I am new to this board and wanted to thank all who contribute. In July of last year, while TDY to the sandbox, I suffered a near fatal Pulmonary Embolism. I have been on medical hold orders with the Air Force Reserves ever since. Just this week my MEB refered me to the IPEB. The cover letter listed my condition as hypercoaguable state (the cause of my pulmonary embolism is anti-Phospholipid Syndrome, a hypercouaguable state). I have a feeling they are trying to use the DODI that gives a lower percentage than the VASRD. The DODI rates this as either 0%, 10%, or 30% depending on residuals. The VASRD list my condition as Chronic Pulmonary Embolism requiring anticoagulation therapy = 60%. I am not very hopeful that the IPEB will do the right thing. I was told by my PEBLO that the IPEB will take into account all the medical information when rating and not the diagnosis listed on the MEB form. I will believe that when I see it.
Pulmonary Embolism
- Thread starter AF Cop
- Start date
welcome aboard!
my friend had the same condition as you. he was ang sf and after 2 years of them messing up his MEB he was offered 20% by the IPEB w/approx. $40k severance. he was just fed up w/the whole thing and took it. i tried to talk him out of it, but he just did'nt have the fight in him after 2 yrs. plus his uncle works @ the local VA office so he's going 2 guid him through the next steps.
i just got my MEB corrected after numerous errors. mine has been going on since sept 06
. i am expecting 2 get low-balled @ the IPEB, but will fight it 2 the FPEB. are u using JAG or your own legal. also have u started going through any of the veterans agencies, like the DAV or VFW. i'm using my local DAV office in RI w/great results. you have 2 do what's right 4 u! stay strong brother and feel free 2 contactme @ ANY time w/any questions. plus everyone here is great ad they r VERY knowledgible, so ask away. i would also reccomend checking out the CONDITIONS, IFPEB, FPEB and AF forums here. keep us updated 2.
my friend had the same condition as you. he was ang sf and after 2 years of them messing up his MEB he was offered 20% by the IPEB w/approx. $40k severance. he was just fed up w/the whole thing and took it. i tried to talk him out of it, but he just did'nt have the fight in him after 2 yrs. plus his uncle works @ the local VA office so he's going 2 guid him through the next steps.
i just got my MEB corrected after numerous errors. mine has been going on since sept 06
. i am expecting 2 get low-balled @ the IPEB, but will fight it 2 the FPEB. are u using JAG or your own legal. also have u started going through any of the veterans agencies, like the DAV or VFW. i'm using my local DAV office in RI w/great results. you have 2 do what's right 4 u! stay strong brother and feel free 2 contactme @ ANY time w/any questions. plus everyone here is great ad they r VERY knowledgible, so ask away. i would also reccomend checking out the CONDITIONS, IFPEB, FPEB and AF forums here. keep us updated 2.
Jason Perry
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AF Cop,
Previously, your fears would have been well founded. The thing working in your favor is the changes to the law that the 2008 National Defense Authorization Act made, especially the provisions requiring the PEB to rate you using the VASRD as interpreted by the US Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims.
I do think that it will take some time for the PEBs to get used to this idea and to apply it properly. However, if they do not, you should certainly prevail on appeal (though this may take some time and depend on what level of appeal you have to go through to prevail).
Best of luck and glad to have you here!
Previously, your fears would have been well founded. The thing working in your favor is the changes to the law that the 2008 National Defense Authorization Act made, especially the provisions requiring the PEB to rate you using the VASRD as interpreted by the US Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims.
I do think that it will take some time for the PEBs to get used to this idea and to apply it properly. However, if they do not, you should certainly prevail on appeal (though this may take some time and depend on what level of appeal you have to go through to prevail).
Best of luck and glad to have you here!
Welcome,
Just quick question. Was wonder if this embolism happened a few days after getting off an airplane? Near to 1-3 days.
Thanks
I was on the ground for a total of nine days. Being crammed into a C-130, without the ability to move for 10 hours, was the other contributing risk factor. This is not the first I have had. It was the first documented, but not the first one based on the symptoms experienced. I had several in the last year. I can relate these others to either air travel or trauma. Each time I would go TDY or have defensive tactics training, I would develop plueritic pain and a chronic cough. Each time it was diagnosed as bronchitis, GERD, athsma, or some other ailment. Here's your Z pack and military m&ms...go away. Pulmonary Embolisms are amoung the most misdiagnosed problems in the US and 70% are diagnosed on the autopsy table.
Update
I am still ina holding pattern for the IPEB. I just had a sleep study at the VA based on orders from my Army Doc. It seems I have sleep apnea requiring a CPAP. I have asked my PEBLO if a LOD is needed for this as it is entirely possible that the apnea is related to the Pulmonary Emboli and damage to my lungs. I know, based on all the info here, that I need to push forward with getting this to the IPEB for inclusion in the process (60% + 50% = 80% in VA Math). I am scheduled for a echo under stress to see if I have stress induced pulmonary hypertension with the chronic pulmonary embolism which = 100%. I will definitely insist that be included in the IPEB/PEB process if it is discovered to be the case.
On another note, while attending a TAP, I met a young E-4 who told me that she had knee surgery and that her knee was no longer allowing her to function the same. When asked if she was in the DES process, she told me the most infuriating story of incompetence and failure of the system I had ever heard. Because she was approaching a one year profile deadline, they allowed it to expire for two whole days before issuing a new one. No need to board her, just let her term end and the VA can help. Moral to the story, NCOs, SNCOs, and Os need to be aware of injuries in their command and take care of these troops that are getting shafted by the medical field. I instructed her to go directly to the PEBLO and demand and explination as to why her condition was listed in the AFI as an automatic PEB and yet they have done nothing but wait for her to go away. She is now in the system and will more than likely be retired as opposed to seperated with nothing.
I am still ina holding pattern for the IPEB. I just had a sleep study at the VA based on orders from my Army Doc. It seems I have sleep apnea requiring a CPAP. I have asked my PEBLO if a LOD is needed for this as it is entirely possible that the apnea is related to the Pulmonary Emboli and damage to my lungs. I know, based on all the info here, that I need to push forward with getting this to the IPEB for inclusion in the process (60% + 50% = 80% in VA Math). I am scheduled for a echo under stress to see if I have stress induced pulmonary hypertension with the chronic pulmonary embolism which = 100%. I will definitely insist that be included in the IPEB/PEB process if it is discovered to be the case.
On another note, while attending a TAP, I met a young E-4 who told me that she had knee surgery and that her knee was no longer allowing her to function the same. When asked if she was in the DES process, she told me the most infuriating story of incompetence and failure of the system I had ever heard. Because she was approaching a one year profile deadline, they allowed it to expire for two whole days before issuing a new one. No need to board her, just let her term end and the VA can help. Moral to the story, NCOs, SNCOs, and Os need to be aware of injuries in their command and take care of these troops that are getting shafted by the medical field. I instructed her to go directly to the PEBLO and demand and explination as to why her condition was listed in the AFI as an automatic PEB and yet they have done nothing but wait for her to go away. She is now in the system and will more than likely be retired as opposed to seperated with nothing.