Help! Torn hip labrums, 2 surgeries, 0% and maybe adjustment disorder

[Vega]

Thank you all for what you do on this forum. I have searched through the forums and can't find something similar. Here is my story:
Four and a half years ago I tore the labrums in both my hips while giving birth. It took over a year to diagnose, three years to get the first surgery to repair one side and I just had the second surgery to repair the other side. I have been on a steady diet of ibuprofen and vicodin for the past four years, but on my VA exam the dr put "no objective evidence of pain" I have four years of medical records showing otherwise and chose to go to the formal board to try and get this overturned. If I didn't have pain I wouldn't be being med-boarded out of the Air Force!

I am just looking for some advice on what to put in my letter to the formal board.

Also I was rated 70% by the VA for adjustment disorder with depressed mood. My PEBLO recommended trying to get this changed to an unfitting condition, but my Airman's Counsel lawyer said that getting it changed to chronic adjustment disorder (its been going on for 2.5 years) could get me administratively discharged with nothing. This doesn't seem right, has anyone else had that happen?

Any input is appreciated, I'm stressing out like crazy that I'm going to be kicked out with nothing.

 

[scoutCC]

I am awful curious what an objective evidence of pain is. MRI and watch for certain nerves to light up? Isn't all pain subjective? Regardless though, pain is only 10%, well, 20% if its bilateral, but won't change you from separation pay. Well, 20% if its

Adjustment disorders get an admin separation, chronic ones do not. They used to all just be lumped in with personality disorders for admin separation. Really, by the VA rating you at 70%, they're saying its chronic, as that is what the rating criteria requires it.

They used to kick kids out all the time for adjustment disorder. It was too easy, show up with PTSD symptoms and you are just having trouble adjusting to military life, out you go. Or personality disorder, your personality is wrong for the hardships. It caught enough heat its not done that way anymore. The stats were pretty amazing, nice steady trend line for % of physical disability discharges for years, then the war kicks off and suddenly physical disability plummets and adjustment and personality disorders skyrockets.

To throw you out the door with an admin sep now they really need to refute the VAs rating. My guess is your counsel is being overly cautious.

 

[kiska]

I feel your pain. My MEB was for right hip issues which have not resolved to this day even after surgery. Like you I was given a 0% rating but found unfit. JAG recommended me to appeal on my PTSD percentage but it appears lately that they are even rejecting that argument. I feel that something has changed up on top concerning MEB's. Maybe because they aren't as back loaded as before but there is something else going on that we are not able to see. I can't tell you what to do but because of the uncertainty of appealing I am taking my severance and moving out. One recent example at Fort Gordon is that a soldier went up for PTSD/MDD, they were offered dod 20%, va 80%, they appealed and this time they came back with fit for duty and rescinded all offers. This soldier is now going for a formal appeal and don't know the outcome yet. During this process this soldier failed ht/wt and they are trying to separate them for that reason now. I feel for them.