I'm recently retired and am currently appealing my initial denial for service connection of my sleep apnea.  I was diagnosed 3.5 mos. after retiring.  I had asked for a sleep study prior to retiring but my referral was never made.  In my case, the doc "opined" that I had a pre-existing condition and it wasn't aggravated during service.  This in spite of the fact that I had a uvuloplasty and turbinate reduction albeit without a sleep apnea diagnosis.  So, my Air Force ENT suggested a surgery that was (and usually is) ineffective to treat a condition he didn't even confirm I had; and I agreed to undergo such a surgery just for the fun of it.  

Yeah, I'm a little upset over it but I'm cautiously optimistic that a second set of eyes will have a better opinion once they look over the evidence and just to be sure, I'm adding additional friends' accounts and medical evidence.  

If anyone has any advice, I'd love to see it.  I'll follow up once I hear back.

This is the main Military thread but there is another one that might interest some. It is titled 'Sleep Apnea and Service Connected Disability' It is usually located on 1st/2nd page in the Help Forum.

The military spending bill for 2008, Public Law 110-181 that was just signed 1/28/2008 has a couple notes of interest for sleep apnea and the military.  Two sections are of interest, Section 1642 states that the military must use the VSRD to set disability % and section 1643 states that anyone booted out of the military with less than 30% disability and unable to retire will have their case redone upon request.
I would have posted the sections but they are large, you can find them by looking up Public Law 110-181 or H.R.1585

I am curious if anyone knows when diagnosis for sleep apnea became generall known.  I reported the symptoms to a military doctor in 1971, i.e., heavy snoring and stop breathing during sleep, and was told repeatedly that I could not stop breathing because if I did I would die and what my wife was detecting was a cessation in my snoring and she was mistaking that for interruption of my breathing.  I am currently applying to VA for service connected disability ffor sleep apnea but my military service record only documents problems sleeping which the doctor listed as insomnia.  Can anyone provide a time frame when sleep apnea began to be routinely diagnosed?

Don,
  I was recently doing a little research and I saw some posts in other forums by people who were diagnosed in the early 80s.  I would suggest some web searches or even contacting your current sleep specialist about it.  If you're not currently being treated, you could probably still call a local sleep clinic and get some good information or leads.  I'm pretty sure the condition was not widely acknowledged until the last decade or less.  I had UPPP in 2000 to help my sleep but I don't ever recall the ENT doc saying the words "sleep apnea."  I've actually tracked him down and am requesting a telephone consult with him to determine exactly why he suggested the surgery for me.
  I'm guessing you'll find the diagnosis existed from quite a while back (although maybe not as far back as 71) but was not generally accepted until more recently.

Good luck and please follow-up with us!

Ron


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Loving life (at least awake for it) now that I'm sleeping once again with my ResMed at 10cmH2O.

Don,
  I was recently doing a little research and I saw some posts in other forums by people who were diagnosed in the early 80s.  I would suggest some web searches or even contacting your current sleep specialist about it.  If you're not currently being treated, you could probably still call a local sleep clinic and get some good information or leads.  I'm pretty sure the condition was not widely acknowledged until the last decade or less.  I had UPPP in 2000 to help my sleep but I don't ever recall the ENT doc saying the words "sleep apnea."  I've actually tracked him down and am requesting a telephone consult with him to determine exactly why he suggested the surgery for me.
  I'm guessing you'll find the diagnosis existed from quite a while back (although maybe not as far back as 71) but was not generally accepted until more recently.

Good luck and please follow-up with us!

Ron


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Loving life (at least awake for it) now that I'm sleeping once again with my ResMed at 10cmH2O.

I get va disavility for sleep apnea. I also have insomia. Can I get disavility for insomia in addition to sleep apnea?
Please reply at jose.henriquez@us.army.mil

I am so glad that this forum is here.  I am neither crazy nor alone.

I thought my lack of sleep was due to my mattress and pillows.  For years, I kept trading my pillow every few months searching for one that would assist in helping me sleep.  

My father-in-law went for a sleep study a few months ago.  He described symptoms exactly like mine.  I decided to ask my doctor for a sleep study also.  As suspected, OSA.  

I haven't been for the CPAP study yet, but it is almost like a weight has been lifted from me.  I look forward to the hours of uninterrupted sleep.  

I, like a lot of you, am a military retiree that was not diagnosed while on active duty.  I am relatively young (44), but had never heard of sleep apnea until a few months ago.  I chalked up the lack of sleep and extreme (wife's words) snoring to sleep position or being just plain uncomfortable.  

I guess the testimony of the one you sleep with isn't enough for the VA?  The 50% would be nice, but the promise of a good night's sleep is even better.

Thanks for the helpful posts.

Since I have been back from overseas I have had the symptoms of sleep apnea.  I have just recently realized that this could be what is wrong with me.  I now am having trouble with my job I am an over the road truck driver curious to know how many people that served in the Military have been acutually diagnosed with this disorder?

I have been diagnosed with sleep apnea and have been using cpap for about a year now.  I am considering enlisting in the Navy or possibly the Army.  Will my sleep apnea condition keep me out of the military?

I retire from the Air Force in Oct 2007 with 23 years of service.  I am now 80% disable through the VA.  My ratings add up to 140% but they grade on a curve. LOL.  I did get 50% for sleep apnea, so that part is true.  I get concurrent receipt, which means I get 2 checks.  Lets put it this way it more that doubled my normal retirement check.  I feel satified with the VA at this point.


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Haku wrote:

I retire from the Air Force in Oct 2007 with 23 years of service.  I am now 80% disable through the VA.  My ratings add up to 140% but they grade on a curve. LOL.  I did get 50% for sleep apnea, so that part is true.  I get concurrent receipt, which means I get 2 checks.  Lets put it this way it more that doubled my normal retirement check.  I feel satified with the VA at this point.

Well, you are one of the smart ones that actually had everything documented in the med records and had everything together when it was time to file through the VA.  I know a few people that retired without exit exams. Why? Well, I dont know.

Even though you were not diagnosed prior to your retirement, you may still have a case for sleep apnea (SA).  If you ever complained to your doctors while on active duty and can find references to it, you can use that along with "buddy statements" to support your case.  You can also ask your doctor to write an opinion based upon your service medical records (SMR) and the buddy statements.  If so, it should state something to the extent that "after reviewing Mr. X's service medical records, signed witness accounts to his symptoms, and my treatment of his condition, it is my opinion that is it more likely than not that Mr. X's sleep apnea developed in 19XX (or while in service)."  The more specific and firm the letter is, the better.  I got my VA doc to write one for me and all I had to give her was a few references regarding service connection.  It's worth a shot.

Regarding SA and active military, most posts I've read say that as long as you have access to power (can plug in a CPAP machine), you can remain on active duty.  It will vary by specialty, though, so you'll have to ask your military doc to be sure.

Same answer for enterring service with SA.  It would depend on the job/duty as to whether it would allow the use of a CPAP machine.  However, I believe the restrictions are coming down as understanding of the condition increases and the technology improves.  (I can take my CPAP camping and use it with batteries).


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Loving life (at least awake for it) now that I'm sleeping once again with my ResMed at 10cmH2O.

Hello all, I really have learned alot from these postings. I am 41 with hypertension, hypothyroidism, torn meniscus in both knees, Diagnosed with PTSD and now going for my sleep study in 2 weeks. I took a 12 year break in service and came back in 2004 and had to go back to Bootcamp at Ft Benning at age 37. I am trying to make it the last 10 years to retirement but looks gloomy. I did 1 tour in Iraq and scheduled to go back.
I am concerned that my health will have me boarded out and I will struggle on the outside trying to provide for my family. I have read some of the horror stories on here about the VA disabilities. I have everything documented and have copies at home.
I am worried that my sleep study will not show how bad my sleep issues are. My wife says I sound like a chainsaw.
I snore almost every night and I am overweight with no help from my PTSD meds.
Just thought I would throw my life story out here for any guidance or to hear from anyone that has been there and recovered.