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        New Message Board Archives >> Jan-Mar 2004 >> Veterans Affairs and Cluster Headaches
        
(Message started by: furrfish on Dec 29^th, 2003, 11:56pm)

Title: Veterans Affairs and Cluster Headaches
Post by furrfish on Dec 29^th, 2003, 11:56pm

I would like to know if there are any Veterans of any of the five branches of the military that have applied for a disability rating from the VA for their condition.

Also, the 38 CFR rates for this condition have not been updated since the 40's. I would appreciate hearing your stories.

Title: Re: Veterans Affairs and Cluster Headaches
Post by ClusterChuck on Dec 30^th, 2003, 12:05am

Ex-Navy ... Sorry I don't know anything about it...or for that matter, I don't know nuttin bout nuttin!!! -- I ain't too smucken fart, doncha know...

Chuck

Title: Re: Veterans Affairs and Cluster Headaches
Post by TxBasslady on Dec 30^th, 2003, 12:26am

There are some veterans here on the board, and also some active military.

The man that started this web site, DJ, is active military, I think.

You can bet that as soon as some of these guys see your post, they will respond. So be patient. They can give you alot of info re your question.

They may not be online right now.......

Sending PF vibes your way

Jean

Title: Re: Veterans Affairs and Cluster Headaches
Post by BlueMeanie on Dec 30^th, 2003, 2:13am

7 year Navy vet. Never applied for disability. Just an episodic. Someone posted awhile back about disability. Maybe they will post later.

Title: Re: Veterans Affairs and Cluster Headaches
Post by Robert_N on Jan 2^nd, 2004, 1:54am

I am a disabled rated veteran of the Marine Corps. They put me out strictly for cluster headaches. I was initially rated at 30%, at the 5 year review and taking into account my civilian success, the board choose to drop the rating to 10%. Any other questions, just ask.

Title: Re: Veterans Affairs and Cluster Headaches
Post by mucho_pain on Jan 2^nd, 2004, 9:47am

I am a 9 year vet of the Air Force. I was put out strictly for Chronic Cluster HA in 2000. I have been dealing with the VA for the past 4 years.

My initial rating was 10% out of the service and still is 10% even after appeals to the VA medical board in Tampa, FL.

I talked with the DAV rep last week and we were going to appeal the appeal but when we got a copy of my med records there was very little in there about HA even tho thats what i'm being seen for. For some reason the docs on the board saw an entry about "some improvement with meds" and made thier decision based on that.

I told the rep that i only get to see the doc every 6 months, how do they expect to see a lot about headaches in my records.

Anyway... long story short... he told me that I need to see the urgent care team ( the VA's emergency room) often to have more CH entries in my records, then he can request for upgrade on disability.

I told him that if i went to the doc for every headache i got i would be living in the dahm clinic.

I'm not one to complain a lot. But i guess with the VA you have to.

Greg

Title: Re: Veterans Affairs and Cluster Headaches
Post by Prense on Jan 2^nd, 2004, 10:23am

on 01/02/04 at 09:47:18, mucho_pain wrote:

I told the rep that i only get to see the doc every 6 months, how do they expect to see a lot about headaches in my records.

I am a chronic CH sufferer and I have over 50 entires in my records since being diagnosed in 2000. In my case, not one entry from referral appointments made my military medical records unless I specifically requested it. The same was true for ER visits. I am getting out in a few months...I am being boarded, but getting out due to turning down an assignment. I turned down retainability for a korea assignment a couple of months prior to being tagged non-WWQ... Convenient? >:(

It seems to me that if your CH was bad enough for them to kick you out, then you should be getting more than 10%. The problem is that the VA makes the decisions on service connected disabilities. I would keep appealing until you receive 30%...unless the condition is no longer chronic or has improved.

I do have a question for anyone that knows... Since I am not retiring, will the VA cover prescriptions associated with CH? I am getting information that the VA will handle treating the CH, but I cannot get a straight answer about prescriptions.

Chris

Title: Re: Veterans Affairs and Cluster Headaches
Post by mucho_pain on Jan 2^nd, 2004, 12:20pm

Hey Chris,

I hear ya on my disability being more than 10%... should be atleast 50% according to the regs. Probelm is the documentation in my records. Not enough of it.

The VA will cover your meds but only if they deem your CH as service connected. In my case it was. You must list them on your VA Claim during your seperation process.... then once you check in with the VA, let them know what meds your on or need and you should be good to go from there. If your being boarded for the CH then there should be no prob with the service connection. You will have to pay for them until the service connection rating is made. Then you shouldnt be charged.

One word of advice tho... Seperations will tell you that they will forward your claim paper work over to the VA... in my case, it never made it, nor did my medical records. See if they will let you hand carry your stuff to the VA.

Also, get a personal copy of your med records, you can request that at the base hospital.

From what i was told the VA will very easily keep you at what the service rates you at as far as disability unless there A LOT of documentation showing other wise. Meaning the probelem still exists or has gotten worse.

In my case i have been and still am Chronic... i get these dahm things 4 to 8 times day... some days better than others of coarse.

Greg

Title: Re: Veterans Affairs and Cluster Headaches
Post by Prense on Jan 2^nd, 2004, 1:40pm

Thanks for answering Greg!

I hope the documentation I have is substantial. I have put a lot of time into making sure that everything has gotten added to my records. I am waiting a little bit to request a copy of my records as my hospital visits are still ongoing and frequent. I will make sure to get a copy before I get out though.

Thanks for the advice on handcarrying...I'll definately push for that.

Regards!

Chris

Title: Re: Veterans Affairs and Cluster Headaches
Post by furrfish on Jan 5^th, 2004, 9:44pm

Thank you for your replies. I am dealing with the VA now. You see, the VA doctors diagnosed me with cluster headaches in September...but while on active duty I had seen a doc for them and he said it was just tension headaches.

I have ordered a copy of my medical records more than 30 days ago and still counting. I think that it is piss-poor that you had only gotten 10% when the 38CFR states atleast 50% for more than three headaches per month. I have about 3-6 per day.

It was a little diferrent for me though...
I was an Air Traffic Controller and they did not want to get rid of me via a proper diagnosis. So they just dreamt up tension headaches.

I would like to know if any of you have requested your medical records and conducted your own investigations on the intake assessments of your active duty years. I think that this will be the only hope that I have.

Title: Re: Veterans Affairs and Cluster Headaches
Post by mucho_pain on Jan 6^th, 2004, 12:10pm

Furrfish-- what do you mean by intake assesment?

I worked Satellite Communications in the Air Force and for a while they were looking at the possibility of RF exposure. That was cleared since the affects of non-ionizing radiation ar not cummulative. And i never was in a position to get zapped with heavy doses.