other reasons for an individual to obtain TBI besides hitting your head. Some additional causes are, severe blow to the head; blast from an explosive device; object penetrating the skull; bleeding in around the brain; falls; vehicle collisions and sports injury/ Again, just some of the causes.

These also may take up to several years to surface.

Again, if you are experiencing some of these, let your PCM know and request TBI testing....

Good luck

[john999]

Soldiers die without a scratch on them from blast concussion. This happened so often in WWI that it is just common knowledge. You don't have to be hit on the head. When you are near a blast the blast wave makes your brain slosh around inside your head thus causing damage. What kind of crap is the VA selling.

I saw a documentary called " Where Soldiers Come From" and it was about four country boys who went to Afghanistan in a NG Unit. They almost all suffered from numerous IED attacks and got TBI's to various levels. All the guys came back screwed up to some extent. The ones who don't have TBI have ptsd.

[Jon1371]

Hamslice- I keep getting asked if I've been exposed to explosions and I always say yes it was dozens. The questions always stop after that so I assumed that I didn't test positive, but that was before I started researching TBI last month.

meghp0405 wrote-"memory/concentration issues; headaches; dizziness; nausea/vomiting; blurred vision; ringing in the ears; bad taste in your mouth; sensitivity to light; mood changes; depressed or anxious; fatigue; difficulty sleeping; profound confusion; weakness in your fingers/toes; seizures and dilation of one or more pupils"

I had all of this and more I know except I don't know about pupil dialation. Turns out the migraines, for which I am service connected for, aren't migraines but seizures. I guess they're almost identical. No one was talking about TBI back then and we were always told that shrapnel was the main concern. We had to clear the airbase of UXO and repair the runway as fast as possible and safety wasn't as important as mission accomplishment. We weren't able to go several hundred yards down range to safety. We were told to get down after the blast and wait for the shrapnel to stop falling. We'd get hit by the blast/shockwave/overpressure/blast wind and then get down and wait for the shrapnel to stop falling and then work until the next explosion. I can't remember how many explosions happened in Iraq.

In the year before going into Iraq, I was exposed to dozens of explosions for training purposes during five different field exercises. Some close like bangalore rushes and breaching charges, some farther away, some in a bunker, some a ways down the road, some just on the other side of the demo pit berm.

I have a lot of memory loss and the last eleven years are a blur, but for some reason Iraq is seared in my brain and it's easier to remember than where I left my car keys.

John999-I'm already service connected for PTSD. The explosions weren't from the enemy, just us clearing UXOand training. While I was there IEDs either didn't happen or I didn't know about them. Probably the later.

Looking at what the VA connects to TBI is terryfying and I know that whatever is wrong with me is getting worse, not better. After researching TBI everything is starting to make sense. I think what throws them is they ask if I've been exposed to explosions and I say yes it was dozens of explosions and they think I'm crazy or lying. they never explained anything, so I never knew about TBI until last month. Now I'm trying to prove that I'm damaged and not disordered.

Thanks for your replies,

Jon