Getting Out After 10 Years, Need Advice!

[R&H]

Morning all,

I'm not sure that this is the place for this, but the almost ridiculous security here prevents me from asking anywhere else.

I'm ETS'ing after ten years of service. I was injured in Iraq nearly 5 years ago and now I have had to have surgery to remove some chunks of memory. While doing this the doctors gave me a spinal anesthetic which they screwed up. Now I walk like egor and at a 30 degree angle. Since my ETS is right here a medical chapter was forgone.

Anyway, I have done my part 1 VA physical, given 24 x-rays, all the samples and my what is now list of issues. No doctor seems to want to actually give a label to what is wrong with my spinal cord so I have no idea what to say there. They did an MRI as well and somebody, somewhere said it was normal?

My question to all of you is this. In general what advice do you have for going through this part 2 physical? What are the right and wrong things to say? Maybe what would you have done different? Lastly, where do I stand and what do I do about the fact that nobody will fess up to the fact that my back is screwed, even though I can barely walk on my left leg and can't pick up my friggin' cat?

Obviously my back is my primary complaint and would see the highest disability(since it is). If they base my percentage on anything else to start, I am going to lose on this BIG TIME!

Thank you all for any input and help!

Ray

[john999]

Terry

The military boards and the review boards lie like dogs. It is 100% adversarial. You might get 30% from a military board and be 100% from the VA. Of course the vet will probably choose the VA disability. How can a vet go from say 30% to 100% in the time it takes to be discharged. In my case I got out with no disability and my VA disability was retro to one day after my discharge. I filed within one year of discharge for VA disability. I know the rules are different but they are unjust as well.

[betrayed]

I agree with the other members..except for you don't have to steal those records...if you are still active duty just go up to medical records and ask them for a copy of all your medical records...and if they ask why tell them because you need a copy to keep with you in the event you go on leave home...then go to exray and ask them for a copy of any films they may have tell them the same thing if they ask..

This is the best time for you to start a time line...with all information about who, what, and where,

Also get address of all buddies that have knowledge of what happened if possible get them to write out a letter now...while you are still in...now if they give you an address...it might be a good idea to get a permant address like that of there folks...someone who will know where they are just in case.

If you have any photographs of where you have been that can be added to your timeline...

PLEASE I hope you are keeping a daily diary on how you are feeling...

and for goodness sake if they ask you HOW DO YOU FEEL TODAY...tell them the truth...first if I didn't feel like s@#t I wouldn't be here talking to you!

If you are married perhaps your wife would be a better one to keep a diary on how your days are going...she would be more to the point...*smile*

I would definaly request a Medical Review in writing and KEEP A COPY OF IT FOR YOURSELF AND WHO SIGNED IT...if you hand it in have it time and date stamped and get a copy of that...things tend to disapear once you get out of the Active Service..

Don't let anyone tell you well once you get out you have a year to file...

YOU WANT IT TO BE LOOKED INTO NOW...NOT TOMORROW...

You did not enlist broken...like that sign say's "if you break it you brought it"

same goes here...if they broke you they have to fix you...and if they can't they need to compensate you...

MT

OK steal was a bad choice of words but when you walk into the VA with original SMR's in hand it makes your claim go faster. When I did my retirement physical I went through my smr and noted everything and made copies (3), then I listed all the stuff I found and put in my notes on form DD 2807-1, JUL 2001 (this is the questionaire they give you when you take a physical, and answer yes or no to allot of questions)then you have to explain in box 29. I typed it in box 29 with a old fashioned typwriter in block 30 is basically a empty page and I typed block 29 continued.I took my physical, I went in to see the doctor he looked everything over and filled out a form that gets sent to the VA I will remember the name of it b4 I finish typing. He handed everything to me shook my hand and said good luck and I walked out of the clinic and never walked back in. The form is called Report of Medical Assessment. You fill out the front the doc fills out the back, the original gets sent to the VA except in my case LOL. It says right acros the top this form will be released to the DVA. I am telling you get your hands on everything you can. It has been invaluable to me. A recent note from a VA examiner to a Doctor stated about me in writing "He is shown to be a very accurate historian with regard to his various medical conditions" Get your stuff read it and read it again and then read it again, know it inside out. Like the motto of this website states "Knowledge is Power"