Advice or Guidance for non reported service connected injuries while on active duty.

SSgt Kevin Chavez — Sat, 03 Jan 2015 20:17:17 -0500

Seeking advice: While Stationed at MCRD San Diego, I had a procedure for a deviated septum at Balboa Naval Hospital, the by product of a few broken noses during my time in the USMC. I woke up during a Rino/Septo in what seemed to be a clinic setting at Balboa, I remember everything from the Dr. breaking my nose to the stitches and tubes in my nasal passages. My heart rate was at 200 at one point as I could hear the nurse counting me up. I kept asking for meds, but it seemed like I was not talking or they just refused to listen to me. I hate to admit it, but I developed a sort of PTSD where I want nothing to do with Doctors. I avoided the Battalion Aid Station like the plague and now I am suffering for it years later, as I failed to report Service related injuries during active duty. Has anyone every experienced anything like this??? Does anyone have some guidance??

Response by Sgt Robert Hill made Jan 5 at 2015 9:00 AM

Sgt Robert Hill — Mon, 05 Jan 2015 09:00:44 -0500

You need to get to the VA. If you still have base access go to the VA on base and try to discuss it. Since you didn't report it before you got out it's going to take a while… but time is all you have. When out processing you want to get everything in the system at least 6 months before you separate/EAS. When it's done this way it will be relatively fast…. meaning 6 months to a year, hopefully.

When you report it after EAS. You're in it for the long haul. It could take years but you have to be proactive or it won't happen at all. On Lejeune there was a really great Med/Rep, prior service Corpsman. If it weren't for him I still wouldn't understand what was going on. There are several veterans organizations that can help. You have to find a volunteer in these organizations that knows what's going on. I joined the DAV hoping to help and get some answers. The most they could do was get me a ride to the VA if I didn't have transportation. The volunteers that were left there were old school, early Vietnam era vets. They didn't know how to help. Everyone they called from other locations was busy and couldn't help or had disconnected numbers. It can be really grueling.

I realized I had become claustrophobic when I was taking my hearing test and that was weird. I never was claustrophobic before. Heart pounding etc…
Don't give up. Find, interview and possibly join at least one veteran organization. DAV, VFW, American Legion, etc…. find one where people can reference laws, statutes, etc. and have some actual answers. Lawyers are often rip offs. One offered to help me for $20,000.00. I declined.
When I showed up in DC the JAG lawyer I ended up working with was able to help me and I think simply by me showing up, they worked with me. I believe a lot of people don't have any fight in them and that's what the gov't is counting on so they don't have to help you.
We like to think we are important but to the gov't we are numbers and money and liability. When we show up we add the human element and hopefully you're dealing with a human who will do there job and help you.
I wish you the best of luck. Don't give up. You're going to need to have "ENDURANCE" now. you're going to want to give up because it will seem to take forever… It could take a few years. Don't give up. Find any and every documentation you can. If you have to, go back to San Diego and have them pull up any records even paper… but on the computer…
They keep a good amount of records on the computer… I had records removed from my medical record due to some BS where the Dr. screwed up and tried to cover his ass by removing what could have gotten him in trouble. I still had some copies from my training jacket thank goodness And even better than that… I went back to that duty station before I got out. They didn't have any paper records but they did at least have computer records of the times they gave me medications… So then I had all these dates where I was given medications and missing medical records except what I could find in my training jacket.

Don't give up.