White's Blog

One of my goals to this program is to be able to reach out to other veterans and share my knowledge of dealing with the VA over the past 22+ years, and hopefully help them to avoid the troubles I've had.

In Dec,1992 I recieved my first back surgery, the fusion of L4,L5. During my six months off I DAV fought the VA for unemployability and I recieved it in a timely matter. After the six month time I went back to work as a six color printing press operator. The one thing the civilian doctor forgot to inform me was that I was not to return to that type of work. I spent another approximatly three years, during that time the DAV was fighting for me to get my disability rating increased, of which they did. Prior to my release of services I was enrolled in Voc-Rehab and had started some college courses. In 1996 I was let go at work, they were unable to accomadate me. I started college at full time and filed for unemployability, By the way unemployability you recieve VA disability at 100% temporarily or can be permanent depending on situation or circumstance. In 1999 I had a second back surgery called a laminectomy done at the VA hospital, but this one went wrong I got an infection that got into my spine, and I had to under go surgery again two weeks after the first one, which left extra scar tissue in that area. The Summer of 1999 I recieved a AAS degree for Electronics, and in 2000 I recieved a AAS in Telecommunications.

From the day I was discharged it seems like I've been fighting with the VA in some manner or another. When discharged I was told the VA would take care of my medical concerns about my back injury, I acquired during my time of service. My wife found out two months prior to my discharge that she was pregnant with our first child. When we got here to Washington State I sought help through the VA for medical/financial help until I could get on my feet, the only medical initially was them going through my medical records and telling me the same thing that the military doctors said rather than doing any new or further testing. Financial help  I was referred to the American Legion for a one time thing, but the only catch was you had to have been a war time veteran and of which I was not. For 2yrs we lived with my mother while I was trying to get a job, I did work at temp services doing different temp jobs trying to get skills I could use. The only job skills the military gave me at that time was Field Artillery. I was discharged with a seizure disorder and not a medical discharge but chpt 13 article 10, being for the benefit of the government. After 2 or 3yrs I finally got disability for the seizure disorder of 10% yet nothing for my back inlury the VA just said muscle spasms just as did the military since the injury in 1984. It wasn't until 1992 when a civilian doctor I was seeing did a certain test that told him what was going on. In December of 1992 I under went surgery where they fuzed L4-L5. At this point I joined the DAV ( Disabled American Veterans) and allowed them to be my legal represenatives, best thing I did. When I submitted the information to the DAV they went to battle for me. In 1993 I recieved a letter stating a disability rating of 20 or 30 percent disability due to my back problem could have been caused in the military. 

I was born and raised in Washington State. My wife and I have been married for 24 yrs as of today, we have three daughters and two grandsons. I enjoy gardening, camping, and anything outdoors to do with raising our own fryers, turkeys, pigs, laying hens, and did enjoy hiking. I joined the Army in August 1982, was honorably discharged in April 1986.