TDIU and going for scheduler

[Lfox]

 my saga

90% TDIU 8 years

7 back surgeries, 20% degenerative disc, 10% Radiculopathy, 70% stress disorder, 30% bladder

During one of my later surgeries on my spine the operation went completely sideways. They were installing a spinal stimulator and it didn’t go well. When I woke up I was paralyzed from the neck down and bleeding internally at the surgical site. I had to be rushed back and reopened to rectify the screw up. After I woke up the second time, I regained most of my movement back except for the use of my bladder. I’ve never urinated naturally since that day and man do I really, really miss it. I have to use a two foot piece of tubing in order to extract the urine. Which you could imagine builds up some animosity over the years. Coupled with a bad case ED from this procedure now we’re really having fun. I did get the bladder connected rate away and left it at that. My tendency to ignore things I don’t know how to process really hampers my existence.

So my only interactions with the VA was just calling every three months to renew my gear and meds. Fast forward to 14 months ago I woke up one morning screaming because it felt like my balls had gone 12 rounds with Mike Tyson. It’s been 14 god awful months and it still hasn’t subdued. It hurts so bad I vomit regularly due to the pain. My blood pressure was sent out of control.The headaches are also unreal. I even had some old hernias repaired on my gut to see if just maybe that would help, it didn’t. It was suggested it was a nerve spinal issue. So 5 days ago, I go get an mri done on the surgical site. My doctor calls me and tells me to come in and didn’t elaborate on the test. I did so and he then informs me I had a stoke in my spine, from the surgery, Also that the bladder hypertension, headaches and testicular pain were connected to this issue.
As far as the VA said they pretty much told me it was a medical mystery all these years and it might come back. They never said anything about a stroke and just thought it was the pressure on my spine when I was filling up with blood during the surgery. All the built up and suppressed rage from over the years came flooding out. I broke down, but am ok now. But, I’m worried that I my die from this sooner or later heart attack or another stroke it won’t be service connected and my wife and kids are SOL. I have no idea where to start. How do I S.C this VA surgical debacle? It was 6 years ago. They were installing it due to an S.C issue. I have chronic pain upper and lower back. I’m pretty much a professional with ignoring the pain what I can’t control (high bp during episodes, monster headaches, risk of stroke) is what scares me. Any direction on what type of claims this would start as is greatly appreciated. Thank you for reading

 

[broncovet]

 

Focusing in on your family (mostly getting DIC as I shall assume if they wanted to go to college under DEA chapter 35, they would have done so), you need to do 2 things:

1.  Get SC for any condition(s) that may cause death, if possible.  

2.  Better yet, hang on until you have been P and T 10 years, and then any cause of death should get your spouse DIC. 

3.  In any case you should instruct your spouse:

a.  If you have claims pending such as appeals, she needs to do a substitution of claimant, promptly, to continue with your appeals.  

b.  She needs to know "what to do" to apply for DIC, especially good if you have a VSO or attorney with which to refer her to. 

Next, on to yourself.  I put your family first, because that seemed to be your biggest concern.  

For YOU, Live each day as if it may be your last "even tho" your last day may come 30 years or more down the road.  

   There is a country western song, I beleive its titled, "Live like you were dying".  

He said he spent 10 seconds on a bull named "fu men chew".  He also said he "loved deeper", and hoped others got the chance to "live like you were dying".  

    This is a great chance for you to learn to "love your family deeper".  By focusing on your family, and loving them deeper, you may not notice the pain you are in all that much.  

    Most importantly, get right with your maker.  If you have a "beef" with someone, forgive them and mean it, no matter who it is, how long ago it happened, and how much they hurt you.  More hurt means more forgiveness needed.  

     After you have forgiven everyone, then you can ask God to forgive you, but it does not work unless you forgave others first.  

     I have never met anyone who said, on their death bed, "Gee, I wish I would not have forgiven those people".  Never.  

     I wrote my mother a letter and enclosed a check.  The check said, "One million dollars worth of love".  I meant every dollar's worth.  I found the check, going through her things some 10 years or so later after she passed.  

     It is my desire that "not one word" of this is meant to harm you, and if you feel harmed by anything, please forgive me.  My intent was only to ease your pain.   I dont always get that right, either.  

    

[Lfox]

I appreciate your reply. Do I need to give my private doctor a dbq to fill out for anything I want to Service connect? I’m seeing conflicting opinions.

[broncovet]

Your private doc is probably good at TREATING your conditions, but getting them SC is a new ball game. 

My advice is to get your medical records, and see if you have the caluza elements for each new condition.  

This means you would need a nexus statement, and a diagnosis by the doctor.  (The "in service event" has to be supplied by your military records, your doctors can not create an in service event back while you were in service.  

 

If, however, your doc is familiar with "what VA wants", then you can have him provide that.  

Some, well meaning private phyisicans make mistakes like:

1.  Your condition "could be" related to service.  Fail.  VA calls that speculative.  

2.  Your condition "may be" related to service.  Fail.  See above.  

      Instead, your doctor needs to say something close to "your __________(diagnosis) is at least as likely as not related to (an event in service). "

Your doc must also proved a CV, be competent to provide a professional medical opinion, and provide a medical rationale as to why he made this opinion.  

      The DBQ is far less important than the nexus.