About to start MEB!!!

Sicotic

Sicotic

PEB Forum Regular Member
PEB Forum Veteran
Registered Member
Well start by introducing myself. Name is Joe and I have been in for almost 3 years with 1 deployment. Just got back 4 months ago. While I was in Afghanistan been hit 3 times with IED's (88m). I just reenlisted a month before the last IED. The last one was 2 days before I was leaving to go home 160 lbs HME. Got a concussion. A both ear drums were blown. Had surgery on my left and they messed up. I can barley hear now, and after surgery had an ematoma. (Where blood rushings outside of the skull) 1% chance of happening and it happend to me. Also referred to TBI doctor and has dx with PTSD. Having nightmares everyone says I have changed. Then found out needed to get tested for sleep apnea. Never had so many problems before the army. About 2 months through all this stressful stuff they are going to send me to the MEB. Just wondering what to expect. They are trying to send me to the WTU. Thanks for any info.
 
Welcome! This forum is (to many of us) the only thing that keeps us sane throughout this lengthy process. Settle in, learn everything you can (regs, processes, etc.) and take care of yourself.
- get copies of everything (appointments, VA/DoD correspondance, etc.)
- make sure you get a full copy of your medical and dental records asap (your PEBLO should provide this
- keep doing the best you can at work, but make sure you take care of yourself
- know that you have several people/organizations that are there to help you and protect you from being mistreated/misguided

BTW, central sleep apnea (as opposed to obstructive) has been linked to brain trauma. Make sure you get a couple of good sleep studies done.
 
thanks for the response. Never knew that about the sleep apnea.i went to PAD today for my medical records, they asked was I being MEB and I said not yet. Then they said if you were we are not aloud to release my medical records to me. But said it will be 1-2 weeks before I get everything. Well right now after fighting with my CoC, I just show up for accountability. I just hope I found unfit. I cant stand to be around the military anymore. I don't know why just drives me nuts.
 
Be sure to check out my link for the MEB/PEB Dictionary to give yourself a heads up!

P.S. Boom-booms suck....
 
Sicotic, (Hilarious name the military turns us all)

I totally agree with usafaviator, Settle in for the long haul. A MEB usually takes about 1 year. I know I've heard people do it in 6 months but with TBI and PTSD you will require treatment and healing as the process moves forward. Also for the PTSD/TBI ask the Behavioral Health Doctor about a treatment program or Intensive Outpatient Program if available at your post. They have them both in the Army and Navy who sees USAF,USMC, and Navy. Take you’re healing seriously and utilize the WTU as much as possible they generally are trying to help you. Register with AW2 and see about going to Occupational Therapy for the TBI they normally have a nice program using Biofeedback which is fancy name for breathing and getting good sleep for once.

Make copies, MAKE COPIES!!! OF EVERYTHING!!!!!!! And if you run into any problems along the way with your Chain of Command or the WTU or even the Doctors, CALL YOUR OMBUDSMAN!!! They are there to help you.
Good Luck,
Andrew
CW2 Ret.
 
Sorry to hear about your injuries. My husband was wounded a few years ago, and we are in the home stretch of the PEB process. Here are a few tips that have helped us:

1. Familiarize yourself with the VASRD (the VA ratings schedule). Look up the conditions you are being boarded for, and notice the difference in the ratings %. Sometimes it is just a word or two off. I am not saying that you should in any way lie about your conditions, but I know my husband had a tendancy to minimize his pain and symptoms in the beginning.

2. If you have migraines, keep a migraine log. We created an excel document, and I documented every headache, the symptoms, work missed, and if my husband had to sleep it off.

2. Put aside the "suck it up" mentality, and realize that the only way that the raters can rate you is by your records. Make sure to thoroughly describe your symptoms at every appointment. Some of my husband's docs just asked if there were any changes in his condition from appointment to appointment. I believe that the more time your records describe a symptom, and the more detailed they are, the more successful your rating will be.

3. I know that there are some really good PEBLOs, VA Reps, and PEB docs, but we looked at this whole process as "Us vs. Them". We never assumed that anyone had my husband's best interests at heart. We politely questioned anything that we thought sounded funny, and we went to every appointment already knowing what to expect. (I might be a little neurotic, but I actually read the VA manual on how a VA C&P exam was supposed to be conducted.)

4. Most people with PTSD are automatically put on the TDRL. Because of this site, I learned that if your other conditions are stable and rated over 80%, you could petition to be on the PDRL. My husband was initially offered 90% Army TDRL and 100% VA. We asked our PEBLO about requesting to be put on the PDRL, and she said it was basically a waste of time and that it never happened. We went to MEB legal counsil and asked about the regulation. She picked up the phone, called the PEB doc at the hospital, and our 199 was changed to 90% PDRL and 100% VA.

5. BE PATIENT! Maybe it's my cynicism, but I believe that the process is designed to be long and frustrating. The more ready you are to throw in the towel, the quicker you will accept a lower rating than you are entitled to. You will be dealing with these injuries for the rest of your life, and no one should be allowed to screw with the compensation that you EARNED!
 
Thanks for the info. I have a few buddies who were MEB and I call and ask them any weird info I come across.They have been helping me alot. I do notice I start to get Killer Head aches near my temple. Hurts like crazy. I just sleep it off. I don't sleep very good as it is anyways.
 
Just got my MEB questionare to start getting ready for the MEB.
 
If you think that they might be migraines (which wouldn't surprise me with the TBI), start logging them. Log how the pain feels (shooting, nausea, seeing halos). Notate if you had to miss or leave work, and notate how you got the symptoms to resolve. If you had to sleep it off, MAKE SURE YOU NOTATE IT on your log. If you look on the VASRD for migraines, it mentions protrate (lying down) as a condition for ratings purposes.

Get to a neurologist and have him check. There are medicines they can prescribe you. Be purposeful when describing your headaches. Give details. Keep your log until you have to submit it for review.

Good luck!!
 
Well seen a neurologist today got diagnosed with Insomnia, and Circadian Rhythm Disorder. Just more BS I have to deal with. All going in the sleep study now. The disorder is where my sleep is stuck in a different time zone or something. I have to keep a sleep log now. Stressing me out, plus these head aches are annoying! Thanks for more info.
 
Try not to look at the sleep log as something stressful. Look at it as PROOF that you have a condition. PROOF is the only think that can ensure that you get rightfully compensated for the injuries you have. Without proof, the VA/PEB has a right to deny your claim. When my husband started his MEB, he was very stressed. We decided that the best way to reduce the stress was to be informed on the process, and to do everything that we could to ensure that he was rated correctly. Good luck with everything.
 
Thank you for the support. This forum makes it a little easier.
 
I hear ya and sympathize with the inability to be around certain people. For me.. I have rage, really bad..like on a bad day I feel like I could literally melt the walls around me. As for being around military people? Some I can handle~ it's the 'tools' I can't.. I wanna rip their head off and *&^%$ down their neck. (sorry for the language) ... my mouth seems to be a leftover casualty from deployments..no filter.
 
Lol Idk . I can be around my close friends but the rest who think they are good bc they deployed 4-5 times. Just drives me crazy bc some had an easy deployment and what not. Telling stories if they been through some $H!T and don't have a clue. Get CAB for the lead vic getting shot at 600m ahead, Doesn't make sense.
 
Oh I'm hearing ya brother. Some at my base got Bronzes for sitting on their ass..and I know of a flight doc who spent more time flying around to get hours for an Air Medcal than he did covering his own area (pushed it off onto the AD Capt)..to include not even responding to an in-flight emergency!
 
All e-6's who were in charge got bronze stars for sitting on the ass. F'ing BS.
 
those who got the Bronze in my unit were E9 and up... the most they did was fly or defend a desk. yep..it's bs.
 
Sicotic & Native Girl,
I hear both of you. I was honored by reciving coins from all the units I supported that I helped in thier missions but my Bat. CO didnt even give me a pat on the back. I saw Piece of $%^T's that recieved Article 15's and they recieved a AAM at minimum they gave Bronze Star's to every E-6 and above regardless of what they did. We had a CPT shjow up 2 months before we left....#$%^&*^ Bronze Star.

I had to go away knowing I served to help others stay alive and accomplish missions but the coins definitly help in my feelings of BETRAIL by the orginization I worked so hard for. Maybee I shouldnt of talked about putting a CLIP into the CO's truck. I was angry!!

I served my country not that %^*&*($# Col. I should stop before I smash my keyboard. I have worked for a long time trying to get past the betrail. It was an honor to serve but Im glad Im done!
(Sorry for the $%^&, The Army taught me every word I know!)
 
Just like the rest of my brothers and sisters on here I'm just trying to get thru this so I can get some assemblance of MY life back. I got some coins as well, but I just can't believe how high the BS stacks against a member who got hurt doing "what they're supposed to". It's just flipping near mind blowing how my command went from "hey thanks for being a top soldier and kicking butt" to "what's wrong with you ..and you're a poor example" over injuries I got after being deployed EIGHT times. sigh.. Trust me, not giving up.. I'm an immigrant with a license to scalp ;) maybe this mix of European and Native American blood will come in handy yet again.
 
Native Girl said:
I'm an immigrant with a license to scalp ;) maybe this mix of European and Native American blood will come in handy yet again.
Click to expand...
That is rich!!! LOL you made my day with that statement!!!:D
 
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