tinnitus Depression - headaches - non sleep

[Geo4K]

OMG, I just spent an hour plus typing this up and it vanished.  Guess I should have copied it to a Word doc before trying to post.  What a pisser…

 

In 2011 I was given a SC rating of 50% for occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity…. It was tied to a SC disability of degenerative spine disease of C5-C7.  Since that time my neck has gotten worse and with more pain.  My mood has turned pretty dark as I find my thoughts drifting off to being dead and therefore out of pain, now on a daily basis.  So far the only thing that has kept me from doing anything drastic has been the stigma it would attach to my family.  I fear my temper has deteriorated as well and I basically lost my last real friend a month or two ago.  I was last seen (medically) at the VA in 2011 as well.  Now that I want to return for counseling, they tell me that since greater than 2 years have gone by I need to reestablish myself and go through cattle call again…. That’s in mid-November.

 

They also gave me a 0% SC for muscle tensions headaches.  Looks like their biggest beef with my claim is that I did not use the term Prostrating Episode.  I did however describe my 2-3 severe headaches a month that requited me to take Imitrex, NorCal, and lay down in a quiet dark room for 2-3 hours… was that not enough for a 30% rating here? Seems to me that I described a “prostrating episode”, but you tell me please.  My headaches have increased in frequency to up to 5 a month – despite the occipital injections, and Botox shots (30+ per visit).  Botox injections were so bad that I tensed up during the procedure and ended up with shooting neck pain.  I quit the Botox after 2 tries.  They weren’t very effective either. Other than sleeping them off in a quiet dark room for 2-3 hours, nothing helps much.

 

In order to quell the neck pain, I have tried facet injections (helped some but lasted no more than a week) and on 30 June I had radio frequency nerve ablation in the C-spine. That hurt me so bad…. I had no idea how much pain I would be in as the nerves “died” until I read on why I was hurting so bad 2 weeks post procedure – turns out it’s real common.  Pain went away after 7 whole weeks.  See, though I have tried just about everything thrown I me.  Now I am just tired of trying.  BTW: I was rated at 20% for my neck issues… The crux of everything else I have, except Tinnitus.

 

Something I have not, until now, wondered about is my sleep issues.  I have been on sleeping meds for 5 years. Got off the Ambien to something less harsh.  But I have trouble sleeping due to the pain I am in.  Either falling asleep or staying asleep – or both.  Is this something the VA would look at?

 

All this had added up to me fearing for my job.  I am a federal employee with 10 years in (post retirement from the USAF.  I recently had to drop down 2 grades as previously a Contracting Officer (GS-1102) to something less in the critical thinking arena.  Still, I have missed a ton of work over the past several years.  I stayed up typing this as the sharp pain in my neck makes it impossible to sleep right now and I am on track to missing one more day of work.  I fear I will lose my job due to absenteeism.

 

The whole point of this post is my asking you all for “what you think” – I feel I may have left somethings on the table.  It took me 5 years after I retired from the Air Force to file and that got me 80%.  Another 5 has gone my and I feel much worse for the wear.

 

I would appreciate to hear from you all.  I have laid it all out there for you to see.  My candor has never been an issue.

 

Gratefully, Geo

[Buck52]

Like Ms Berta and bronco mention

you need medical Records as evidence on any contention/disability that you appy a claim to,for VA compensation.

The VA Will Consider/Support a S.C. Injury or Disease that you can prove with medical documentation.

Medical Evidence is the Heart of our claims.

jmo

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

[Andyman73]

Geo,

You can always file a claim for increase of your current SCDs.  If your cervical spine has deteriorated as much as you say, new x-rays and MRI images will show the change from before to now.  Some of the ratings are based on range of motion (ROM), so for example, you filed for increase for your neck, and the ROM has changed/worsened, that can get your rating bumped. 

According to my VA MH therapist, pain is well known to influence change in MH and sleep status.  Both are very common causes of depression, or worsening depression that already exists.  But getting it proved and granted for SC is a big challenge with the VA.