ptsd What To Do? Suggestions?

[29Stumps-96]

Hi everyone, I have been reading these forums and a few others over the past few weeks. Just trying to get smarter on this whole transition process, particularly with the VA.

I retire later this summer from the USMC after a full enlisted career. Infantry my whole career. 0341, 8511, 0369 plus a few others (MAI, MCIWS, etc)

6 deployments. 4 to Oki, 2 OIF. Last combat deployment was 2007. (I was a Plt Sgt for both OIF deployments)

Here is my situation:

I went into this transition process in a pretty ignorant and unprepared manner unfortunately. I was originally going to retire in 2016-18, but due to timing and personal issues along with the family the decision to retire was what was best. I made the decision to retire just earlier this year.

Anyways, I was told to get to the VA early to get my claim started and I went shortly after I hit the 6 months out marker.

I hadn't even completed my final physical yet, but will this week--just been so busy and my unit's MO is never around...

I have already had all but two of my VA appointments. On my initial claim from my first sit-down I had about 10-12 physical conditions that I remembered at the time to have them write down and 2 mental and also sleep apnea. After this appt they set up all my examinations. That took almost a month.

Earlier this month during my main physical examination, the QTC doc wrote down about 8-10 more physical conditions for a total of about 20. I basically got x-rays on everything it seemed. During my psych eval that was initially for depression, the pysch doc said I needed to be screened for a TBI and that I also had some sort of anxiety disorder that was related to PTSD. This threw me for a loop because while I have MANY close friends that suffer from PTSD, I never thought anything I could have would be like what they had. I've known I had sleep issues (frequent bad dreams etc) and a growing issue over the past 4-5 years with recurring headaches as well as focus/concentration problems and lack of reading material retention compared to how I used to be when I was younger, but considering I was never involved in a combat-related incident that would have likely caused a TBI (IED etc) that I couldn't have had one. Sure, I have been knocked out a few times in my career, once from MCMAP pugil sticks and once on a landing from a jump at Jump School, but I still never thought much about it. Anyways, the PTSD addition didn't bother me as much because like many of you, we have all experienced some visual stuff that wasn't pleasant during our time in OIF/OEF. I feel fortunate my exposure wasn't as horrible as some of yours, although I was told I downplayed much of my own recollection of certain events by the psych I seen simply because I know some of my buddies had it much worse...

I went to TRS (seps/taps) a few weeks before I had my QTC examinations. The VA rep (a local VSO I think) there said to have as much documented as possible. I have also talked to a few retired friends that explained the examination process pretty well to me too. However, I still wasn't prepared for all of it like I thought I would be.

My main concern now is that since most of my appt's are out of the way (I still have 2 appt's left) I am worried that my lack of documenting stuff when I was young and stupid (read: stubborn harda**) is really going to hurt my final rating. I guess that's what I get when I ignored everyone for all those years. Then again though I was trying for officer programs in my younger years and most recently AMOI duty awhile back so I always kept my records "clean", if you guys know what I mean. My MO did say he is going to order me a sleep study. I do wish I slept much better.

Anyways, I got my TBI screening and while I didn't do very good on the memory tests I had to do, I still probably did ok on the rest of the tests to warrant them saying I don't have one. I have no idea though. I kinda felt like I was on trial during that examination. If I did have one, it would have to be mild. As for my headaches, memory/focus issues, and other symptoms, I don't know... when I mentioned TBI possibility to my wife she looked it up and said "that's you to a T". She has been fed up with me over my memory issues the past few years. I do care, but I just can't help it. I think she understands a bit better now...

I am hoping to be in the 50-70% range from what I'm being told from some of the already retired friends I have. I have evidence in my medical record that supports my lower back, knees, feet, groin muscle tear, left shoulder, and hearing claims, but as for my shin splints, hips, upper back, neck, left and right thumb and coccyx I don't have anything. As for my depression I have some entries made back 15 yrs ago and then I went out in town and seen a pysc in 2009 so it would be undocumented.and not "held" against me like I grew up thinking those types of things would. So, for the PTSD, I really have nothing documented except what the QTC psych wrote down from my examination with him (which was almost 2 hrs). And I won't know what that will be until I receive my final rating package I guess...

What are your guy's thoughts? I've yet to finish my final phyical. I get that done this week. Should I continue going to BAS to "catch up" some of the things I never documented that bother me? I can think of about 5-6 things I live with on a daily basis that I'm pretty sure I don't have documented that I just sucked up over the years and dealt with but now in hindsight know I should have started documenting..

As for potential rating... what are some of you guys seeing that has similar conditions as myself? Even if I get a lot of 0% ratings on these items, at least now it is documented right? How long will it take?

Also, did any of you who have already retired ever worry about what you were going to do for employment when you got out? I can think clearly enough to type, but I just ain't as quick as I used to be...kinda worries me.

Anyways, take care.

Chris

[29Stumps-96]

John, you know, I was concerned with this as well. In fact I brought this up to the VA physician. I said I was your typical dumb grunt. Sucked everything up, just dealt with it. It wasn't until it was way too late and once things were at a point (medically) where they weren't ever going to get better did I start going in to the BAS. Call it culture pressure of being a wuss for going in to BAS and that was just engrained in us at such a young age. So, unless I was really sick or hurt did I go during my first 10+ years.

Anyways, the VA docs assured me that I don't necessarily have to have every single annotated thing that he found was wrong with me in my medical record in order to be considered "diagnosed" with a given problem. I only have 4 or 5 things in my medical record, maybe 6. My lower back, left ankle, right foot, groin muscle tears, left shoulder, and depression/anxiety issues. As for the other things on my list above, while I don't have entries made on all of them in my medical record, I've been told that it doesn't always matter. Especially since the VA doc could tell I had the issues, especially in my hips and hands, which aren't in my medical record. I didn't know I necessarily had PTSD either, but the VA psych seemed to think I did. Like I mentioned above, I always thought that since my experiences weren't as bad as some, then who was I to let it bother me that bad.

Maybe I should seek out a VSO to make sure? I really do want to get this taken care of the right way the first time around before I EAS. I have a few months still. I go on terminal lv soon. Should I go and attempt to put in writing certain diagnosis' in my medical record still or just leave it the way it is? I really don't know and this does make me anxious more now I think about it...

Any more suggestions? Thanks for the advice so far.

Chris

[Chuck75]

The underlying problem is the way that the VA usually deals with claims. Rumor has it that up to 85% of veteran's claims are denied.

Then there is the VA practice of "low ball', where a claim by the VA schedule of compensation is entitled to a percentage, is actually awarded at a lower percentage.

(That gets into another issue about all the conditions necessary for a particular rating vs. most of them, and the way that the law and regulations are written.)

It's anyone's guess what the military will do. They also have a reputation for trying to minimize any obligations they have.

I'm sorry of this causes you to loose any warm fuzzy feelings concerning the military. The only one looking out for you is yourself.

I'd certainly claim sleep apnea as soon as possible, if records support the claim. The VA is likely to change the regs in the near future,

due to the number of successful claims and the resulting 50% ratings.

[lotzaspotz]

JMO, but Chuck's right. My husband served over 20 years and was medically retired after that. As soon as he separated, he was damaged goods and the fight began. That was 21 years ago. He had put his retirement papers in to retire normally when he became ill. The USAF wouldn't stop the clock on his regular retirement until I got a Congressman involved. They told me during a visit to Lackland AFB to let the VA handle it. My husband was in no shape to deal with those people, a situation of which they clearly tried to take advantage, and I got the distinct impression they were not looking out for his best interests. Then they lied to the Congressman's staff and said they never heard from me, so I brought a file full of phone bills for calls to Lackland straight to the Congressman's local office to prove they were lying. Believe me, you can't make this stuff up. I still get angry if I think about it for any length of time, which I guess is where I get the energy to keep coming back at the VA with appeals every time we get a denial. He loved his career, but was surprised and hurt by the indifference and adversarial stance of the retirement board and then the VA. They serve their own convenience and will, in fact, try to minimize their liabilities. I realize you're not medically retiring, however, I think you should still keep our experience in mind as you pursue your disability claims.

Edited July 23, 2014 by lotzaspotz