Intro from NC

[pumibel]

Hello fellow Vets,

I have been viewing this forum for a while as a guest, but I think it is better to be a member when one is reading so many personal accounts. Otherwise, I'm just a creeper. I am a single mom and caregiver to my own mom. I was on active duty with the USAF for 12 years, separated honorably from Bolling AFB.  DC did me in, but when I separated in 2004, I really did not think that I would ever file a claim for anything because I had no faith in doctors and no time machine to realize that my health problems would get so much worse within the decade. Anyway, I would like to say that I am not in the same boat as a lot of traumatically injured members here, but many friends and family members have encouraged me to file for compensation because they have seen my physical and mental capacities decline (I am only 42).  Everything started while I was in the military, but the docs would blow me off almost every time I went in for answers. Funny, if I wanted drugs, they were more than helpful, but to press for tests to find out what was wrong- nope. You can't tell them anything, either. 

I only filed my claim a month ago, and I am already sure I did it wrong or back asswards, so I know I have some time to wait. I look forward to discussions here, and thank you all for your service!

[Buck52]

pumibel

Remember if you use a VA Dr as your primary care...and you don't seem to be getting the proper care you seek  or if they fail to answer your questions  you can always request another Dr  and inform them you will be doing that until you find a Dr that will help you and listen to you..I went through boo-coo Dr's until I finally found one that would help me and listen to me   and that made a world of difference.

I wish you the best and keep getting on here to ask questions  no matter what they maybe.

Its good to have you as a hadit member and I enjoy reading all your post.

I admire women like you  having problems of your own and being a mom and being a caregiver to your sweet mother is ..priceless.

I wish you all the best.

 

................Buck

[pumibel]

Awww shucks Buck, I'm blushing! In all honesty, my mom isn't sweet at all, but you are for saying that! lol. 

I called VA yesterday to make an appointment.  I just wanted to make sure I could still see my eye doc in December, but I was told by the lady in the eye clinic that since it had been two years, I would need a referral from my PCP. Okay, my blue button notes from my last eye appt (not quite 2 years ago BTW) states that I should return in 2 years. Fine, hatever- I am overdue to see my PCP, anyway. Next I called the VA to make my PCP appt. The nice man told me that since I had not seen my PCP at the FVAMC in more than two years, I had been removed from that clinic. Whut? 

The reason why I had not seen my PCP in two years: I had given up making appointments with her because in the past I had to wait at least six months to be seen. Then I had to take a list of problems for her to handle in the visit. Even though she concluded that I must have some autoimmune issues, she never did anything else with my case even though she had promised to do more research. My blood work was mostly okay, and she never got back to me as she had promised, so I went on with my life. I needed to make more appointments, but I figured that it would be another 6 or more months again, and then I would have to go through all of this again.  

Now I have a future (Dec) PCP appointment to a clinic that is only 9 miles away. Before, I would go to the Fayetteville VAMC, which is at least 40 miles from my house. I am happy to travel less, but I bet when I take the list to this new doctor I will be starting all over again. Maybe it won't be as bad since the drive is quicker.  I know now to make an appointment at least once a year so I can get blood work and maybe not drop off the list. 

[Andyman73]

Pumibel,

I went throught that as well.  Except I was between visits over 5 years.  I didn't think I would be dropped from the rolls.  My monthly VA check kept coming, so I thought nothing of it.  I got back in at my local clinic, about 8-10 miles from home, instead of 18 country miles.  I had gone to a VA hospital about 40 miles from home, but 10 miles from where I was working at the time.

I make sure to stay current, but my PCP makes it easy, since he's monitoring my hypertension and cholesterol.  So I go every 9 months, and get scheduled for the next one before I leave from the current appointment.

All these issues you wrote about here, I hope you do plan on speaking with your new PCP about them. Tell them how you felt that the other one didn't seem concerned enough with your health to keep on top of your bloodwork and such.  And starting over is better than not at all.

Semper Fi.

Andyman

[pumibel]

I know, Andyman! I figured I would remain a patient even if I didn't go in there that much. Considering the wait time, it seems like they want to keep you from coming in anyway. I have been making a list for my new PCP. I told the last one that I was concerned about being taken seriously, and she seemed so sympathetic and concerned. She was the one who ordered my braces for me too. I think that once they see I have normal blood work they just write me off. Problem is, they may have ordered the wrong blood work, or maybe the blood is not going to show what is wrong. Also, I suspect my MH history might make them question my credibility. I am not delusional or anything, but once you get a dx of depression and anxiety, they want to blame everything on that. Same with fibro. 

[Andyman73]

Pumibel, if they want to blame everything on your MH DX, perhaps you should claim them as secondary to your MH?  I only recently filed for my first MH claim, so I'm really anxious for that.  Mine is for depression secondary to chronic pain.  This where having your STR comes into play.  You can show where you were treated for various issues while on AD, and they can be primary SC claims, or secondary if they showed up after your service.

Semper Fi.

Andyman

 

[pumibel]

That is what I did, actually. My logic is that I was doing well, handling my responsibilities and the stress, then we had Sept 11, anthrax letters, and the DC snipers all in a one year period, give or take. During that time I was a rock. I had to be calm and reliable for others, and I had to take on duties that had nothing to do with my official job. I think my first cracks appeared in 2002 or 2003, when I was having so much random pain. I was already terrified to drive anywhere that was unfamiliar, and I had also started grinding my teeth and jumping at every noise. My body was always so tight from tension that I would get muscle spasms. One of the dentists at Bolling had done casts of my teeth to make me a night guard because I was wearing down the molars, but it was close to my separation. When he called me back to let me know that he would have to redo the impressions, I was officially a civilian, still working on base. I couldn't get an appointment again because the dental office was for active duty and dependents. 

My tension never went away, so my muscles and tendons were always tight, and I started to have chronic fatigue and serious depression. I was dxed with the fibromyalgia in 2006, and I had to leave my GS-11 position in 2008 to go back home to mama. I had become a total mess by then. I was on some MH meds, but they were not the right kind, apparently, and the chemical imbalance along with Effexor withdrawal made me an invalid for two years. Once I was in the VA system in 2010 I was diagnosed with anxiety, depression, social phobia, and recently my pdoc put forward a tentative PTSD, but not really a solid DX.

Even if I don't have clinical PTSD, I feel like the long periods of extreme anxiety and tension have led to my musculoskeletal pain and neurological issues. Anxiety--> physical tension-->grinding teeth = back, neck, jaw pains and fibromyalgia. Oxidative stress can lead to autoimmune issues. All the teeth grinding and muscle tension can lead to migraines. So that kinda means I blame it on MH too lol! Some of my issues are also due to repetitive injury though, of course. I had migraines before 2001, but not before I entered the military. 

All of this should be in my STR, and I pray that it is!