Menieres Disease Claim

[Globe2280]

I am on active duty AF for 12 years now and starting to undergo a MEB for Ménière’s Disease that started at the beginning if the year. Although I meet the critera for 100% sine I was diagnosed by an ent off base, I am concerned about the C&p exam. In the docs notes it stated that I have 2-3 episodes a week with fullness. An ringing in the ears. In one instance he also mentions that I have an aaxix gait during the episodes.  Use 6205 outline cerebellar gait. I am wondering if ataxic gait is specific enough. I have also do eninhections that unfortunately have not helped much. Any advice or recommendation  is greatly appreciated. Happy Veterans Day!

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[GBArmy]

Globe2280 If you are still active, what you have to do is attend the PT sessions and exams as required. Be sure to ask for copies of your events in case i.e. your medical str's.  You may have to appeal when you first get out and it is a wise person to get copies and save them for any medical event you have in the service. Prior to processing out you have the opportunity to see specialists that are supposed to guide you thru the procedures  for medical claims/medical discharge. Get the advise.This holds constant no matter what your potential claim will be. Once you are out, if you have to submit new clains, come back here and we can help.

[broncovet]

The criteria for VA's is here:

https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/38/4.87

 Its not unusual that the military low balls you.  Its extremely important for you to apply to the VA within 12 months of your exit from service.  I am not qualified to opine on Med Board, but maybe someone else will chime in who has been MEB.

Im not a doctor and I dont know what difference, if any there are between "cerebellar gait" mentioned in the criteria or "ataxic gait" that you mentioned. 

However, looking up these terms the end result seems to be similar. 

My suggestion is you apply at your earliest convience with VA.  Fill out the correct application form, and its okay to ask the doctor the diffences between 

ataxic gait and cerebellar gait....surely he knows better than I do.  

If VA denies you, (as they do about 80-85 percent of the time) then you will have to appeal to get your benefits.  The same thing if they lowball you.  

If you go in expecting to have to appeal, you are unlikely to be disappointed.  

Whatever you do, keep 2 copies of your military service records, including the dd214, as VA loves to lose those so often, there is a special regulation when VA loses some or all of your service records:  38 cfr 3.156(c).  

Use one copy for yourself, and keep the other in a vault.  Should you lose your copy, then make a copy of the one in the vault and use it. 

DO NOT DEPEND ON VA TO KEEP TRACK OF YOUR SERVICE RECORDS, there is financial incentive for VA to lose them.  And, there is incentive for you to keep them.  Sure, you may never have a problem with this.  But if you have answered thousands of questions here, like I have, you would know that so many others have had VA lose their service records, I have memorized that regulation: 38 cfr 3.156 C 

 

 

[broncovet]

At your c and p exam, tell the truth but tell the examiner what happend on your WORST day. 

So if the examiner asks, "How are you?"  Then tell him how you felt on your worst day, not necessarily today.  

If Thursday you fell and had to stay in bed all day, then so state.  Dont tell him you are "fine".  Instead, tell him you are better today, but on Thrusday.....(what happened).