I am posting on behalf of my husband. He's served just shy of 15 years, active duty as a mortuary affairs specialist. He's done 6 combat deployments. I need advice on how best to go about getting him a correct VA rating. He is ETSing out of the army in a month. He has severe PTSD.
Apparently the army didn't think it was severe enough for an MEB doctor to give him more then 10 minutes of her time to review him. So he was denied an Medical Board, even after I contacted our district congressman, and had an investigation open into the matter. Anyhow, I'm upset at the whole process and sickened by the process and how it failed him. We have a mental health evaluation doctor know here by many of the soldiers, who go through the MEB review and board. She is known for trying to give them low to no ratings for their conditions, to side step their questions, confuse them and for being all out rude. I paid her a visit myself, and left her office in tears, angry and saddened that this is the way our service members are being treated. She basically told me that my husband was faking his condition and that the best thing for him to do was ETS out if he felt that he couldn't do his job in the military anymore.
We have accepted our fate as his ETS date draws closer. We are just ready to move on and get away from the military. He has given so much, and his condition has been so bad recently he has done two inpatient stays in less than a month because of acute psychotic episodes/ breakdowns he was unable to control. His case worker mentioned a possible TBI. But his PCM has not yet put in to have an MRI or Cat scan done to assess this? Will the VA take a look at it after he gets out. Or should we push to get it looked at while he is in. I am worried about them giving him a low rating. He is unable to work. He can't be around people he doesn't know or trust, and he basically stays home all the time. He is up all night from insomnia and he has nightmare and hallucinations. All of this is documented with his doctors, he has be on meds for over 18 months, to help him function. They have changed up his meds 3 times in the past month, because they still haven't found the right combination to help him without making him tired all the time. I'm just severely worried that the VA is going to screw him over as much as the army has. I don't know how the process goes, and neither does he. We were trying to get Benefits before departure, but he did not know he needed his class 1 physical 6 months out. He hasn't had it yet, and he is less than a month from ETSing. He did ACAP appointments a year ago. But remembers nothing. His memory is really bad. I would have went with him, but I was working at the time, and I thought his unit would be more helpful, as they knew what was going on with him. Unfortunately he took leave when our baby was born, and while he was on leave, his entire command team changed. The new commander wasn't aware of any of my soldier's issues until just recently when he did an impatient stay over the Christmas break. It's just been one thing after another.
If someone could just help me to understand the VA's process and everything we will need to get him the best rating. That would be so helpful. He has a few other health problems, but my biggest concern right now is his PTSD. He is unable to work in the mortuary field, which he has 14 year experience in. He can't even handle new people, or stress at all. His job options are going to be very limited.
Apparently the army didn't think it was severe enough for an MEB doctor to give him more then 10 minutes of her time to review him. So he was denied an Medical Board, even after I contacted our district congressman, and had an investigation open into the matter. Anyhow, I'm upset at the whole process and sickened by the process and how it failed him. We have a mental health evaluation doctor know here by many of the soldiers, who go through the MEB review and board. She is known for trying to give them low to no ratings for their conditions, to side step their questions, confuse them and for being all out rude. I paid her a visit myself, and left her office in tears, angry and saddened that this is the way our service members are being treated. She basically told me that my husband was faking his condition and that the best thing for him to do was ETS out if he felt that he couldn't do his job in the military anymore.
We have accepted our fate as his ETS date draws closer. We are just ready to move on and get away from the military. He has given so much, and his condition has been so bad recently he has done two inpatient stays in less than a month because of acute psychotic episodes/ breakdowns he was unable to control. His case worker mentioned a possible TBI. But his PCM has not yet put in to have an MRI or Cat scan done to assess this? Will the VA take a look at it after he gets out. Or should we push to get it looked at while he is in. I am worried about them giving him a low rating. He is unable to work. He can't be around people he doesn't know or trust, and he basically stays home all the time. He is up all night from insomnia and he has nightmare and hallucinations. All of this is documented with his doctors, he has be on meds for over 18 months, to help him function. They have changed up his meds 3 times in the past month, because they still haven't found the right combination to help him without making him tired all the time. I'm just severely worried that the VA is going to screw him over as much as the army has. I don't know how the process goes, and neither does he. We were trying to get Benefits before departure, but he did not know he needed his class 1 physical 6 months out. He hasn't had it yet, and he is less than a month from ETSing. He did ACAP appointments a year ago. But remembers nothing. His memory is really bad. I would have went with him, but I was working at the time, and I thought his unit would be more helpful, as they knew what was going on with him. Unfortunately he took leave when our baby was born, and while he was on leave, his entire command team changed. The new commander wasn't aware of any of my soldier's issues until just recently when he did an impatient stay over the Christmas break. It's just been one thing after another.
If someone could just help me to understand the VA's process and everything we will need to get him the best rating. That would be so helpful. He has a few other health problems, but my biggest concern right now is his PTSD. He is unable to work in the mortuary field, which he has 14 year experience in. He can't even handle new people, or stress at all. His job options are going to be very limited.