Obstructive Sleep Apnea

[snake doctor]

Please provide your opinion on what you think my percentage would be.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea.pdf

[USMC_HVEQ]

snake doc,

I read you DBQ and it seems that is very positive in your favor. I too have OSA and was diagnosed in 2010. I have been denied, due to it not being in my service records. As long as it is in your service medical records besides just the VA this will be favorable in my opinion. If not, then you will not a medical nexus to connect the dots for the VA to approve the claim. OSA with required use of CPAP is automatic 50% on its own, which if/when you are approved is what you will get. I appealed but due to not having much in my medical records of complaints other than tired, exhausted, possible sleep apnea they upheld the denial. I am getting 100% for TDIU P&T at this point so I think it is fruitless to pay $1500 for the medical nexus for it to be approved with no financial benefit. I have a cpap and everything else from the VA, who was the ones that finally diagnosed me after complaining for 5 yrs I wanted a sleep study.

Sorry to go rambling on about my own situation. I wasnt trying to hijack your thread. I hope it works out for you and thank you for your service. I can't believe you stayed 30 yrs, that is amazing in itself.

Semper Fi

[snake doctor]

USMC_HVEQ,

I want to thank you for providing your opinion on OSA.. I don't have a clue of what I'm doing. So I'm trying to get up to speed on my possible compensation. Yes, it was 30 yrs.... Now i got to get civilianized.

[carolinian]

I will probably be going through the same situation as you are in a bit. I had a sleep study done back in October of this year and I was waiting for the results and now I have another sleep study in a few days for some reason. I have obstructive sleep apnea and some type of restless legs syndrome or something of that sort. I am curious to see why I need to do another one already and not being told why. I am not sure what % you will get out of this but it has you diagnosed with sleep apnea which is what you want. Good luck and I look forward to seeing what the results are in your situation. Take care

[USMC_HVEQ]

Weird on them requesting another sleep study. If OSA is in your service medical records, then this is more than likley to confirm it. I had a few sleep studies myself, 1 official one done in 2010, after complaining for 5 yrs. Much of the delay for me was mostly attributed to the VA system of not having a Primary care Doc. It was very unnerving when I finally had the sleep study, the nurse said she had to put the mask on me within 30 mins. Usually they try and have you go half without and half with mask. I said does that mean I have OSA? she said yes, but I will leave that up to the doctor to tell you, which they never really did. Next thing I knew I had a CPAP company delivering a cpap machine. It took a good 2 yrs to stop ripping it off my face every night, if I even made to sleep with it on. I would most often just pass out, so there was no time to put the mask on. Evidentually when I was able to get the mask on, the pressure was still on the default 10.0 settings and it wasnt a self titrator, which is the type of CPAP that will raise and lower it self to give you the proper amount. I have since had it moved up to 13.0, since I had done a VA study with diet and exercise which they also monitored my sleep studies, did 2 take home tests, never got the results of those. and when I get to sleep with it, It works much better. during all those years of horrendous sleep, I went out and got a tempurpedic, trying to remove any other mitigating issues.

If you require a CPAP it is automatic 50% IF service connected...I just recently became 100% via TDIU so to get an IMO at $1500 is a waste for me. I am getting a free CPAP and they service it (No mask, new hoses & they take the SD card) so I am happy for getting the treatment. I still suffer from passing out randomly so then my sleep sucks, but its better than nothing.

Did you look on myhealthyvet under the blue button to see what the results of your October Sleep study were? if nothing in your service medical record says you were diagnosed with OSA in service, you will need to get an IMO which is gonna cost ya and they can connect the dots or connect you for a secondary to something else you may have service connected for already.

sorry for the rambling

[john999]

Once you get your rating you might try Inspire Upper Airway Stimulation which I got recently. Doctors at the VA have done this operation. They implant a device in your chest, throat and side that tightens up your throat muscles and moves your tongue out of the way about once every two seconds once you fall asleep. It improved my apnea by at least 60%. Go to Inspire Medical on the internet to see. I am not selling anything. I could not stand the Cpap because I needed high pressure. Every mask I got leaked, made noise and left red raw marks on my face.

John

[TiredCoastie]

Snake Doctor, seeing as you were diagnosed on active duty at an MTF, there should be sufficient records in your SMRs to establish a nexus. W/ CPAP, the rating is 50%. W/out CPAP, it's 40%. Seems like you're on CPAP still, so that's 50% right off the bat, making you eligible for VA medical care without charge to you and ensuring you actually get both your retirement and disability payments. That's a cause for both congratulations as well as condolences. At least you had the presence of mind to get to sick call while you were on active duty and get this condition diagnosed and in your SMRs. So many vets are struggling to develop a nexus through inference, buddy letters, spousal statements, etc.

Key thing for you at this point is to get on a CPAP system that works for you and stay on it, or like John, get something else that works. Not sure who or where your current treating physician is, but get something that works for you. I just learned that my heart has been damaged most likely by OSA (not the point of having a ratable secondary condition, though, fortunately!).

Edited January 9, 2015 by TiredCoastie