Recent retirees with Sleep Apnea; any advice for ensuring medical records are properly documented?

CW4 (Join to see) Chief you can have it documented all day in your records. If you do not use a CPAP you will not get any disability for it.

CW4 (Join to see) CPT (Join to see) TSgt Hunter Logan LTC Stephen F. I had trouble sleeping for over 20 years and was treated with pills. There is a very high rate of PTSD exposed having a diagnosis of sleep apnea.
While still on active duty in 2000 underwent a sleep study that determined I had a very severe case of stop my breathing (Sleep Apnea) requiring a CPAC machine
I had no obstructions so surgery or mouth guards were not an option.

If you have trouble with the traditional mask (mine put too much pressure on the cartilage of the bridge of my nose, and would actually reduce/collapse the air tunnel in my nose), I would recommend checking out the new DreamWear masks.
http://www.cpap.com/productpage/pr-dreamwear-nasal-cpap-mask-fit-pack.html
I am very happy with it. Ask your CPAP doc about it.

Before you retire out, you should request a complete copy of your full medical file. Any base hospital can do this (correspondence dept). Make sure the sleep apnea was diagnosed by a military doctor. If you went off site for the sleep lab and diagnosis, there' a good chance the VA will make you repeat the process with their providers, but if it was diagnosed in-house, they will take that verbatim. I would recommend taking that complete record and placing in a (or several) 3 ring binders. Divide it by year and specialty for quick reference. Also scan the whole thing to a usb drive and place that in a safe deposit box. The VA will want to see the test results and the type of test performed. For example, the home test is not acceptable, but the 8 hour sleep lab test is the gold standard. If it has not been done already, get this one done. If your already on cpap, keep a copy of any tricare documents you receive as well as they will show continuous use through the replacement of expendable goods. This can snag a lot of folks as they can show they were diagnosed two, three, or four plus years ago but can not prove they maintained used of the machine.

I know a Soldier that recently was discharged with 50% Sleep Apnea that never deployed. His benefit, he was Active Duty. I, on the other hand, was a Reservist with 4 deployments in 7 years. My last 2 were in less than a 3 year period. But, because I was a Reservist, the VA told me they believe it was caused by my civilian job. Ah, I SAID, I was Deployed twice in "LESS THAN A 3 YEAR PERIOD!" My last two PDHAs gradually showed a progressively worsening Sleep Problem. At the end of my last Deployment was when I was made aware of what Sleep Apnea was to begin with. I have recently put in a 4th Appeal for Sleep Apnea. I had to make a Time Line showing the high tempo deployments versus time spent at home and in my civilian job. I really don't care if they give me $$$ compensation! I want it on the books. They argued: 1) My sleep study was outside the VA. They agreed to my provider setting it up because the VA would take a year to do so. 2) They said it was because of my "Large Girth Neck" and 3) that my BMI categorized me as "Obese"! I have failed my "weigh-in (BMI) my whole Reserve time of 25.5 years. That is why they TAPE you! And yet, I was Deployable and Promotable! My 18.5-19" neck has been the same for more than those 25.5 years. They said; Isn't he a Senior NCO? Shouldn't he have known AR 600-9; that if you are so tall and such and such weight you are considered "Obese"? Incompetence, at it's finest!
All that to say; Don't Give Up! It IS a Fact; the VA has seen the light as to their "giving" money away for such a "disability" and now they are trying to reverse that. The 50% give-a-way is "going away" for all future seekers.
I have read many articles that say; Elevations over 7,000' cause a condition known as Central Sleep Apnea. It contributes to Obstructive Sleep Apnea. My last two deployments were at Elevations of almost 8.000'.
So AGAIN I ask: "Has ANYONE gone through this situation/problem in their career?

Also... Use it when you retire/ETS or whatever.. The VA will monitor the usage... Once a yr they will read the card and insure your CPAP is in working order..

Sounds like you are covered. Keep the usage stat, machine type and all documentation for the VA and you should be alright.

CW4 (Join to see) Chief, As others have stated, make sure you have a copy of the diagnostic and prescription paperwork for your Pulmonologist. Make sure it is annotated in your exit physical and subsequent disability evaluations. As SGM Steve Wettstein related if you do not use a CPAP you will not be rated.

get copies of everything. The VA and med have a tendency to "loose" paperwork. make sure its done on duty and diagnosed. Beware, they can med board you for it though. Rarely are those with it released unless it is life threatening. Just from my experience....

Is this actually a service related disability? How does that connection get made?