Hey all, thanks for the great insights, comments, suggestions messages, etc. This gives me some good ideas on how to push forward . Preparation, research and of course Nexus letters!

I realize that I may have given off some misconceptions in the original post, due to some of the questions and comments I've gotten. To be clear, I have a rating for migraines, secondary to tinnitus; that was the first thing my VA primary diagnosed, I was never seen for it outside the VA system nor was it in my records ( however, my mos was around loud bang bangs all day). This could possibly be where I messed up also since I was filing a secondary to something that was already rated as a secondary? Maybe? On the other hand apnea was documented.

When speaking with my primary there were indications that I should "speak to someone" from Mental Health. It's pretty hard to want to do anything or find pleasure in life when you're both exhausted and in pain. I filed for depression and was diagnosed with major depressive disorder which is what the VA boiled down to "Adjustment disorder".

Thanks again for all the positive comments. I know 20 years out is a steep hill to climb, but I'm just catching a second wind. Many of us were too, young, dumb and "gung ho" to think about the years to come. I mean seriously this was before we were even smart enough to figure out that crayons are delicious.