Met with VA today and have a question

I'm USAF and already had my initial meeting with the PEBLO, and today I met with the VA for the first time to sign and fill out some paperwork. We made a list of my conditions the major one being my back. My concern is that all they listed was back pain, he said he doesn't list medical diagnosis's. Should he have include my sciatica, radiating arm pain, pars defects(vertebrae fractures), herniated discs and so on? Now I'm waiting for my C&P exams but I don't want anything left off. I thought I understood the process thoroughly but I guess not.

-Shawn
 
I'm USAF and already had my initial meeting with the PEBLO, and today I met with the VA for the first time to sign and fill out some paperwork. We made a list of my conditions the major one being my back. My concern is that all they listed was back pain, he said he doesn't list medical diagnosis's. Should he have include my sciatica, radiating arm pain, pars defects(vertebrae fractures), herniated discs and so on? Now I'm waiting for my C&P exams but I don't want anything left off. I thought I understood the process thoroughly but I guess not.

-Shawn

From my experiences within the DoD IDES MEB/PEB process, it seems to be dependent upon the MSC as to how the applicable VA forms are completed. Some believe it's good to list documented medical diagnosis with other medical conditions; while others believe it's good to list medical conditions in general areas in order to allow the DoVA D-RAS the opportunity to "find" the most accurate service-connected disability for that particular area of the body.

In retrospect, during my initial meeting with the MSC, it was my opportunity to list all confirmed medical diagnosis to include all other medical conditions resulting in 50 contentions in total.

In my opinion, your MSC statement to not list any medical diagnosis was a subjective decision. But, it should not affect the DoVA D-RAS evaluation process to determine all military service-connected disabilities within your Service Treatment Record (STR).

To that extent, never default acceptance to potential injustice and always remain positively proactive throughout all interactions while in the DoD IDES MEB/PEB process since favorable dividends of military disability compensation benefits could potentially result now rather than later or never! ;)

Thus, I quite often comment that "possessing well-informed knowledge is truly a powerful equalizer."

Best Wishes!
 
I'm USAF and already had my initial meeting with the PEBLO, and today I met with the VA for the first time to sign and fill out some paperwork. We made a list of my conditions the major one being my back. My concern is that all they listed was back pain, he said he doesn't list medical diagnosis's. Should he have include my sciatica, radiating arm pain, pars defects(vertebrae fractures), herniated discs and so on? Now I'm waiting for my C&P exams but I don't want anything left off. I thought I understood the process thoroughly but I guess not.

-Shawn

All your conditions should absolutely be listed in your claim. The VA C&P exams are going to cover what you claim and are not a comprehensive exam. I think you should go back and amend your form. He should not be leading you to believe otherwise.

In my case, I was MEB for my back as well. It was my primary concern. I went to my appointment only to claim my back. My MSC had already reviewed my medical records, and had made a list of his own. After seeing I only claimed my back, he proceeded to read his list and spent 20 minutes saying "what about this"? I ended up with 8 claimed conditions. In your case the sciatica should and will be rated separate from your back.
 
Back pain is one "condition" ( in fact if you have pain in each major segment of the spine it should be listed seperately imho)
Sciatica is another "condition"
Arm pain resultant from spine condition is a seperate rateable condition etc etc etc
radiculopathy is a symptom with either, but can and should be rated separately

Now what all this means is absolutely nothing, When you get your C/P exam packets you will have to describe everything, add attachement etc. LIST each diagnosis, condition, symptom etc. you have and how they affect you. Keep in mind all of your spinal issues lumbago/cervicalgia/thoratic spine whatever ARE ALL BASED ON RANGE OF MOTION TESTS AND OBSERVATIONS. If you only bend to 20 degrees for the rom, but then bend over to put on your shoes that gets noted. ( EVEN IF IT HURTS TO DO IT, AS LONG AS YOU DO IT, IT COUNTS AGAINST YOU) do not exceed the threshold at which pain begins period end of story.

Once your C/P exams are done, your PCM or random doctor will type up your NARSUM, this is where its very important to review everything, if the C/P doctor listed your conditions separately, then make sure the NARSUM lists them separately. if it does not request an IMR for any condition that you believe fails retention standards. you may not win them all, but you short yourself if you do not try.

I have 24+ conditions claimed, of which the doctor only referred me for the fake hip, I had to go back and fight to have my back, sciatica, left hip, and neck added. The review doctor only added my left hip and back (but by default that will add my sciatica), and chose to not add my neck. If I do not get a just rating from the DoD side because of this, I will go to formal and request my neck and my thigh (which I forgot to even mention in my IMR, but thats my fault). to be added as unfitting conditions.

Never stop fighting for what you perceive is just and an accurate representation of your disability, be it retirement, seperation with severance or retention, the ball is in your court very little on this ride, but when it is, you better do everything you can to control it and win.
 
Thanks for the replies, when I first received a copy of my med records I went through them listing everything on an excel document, I'm assuming I should take this document with me to my C/P to make my list. I knew sciatica and radiculopathy were rated separately but wasn't sure on where or when to list them. I'll call Monday and have them add radiating arm/leg pain for each extremity. This board is great, I've been on here for a while even though my official MEB didn't start until recently.
 
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