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Applying for a VA disability can be humorous, heartbreaking, exhilarating, depressing, and rewarding all in one fell swoop. Of course, these emotions will come and go and the bottom line is there is only one way to get that disability compensation you're entitled to and that's through the VA. So no matter how frustrating and difficult the whole thing is, you got to keep focused.

First off, a little about myself, I am a veteran of the U.S. Navy. I served 6 years as a nuclear machinist mate on submarines (USS Alexandria). I have a disability rating of 10% due to hearing loss and tinnunitis from working in the engine room. I was also the veteran's representative at the University of Connecticut Avery Point for two semesters. I believe these experiences have given me an inside look at veteran's benefits. After all if you are reading this because you're a veteran, do you really want to take advice from someone who just researched the topic or someone who lived it.

Once you leave the service, you will do an exit medical examination and you have a chance to claim disability prior to exiting the military service. Ideally this is the best time to claim disability because there is still help readily available. That's the easy way. Once you separate from the service help becomes scarce and hard to find.

In my case, I didn't even know I was disability eligible. Years went by and then a conversation came up between my fiance and myself. During the conversation she mentioned that I say "what" an awful lot and she wasn't sure if it was selective hearing. That got me thinking and I scheduled an appointment with the VA doctor in town (I'm lucky to have one so close) and mentioned my hearing issues. The doctor scheduled a hearing test at the state VA hospital 45 minutes away; of course this was several months away (the VA system is taxed beyond belief). During that time I had a chance to review my medical records, which is always a good idea, and I find my hearing tests which did in fact show a drop in my baseline level during my service.

When I arrived for my appointment, the VA staff was friendly and courteous. They took excellent care of me and administered a hearing test. After the test the doctor went over my results and she informed me I definitely had hearing loss and the she asked if I would like some hearing aids. Here I was barely 30 and I was getting asked if I wanted hearing aids. Shock. That's the only way to describe the news.

On my drive home, I thought about my life

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