VA Hearing Test

I now have my general medical and mental health appointments set with the VA office. Though my VA counselor said she would also schedule me for a hearing/audiology appointment for my hearing loss and tinnitus, so I was concerned that she missed part of my claim.

Just today I received a call from a Lockheed-Martin phone number that turned out to be the person scheduling my audiology appointment. After I talked to her and scheduled an appointment for my screening I've figured out the VA actually contracts their audiology screening here in North Carolina. An interesting piece of information I thought might be helpful for others going through an MEB regardless of they're in the Air Force or not.

Medical Evaluation Board

Over the last 10 years of my career in the Air Force I have been complaining of chest discomfort and chronic shortness of breath.  The doctors I have seen have simply said either I am out of shape or that I should just take Motrin for the discomfort/pain that I experience during exertion.  Finally after nearly nine years of complaining I was sent to the cardiologist for testing.  On the first appointment it was discovered that my aortic valve was regurgitating and on a subsequent transesophogial echogram they discovered that my aortic valve is bicuspid instead of tricuspid.  The cardiologist sent me to Walter-Reed to have a cardiac MRI, which confirmed that two of my leaflets are fused together, more than likely since birth.

Now after over a year of tests and appointments AFPC Medical Standards confirmed my doctors finding that I am unfit for duty and now get to enjoy the MEB/PEB/IDES process with the Veterans Affairs (VA) doctors.  I hope to keep track and a journal on here of my adventures with the VA and the entire Air Force MEB/PEB process as there really seems to be nowhere on the internet that outlines the process.

So after being on a medical profile for over a year my PCM completed a RILO (Review in Lieu of) on my condition that "may" be service disqualifying.  The base deployment working group (DAWG) reviewed my record and the RILO and agreed that I was unfit for continued service to which the medical commander agreed and forwarded the recommendation to AFPD Medical Standards.  Then AFPC confirmed that I was unfit for duty and returned the package to my PEBLO and PCM and order a full MEB/PEB on me in order to medical separate or hopefully retire me.  My commander had already prepared his recommendation that I be medically retired as I an unable to perform my primary duties, which I helped author.  Now the PEBLO has sent me to the VA office for my exams to determine what disability rating my service disqualifying condition will be and my other disabilities that I will claim.  After the percentage is calculated my PEBLO will have a local board review my record to ensure everything that is disqualifying is included and forward the package to AFPC for MEB/PEB processing.

But for now it is a wait game for my VA appointments over the next month.