The Doctor is in! Ask a Flight Surgeon!

[RiseR 25]

I have a question regarding medical waivers. I took the ASTB-E, went to MEPS, everything seemed to go fine, and got notice that I had been NPQ'd due to a kidney stone.

I had discovered a small (2mm) kidney stone in April 2013 in my left kidney when I had some mild blood in my urine. The x-ray was negative, but the CT scan found it. At that size, my then-urologist suggested that it would pass itself, and that I might not even notice it passing. I had assumed it passed, but N3M requested an additional scan that revealed that the stone was still there.

Last week (August 2014), I had the stone surgically removed via ureteroscopy (turns out, the urologist I got referred to is a retired Navy Doc, deployed in Desert Storm). I'll have the stent removed this week, and should get another CT to confirm the "all-clear" next week.

According to the NAMI waiver guide, an applicant "must be stone free for 12 months" prior to applying for a medical waiver. Which makes sense, since stones that recur in that period would be indicative of a significant problem with recurring stones.

My question is this: is there any way around waiting the full 12 months? My case being that I monitored the stone for over a year, the stone that was removed was the same size (2mm) as the stone discovered, and that I have made several significant lifestyle changes since finding the stone (i.e. picked up a rigorous exercise program, dropped a significant amount of weight, bumped fluid intake, went on a low-sodium diet).

If it does take a year of waiting to go to board as an SNA, I am more than willing to do so. I am just trying to get some feedback/experience from the fine men and women of AirWarriors.

Any advice/input is greatly appreciated.

It looks like the primary concern of the docs is the fact that you are experiencing kidney stones at such a young age. Dealing with N3M while knowing the NAMI waiver standards can be extremely frustrating, but unfortunately they are almost entirely different worlds when it comes to the medical standards they refer to.

There may even be the remote possibility that when you get to Newpaht and finally get to see a flight doc, a serious red flag will go off when he reviews your file. I had a condition that I reported and when I met with him it seemed like when he was talking about it that it was the first time he reviewed the file. I remember thinking "WTF!? I've reviewed the NAMI guide and know what I have is definitely waiverable, how could he or NAMI have not reviewed this before seeing this?!"

My best advice to you is if other designators interest you put them on your dream sheet. NAMI is very strict right now because it seems like they have enough guys down in Pensacola now, and N3M focuses purely on commissioning medical standards. I hope this helps and hopefully it clears up for you.

 

[RiseR 25]

I have a question regarding medical waivers. I took the ASTB-E, went to MEPS, everything seemed to go fine, and got notice that I had been NPQ'd due to a kidney stone.

I had discovered a small (2mm) kidney stone in April 2013 in my left kidney when I had some mild blood in my urine. The x-ray was negative, but the CT scan found it. At that size, my then-urologist suggested that it would pass itself, and that I might not even notice it passing. I had assumed it passed, but N3M requested an additional scan that revealed that the stone was still there.

Last week (August 2014), I had the stone surgically removed via ureteroscopy (turns out, the urologist I got referred to is a retired Navy Doc, deployed in Desert Storm). I'll have the stent removed this week, and should get another CT to confirm the "all-clear" next week.

According to the NAMI waiver guide, an applicant "must be stone free for 12 months" prior to applying for a medical waiver. Which makes sense, since stones that recur in that period would be indicative of a significant problem with recurring stones.

My question is this: is there any way around waiting the full 12 months? My case being that I monitored the stone for over a year, the stone that was removed was the same size (2mm) as the stone discovered, and that I have made several significant lifestyle changes since finding the stone (i.e. picked up a rigorous exercise program, dropped a significant amount of weight, bumped fluid intake, went on a low-sodium diet).

If it does take a year of waiting to go to board as an SNA, I am more than willing to do so. I am just trying to get some feedback/experience from the fine men and women of AirWarriors.

Any advice/input is greatly appreciated.

As far as your question goes for the waiting periods they are pretty inflexible. I had PRK which was a 6 month waiting period. Officer Recruiter wouldn't even send me to MEPS until 6 months after the procedure.

 

[exNavyOffRec]

I have a question regarding medical waivers. I took the ASTB-E, went to MEPS, everything seemed to go fine, and got notice that I had been NPQ'd due to a kidney stone.

I had discovered a small (2mm) kidney stone in April 2013 in my left kidney when I had some mild blood in my urine. The x-ray was negative, but the CT scan found it. At that size, my then-urologist suggested that it would pass itself, and that I might not even notice it passing. I had assumed it passed, but N3M requested an additional scan that revealed that the stone was still there.

Last week (August 2014), I had the stone surgically removed via ureteroscopy (turns out, the urologist I got referred to is a retired Navy Doc, deployed in Desert Storm). I'll have the stent removed this week, and should get another CT to confirm the "all-clear" next week.

According to the NAMI waiver guide, an applicant "must be stone free for 12 months" prior to applying for a medical waiver. Which makes sense, since stones that recur in that period would be indicative of a significant problem with recurring stones.

My question is this: is there any way around waiting the full 12 months? My case being that I monitored the stone for over a year, the stone that was removed was the same size (2mm) as the stone discovered, and that I have made several significant lifestyle changes since finding the stone (i.e. picked up a rigorous exercise program, dropped a significant amount of weight, bumped fluid intake, went on a low-sodium diet).

If it does take a year of waiting to go to board as an SNA, I am more than willing to do so. I am just trying to get some feedback/experience from the fine men and women of AirWarriors.

Any advice/input is greatly appreciated.

They are hard on the wait times, they want to see if another shows up, I had a guy that had 2 instances of kidney stones, he was PDQ for a "history of kidney stones"

 

[NicNakPaddywhak]

My best advice to you is if other designators interest you put them on your dream sheet. NAMI is very strict right now because it seems like they have enough guys down in Pensacola now, and N3M focuses purely on commissioning medical standards. I hope this helps and hopefully it clears up for you.

Would I even qualify for other designations with a recent kidney stone?

They are hard on the wait times, they want to see if another shows up, I had a guy that had 2 instances of kidney stones, he was PDQ for a "history of kidney stones"

I figured they would be, I was just curious to know if there were circumstances or specifics that could change that.

The feedback is greatly appreciated. I'll just keep working out and start the clock!

 

[cameron172]

I have a question regarding an ENT referral but like to keep it somewhat private...if a flight doc could PM me I'd greatly appreciate it!

 

[Jules_W]

Hello,
I am heading out to OCS in a couple of months and have been stressing the medical aspect. I had chronic sinusitis in the past and underwent surgery. This was about 2.5 years ago. I recently checked to see if this was a problem, and found that, though I no longer have sinusitis of any kind, I will still need a waiver for aviation. Should I just expect to be immediately put into student pool at OCS, waiting for a waiver to come through (or to be NPQ'd outright) or am I interpreting the document all wrong?
http://www.med.navy.mil/sites/nmotc/nami/arwg/Documents/Waiver Guide July 31, 2014/06_ENT_140730.pdf

Thank you so much!

 

[TimeBomb]

Jules,
A finding of "not physically qualified" (NPQ) is not uncommon. Any condition that is listed in the DoD physical standards, or the more stringent aviation standards will result in that finding. Waivers may be granted by the line for conditions that have resolved, or are felt to pose an acceptable risk for the individual and the organization. Your prior sinus surgery will require a waiver in order to start flight training. My guess is that your flight physical will head to NAMI immediately upon your arrival at OCS, where you will be found NPQ. Be sure and get all your medical records from your ENT detailing the surgery and the events that led up to the surgery. As mentioned in the waiver guide, you'll need some sort of functional testing once you get to Pensacola to ensure your surgery was successful and there are no residual problems. If all is in order with your functional testing and the NAMI ENT evaluation, a waiver will probably be recommended.
R/

 

[Jules_W]

TimeBomb,
Thank you very much, sir, for taking the time to respond to my post. I am glad to hear that it is not uncommon, which makes me feel like I am less likely to get passed up for/denied the waiver that I need. This really helps ease my mind.

 

[TimeBomb]

Pleasure.
R/

 

[C_MoMo]

Hello all,
I have 2 medical conditions that I am concerned about.

1. I have a non-progressive cataract in my right eye. I do not wear glasses or contacts and my vision is 20/25 (sometimes its 20/20. Sometime its 20/30) I understand that I am under the 20/40 requirement for SNA, but is the cataract an issue?

2. I have had eczema since I was a kid and I still get small patches of it on my hamstring area occasionally, it's nothing serious. As far as I know this is a case by case type of thing, but for pilots is the only concern if it is on the hands?

 

[enlUSMC]

I posted this somewhere else but I think it's more appropriate here:

"When (if) I go to OCS I'll have been out nearly 2 years. Do the med records from my enlisted time automaticaly "attach" themselves to my current DD2808 or do you bring these records to OCS (if you have them) or are they gone for good? I know they reworked the medical records system a few years ago, so the info I read online may not be applicable. Thanks."

 

[Victor de Leon]

Hello,
I have two questions about my medical situation. I am currently waiting for the SNA/SNFO applicant waiting for the board to meet at the end of this month and I have two questions about my medical situation.

1. I have childhood asthma in my medical records past age 13 and the only reason why is because my parents wanted me to get an inhaler before I left for college which I did not use. I took a PFT before going to MEPS but not a MCT. When I went to MEPS and talked with the CMO he said my history of asthma was fine and I did not need to get a waiver for that. I was wondering if I did get an OCS slot will I have to take an MCT at OCS or should I take an MCT now so I could avoid taking it with OCS stress?

2. I did get NPQ'd for my history of eczema and had to see a dermatologist to get a waiver from N3M. If I did get an OCS slot what would I have to do at OCS when I get a flight physical and is there anyway I can avoid this?

Thank you for your time

 

[BleedGreen]

Hello,
I have two questions about my medical situation. I am currently waiting for the SNA/SNFO applicant waiting for the board to meet at the end of this month and I have two questions about my medical situation.

1. I have childhood asthma in my medical records past age 13 and the only reason why is because my parents wanted me to get an inhaler before I left for college which I did not use. I took a PFT before going to MEPS but not a MCT. When I went to MEPS and talked with the CMO he said my history of asthma was fine and I did not need to get a waiver for that. I was wondering if I did get an OCS slot will I have to take an MCT at OCS or should I take an MCT now so I could avoid taking it with OCS stress?

2. I did get NPQ'd for my history of eczema and had to see a dermatologist to get a waiver from N3M. If I did get an OCS slot what would I have to do at OCS when I get a flight physical and is there anyway I can avoid this?

Thank you for your time

While I was at OCS, anyone who reported the slightest history of asthma was given an MCT. If your health insurance will cover an MCT now, I would suggest getting it done ahead of time. The flight surgeon can accept an MCT from a civilian healthcare provider, as long as it was administered within one year of your flight physical. The MCT can be more difficult than just a simple PFT, so completing it outside of an already stressful environment would help. Then again, some people say the test was a piece of cake, but for myself I was having a hard time with it. Being that you have a history of eczema, the flight surgeon will being paying special attention to your history of asthma since those two diseases are associated with each other, just another reason you can expect an MCT at some point.

I'm not familiar with how strict NAMI is with eczema but I posted a link to the waiver guides which may help clear any questions you had.

Dermatology: I'm sure you may already know but eczema is type of dermatitis so that info can be found in that section...
http://www.med.navy.mil/sites/nmotc...erGuide/Waiver Guide - Dermatolgy 080624r.pdf

Respiratory: http://www.med.navy.mil/sites/nmotc/nami/arwg/Documents/15_Waiver_Guide_Respiratory_131230.pdf

 

[Victor de Leon]

While I was at OCS, anyone who reported the slightest history of asthma was given an MCT. If your health insurance will cover an MCT now, I would suggest getting it done ahead of time. The flight surgeon can accept an MCT from a civilian healthcare provider, as long as it was administered within one year of your flight physical. The MCT can be more difficult than just a simple PFT, so completing it outside of an already stressful environment would help. Then again, some people say the test was a piece of cake, but for myself I was having a hard time with it. Being that you have a history of eczema, the flight surgeon will being paying special attention to your history of asthma since those two diseases are associated with each other, just another reason you can expect an MCT at some point.

I'm not familiar with how strict NAMI is with eczema but I posted a link to the waiver guides which may help clear any questions you had.

Dermatology: I'm sure you may already know but eczema is type of dermatitis so that info can be found in that section...
http://www.med.navy.mil/sites/nmotc/nami/arwg/Documents/WaiverGuide/Waiver Guide - Dermatolgy 080624r.pdf

Respiratory: http://www.med.navy.mil/sites/nmotc/nami/arwg/Documents/15_Waiver_Guide_Respiratory_131230.pdf

Thank you for the links. Do you know if getting an MCT done at a military medical facility would be more acceptable to the flight surgeon because I am a dependent?

And for the eczema, I do not have eczema anymore, it is just because I had a history when I was younger. When I saw the dermatologist she laughed because she thought it was ridiculous that I had to see her even though there was clearly none on my body. Hopefully they could just look at me and see that I don't have eczema.

 

[exNavyOffRec]

While I was at OCS, anyone who reported the slightest history of asthma was given an MCT. If your health insurance will cover an MCT now, I would suggest getting it done ahead of time. The flight surgeon can accept an MCT from a civilian healthcare provider, as long as it was administered within one year of your flight physical. The MCT can be more difficult than just a simple PFT, so completing it outside of an already stressful environment would help. Then again, some people say the test was a piece of cake, but for myself I was having a hard time with it. Being that you have a history of eczema, the flight surgeon will being paying special attention to your history of asthma since those two diseases are associated with each other, just another reason you can expect an MCT at some point.

I'm not familiar with how strict NAMI is with eczema but I posted a link to the waiver guides which may help clear any questions you had.

Dermatology: I'm sure you may already know but eczema is type of dermatitis so that info can be found in that section...
http://www.med.navy.mil/sites/nmotc/nami/arwg/Documents/WaiverGuide/Waiver Guide - Dermatolgy 080624r.pdf

Respiratory: http://www.med.navy.mil/sites/nmotc/nami/arwg/Documents/15_Waiver_Guide_Respiratory_131230.pdf

remember NAMI guides are after a person meets enlistment standards which are here http://www.brooksidepress.org/Products/ManMed/Manmed.htm