Active Duty, Proposed Ratings Are In!

[16in]

Hello all,

Thank you so much to this site for all of the valuable information provided. I am active duty AF with 16.5 years of service. I met with my PEBLO to go over my proposed ratings and given 10 days to decide.
I am married mil to mil, so medically I am covered by Tricare. I will be 100% from the VA so medically I am covered there as well. The DOD rated me at 20% for DDD. I know the majority of the time everyone says to appeal and get the 30%, however I am not sure that I want to do that because my wife is active duty and I am also rated at 100% from the VA.

Here is the proposed list of ratings:
DOD
DDD cervical spine with spondylosis 20%

VA
Migraine 50%
Depression disorder 50%
mid back pain 20%
DDD cervical spine spondylosis(also claimed chronic pain) 20%
Radiculopathy of the upper, middle and lower radiculargroups, left 20%
radiculopathy of the upper.mid,low right(dominant) 20%
right shoulder strain(tendonitis) bilateral 10%
left shoulder strain(tendonitis) bilateral 10%
right elbow strain with limit of flexion(dominant) 10%
right elbow with impairment or supination 10%
hip strain left with painful motion 10%
left knee strain 10%
bilateral metatarsalgia 10%
tinnitus 10%
sinusitis 10%

host of 0%s
very surprised that I got 0% for epiditimitis as that has been ongoing.

It also says compensated at K rate...from what I have read here that is due to ED.

Total VA math is 96 and rounded up to 100%.

From the many calculators I have used, removing the 20% rating for DDD still keeps my rating at 100% VA, does that also mean that the severance would not be recouped?

Any assistance or opinion is welcomed.

Thank you thank you to this forum and a few others. I have been stressed and my anxiety has gone through the roof worrying about this and preparing for the absolute worst. My wife has said that my entire daily demeanor has changed just since last Friday when I was notified. This has been the most stressful past 1.5 years of my entire life. I cannot explain in words how great it feels to almost have this entire process completed.

[JR Reihs]

Do what you feel is right. With that said, you have over 16 years of service and the VA has already rated you at 100%, yet the "DOD" has you at 20%.....No way in hell I would let the DOD off with that piddly 20% when you have medical that states different......IMO, I would appeal the DOD and hang around as long as possible to get a proper and just rating from DOD and all the benefits that come with it. I think you will leave to much at the table if you take the VA an run.......I also think you will regret doing so after the fact, which you will not be able to turn back from.

[63SIERRA]

I dont like to see words like " back pain" knee strain'' neck pain ect.... thats all horseshit .. those are symptoms..

I would get an MRI, of back, and neck, and go let a specialist BLIND read it.. in other words, dont tell them what the VA report says..

you will likely find out your " back Pain" is a slipped disc, pars defect, broken vertebre, arthritis ect..

From the long list of symptoms, you have did they check you for Fibromyalgia? rhumetoid arthritis?

Edited June 9, 2015 by 63SIERRA

[63SIERRA]

ALSO research the difference between SPONDYLOLYSIS AND SPONDYLOLYSIS -THESIS.. BIG DIFFERENCE..

I would bet you have the Thesis.. which means the nerves are likely getting pinched..

[Berta]

Check out all of the CRSC/CRDP info here as you might be eligible for one of these programs.

Not sure on the severance...there is discussion here under a search on that....

You did well THANK YOU for getting a PEBLO to help ....I mention that many times here and Peblos are not always easy to find but some AD service people dont even seek them and need to.

I tried to find a PEBLO for a vet here about 2 years ago and the only thing I got under google in his base locale was PEBLO jobs being advertised.

One more way, in my opinion, VA was not prepared for OIF/OEF, neither the VHA or the VBA was.

[Chuck75]

After seeing pictures of what the "ground pounders" have to carry and wear when they are in the field these days, I'd expect a really significant increase in back and spine injury.

Carrying what they do over rough ground in combat conditions is something that the Vietnam Era soldiers usually did not do if there was any other way out.