Anybody have an idea what a good buddy letter should state (verbage) in order to take with me to my sleep apnea study next week? I have tracked down two of my old roommates but no one knows what to write, including my wife. Does anyone have some advice or examples?

date time,rank,mos, service number ,recall of events, snoring,restlessness,breathing problems,events leading up to and before incident causing the sleep apnea.you must also tell what placed this individual in your vicinity to witness,such as room mate,spouse etc.. this must be signed and certified{notary}

MUST CONTAIN "I SWEAR THE ABOVE FACTS ARE TRUE TO MY KNOWLEDGE"this must end the statement...or they will ignore

Fly did a good job on this one

I do not believe it has to be notarized. Where does it state that in the regs?

It does not have to be notarized but the VA accepts it better if it is.

I also read it has to be hand written not typed on the computer, is that true?

Not true, typed is good.

What could possibly be the factor or incident which brings sleep apnea on? I have had a grenade explosion incident, and an incident where I struck my head on the helicopter so hard I cracked my flight helmet. I served in combat or wait President Clinton calls having freaking bullets shot at a Medivac helicopter while in a minefield in Kosovo a "Peacekeeping Mission" ughhhhhhhhh guess Mogadishu was one also...? I have a BP chart that I have been recording from my SMR I never had BP problems and since my time in service check out the numbers I found in medical records. At my C&P exam last week I hit 150/75 while resting, the same numbers in both arms with a manual reading....


10/1998 151/75 10/1998 144/67 2/1999 146/71 4/1999
124/64 8/1999 130/70 8/1999 164/84 8/1999 130/57 10/1999 138/88 6/2000 135/84 10/2000 148/80 3/2001 136/71 1/2002 125/64 8/2002 156/80 10/2002 143/69 12/2002 149/86 12/2002 124/76 1/2003 140/87 1/2003 150/84 1/2003 145/84 1/2003 140/79 3/2003 152/85 3/2003 144/70 4/2003 130/77 4/2003 144/81 9/2003
142/75 10/2003 141/83 10/2003 144/72 10/2003 136/77 11/2003 156/81 11/2003 154/73 12/2003 147/86 2/2004 150/105 2/2004 147/81

Sorry if im asking too many questions but im getting all my ducks in a row before my string of exams next week. Im so nervous......

To get sleep apnea Service Connected you would have to show you had it or the symptoms while you were in service or at least within 1 year of leaving.

Good Luck

I had my wife and a buddy each write a buddy letter. I also wrote one for myself. Each letter was written on this form:

http://www.vba.va.gov/pubs/forms/VBA-21-4138-ARE.pdf

As other have already replied, they should list all observed symptoms, and the who/what/when/where/why/how in the best detail that can be managed.

Good Luck!

dwilli12

Im having trouble trying to find something to connect it to. I had a non displaced fracture of the nasal bone which is in my SMR. Im wondering if there was a deviation along with it which I can use as the SC i need, since when I was in the military I never knew what SA was.

With a "non-displaced fracture" it's gonna be hard to arrive at a "deviated septum", because a "deviated" septum IS a displaced fracture, or, rather, the fracture causes deviation of the septum. Now, having said that (and having suffered both problems, personally) a deviated septum can also occur from other causations.