Hello,
First off you listed two medical conditions. I am guessing since you were diagnosed with Anxiety you are being treated by a mental health provider to receive the diagnosis... ? With pulmonology, what is the diagnosis of your breathing issue that you described? Before anything proceeds further, give the medical field a chance to solve your problems or find treatments that work or at least improve your quality of life and the quality of your day.
With anxiety, treatment takes time and some of the medications do help. Find out what the stressors are that trigger your anxiety. Keeping a log helps of when/where/why/reaction/feelings. Take these journals into your meetings with medical providers so they can work with you. Describe to them how it affects your daily living, your work performance, etc. You have to and need to paint an overall picture of the situation and give the MD a crystal clear picture of you to them.
With pulmonogy what is the diagnosis? Asthma? Vocal cord dysfunction? Something else? Are the mediations working? If not see the doctor. You might have some other condition since many medical conditions dealing with the respiratory system mimic each other. Having well documented tests help out as well in the forms of PFTs, MCT, etc. You listed meds but are those daily or only as needed? If their not working, maybe they need to be adjusted or changed. Maybe your condition is not what the MD might believes it is. I've seen a lot of miss diagnosed respiratory issues over the past few years and have gone through it myself. If you manage to have the right meds and treatment plan and both used properly, again, it is amazing how the quality of life can and does improve. Just make sure if you are prescribed meds you are using them properly. During an MEB they pull up pharmaceutical records for refills and it is amazing how many guys are not using their meds properly, which affects them in the end. Non-compliance with medical treatment is a big no-no.
The whole point of all of this is to give the providers a chance at treatment first before anything else otherwise a lot of individuals look like and sound like they just want to get out just because they want out and not because its based on real issues at hand. An attempt to fix the problems before getting to the point where the problems cannot be fixed or they are fixed but not at a level acceptable by the military. Coming right out and asking for an MEB without serious attempts at treatment are look at rather funny by the MDs. Also, you are not the one that should be requesting an MEB, the MDs are, but with a well documented attempt at treatments, descriptions of how your daily life and work performance are affected, it helps MDs make that determination if you meet the retention of the military or not. An MEB would come from a Psychiatrist for Anxiety and a Pulmonologist for your breathing issue. Talking with your regular care provider about your concerns would not hurt too much. I know you have questions and most do not mind helping you out with guidance or suggestions. Also, the provider can help with more specific referrals to the specialty clinics to more properly address certain issues if you or they feel some issues have not been properly addressed, diagnosed, etc.
Before you ask, your two conditions are some of the several that I have been dealing with for years know and am going through an MEB for right now which is why I am rather familiar with them. Also, I work in the medical field and have also helped with physicals and paperwork in the ETS/VA claim/Retirement/MEB process a few years ago.
