Looking for any info or stroys concerning a medical board. Two years ago i hurt my back while in the coast guard, the findings were i had a herinated disk. I did all the PT I could do and even recieved the epideral steriod injections.

Make a long story short, last Dec my disk collasped while duck walking in my ffe. I had to have surgery (disk fusion). My recovery has been going great and even passed my physical fitness test. Well last week it started acting up again. Anyway I am sure I will recieve some type of medical board since I was on light duty for about a year with surgery and everything.

If the coast guard wants to cut me loose which I dont want, will i recieve any benefits?

Just wanted to add that i only have about three years of service.

My recommendations..... Be sure to get everything documented in your health record... take copies home and start a file there as well... you will need it for a VA claim...

My other recommendation is not to wear all that Army and National Guard stuff on your uniform (I doubt you do...just had to throw it in there... )

Wray...

929-

ABSOLUTELY what WRAY said. As; from what I've read of your posts on here, this is kind of a multi year saga, RIGHT NOW, make a copy of EVERYTHING in any way, shape, or form related to this injury and what you've gone thru. Make a copy of it, and keep it at home.

And if(or maybe it sounds more like WHEN) ya get med boarded and released, make ANOTHER copy of everything and submit it to the VA with your claim for a service connected disability. And for future reference, NEVER send ANYTHING to the VA without first making a copy of it for yourself.

And as far as them pain injections, and it sounds as if you may have already learned this; the hard way, understand that the ONLY THING them injections do is mask or cover up the pain. They don't fix nothing, they don't make nothing better, all they do is anestitize(in this case) your back so ya don't feel nothing.

Thru the years I've had 'em all, epidurals, branch blocks, and caudals, and thats all they do.

Ya gotta be so careful if yer taking them injections. Ya can't feel nothing, so ya think theres nothing wrong. Your body (from the affected area) no longer issues them pain warning signals and all of a sudden something like humping outboards around while your working on them or cutting firewood for 3 or 4 hours sounds like a good idea. Then 2, 3, or 6 months later when the injection cocktail wears off your in more pain than you've ever been in your life.Its kinda human nature , Ya "feel good" so ya wanna do stuff, and your body isn't sending your brain the signals that ya shouldn't, so ya do it.

I got issues at both ends of my spine, cervical & lumbar, with both "innie" and "outie" disks, and nerve impingement, and it ain't fun, lemme tell ya. And I've had no surgery to date, my choice, and it will probably be a piece before I decide to go that route. I'll have surgery; which has already been recommended multiple times by VA doctors, when; after I ask them if this surgery will make my back any better, they say something other than "maybe".

It also sounds your like me in that whatevers wrong in your back is progressing and degenerating.

I'm older than you, I was 55 this past May, but the initial injury that started all this happened 28 years ago when I was on active duty in the USCG. Between then and now some of the problems have come about as a result of me being young and foolish and making stupid decisions but also as a result of getting less than good medical care and guidance from Military and VA Doctors.

Be VERY careful about taking medication as well. Not just narcotic pain killers, but some of them "wonder drugs" too. Theres a couple on the market right now, that are WELL advertized and more than likely if you watch more than an hour of TV today you'll see an ad for at least one of them. They may provide some benefit, but they also pack quite a wallop in terms of bad side effects. PERMANENT side effects, that don't go away just cause ya stop taking them. These drugs alter your bodies chemistry, and they alter it permanently.

I'm not trying to lecture or treat you like ya don't have a clue, I'm just trying to impart what almost 30 years of "on-the-job training" has taught me.

And DO NOT back down (if and) when ya go to the VA for a service connected disability. DO NOT be disheartened or think your not hurt as bad as you think you are if at first the VA only gives you a low disability rating(VA disability comp rated 0 to 100%, higher the % amount, higher the level of disability, higher the monthly check), thats kinda "SOP" for the VA, Totally deny or give you a low percentage 1st time around. You can, by law, appeal just about every decision they make.

Thats also almost "SOP" for the veteran and the VA. They rate, you appeal.

Also, (if and)when ya go to the VA for a service connected disability, be prepared to W--A--I--T, for possibly multiple years. Almost guaranteed if ya have multiple issues and appeal.

I mean, there is the possibility ya file your claim and 4 months later ya get what ya think your SC disabilities are worth. But also understand that irregardless of what anybody on here says, irregardless of anything you read in the media or on the VA's website, there is still a backlog of almost 6 HUNDRED THOUSAND cases. It was that way yesterday, its that way today, and it will be that way tomorrow.

I ain't saying any of this to scare or depress you, its just the way it is. If ya have a tough road with the VA you will not have been the only vet to experience that.

All I'm doing is trying to hit the high points of what my "on-the-job training" with the VA has taught me.

Pre-plan and educate yourself. There is ALOT of veteran information available online, up to and including this:

http://forums.military.com/eve/forums/a/cfrm/f/293191012

which is on the same website that hosts this arena. And there is ALOT more out there. People with extensive knowledge and experience in this area, up to and including both current and former VA employees that just wanna help out a vet.

SORRY I babbled on so long-JRC

Thanks for all the info, just trying to plan early. I want to stay in and healthy but mind and body work differently as you know. Thanks again for the advice.

Glad to hear surgery worked for someone. I had 2 spinal fusions and a decompressive laminectomy. 6 screws, 3 rods. It didn't work for the pain in my pelvis and right leg. Have to use a cane and am on pain killers. Seems like the pain gets worse every week. It's hard. I'm just at the first stage of an MEB with 19 yrs, 1 month. I'll keep you posted and good luck to you Sir...

Geez BOATGOD, SAME thing they want me ta do. Both Lumbar and cervical. The procedures have different names based on where it is on yer spine, but its basically still the same thing.

Same symptoms as well, I just love them "lightning bolts" of pain that go blasting down my leg, and then everything goes totally dead numb. Its so pleasant.

Cervical is lovely as well. Rotate my neck it sounds like I'm trying to crush a walnut in there, or I got a 1/2 rachet drive in there that needs to be taken apart and cleaned and greased.Picking either arm up over the height of the shoulder isa big no-no, headaches I can trace the path of right from my neck to the front of my noggin, and them same "lightning bolts" of pain and spasm going into my arms. My hands and fingers work like I got two sets of wet wool mittens on, and I got all these weird unpleasant muscle contractions and spasms in my arms.

And like I said, and sadly what sounds like you learned the hard way, I'll take the surgery when; after I ask the Doctors if the operations will actually improve anything or take any reasonable amount of the pain/spasm symptoms away, they say somethin other than "maybe".

And prescription medications(thats where I'm going with this "929" PM'd me and asked me about 'em), I don't touch 'em anymore. I take 2 tylenol at bedtime, and if I'm havin a really bad day I might take 2 during the day. I take vitamin "B", and omega 3 fish oil, thats it.

"BTDT" with the pain meds thank you very much. Lets see, what drugs they had me on??? I don't remember half of 'em.

For pain killers- percocet, demerol, morphine sulfate, oxycontin, I flat refused methadone.I don't understand how people can get addicted to these drugs at all. Far as I was concerned there was absolutely no "recreational" enjoyment or buzz in taking this stuff at all. I liked going the other way, Alcohol was a stimulant to me.But;having said that, I both physically and mentally tolerated these drugs better than any of this other stuff.

anti-depressants(which;in a different dosing, are used "off label" to treat nerve damage)- elavil, trazadone, tramadol, nortryptolyne(sp??)and at least that many again I don't remember the names of.

"WONDER" drugs-(and these are the 2 I'm specifically talking about 929. these are the last 2 prescription drugs I took, and these are the 2 drugs that made me swear off prescription drugs this past march)- LYRICA and pramipexole dihydrochloride, aka MIRAPEX.

First I started taking the MIRAPEX, which initially I tolerated very well. Then; after about 8 months, my Neuro Doctor at the VA added LYRICA to the mix. I only took LYRICA for less than 3 months, didn't like that stuff at all. Made me REAL "hooey", all the time, made everything like you were doing it underwater, like in a surrealistic dream state.

I was still taking the MIRAPEX, and I think this is the stuff that screwed me up the most. Took it all together for around 2 years. Didn't really notice any problems, except I started having REALLY weird vivid dreams, and I started eating like I was eating for about 6.

My doseage for MIRAPEX was 0.25mg once in the morning, once when I went to bed.

Anyways, I get up one day this past march and go into the bathroom to do my morning business. I'm standing in front of the toilet, pee, lean forward slightly to flush, stand back up straight, my head gets really dizzy, everything starts spinning around, and I fall to the floor.

Without going into all the blah, blah, blah, essentialy the same thing hapened 3 days ina row.

As soon as it happened I "KNEW" what it was, it was that freaking MIRAPEX. That first day I cut my dosing in half(only took one), next day I only took a half of one tablet, the 3rd day I wasn't taking MIRAPEX anymore. And on the 4th day the "dizzys" and falling to the floor stopped.

I had spent most of them 3 days in bed, scared to death to stand up or try to move. But; when I wasn't in bed, I was sitting in front of this thing looking and researching. I had ALWAYS; anytime the VA had given me a prescription, come on here and look it up. Not deep in depth stuff, just enough to have a basic idea of what I was taking.Or if I was gonna take it. I "just said no" to what the VA had prescribed to me on multiple occasions after I got the script and came home and read up on it. Methadone was one of them.

I did a bit more looking about this LYRICA and MIRAPEX, aka "wonder drugs". LYRICA and MIRAPEX both permanently alter your bodies chemistry. I'll have side effects from these "wonder drugs" till my heart stops beating, and they may actually be at least part of the cause when my heart DOES stop beating. I'm still have some dizziness, I still have some instability associated with the dizziness. And apparently I always will.

So I did quite a bit of indepth online looking and reading about both LYRICA and MIRAPEX. The side effects that these drugs manufacturers try to minimize ain't quite so minimal as they want you to believe. Not even close. They don't even really know how LYRICA even works. And they guess alot about MIRAPEX as well. There is talk on some of the forums I visited(real people that took these drugs and had real adverse reactions)of a class action lawsuit about MIRAPEX.

I'm not gonna tell ya everything everybody said, I'm just telling ya that if yer taking these "wonder drugs" ya ABSOLUTELY need to educate yourself about them. Come online here and start researching.

Cause the side effects them drug manufacturers try to play down as minimal ain't that minimal, and most of 'em last forever, long after you've stopped taking these drugs.

I didn't abuse any of these prescribed drugs. If anything, I took less than the dosing my prescription said. I don't drink alcohol, and haven't for 15 years. No "illegal" other substances either, except that ya might see me taking a puff or two occasionally before I hit the sack.

My only two remaining "vices" are WINSTONS and strong french roast coffee. Other than Coffee the only other liquids I drink are water and 2% milk. I use no salt and very little sugar. Ditto butter. I actually just had red meat last nite for the 1st time in 3 or 4 months, I eat alot of veggies(grown either in my front yard or purchased at the local farm stand), I eat alot of fruit.

Ya gotta make your own choices about what prescription medications ya do or don't take. DO NOT let ANY DOCTOR try to jam some prescription medication down your throat. And if ya go to the VA realize that doing exactly that is the most prefered "remedy" for them. I see guys coming out of the pharmacy at the VA I go to with one, sometimes 2, of them big huge brown paper shopping bags with the handles FULL of prescrition drugs. Sure sometimes its medical materials and supplies the Vet needs to treat a condition they have, but I've also seen vets have to sign 3,4, sometimes even 5 slips when they pick up their drugs at the pharmacys check out window. And the only drugs you have to sign for at the VA pharmacy I go to is narcotics and these addictive "wonder drugs".

This is the same line of crap the VA pulled right after the Vietnam War. Give 'em enough dope to keep 'em stoned and stupid(thorazine and quaaludes were the drugs of VA choice back then) and they won't complain and "stomp their feet" about the horrid healthcare we get.

I live in a fairly high level of constant pain, and, not trying to sound like some kind of tough guy, have just learned how to deal with it.

After 10+ years of taking all kinds of prescription narcotic painkillers, these anti-depressants, and most recently these "wonder drugs", I've decided enough is enough. The positive gains; for me anyways, don't even come close to outweighing the negative side effects of them. Sadly I didn't realize this until after "getting stung" by these "wonder drugs" that apparently have left me with a hoist of permanent side effects.

I ain't gonna sue anybody, nor will I join some class action bandwagon, doing that ain't a part of me, but I learned what I learned and I now know what I know-JRC

Hello
I have been in active duty military almost two years now, and I have been looking all over for some information regarding being med boarded. I was recently diagnosed with severe chronic PTSD, of which is not combat related. I am about to hit my two year mark this february. Since this diagnosis is not combat related. I'm alittle confused on what is going to happen once med boarded? Will i be medically retired? I know because of my time in grade I shouldn't expect much benefits coming from the VA. I also have to mention that i have gone through a CDE ( command directed evaluation.) wanting to Admistratively discharge me under a medical condition. I was told that if i go through with this med board, the board could send me back to duty, or put me under something called a TDRL? Please i need some help.

The purpose of a Medical Board is to determine fitness for duty. The results of a Medical Board can be a separation from the CG, Temporary (TDRL) retirement or permanent (PDRL) retirement or a return to full duty.

Look in the Medical Manual, I think its chapter 3.

TDRL id Temporary Duty Retired List. You are put on it if your condititon for Medical Retirement is not stable. They send you to a Dr. every 18 months. From it you are either sent back to duty or Permanently Medically Retired. You can only be on the TDRL for 5 years.

I don't think PTSD has to be from Combat, only service connected to get benefits from the VA.

Neither your time in grade nor your time in service is a concern of the VA. You have to have served 90 days active duty to get a service-connected disability, and an "other than dishonorable discharge". I think that's the only criteria. You can read in the cfr's about how the VA rates PTSD. Just make sure it's documented in your medical record.

38 CFR 4 - Main

38 CFR 4.129 has to do with mental disorders due to traumatic stress, which is what I would guess the VA calls PTSD.

Varios mental disorders and rating schedule

Oh, and the current comp amounts can be found here:
VA Compensation and Payment Tables

Good luck,

--Jim
Life is good!

Thank you for the help.

I just got word from my Doctor that they had turned down the CDE. Will that make my MEB process faster? Since diagnosed; I do not really know the seriousness of PTSD. How many PTSD cases get turned down by the military?

quote:

Originally posted by 13261059:
Hello
I have been in active duty military almost two years now, and I have been looking all over for some information regarding being med boarded. I was recently diagnosed with severe chronic PTSD, of which is not combat related. I am about to hit my two year mark this february. Since this diagnosis is not combat related. I'm alittle confused on what is going to happen once med boarded? Will i be medically retired? I know because of my time in grade I shouldn't expect much benefits coming from the VA. I also have to mention that i have gone through a CDE ( command directed evaluation.) wanting to Admistratively discharge me under a medical condition. I was told that if i go through with this med board, the board could send me back to duty, or put me under something called a TDRL? Please i need some help.

I was Admin. discharged and then service connected 70% for PTSD from the VA. Originally I received a med board and it came back as "does not have a ratable disability"
I was in for less than 18 months, an E-3, non-combat, etc...as long as you have an Honorable Discharged you may apply for VA benefits. I know you are probably very confused right now but we are here to help you. The entire med-board process is very stressful and we don't want you to be alone. Keep us updated shipmate.

Semper Paratus

Boats ~ Good hot links there. Any advise? Anyone, any advise? Song-Ong-Doc, just South of the U-Minh-Forest in IV Corps, 1970. Boarding Team One. Actually boarded and "covered" suspected VC on their quarterdeck. The Other coastie who actually boarded with me died 10 years ago of NHL. I have had serious, NO, very serious Cardiac problems since 1995 to include a quad bipass in July, 2008. Claim denied and is under appeal. Represented by VV of A.
I was awarded 30% for hypertension + PTSD, the Cardiac is secondary to that.
Very difficult BUT NOT impossible to find a Dr. to word a letter to the effect that present medical problems/conditions are related to combat in 'Nam. (a/k/a/ NEXUS) Seems the letter is more important than the facts. .............

Anybody out there experienced in these matters and care to offer an opinion? Thanks

You might consider crafting the letter yourself if you want to see certain wording in it. Prepare it for the Dr to sign, or for his staff to type on his letterhead, and see if he/she will sign it as written.

There are key phrases that need to be in it, you need to check around. One is something like ... is at least as likely as not a result of ... service connected disability.

One good site for research like this is hadit.com. Do a search for nexus letter and see what comes up. There is a plethora of information and experience there.

Good luck,

--Jim
Life is good!

Boats: Thank's for the reply and, input. Seems that these doctors are so young, they have little recollection of the realities of the 'Nam. If need be I will go on a new doctor hunt. I had one tell me yes, he would support me and when it came time to, backed out.
One correction to my initial post. It was Anxiety Disorder and not hypertension, as I stated. Six of one, half-dozen of the other?

i finally got word back...

"My condition is aggravated by military serve, but not permanently....???"

offered me 0%, and they said it was existing prior to service. It might of existed prior to service but I was never diagnosed with ptsd prior to being in the military. please help.

Make sure you study up on what 0% means. It is not as bad as it would seem. There is a difference between being 'not disabled' and being 0%. A zero pct rating CAN get you SOME benifits - state and/or fed. Most important at all, don't just assume that you get nothing for being a 0%.