em2nought;
That's a tricky subject, at least in this topic.
I enrolled due to what looked like a catastrophic condition (which it turned out it was) and my home state dropped the ball. So I wound up moving to another state where at least the VA wanted to see me.
I lucked out, I wound up with a really good Neurologist who got me on the right meds.
So, this is the part that gets tricky. Yes, you want to at least "check in" with your VA.
Please, don't do it for that whopping VA pension. It is what EVERYONE is going to assume most of the time.
For the record, I was advised to file for the service-connected gravy train but I turned it down. The VA covers my meds and tests and I get a very basic pension out of the deal. We're all happy that way.
Find a good guy (or gal) to act as your VA Rep. You'll find them usually at your local DAV or Legion hall. Make sure they understand what you want and what is important to you. This is a no BS zone and you only get one chance if you get caught making stuff up. Once you fry your credibility, you're on your own. Make sure you can find your DD-214 form from when you were discharged. If you can't find it, don't panic. Your Rep can get a copy based on your SSN but it can take longer.