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How To Know What Injury Or Event Connects Current Issues

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flow1972

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Some of you know, I'm new to all of this.  I feel like I'm trying to build a 5,000 piece puzzle with no picture or instructions to look at.  I currently have 10% SC for Tinnitus.  I have a C&P scheduled for the 18th of November for my PTSD caused by MST Claim.  I have a ton of things in my SMR's as well as CMR's that I have no idea how to connect the dots on.  Is there some "place" or "person" that assists with this stuff???  I feel lost, and I'm a Data person.

I have currently diagnosed conditions:

1. Carpal Tunnel

2. Raynaud's

3. IBS/Spastic Colon

4.  Current Gastritis 

5.  Just had my Tonsils out at 46 (yep...tonsil lesion after decades of recurrent pharyngitis/Strep/Tonsilitus)

6.  Lower back disk degeneration (been on my Xrays for years)

7.  Arthritis in hands (not RH)

8.  Cold Sores

9.  Asthma/Allergies

10.  Right Hip (Injections a few months ago)

11.  Vertigo (I believe it's Motorist Vestibular Disorientation, but the one time I asked my PCP about it, they thought it may be my allergies causing it)

I left service back in 1996.  I had just had my first child and was still recovering from the affects of Pre-Eclampsia.  ( All over my SMR's.)  No physical at Separation. I have things in my SMR's where I had Asthma as a child but no issues since early childhood (on my Entrance paperwork).  I also have an entry where they state there was a review of my Medical Records (Security Review for Above Top Secret) and "No Chronic Illnesses" or something to that affect.  I literally had 9 cases of URI/Bronchitis/Phneumonia or a related lung issue in my 5 years of service logged in my SMR's. 

There was 12 cases of Strep/Pharyngitis/Tonsillitis along with a visit for some stomach issues that went on for several weeks (pretty sure this is when my IBS started showing up), a broken 9th rib (got kicked by a horse in Germany), Left Ankle Overuse Syndrome (I don't know why it says this because I'm pretty sure that's when I got sever shin-splints in both legs), Right ankle sprain, left knee strain, left hand and wrist injury, left thigh myalgia 2nd degree strain..then I started having to be given meds for allergies/Asthma episodes again the last few years in service.  I had a ganglian cyst removed from my right hand just a little over a year after I left service...I've read there isn't a "known" true cause but arthritis can be a possible cause...

I'm just overwhelmed with what relates to what and so forth.  My Carpal Tunnel...you know they'll try to say that's 100% due to my work as a Data Analyst when the "know" hand/wrist injuries as well as job duties that require repetition also contribute...I even have a note in my SMR's about my fingers being numb while I was pregnant, but I guarantee they'll attribute that to the Edema from the Pre-E.  So.....how do you work through it all in the best way NOT to screw yourself????

Edited by flow1972
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17 hours ago, vetquest said:

My word @Vync.  After that I have nothing to add.  You should write a book about applying for benefits. 😎

Well, I just added that as part of a blog entry here. I'm not sure if all that info is current, but wanted to give a good once-over to veterans new to the system. I remember relying on my VSO for my initial claims and they cared about me long enough to get me out of their office. If I had known then what I know now, I would not have had near as many troubles with the VA system.

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12 hours ago, vetquest said:

 

How on earth were they able to say the injury was "Pre-Existing" if you'd been in for 6 years with no problems!!??  That's just crazy!  How did you finally get it all straightened out, and how long did it take you?

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17 hours ago, flow1972 said:

Wow!  You are wealth of information!  I have done quite a bit of what you already outlined.  I have my SMR's already.  I already requested and rcvd my in-patient records from in service.  I don't have the X-Ray scans though.  I'll have to request those.  I haven't been seen by a VA Doc/Facility yet.  I just got registered to use them last week.  I've gathered most of my CMRs.  I do have a gap from when I got out for a few years...can't remember the PCP I used way back then.  I had surgery on my hand just a little over a year after leaving service though, and I finally have those records being sent to me.  I think the old PCP is on them as the "referring physician".  I have my personnel records, but I noticed the leave requests and such weren't included.  Not that I need those at this time; just noticed that kind of stuff wasn't included.  I got out in 1996, and I've kept the giant file of my SMR's for years.  Just figured they'd come in handy one day...and here we are.  LOL  I'm also in the process of scanning everything and noting what each sheet contains and date as well as making a spreadsheet to cross-reference.  I'm a Data Analyst (actually a BI Manager now), so I'm all about detail and easy look-up.  I have the OSI Investigation Report and am in the process of obtaining the Action Report from the assault that happened to me in Germany.  So...I'm getting up to speed as quick as I can.  I've decided to focus on one thing at a time...otherwise, it's just too much information to unpack and really understand.  I have my C&P for my PTSD due to MST claim coming up in November.  I'm SERIOUSLY not looking forward to that....literally to the point of it's making me sick to my stomach.  So...to take my mind off of it, I started building out a folder itemizing the many URI/Bronchitis/Walking Pneumonia/Asthmatic Bronchitis/Allergic Rhinitis/Allergy entries in my SMRs.  Building out a time line..then going to work on the CMRs that link to that stuff and see what it all looks like.  That's a lot in and of itself..so, one major thing at a time.  Really appreciate the info!

That's a really good start. Things like the x-ray imaging scans are not always required, but are good to have. I had to pick up an MRI disc recently to take to a non-VA neurologist. The doc went over the actual images and told me exactly what she found, which is something the VA practically never does. She also needed to review the images in order to write me an independent medical opinion.

If you can't remember your civilian PCP, you might want to check with your private insurance. They tend to keep billing records going back 10 years. I had the same issue and was able to find out who treated me. I had to pay about $25 for them to print and mail the records, but it was worth it.

Leave requests are considered unit records and can be purged periodically if the admins did their job properly. Better unit admins will ask if you want to keep forms like those, but a lot would just shred them.

You did the right thing by keeping the records you have. When I got out in 1995, the out processing center told me to take my personnel and medical records to the VA officer in my town. I talked with them and they made a copy, but told me to keep the originals in a safe place and never give them to the VA.

Lol, I'm a programmer at a company that does data archiving. I just opted for a master Excel spreadsheet and kept the files separate.

Yes, definitely take things at a steady place. Don't wear your self out. Give yourself time to rest and recharge.

Regarding your upcoming C&P, check out the DBQ for the exam. That will give you a good idea of what to expect, but they may not ask every question on the form. Also research here about other people's experiences. You can also visit a VA vet center and talk to their counselors if you don't feel comfortable talking with the VA just yet. It's ok to tell them what you are going through. They can help get a load off your chest. Additionally, check T-Bird's articles about what to do before a C&P exam. Don't go in not knowing what to expect.

 

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3 minutes ago, Vync said:

 

 

I can't tell you enough how much I appreciate all of the assistance and information I've been able to pick up from this forum.  I feel like an idiot going this long and just having no clue the benefits that were actually available to me. 

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1 minute ago, flow1972 said:

I can't tell you enough how much I appreciate all of the assistance and information I've been able to pick up from this forum.  I feel like an idiot going this long and just having no clue the benefits that were actually available to me. 

I'm just glad I am able to help. I had nobody to really guide me when I started with the VA in 1995.

Don't feel like that. When we got out, they really didn't tell us anything or offer any guidance. When people leave the service today, they actually help them get everything lined up before they get out. That probably happened because too many folks like us made them aware of how they were letting us down.

 

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42 minutes ago, flow1972 said:

How on earth were they able to say the injury was "Pre-Existing" if you'd been in for 6 years with no problems!!??  That's just crazy!  How did you finally get it all straightened out, and how long did it take you?

The military was able to say it was pre-existing because they bypassed the review board required for all medical discharges, it was illegal.  It took the work of the NCOA, a retired general, the Navy Times, and a case at the Board of corrections of the Navy to get it corrected.  It took five years, without benefits before I was retired.  The good news is that it shined a light on a process that the Navy was using to bypass the system and other veterans also had their discharges re-evaluated.  Sometimes the system is rigged and all we can do is our best to correct it.

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