AICD installed

M

mrboodon2000

PEB Forum Regular Member
Hello all, I had a bad flutter with heavy pressure and tightness afterwards. Went to the ER and EKG was good. While I was in the ER I had a myocardial infarction. My discharge principal diagnosis is Inferior wall myocardial infarction with Ventricular Fibrillation, Sudden Death episode secondary to Ventricular Tachycardia. What a day. The doctor wrote:

The patient was seen emergently in the ER. Patient had arrived in the ER with chest pain. Initial EKG didn't show any acute changes, subsequently it was noted to be in asystole and thereafter v-tach, which was successfully cardioverted. Subsequent EKG showed ST elevations in the inferior and lateral leads suggestive of acute MI. Patient was treated aggressively and taken directly to the cardiac cath lab and coronary angiography did not reveal coronary artery disease. There was no evidence of thrombus, presumption would then be the patient had coronary spasm. Post cardiac cath, patient remained stable. Patient was continued on plavis and beta-blocker. The patient gave a history of several episodes of fluttering associated dizziness in the chest, in view of which probably would be secondary to symptomatic v-tach, in view of sudden death episode, a automatic implantable defibrillator was implanted for secondary prevention. The pocket wound was stable at discharge. With regards to risk factor modification, cholesterol was 123, HDLwas low at 20, LDL is 81 and triglycerides of 111 on Lipitor.

Now, I'm going through a MEB/PEB that just started, have orders (on hold), over 20 years and have a stripe on the line. Can anyone shed any advise/light on this situation for my future? Military retirement? VA thoughts? Living with this device? Awesome website. Thank you.
 
Welcome!

Need some more information. I take it, with the "stripe on the line" that you are not pending length of service retirement....is that right? How long has your condition been going on? Does it impact your ability to perform your duties? Are you in a physically demanding job? What does your chain of command think about your ability to perform your duties?
 
Thanks for replying Jason. I been in 22 years and about to put on Chief stripe, maybe. I been getting flutters over the last few months lasting just a few seconds, but the one that made me go to the ER lasted about 20 seconds and it hit hard. I felt heaviness and pressure in my chest. I searched the symptoms of the flutter on the internet and decided to go to the ER. It saved my life. They zapped me three times with the defib and the third zap I was conscious and it really hurt. I'm being told the base is going to do a fasttrack MEB/PEB? I'm still learning and trying to figure all this out and recoup at the same time. I have several doctor dictations on my case, but I really don't know what it all means. I'm not worldwide qualified currently, and my duties are an Aircraft Superintendent with about 400 troops to watch. I don't see it as demanding physically. The doctor at my MEB told me he's recommending retirement separation. My commander is pushing for the MEB. I hope this help you. Thank you very much.
 
I cant advise on the PEB/MEB process however I have taught ACLS (Advanced Cardiac Life Support) for about 15 years and have been a Nationaly Registered Paramedic for 18 years it sounds like you came as close as you could with a favorable outcome. great job on recovery and what you experienced was called cardioversion and I have done this several times, it certainly is described as "getting hit with a sledge hammer in the chest" but it works. glad to hear you are ok!
 
Well, a fast track MEB makes it sound like a return to duty finding. However, this could be overruled and you could get a full MEB with referral to the IPEB.

It is hard to say what will happen, especially given how recent this all sounds. Just thinking logically, I would think that they should need some time to assess your condition and its impact on you (and duty performance). As time goes on, you will likely have a better idea of the extent of your condition.

Are they intimating that you might not be able to pin on your Chief stripe?

In any case, in terms of ultimate compensation, the longer you are in, the higher your retired base pay will be. So, if it is all the same to you, I would just try to drag this out as long as possible. I forgot to clarify and ask: what result do you want?
 
Thanks for the replies. My PCM said he was electing to medical retirement at my appt. I put my stripe on next month; however, I think if the MEB/PEB is completed prior to pin on time, I cannot be promoted. So it's going to be close, I'm still looking into that. After what I went through, I'm ready to start the next phase of life. It was very scary and make a person think about what's important. I woke up after the second zap and saw about 10 faces starring at me, I asked "What's going on?" The doctor said your having a heart attack. All I felt was my body was tingling and on fire and told the doctor to hurry up. Then the mule kicked me. Something like this changes your perception in the world. Therefore, if I get MEB'd to medical retire, I'm ok with that. I should retire as a Chief although I won't get the pay for it. That's ok. I can still say I retired as a CMSgt! And, who knows what VA will do? Thank you all again.
 
mrboodon2000

There is a reg and I'm looking for it. You are correct and you will retire as a CMSgt, just not the pay. The MEB process is long and draawn out and it doesn't seem like you have gotten very far yet. Do you have a PEBLO?

"(3) Disability retirement grade: Under 10 USC 1372, the grade at which a Soldier is permanently retired for disability or placed on the TDRL is the highest of the following options: current grade; highest grade satisfactorily held; or the grade to which the Soldier would have been promoted had it not been for the disability retirement. The latter option includes those on a promotion list who have met any required cut-off score and those who have met the time requirements for an automatic promotion. For Soldiers who entered the military after
7 September 1980, retirement at promotion-list grade will have no impact on retired pay. This is because they fall under the high-36 month average of basic pay instead of final basic pay. Actual promotion is not required to be retired at promotion-list grade. However, Army enlisted promotion policy allows promotion on the last day for those whose promotion eligibility date is after the disability retirement/separation date. Officers are retired at promotion list grade without actual promotion because officer promotion law is interpreted to preclude promotion ahead of promotion eligibility date.

(4) Grade for disability severance pay: Under 10 USC 1212, the same options as described above pertain to the grade at which disability severance pay is computed. Unlike disability retirement, severance pay at promotion list grade does increase the amount of disability severance pay. Actual promotion reference promotion-list grade is the same as described for disability retirement. "
 
I also have an AICD (Feb 2010). According to the Army, the device places restrictions on where I can be deployed, therefore unfit for duty. I received my rating from the VA in late Dec 2010 and retirement orders in June 2011.

Probably the toughest aspect of living with the device and as a survivor of CHF is realizing how close I came to dying. For some reason, this has been weighing heavily on me the last three months. My PCM, urologist, and cardiologist noticed this recent change in me. My cardiologist advised me that many of his patients suffer from some form of anxiety or depression and have recommended an appropriate anti-depressant.

Hang in there. Hopefully, you have a strong support network.

Ryan
 
Glad to hear the others survived their incidences. I also have an AICD, had V-fib and went down during PT. Got lucky and the ambulance had a defibrillator and came back to life. Was medevaced back to Walter Reed, went to Navy and they installed an AICD, then back to WRAMC to wait for the chance to go back to my old duty station. That happened, but just so I could close out my office and PCS my family. I PCSed to Washington DC, was released from WTU and talked to my assignments officer and docs and got assigned to work on staff at the Pentagon while the MEB went on. I am still confused about the MEB/PEB system, even over a year later. I went to see a VA guy who took some basic information, then was called to the PEBLO to give over my medical records and got scheduled for the VA docs. I went to the VA hospital, they did a total medical checkup, then ...nothing. My PEBLO changed and the new one is doing this for the first time. He knows nothing. Tomorrow I go to see him about MEB results, but I don't know if this is from the Army's board (only records reviewed, per the PEBLO) or the VA. Anyone who's been down this path have any insight? Thanks
 
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