Advice for someone still on Active Duty?

[Skull]

I've been reading a while but finally decided to jump in, make an account and ask some questions.  I'm still Active Duty and have a couple years until retirement.  I'm old by military standards (49) and have a number of medical problems but most of them aren't documented much at all.  It's just difficult to find time to see doctors much and even then I don't know how the system works.

Anyway, let me give you an example of what I'm talking about:  I have gout pretty bad.  I take medicine but still have attacks fairly regularly (at least one every couple months).  I have seen specialists and they have increased my meds but they say it-is-what-it-is at this point.  I do my best and nobody gives me a rough time at work.  They can see I am doing my best to deal with it.  Thing is, I don't go to the doctor's office anymore when I have an attack.  What would be the point?  I already know the attack is because of gout.  Besides, by the time I can get an appointment the uric acid level has probably already gone down (and the attack might even be over).  Plus, in the past I have worried that missing more work for medical appointments might lead to me getting med boarded out of the Army.  That's not as much a concern at this point since I am nearing 18 years but I still don't want to miss work more than necessary.

And while we're on the subject, I looked up the ratings for gout and here's what I found:

Quote

With constitutional manifestations associated with
active joint involvement, totally incapacitating.................................................... 100

Less than criteria for 100% but with weight loss and anemia
productive of severe impairment of health or severely
incapacitating exacerbations occurring 4 or more times a
year or a lesser number over prolonged periods.................................................... 60

Symptom combinations productive of definite impairment of
health objectively supported by examination findings or
incapacitating exacerbations occurring 3 or more times a year................................ 40

One or two exacerbations a year in a well-established diagnosis............................. 20

I'm confused by the wording.  What is "incapacitating" versus "severely incapacitating"?  And who would determine that?  Sometimes I can't drive because of a gout attack so I get my wife to drive me to work.  If it's bad enough that I have trouble hobbling around, then I will use crutches.  But basically none of my day-to-day stuff is being documented.  I'm sure if someone looked at my records they would think I rarely have attacks.

So what should I be doing?  Is there some way to document this without being ridiculous and going to the doc constantly?

[Navy04]

Welcome aboard, and too get an account on here right before I was Medically retired so I could learn the process. Incapacitating or Severely  episode means that a few times a year, you have such bad Gout that you can not work or do most things of daily living. I have rarely seen Vets get higher then 20% unless they are unable to work. All Vets coming out think they should be granted 100%, but we find out the hard way that it takes alot for the VA and Govt to give us a 100% of anything. Just continue to seek treatment, and make sure that it is all well documented in your military records, and on your exit exam if you make it to Retirement or the Military Decides to Med you out. I was offered a lot of money to do Medical Discharge, nope, instead I took the Medical Retirement with No Severance. If you get Med Boarded, Medical Discharge its like you were never in the Military, Medical Retirement is alot more benefits, plus Life insurance along with Military Retired Pay, unless your VA pay is higher, which is Tax Free and preferred pension to receive. Good luck and Keep us posted. God Bless

[Holllie Greene]

Hi Skull,

Welcome.  You will not find a better group of people anywhere---Hadit is THE rockstar of websites.

Anyway, my advice is to keep your shot record, something I wish I could have remembered to do.

Have a good day.

HG

[Skull]

On 1/17/2018 at 9:43 AM, Navy04 said:

Welcome aboard, and too get an account on here right before I was Medically retired so I could learn the process. Incapacitating or Severely  episode means that a few times a year, you have such bad Gout that you can not work or do most things of daily living. I have rarely seen Vets get higher then 20% unless they are unable to work. All Vets coming out think they should be granted 100%, but we find out the hard way that it takes alot for the VA and Govt to give us a 100% of anything. Just continue to seek treatment, and make sure that it is all well documented in your military records, and on your exit exam if you make it to Retirement or the Military Decides to Med you out. I was offered a lot of money to do Medical Discharge, nope, instead I took the Medical Retirement with No Severance. If you get Med Boarded, Medical Discharge its like you were never in the Military, Medical Retirement is alot more benefits, plus Life insurance along with Military Retired Pay, unless your VA pay is higher, which is Tax Free and preferred pension to receive. Good luck and Keep us posted. God Bless

Wow, thanks!  That's great info! I just figured gout would be rated higher because it does rather much incapacitate you sometimes.  The whole system is a bit bizarre.

[Skull]

On 1/17/2018 at 12:06 PM, Holllie Greene said:

Hi Skull,

Welcome.  You will not find a better group of people anywhere---Hadit is THE rockstar of websites.

Anyway, my advice is to keep your shot record, something I wish I could have remembered to do.

Have a good day.

HG

Keep the shot record?  Interesting - I never would have thought of that.  Thanks!

[Carl the Engineer]

A few things,

Make at least 18 years, then the reg covers you till retirement.  Armys version of the golden parachute.  As long as you don't screw up and commit a crime, you're good to go.

Second, go to the doctor a lot till you retire.  The VA will not believe anything if it is not on paper.  Keep all your medical records at home, and get the ones you don't have.  Two years is a long time, but not when looking for medical records.  Especially when you get out.  If your lucky they WILL go to St Louis.  They could end up shredded or in a dumpster.  I got some of my Iraq medical records six years after I got out with a Congressional request.  They didn't exist and then an envelope showed up from some medical unit I never heard of.

Lastly, most senior people in the military like to hide their ailments, to stay deployable, etc., but now is not the time for you.  If your foot hurts, go in and have it looked at.  They could send you home and tell you that you have arthritis and take some motrin.  We'll now because it is on paper, you should be service connected for arthritis if you file for it after you retire.  And that can contribute to other joints, etc.  Whicn can later be service connected secondary etc.

The bottom line is if you go to the VA missing one of your legs because it got blown off in Vietnam, but don't have paper to show that it happened in service, we'll now you're just a one legged man,     "next"......

paper, paper, paper.........

Hamslice

 

Edited January 19, 2018 by Hamslice
cause I can

[Grumpbox]

@Skull

Welcome and I am sure you've heard this before: If you don't take care of yourself - who else will????

Remember - while you on active duty, you are an important part of the machine.  However, once you leave the Army, the Army will never remember you or claim to have known you.  Again, be diligent and follow prior guidance herein.  

A little bit about my background.  

I was a PT maniac...Combat Arms guy that worked my way to the top of the ranks for an Enlisted Soldier.  I basically thought I was indestructible.  If someone told me to attack a tree, I would and gnaw at it until I defeated that tree.  I was bulletproof!  My Platoon Motto when I was a Platoon Sergeant was: We stop when one of two things happen: Someone pukes or messes up his shorts!!

Well, time and all that destruction you do to your body in preparation of combat, in defense of this nation will eventually catch up with you.  Trust me!  You can't outrun time, buddy!

After I redeployed from an 18 month deployment to Iraq, it all started happening to me.  Everything on my body began to fail...and I mean everything.  I still had about two-three years left before I was able to retire.  However, my body was falling apart so rapidly that I had no choice but to seek various doctors for ailments that began to preclude me doing basic PT requirements.  Then I realized after numerous MRIs that I had major issues in my hips, shoulder, lower back, and some other areas.  GUESS WHAT?  If I'd had not taken care of this before my retirement, the chances of the VA giving me disability for this would be nil.  Plus, the advantage to having this evaluated BEFORE you retire, is that you can get each condition SERVICE CONNECTED, which accounts for an easier process applying for VA disabilities!!!  

Eventually, I was MED-Boarded, endured the PEB, went of the TDRL and a few years later was classified/listed on the PDRL.  FINALLY!!!  I was finally considered RETIRED from UNCLE SAM/DOD.  

Do your homework!  Go to the doctor while on Active Duty!  

If you ever need to reach out to me about further details; especially, if you enter the MED/PEB - please don't hesitate to shoot me an email.

Grumpbox!