Weekly Vets Muster on the MS deck, Feb 27 '11

[gomer]

Weekly Muster on the mess deck

All veterans, active duty, family even LimboLanders are ALL welcome here. As veterans we have some different situations and issues than most civilian MSers. We deal with the VA and some of us get our medical care thru VA medical Centers, issues of getting help with disability and pensions etc.

Please......... Drop in and say HI at least once per muster. We want to know you are doing OK, hope better than just OK. With REGULAR musters we can get to know our fellow vets better and build a sense of UNITY. If you run across a fellow Vet elsewhere on MSworld, please let them know we are here so they can join us.

Hope everyone is doing well !

The VA web site..... (link below) list notice of free monthly educatinal conference calls.
http://www4.va.gov/MS/articles/Educa...ence_Calls.asp
What: Patient and Caregiver conference calls
When: Second Monday of each month
Time: 5-6pm PT, 6-7pm MT, 7-8pm CT, 8-9pm ET
How: call 1.800.767.1750, wait to hear the welcome
........ message then punch the code 43157#

If you have not done so yet, please post an intro in the thread titled "Vets Master Muster & intros". Please post only your into there so it ONLY contains your into. You cna always start a new thread for questions or other issues.

BOB, when i the fed shutdown deadline? I hope this does not screw up my getting an ortho referral. Maybe with luck it will speed things up instead.. then again it might sink it, who knows......don't ya just love politics?

BTW Bob, time for the loooooong tube up the rear. I ahd mine done last year. The prep is the worst part. I had them put me under, I did NOT want to see my tunnel on TV.

WACV.......I quit using my autoinjector for my copaxone long ago, (OK to me nearly a year post MS Dx is a long time). My wife help with some and its just like giving insulin shots and she was trained to do that years ago. Many like the autjects but after 3 decades of shots the ole fashioned way..........

How was YOUR week?
Any recent Doc apts or tests at the VA or elsewhere?

I saw my non-VA ortho last week. Total waste of time, he had NO interest in bothering checking out the bone tumor as I was previously advised. Xray'd the wrong part and wrong angle to even show the bone tumor. Spent nearly 2 full hrs waiting in the exam room before he popped in.

SPRNG is now week closer

Anything new comming up Soon?
...............................at the VA or elsewhere?

This week I have an apt with a GP at the VA to TRY and get a ortho clinic referral.

I get my MS care at the VA but use my medicare for my other health care needs. My need to use the VA on this lower leg bone tumor question as well.

Gomer Have GoGo, will Go Go Go

[AF PA]

New to board

I am happy to see a special military board. I am still Active Duty Air Force, undergoing my MEB this week with the assumption that I will be RTD due to my AFSC. I have been diagnosed since July, 2010, first issues came when stationed in Minot in 2005, same old story as everyone else, time to manifest. Looking forward to further interactions.

[Bob698]

I'm hearing a shutdown could be as early as next week. I think the VA already has its budget or that they're covered but this is fed funding and I'm sure they are looking at the next budget cycle.

[Bob698]

I am happy to see a special military board. I am still Active Duty Air Force, undergoing my MEB this week with the assumption that I will be RTD due to my AFSC. I have been diagnosed since July, 2010, first issues came when stationed in Minot in 2005, same old story as everyone else, time to manifest. Looking forward to further interactions.

Welcome to the clubhouse.
I didn't have experience with med boards (my MS stuff started after I got Riffed* out of the Navy) but others on here have.
IMO, it would be cool if youse guys documented the formal process of being Dx'd while active and posted it in the sticky threads. That way, if someone else is active service and they're just starting the process they'll have an idea of what to expect/what to look out for and we'll have somewhere easy to point them.

* RIF- Reduction In Force. This was the build-down after we screwed up and won the cold war.

[unstoppable]

MIDTERMS!!!

Hey guys! Today is the first of two midterms for me, spring break is all next week! My 16yo truck finally died so I'm shopping around to replace it. For some reason my focus is off so I don't think my midterm for today will go very well. I am adjusting to my copaxone shots, I'm no longer having the migraines from it (yay!). I am having my first mri since 2006 this week, for some reason I'm a bit nervous. I'm also going to finally start my claim, I'm still within my 7 yr window. Any advise or tips are more than welcomed, I'm super nervous, I hate having to jump through hoops to prove anything about my health.

I'm having a bit of trouble at school though. I have registered with the disability services with a doctors note for the special chair and desk for extra comfort, but other people sit in them often. So sometimes I have to sit on the floor or the steps (the regular chair and desk hurt my back). Nobody seems to be concerned but I think its just time for me to cause a scene to put an end to the madness.

I just found out my husband is deploying in the fall (that what I get for marrying a soldier), so I will be cutting back on my classes to reduce the stress at home with the kiddies. After having such a rough week last week, I'm hoping for smooth sailing this week!

You all have a great one!

[reecer1]

I am happy to see a special military board. I am still Active Duty Air Force, undergoing my MEB this week with the assumption that I will be RTD due to my AFSC. I have been diagnosed since July, 2010, first issues came when stationed in Minot in 2005, same old story as everyone else, time to manifest. Looking forward to further interactions.

i just returned from the FMEB at Lackland. i was to ld to retire and now i am appealing the findings. i figured they would want to still retire me even after i put up a damn good case. the biggest thing is proving you are fit for duty in your current afsc, and also remember that the AF is cutting numbers, so it is always easier to cut their losses and move on and give you a chance to find another career while you are still able to do so. best of luck and if i can answer any Q's for you as i just went through it.

[Bob698]

I'm also going to finally start my claim, I'm still within my 7 yr window. Any advise or tips are more than welcomed, I'm super nervous, I hate having to jump through hoops to prove anything about my health.

For some reason, I don't think you need to be nervous.
For the pension stuff, you should plan on a 4 to 6 month wait while they process it. The VA has been making the process more streamlined, but I'd still plan on 4 to 6 months. You will get backpay from the date you filed, once it kicks in.
As far as testing, just be yourself and let the docs do their thing. Don't worry about the old VA scuttlebut and all the stuff you're supposed to say.* If you already have an Rx for Copax, I think that will get their attention.
On a practical side, I'd be looking for a good VA service officer you can be comfortable with. With a pension, I'd consider signing up with an S.O. who is part of an outside org. such as DAV (shop around) instead of employed by the VA. They tend to provide an extra layer of insulation and they don't have to constantly quote the company line.

*- We all know that tinnitis can't be tested and that if you went to boot camp you probably have PTSD. Trust me, MS is enough.