Been a While

[outlaw4]

Well its been a minute since i have been on due to the MEB and Divorce buisness, so the update...

1. Finnished the MEB process 25 April.
2. My "P U L H E S" used to be 112111, and is now 433124.
3. My MEB packet is currently at Legal being looked at prior to going to the PEB.
4. Divorce is final and the ex is now asking about retirement benifits, I told her to refer to her wonderful divorce decree that precludes her from any Medical or Disability Retirement!.. sucks to be her!


The V.A and Army docs that did my evals were very good to me and doccumented everything and even did several L.O.D's that my packet needed.
I have no idea what my disability rating will be but the 4 issues that I am being considered as Not Fit For Duty are;
1.M.S
2.Severe PTSD
3.Cervical Radiculopathy
4.Cervical Degenerative Disc Disease (Displacement of Cervical intervertebral disc without myelopathy)
from what the V.A and Board docs said those 4 will all be Service connected.
Thats enough babeling for now thanks for being here for us new guys.

Joe

[Bob698]

A lot of your stuff sounds good, time to take care of Joe for a while.
I read the part about your eye, it happens. Believe me.
You might get the vision back but you may not. Trust me, you can adapt to that in time. Its really not that bad once you get used to it. Just take Driving off the big list for now. At least until you get used to seeing in Mono (and you will).
You could try an eye patch but I never got into wearing one. The problem isn't your eye, its the wiring behind it and those eye muscles still work. Besides, wearing a patch makes you look like that Van Heusen shirt guy. You'd have to start smoking a pipe and looking important.

Anyway, chill. You've got a lot of time now. If anything, the military made you ready in learning to chill. What would we do about stuff we had no control over? That's right, whizz on it.

[lovejoy]

OUTLAW HOW LONG WHERE IN FOR? AND HOW LONG MARRIED ?

[lovejoy]

SO SHE WILL GET SOME MONEY IF YOU HAVE BEEN IN FOR 24 YEARS AND BEEN MARRIED LONGER THAN TEN SHE IS ENTITLED TO 50% OF YOUR RETIRED PAY, NOT YOUR MEDICAL THOUGH, ALSO IF SHE FINDS A GOOD LAWYER SHE WILL GET MORE. DID SHE WORK WHILE YOU GUYS WHERE MARRIED? SHE COULD ALWAYS GO FOR ALIMONEY

[Dulcinea714]

Hi Outlaw,
I read your story in earlier post. Glad to hear things are settling down. So, did your ex agree to no money from your retirement? My ex did, he didn't want anything; I made more $$ and had agressively contributed to the tsp. We were both retired reservists, so that washed each other out. I wasn't retired when we split, but had my 20 and retirement packet was submitted; he was retired. He could have gotten a chunk of my tsp and part of my retirement from civilian job, so was grateful he didn't want any of that.

If you want to research ratings, here is the link to the VA regulation on rating conditions: http://www.benefits.va.gov/warms/bookc.asp#q

The minimum rating for MS is 30%. I have heard that they tend to only give 30% from the MEB, but if you appeal, the VA will usually increase it. I see you have other issues (don't we all), so, hopefully that will help your total rating.

Good luck and what Bob said: Chill...it is okay to chill and not do too much and don't make any unnecessary major changes, life has thrown enough at you, no need to make it more complicated.

[outlaw4]

Sorry I have been out of the loop for a while lately...

Let me answer some of the stuff about the divorce;
She went for the retirement money at 50% at the rate I am currently at, and I have a military lawyer that is ensuring that all of my retirement stuff will be listed as MEDICAL ANS DISABILITY so she will not get any of that.

She didn't go for any of my TSP which I was very happy about.

I got my right eye vision back but it is quite blury(i dont know what double vision is actually so it may be that) and the seft side of my face is numb again, all things I am now used to.
The newest thing I am trying to deal with is the constant pain I am having in my back, it makes it hell to sleep.

I get to begin again when I am finally put out finding a job if I am able to (pending the disability rating).
I will have to re plan financially how to live, and pay my Child Support, how to pay for my Betaseron..etc..
Money will be my biggest issue I am sure, pain is just a thing I have dealt with since a chile so no big deal there.

Thank you all for your advise and encouraging words.

Joe

[gomer]

Hi outlaw......

GOOD NEWS!

You should not have to worry about your cost of medications!

Double vision is something I have had for many decades. IN my case its weak eye muscles and wear prism glasses.
While I was in the Navy my double vision became doubly worse, but could not get proper prism glasses. I was repeatedly sent for eye exams at my first duty station and A-school and not once did they get it. The only way I could get proper glasses was outside the Navy and did so just to keep functional.

One can have another type of double vision. If you cover one eye and it goes away, that means its an eye alignment/neuro-muscle issue (MS). IF the double vision does not go away by covering one eye then the problem is something else. (had that as well, maybe not MS related)

Anywho...Welcome aboard outlaw.

Gomer Sir Falls-a-lot

[Bob698]

You should learn how to relax.
I'm not talking about relaxing with a handle of Jim Beam but seriously learn how to control stress.
There is NOTHING good about stress for folks with MS, it makes everything worse. The VA should have programs that help and you could even get into stuff like meditation.

Don't laugh too much. I always tried to be the "bad A squid" where nothing could phase me. Meditation really helped me deal with some bad times and helped me accept this crappy disease on a more even footing.