E3marine

[E3marine2nd tanks]

my service was from 1981 to 85 went to sick bay 13 times for lower back issues. Approx year and a half later exploded3 disks roughly 2 years after that ruptured remaining 2disks  as far as I know my back is fused   Va. PCP says full of arthritis and separateing my spine  I have a very hard time walking , due to can’t really feel feet  right hip don’t work correct right knee is same  I go for my c&p exam next week  looking for advice  I barely can work and will never make it to retirement age  I’m 56 now  need some advice 

[GBArmy]

If you have medical records, xrays, mri's, etc. that show the progression of your injuries, I would bring COPIES, not the originals , with me. Kind of late now, but you could have gotten  an additional exam/ eval and a dbq from a civilian doctor as well. If you already submitted all the stuff that you bring next week with your claim, ask the examiner if they have the info and he looked at it, OR, would they like to see what you brought now. You have a lot going on and what I would do is to make sure the examiner has all the medical records he needs to make a decision. Don't push it on him; just offer it because you want to assist them in doing a thorough job.Ask them politely when/how you can get a copy of the exam as well. Remember, don't try to push thru the pain during the exam; try to relate how you act on your WORSE day. Lastly, try to work into the conversation how bad it is, and how it is extremely difficult to work now, never mind 5-10 years from now. I would be good to get positive comments from the examiner about your future unemployability. Think future TDIU. I think your mind set should be positive, but unless you are really lucky and most people submitting claims are not lucky, you should be thinking that you are probably going to submit a NOD because they are going to low-ball you on your claim. Hope I am wrong, but...

[E3marine2nd tanks]

Thank you for the reply gb army.have no records of anything most was  5to 10 years out of service .joined army for 4 years but they would not let me re up but no medical from them . Had no access to personal records but transferred everything to va medical  hopefully they went Thur the records  I have never been thorough anything like this went Thur life never thinking it out  about service time

[GBArmy]

They have a duty to assist. That means they should be providing your military medical records; if you went a dozen times, there has to be at least some record of your problems. It's going to depend on what show; you have to have evidence what happened in the service is the reason you are in bad shape now. If you have to show range of motion in the exam, don't tuff it through; if it hurts, stop and tell them. Your dd214 may also have a notation code about re-enlistment eligibility. If it does, look up the code and see if it helps your case with the examiner. Dollars to donuts you are going to get low-balled if you get any disability at all because of the lack of detail on your supporting evidence. But getting rated, even 10%, would be a major win. Then you can appeal to increase the rating. Go in to the exam, be polite, but try to convey your a hurting dude, and wait for the results.

[E3marine2nd tanks]

Got a letter from c&p exam what does this mean  .cervical spine X-ray:straightening of cervical spine which can be seen with pain spasm or be positional.  Mulileval degenerative changes , particularly at c5 c6 as well as moderate to severe multilevel facet arthropathy.

on section under interpretation it says the cervical spine X-ray with non acute findings consistent with degenerative arthritis,is this good or bad  

[GBArmy]

It's both. It's bad because it is saying how medically damaged your back/spine is. Back pain is constant and doesn't go away, especially with the degenerative arthritus. But from the point of view of your claim, it is good. Look up your conditions on military disability made easy and see where your conditions may fall in the rating for diagnostic codes; there could be several you may be rated for.

[E3marine2nd tanks]

Go army u are the man Thank u