Need help or advice

heelbilly

PEB Forum Regular Member
Ok heres the run down. My MEB process started in 07/2008. Doctor retired and it fell through the cracks and did come to light again until beginning of 2009. Finally heard back from my first round of the MEB and they offered me a severance pay at 19 years 10 months and 10% rating. Went to the formal board in Texas in Sep 2010 and they found they same findings as the first board. So of course i sent a final appeal to the SECAF level in Oct 2010. This was basically to push me over the twenty year mark. Which was Nov 2010. The latest MRI shows black damaged disk with L4-L5 rupture and a central and right-side herniation at L5-S1.
Only thing I have been doing for PT is the walk test and waist measurement since 2008

Treatment from 2007 - 2011 has been older doctor was just to take pain medicine and live with it until I cant stand it any longer. I have had numerous spinal injections. Earlier this year I ask to see a different doctor because I have nothing but total pain 100% of the time since April. I can narrow it down either further, It was on the 14th of April. My last PT test. I killed myself to pass. My new doctor has recommended me to have bilateral laminectomy, posterior lumbar interbody fusion with a Crescent cage and bone morphogenic yadda yadda yadda!.. The fusion thing with rods and screws.

This is my problem: I was supposed to have the surgery tomorrow 3 Aug. I have the tricare approval, I also have the con leave approval from the doctor. But they told me yesterday that I have to get permission from AFPC because of the MEB and I am on an 6 month extension. I turned all of this in for AFPC permission on the 14th of July. They are saying that they may have to terminate the current MEB if they even allow me to have the surgery. From what they said it is not life threathing for the USAF to spend the money on me. They won't get anything out of it. I am sorry I hurt my back doing this job for them. Can they honestly say they wont do the surgery? They say its an elective if I choose to do it now.


Thanks
 
What an administrative nightmare! To be honest, at this late date I don't know how you could get to the bottom of this before tomorrow. I would try Patient Advocacy, IG, your PEBLO, and anyone in your chain with a sympathetic ear. This may come down to a rescheduling of your surgery. I know that is not a desired outcome. Just trying to be realistic given the time frame.
 
I have tried those routes. I just don't understand how they say that they do not have to perform the surgery. If they do its an elective. I forgot they wanted me to sign a piece of paper stating that I could possibly lose any right to claim compensation under DoDI 1332.39 para 6.1.6. Also AFI 41-210 para 3.9 and 44-102 para 6.2 states that since this is an elective surgery I must use my own leave and pay for it out of my pocket. I understand if I was asking for an elective surgery. Seriously how can a surgery to relieve that constant pain that I am in, plus because of PT I am causing more pain in different areas of my body now because of the limping.

How is this even possible? I think they are trying to wait for the MEB to come back and then put me out. They already said that I can do the surgery after I retire and just pay the co-pays then. From what Lackland MEB office has said my results won't be back until NOv of this year. I don't think I can go that long with the pain be I lose my temper with someone and say something I shouldn't. I am thinking of notifying my on base provider today that I need a suitable update on Friday or I am just calling my Congressional Staff for assistance on Monday.
 
Hey just updating you know that some magically that my SECAF MEB package that was sent to the SECAF last Oct (2010) has some been moved to the top of the stack of waiting packages and I will have my decision by next Friday. I called out to and verified last week that it should still be November of this year when I hear my results. I think this is all because I sent my request to AFPC to have the surgery done. If not it sure is interesting how I will all of the sudden know the results of my MEB by next Friday. So if you are looking for a quick way to end your MEB at the SECAF level ask for a surgery.
 
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