VA Changes

[ShotUp]

These things went into effect at the beginning of this year I believe. TBI is a pretty important thing to get taken care of. I just started my intake process and can answer any questions to the best of my ability. I will post the new VA policies just for general info and then post a reply with common symptoms. My hope is that this will help at least a few people out with the VA.

In the first of what could become many revisions in its disability ratings, the Veterans Affairs Department announced Tuesday that it is changing how it evaluates traumatic brain injuries, a move that could increase disability compensation for thousands of veterans who have been injured by roadside bombs or other explosions in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The changes, which could take effect within 30 days, apply only to new disability claims. But in some cases, veterans already given a disability rating could ask to be reevaluated. Any increase in benefits resulting from the change would not be retroactive for those already rated, VA officials said.

VA officials pledged that no one’s disability rating — which determines their level of compensation — would be reduced as a result of the change.

The change, which has been in the works since January, is aimed at blast injuries from roadside bombs — a common injury for Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans, VA officials said in a statement. About 6,000 veterans already have been rated by VA as having mild to severe brain injuries resulting from being near such explosions.

The new regulation describes traumatic brain injury, commonly called TBI, as an injury that has immediate effects, such as loss of consciousness, amnesia, and other neurological symptoms. The problems could be temporary, but also may cause prolonged effects such as physical or mental impairment or emotional and behavior problems.

A disability rating would be determined by evaluating physical, emotional and cognitive behavior, with ratings based on the cumulative result of the evaluations. Physical problems could include pain, hearing loss and speech problems. Cognitive behavior would include decision making, judgment and social interaction.

TBI has been difficult to diagnose because 90 percent of cases do not involve visible head wounds, and service members often report only mild problems.

“Difficulty after TBI may include headache, sleep difficulties, decreased memory and attention, slower thinking, irritability, and depression,” VA officials said in a statement.

In addition to the TBI regulations, VA officials also announced an interim policy that considers amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, to be a service-connected disability, and a final rule on evaluating scars caused by service-connected burns.

VA Secretary James Peake had announced in August that the rules would be changed. In a statement issued Tuesday, Peake said the presumption of service-connection for ALS makes sense because it is “a disease that progresses rapidly once it is diagnosed.”

“There simply isn’t time to develop the evidence needed to support compensation claims before many veterans become seriously ill,” Peake said. “My decision will make those claims much easier to process, and for them and their families to receive the compensation they have earned through their service to our nation.”

VA officials said the ALS policy will apply to all claims received beginning Tuesday and all claims pending before VA, including those being appealed.

The burn rating rules, which are final, involve how VA evaluates multiple scars. They also would apply to new claims.

The three separate rule changes are included in the Sept. 23 Federal Register, where legal notices are provided about regulatory change.

[ShotUp]

Signs and Symptoms

Signs and symptoms of neurological impairment caused by TBI depend on which structures in the brain are damaged.

Common symptoms include:

Anxiety, nervousness
Behavioral changes:
difficulty controlling urges (disinhibition)
impulsiveness
inappropriate laughter
irritability
Blurry or double vision (diplopia)
Depression
Difficulty concentrating or thinking
Difficulty finding words or understanding the speech of others (aphasia)
Difficulty swallowing (dysphagia)
Dizziness
Headache
Incoordination of movements
Lightheadedness
Loss of balance; difficulty walking or sitting
Loss of memory
Muscle stiffness and/or spasms
Seizures
Sleep difficulties (more or less sleep than pre-injury)
Slurred and/or slowed speech
Tingling, numbness, pain, or other sensations
Sense of spinning (vertigo )
Weakness in one or more limbs, facial muscles, or on an entire side of the body

[panthersix]

Thanks for posting, I go in for my TBI assessment on March 12th. I've been back since January '06 and I feel like I've been getting better with concentration and memory. But I'm getting numbness in my hands now and a constant buzzing noise in my ears. By constant, I mean 24/7!

[Silverback]

VA has taken a very aggressive and compensatory approach to counter act the symptoms of my TBI. I certainly don't think it's "serious" but the memory stuff and vertigo are still with me after more than a year since my most recent trauma. Keep an eye on your symptoms and go to the doctor for treatment.

[ShotUp]

RANGER panthersix,

If I may offer a suggestion I'd like to. I just went through my TBI Intake last Tuesday. I'm not sure how it's set up at every VA but I'll use the example of how mine went.

I went in and saw 5 doctors each for about 45 minutes. They ask you anything and everything. I've been having serious problems with my memory, so I brought my wife along. I recommend you also bring someone who is around you all the time. It's amazing how many things I would've left out had my wife not been there.

They are there to help, by the end it seems like you've been there forever. Another suggestion I have for you is to submit a Statement in Support of Claim (VA Form 21-4138) that way your claim will start quicker when they actually start looking into your file. If you haven't done so already I recommend using the VA's VONAPP program. Search for it on google if you'd like. It's an application that lets you submit VA forms, and the VA receives them much faster. If you have any other questions I'd be happy to help..

[panthersix]

Just fecking thinking about the VA gives me an anxiety attack!

[Silverback]

Just fecking thinking about the VA gives me an anxiety attack!

I like going there because it's one place that I am truly one of the "Young ones".

[ShotUp]

Just fecking thinking about the VA gives me an anxiety attack!

I like going there because it's one place that I am truly one of the "Young ones".

And I hate going there for that reason. Always getting called "boy". However, it's fun to hear stories though whenever I'm in a waiting room from people that are sometimes more than 60-70 years older than me.

[Jim]

I like going there because it's one place that I am truly one of the "Young ones".

And I hate going there for that reason. Always getting called "boy". However, it's fun to hear stories though whenever I'm in a waiting room from people that are sometimes more than 60-70 years older than me.

Goddamn kids...

[ShotUp]

I like going there because it's one place that I am truly one of the "Young ones".

And I hate going there for that reason. Always getting called "boy". However, it's fun to hear stories though whenever I'm in a waiting room from people that are sometimes more than 60-70 years older than me.

Goddamn kids...

You have a good story for me now Ranger Jim?

[Ranger Reed]

I had a TBI in May of '93 after a car landed on my head. I was part of the first group of patients through Walter Reed's TBI unit. VA hooked me up with Effexor which keeps me from freaking out in crowded place and controling my desire to wrap my hands around the necks of irrating mf's. I concur with the earlier post about having a family member or friend with you when you go to see the docs. My mom created a big book of stuff for me to take now that the big "C" has her approaching her final ETS date. Also try to get both an MRI and CatScan if you haven't already. They both show different stuff. I had an anurism (sp?) that didn't show up in the MRI but does in the CatScan.