Looking for advice

[Juiced]

I was informed on monday to file for VA disability and SSDI by my primary care doctor.    To tell you the truth, it is not something I had not contemplated before and now I am not sure on what I can or need to do.  At the moment, I have been under treatment for HLA B27, depression, bipolar, social anxieties, and am being examined for cause on frequent passing out for no apparent reasons and under various circumstances.  The mental problems have been controlled so far by medication but increases in dosage and changes in medication types have become more frequent as the I may show proper dosage in blood tests, the symptoms reappear after a period of time.  The unexplained passing out, I am currently under treatment by a neurologist, cardiologist, and a lung specialist as they haven't pinpointed the cause.  Right now, I have undertaken multiple CAT scans, heart scans, a heart harness (5 day,) and breathing tests.  So far, no firm diagnosis but they have their theories.  As I show no overt symptoms, and the passing out is random, it has been made extremely difficult to pin it down. 

The passing out at random is bad, but it is the HLA B-27 that has hit me the worse.  I am showing no signs of spinal fusion, but I have had frequent inflamations in the back, eyes, and groin/lower intestinal region.  I am currently taking medication for it but it is not always effective.  I've gone down from an attack every month-6 weeks to an attack every couple months (in the left eye and have lost almost 30% vision in the last year) but have had 2 inflammations in the back that required direct steroid shots and pain medication as the pain was from the lower back to the soles of the feet.  That one has kept me out of work for the last 2 months as work will not allow me back in until I get clearance to return to full duties due to the risks and needs of the job.  So currently, not able to return to work and finding another line of work has resulted in no positions due to having to fill out explanations for missed days at my previous/current employer. 

Right now, I am not sure what to do or if I even meet the standards and I will take as much advice as I can get. 

[Juiced]

As far as diagnosing, the only link that I've ever seen was the genetic discrepancy that could be discovered by a blood test and even that isn't conclusive.  So it falls back to the doctors opinion.  I've been poked, prodded, pricked, and scanned enough that I think the VA could build a duplicate of me if they were into cloning.    But it was a rheumatologist that gave me the final diagnosis (after 2 or so years of testing) and is the one driving my treatment (of which there is little but preventative meds.)  As to reiters, he explained to me the similarities and the differences between them and how he made his determinations, I just can't remember how or what they are at this time.  Looking over your links, there are a lot of similarities though.   As for getting a second opinion, that is not an option of me at the moment....  I'm struggling to just keep my place at the moment.  I can't get help from SNAP or other services because technically, I still have a job but am waiting for clearance to go back to work.  Work won't fire me or release me because under state law, I could get unemployment so they're claiming they can't as they don't have a valid reason to release me. If I quit, I become ineligible for help.  And I can't get other work due to the explaining why I am still technically working and explanations on why I missed so many days.  It's not helping my mental issues right now, but the prozac seems to have frozen my mind anyway so they aren't hitting as hard as usual.

As to duty stations, it was mainly US and with a year in Germany.  As to getting sick from contaminated food, only once and that was from a possibly bad MRE as that was all I had that day.  I ate breakfast and was sick as a dog by lunch and in the medical station soon after.  But it would be hard to tell as back then, I shrugged off many things as annoyances and ignored them until whatever was bugging me went away.

[Juiced]

18 minutes ago, Berta said:

Gee we were posted here at same time..I guess it is not Reiter's syndrome.

I get concerned when I see posts like yours. 

My husband was misdiagnosed ,and even undiagnosed at all, for multiple conditions clearly documented in his medical records,  that the VA agreed was malpractice. They didn't state 'malpractice'; in the awards, just "multiple deviations from a usual standard of care."....that contributed to his death ( age 47)

I am sure you feel you are getting good care but I dont know what you should claim, except all of the symptoms.

Claim depression and anxiety as well- they are treating you for that and anyone with a disability that is "rare" and affects them this way, certainly can have  a psycholocical affect from it.

I will try to find something in the BVA links that might help- as to the decisions with HLA B27 in them.

I do appreciate it.  Right now, mentally, I have good days and bad days and the prozac has pretty much relegated me to present but not here status even on the good days.  It gets hard some days to keep track of what needs to be looked at, done, and researched.  Today is one of my good days, so going to try to make the most of it.