That is why they have patient advocates. Make sure that is what he said. TBI is treatable.

How about amnesia?

I will have to defer that question to a medical professional.

Primary goal management of amnesia is to treat the underlining cause.

Cognitive rehabilitation may be supportive in learning strategies to cope with memory imparements.

Psycotherapy- for those patients whose amnesia is caused by emotional trauma.

Consult your doctor.

TBI is the highest casualty rate. Therefore costs the most money. Why do you think there are no posts on the TBI-PTSD thread for so long? Because the DOD/VA do not teach the TBI victims how to communicate again. No help with the AMNESIA.

I have been a TBI victim for 40 years. The left parietal lobe AND the occipital lobe of my brain were amputated out of a 4x5cm whole in my skull. Of course the incision was larger. I have never been without a doctor. They have referred my situation as hopeless. I have never believed that. However, I have never been able to get a days worth of treatment for the amnesia. I had to do it all alone. No one to turn to, it is a 1 percent survival rate. Years ago, the doctors told me not to tell anyone, that this was all "top secret." And, because the parietal lobe is gone, reinforcment is a daily battle. But, not impossibe. Just a lot of work. I guess that is what a lot of people avoid. Plus, that is just what the government is trying to do, save money. Real dog eat dog. But, every doggie has his day.

Hey guys!

SO, got a quick question.

I am service connected for PTSD. It took only the first C&P for them to realize my condition, although I got rated a a meager 30% (I read the GAF and I feel I am more @ a 50%), I was happy they realized the problem I had been dealing with for a few years after being out.

I am an OIF I vet and upon returning to my unit in Germany, I began noticing "Differences" in my thought processing, and rationalization. I snapped at everything, and I didn't care what the rank was. I couldn't sleep. My combat buddy/roomie told me I jabbered on about crap we went through while I was racked out, and often would spring up out of bed. I grinded my teeth from some of the nightmares.

Here is what I am getting at though:

--The unit in Germany didn't give a crap about my mental condition despite my pre-deployment record being of the utmost "Hooah" standards.

--Despite several notifications, even annotated in my monthly reviews, I was long denied the ability to go to a doc.

--I finally was allowed to see a Social Worker prior to me getting ready to PCS to Texas, who didn't care to help me since I was changing stations anyways.

--After arriving in Fort Hood, I was finally allowed to see a shrink. Despite the clear PTSD symptoms, and my repeated attempts to focus on the nightmares, startle responses, and extremely poor character/short fuse, the doc wanted to focus on me "Not fitting in".

It turns out that while being Discharged under a 5-17 "Physical or Mental Other, Not a Disability", I was also said to have "Adjustment Disorder" (After 3 years of stellar service?) and was summarily discharged with an Honorable, and a RE3 code.

This was during the exact same time that the VA distributed the email specifying that claims specialists/doctors assign a diagnosis of "Adjustment Disorder R/O PTSD".

Now, if I had been medically discharged as I clearly should have, being granted a PTSD service connection after the fact, shouldn't I be able to retain some of my on-post priviliges, as I would if I had been med-boarded out?

It is very irritating to me that because the Army didn't want to assess my condition properly, that I did not receive the benefits that I would otherwise have for what was for all intensive purposes, a very good, if brief, Army career (3.5 years).

Is there any way I can appeal to get my ID to use the commissary, etc. ?

Thanks in advance!

The first thing I would do if I were you is to make a formal written reaquest for a COMLETE copy of your C-FILE, to include a COMPLETE copy of your Military 201 File. Send that request to your local VA Regional Office. Send a copy to your service officer and a copy to your US House Representative. Read your records. That is your EVIDENCE. What ever is wrong, you make a caim "change of military records" to DOD. That request MUST be in your file. Otherwise, you are going to get the 'renaround' the rest of your life. In other words, "Dear ___, I herebye request a complete copy of my C-File, to include a complete copy of my Military 201 File." (Claims file) Do not let anyone steer you wrong. Without that request in your file you are screwed royal.

quote:

Originally posted by Rick707:
The first thing I would do if I were you is to make a formal written reaquest for a COMLETE copy of your C-FILE, to include a COMPLETE copy of your Military 201 File. Send that request to your local VA Regional Office. Send a copy to your service officer and a copy to your US House Representative. Read your records. That is your EVIDENCE. What ever is wrong, you make a caim "change of military records" to DOD. That request MUST be in your file. Otherwise, you are going to get the 'renaround' the rest of your life. In other words, "Dear ___, I herebye request a complete copy of my C-File, to include a complete copy of my Military 201 File." (Claims file) Do not let anyone steer you wrong. Without that request in your file you are screwed royal.

Excellent advice. Its exactly what I was looking for!

Thanks!

Good luck.

TBI treatment/rehab is more politics and little medicine. Instead of doctors being good doctors and making the men with TBI as better as they can in order to function again and be independant, they play politics and be cost effective. They pass out the psycho drugs to cure amnesia and save money.

Memory impairment? I'll say. Be careful not to stick your neck out. People who are supportive of me can understand how painful it must have been(and still is) to be ambulatory and to have my brain amputated in war. No program to restore memory from amnesia. Still to this day. Preferring to lable us as anti-social,dementia patients. To be forced to find employment but no memory and no rehab. There was no one who cared at DOD or VA. So much for government health care. They said that to send me back to 1st grade would be too expensive. Cost too much money. Sure its too much if all you care about is your self. But, TBI head injury survivors are around. Just not many. Did someone say research?

Having just stumbled on to this, most especially the last several posts by a now-suspended poster, I'll add a few comments:

1. mTBI and post-concussion syndrome (PCS - a confusing acronym for most, since everyone tends to assume it means "permanent change of station") are considered the hallmark injuries of OEF and OIF. They are taken seriously. Many experts consider them to be the same diagnosis, but the jury is still out. For all that it matters, they are treated medically in the same way.

2. For the Army, mTBI/PSC teams are being set up organization-wide. The team consists of: a Nurse Case Manager who coordinates care for the patient among other members of the team; a psychiatrist (MD/DO); a clinical psychologist; a neuropsychologist (expert in testing for cognitive impairment); an occupational therapist; and a physical therapist.

3. If the Soldier has additional diagnoses, such as orthopedic injuries, burns or other problems, the mTBI team works WITH providers in those specialties. A Soldier can be in the mTBI program AND be treated at the same time for other issues.

4. It is only after a Soldier has maximized or optimized all treatments available within the military system that he/she would be either returned to duty (RTD) or medically separated.

5. RTD or medical separation doesn't necessarily mean the end of treatment. A Soldier who is RTD can still obtain ongoing treatment from mTBI providers as needed. One who is medically separated is more likely to encounter difficulties: the civilian world and the VA world are not as attuned to the subtleties of mTBI injuries, though that is coming fast. After all, many sports injuries - mostly concussions - are in fact mTBI/PSC injuries, and should be treated as such.

Hope this is helpful.

9984 - I don't know where you were in Germany, but for what little it may be worth for those who are following in your footsteps, I'm in Germany now. mTBI/PCS teams are up and running in areas well outside of Landstuhl - particularly in Bavaria (East and West), since we are furthest from the largest medical facility in Europe, there at Landstuhl.

In addition to requesting your entire 201 file, you also need to request a copy of your entire medical file (including lab and radiology tests and results) if you want to pursue both a change in the nature of your discharge AND disability rating(s) from the VA.

It is called your "C" File(Claims File). Everyone is mandated by law to be furnished at least one complete copy of your military records and hospital records. Unless of course you are used as experimental research. This all in order to be able to file for your benefits. Cant fight for yourself if you dont know the evidence.