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Question
I was in the Navy from 2001 - 2003. I was discharged with a condition, not a disability, but the medical evidence that I now have proved it was not a condition, rather a ruptured disc that went untreated for 10 years now, and caused arthritis of the spine, or ankylosing spondylitis.
I was injured during PT, reported it to my command, and after 2 years of doctors visits, I was released. I am now 30 years old, and can barely lift my 2 year old son (my youngest child) becuase of my back pain. Is there any thing I can do about the Navy not properly taking care of the problem while I was in? Can I go to the VA and reapply for benefits from the injury? Is there anything I can do besides have back surgery / fusion at L4-L5 level, and L5-S1. By the way, this is an area that the doctors in the Navy stated I had a bulging disc.
Your best bet is to trey and recover any and all medical documentation fromt he time you were in and present it to the VA for review. Getting the medical records is the only hope you have for any recourse at all.
You can find out how to get copies of your record by lookingon the VA website. They will look thru old records and send you all that they have.
then go from there.
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Answers by Expert:
John L
Expertise
I am a National Guard recruiter , been doing it for seven years and am a subject matter expert on qualifications for National Guard and I keep up to date on Regular Army regs and programs. I was in the Navy for 4 years and have 13 years in the Guard. I will not sugar coat my answers to you. They are usually short and to the point. If you need more in depth, ask me. Because each situation is different, alot of times you need to actually talk to a recruiter and let them evaluate your situation in person, by looking at your documents, issues etc. If I suggest this, it would be in your best interest to do so. Finally...thank you for your interest in serving this great nation of ours. Very few people can actually make the cut to serve let alone choose to do so. So thank you for wanting to and hopefully you will get a chance. Whatever branch you choose, thank you and good luck.
Experience
13 years Guard experince, combat missions and homeland missions. 7 years recruiting. I have been a platoon sergeant and squad leader. Mentor to new recruiters and recruits.
Education/Credentials
Recruiters course and advanced courses in recruiting
Awards and Honors
Top recruiter in district for FY 2008. Nominated for recruiter of the year for 2010.
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