Med Cert. deferred for headaches

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I went to have a 2nd class physical and it was deferred because I recieve VA disability for headaches, asthma, my feet and back. I also found out while doing my vision test that my vision in my right eye is extremely bad, which I now assume is probably the cause of my headaches. I dont take any prescription medication, I just take Tylenol. They were incapacitating for a while, but since I have been on my Tylenol regiment I have been doing fine, and Im also getting glasses. I also saw a mental health prfessional at the VA, but as far as I know I was never diagnosed with anything and on my 8500 I checked no to that question. Will the headaches be a major problem as far as them issuing me my med cert and will they ask me for a copy of my VA medical records. I dont want to release my records as there is something very very personal in them.

Also, if the FAA denies me, is there a waiting period before I can reapply for a med cert? Thank you in advance for all your help.
 
Two issues here strike me as matters of serious concern.

First, regarding the mental health issue, it isn't clear if you just checked "no" in block 18m or if you also omitted that visit in block 19. If you "saw a mental health professional at the VA" within the past three years, and failed to note that in the "Visits to Health Professional" in block 19, you could be in serious trouble with the FAA. You are required to list all visits to mental health professionals within the past three years for "treatment, examination, and/or medical/mental evaluation" even if you were able to check "no" in box 18m ("Mental disorders of any sort; depression, anxiety, etc). You can omit the visit if it was for "counseling," but not if the counseling was for "a personal substance abuse or psychiatric condition." Otherwise, they'd consider failure to disclose a visit to a mental health professional (which includes clinical psychologists as well as psychiatrists) "falsification" and might very well revoke any and all FAA certificates you have unless that visit

Second, as soon as you signed that medical application form, you gave the FAA permission to obtain any of your medical records from any source, including the VA. The fact that "there is something very very personal in them" doesn't allow you to keep any medical records secret from the FAA. Of course, the FAA must treat your medical information with same level of privacy as any other health professional as regards release to third parties, but they do already have your permission to view those records themselves as part of your FAA medical certification process. BTW, they don't have to ask you for those records -- they can obtain them directly from the VA any time they want based on the permission you gave them when you signed the form.

Beyond that, Bruce will be along shortly to answer your questions about how the FAA will view your headaches and the likelihood that they will want to see your VA records.
 
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For recurrent and or severe headaches, they will want:

A neurologist's evaluation. Not a VAH style checkbox eval, but written in text english.
An MRI
Intraocular pressures, and if abnormal, visual fields (Humphrey type 24-2 or 30-2).

Better get your VAH record (psych eval). If you checked "no" there will be no basis for a request to get it, but YOU KNOW how long it takes the USVAH to get anything turned around. Get it now, you might need the chamber loaded eventually.

What really conunts is a good medical description of the symptoms, and severity and visual field involvement if any.

You can ask for consideration whenver there is new information....start getting it now, when they send you the letter the give you 45 days from the date of the letter ( about 37 days, really, it's impossible to get it done that quickly) so start NOW.
 
Thank you for your help. I didnt mean to leave off the part about seeing mental health at the VA. I thought that was just something all returning OEF/OIF vets had to do. I am being proactive, I did call the VA to get an appointment so hopefully I can get a neurological eval.
 
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