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PRK Waiver Denied

exo

Member
Alright guys, I've had a minute to organize my thoughts and I'm here to appeal to the collective wisdom of this board in order to get past this hurdle. I am a 22 yr old civilian who has been pro-rec'd into a SNA slot. I have been waiting for a wavier to go through, and for a final select letter. I have received word today that my PRK waiver was not accepted. I am a non-prior.

History:

PRK surgery at civilian facility in February of 2008. My current vision is 20/15, I have no other eye problems. During the healing process, roughly 2 months after the surgery, while on steroid drops, I had an increase in eye pressure past the 22 mmHG limit. My eye doctor gave me some drops, told me to come in a week later to check the pressure. My pressure was still high but dropping. Eye doctor told me everything was fine and to continue with my regularly scheduled appointments. Those two appointments were my only recorded periods of eye pressure higher than the 22 mmHG limit.

My OR submitted a pre-waiver evaluation to N3M to see if I was elgibile for waiver. N3M wrote back stating my case warrented further examination to check on history of what they called 'pre-glaucoma'. I then went through MEPS, fine with everything except the PRK. I was scheduled an external eye exam which I went to and my checkup concluded with NO glacoma, eye pressure below the 22 mmHG, and everything was fine. When I returned to MEPS the Chief Medical Officer told me it was a very favorable review and didn't forsee any problems.

Today I received my waiver denial form for 'history of Lasek; pre-glacoma.'

I don't understand why this wasn't waived. According to NAMI:


For the purposes of Naval Aviation, any IOP consistently (on at least 2 different exams on different days) and accurately measured above 22 mm Hg by a method other than non-contact tonometry is considered disqualifying whether or not the diagnosis is simply ocular hypertension or glaucoma.

I am assuming this is why I was DNQ'd. However, this eye pressure was only because of the steroid drop.


So my question... what can I do? Can I resubmit my eye information for another try at the PRK wavier including a note form my Doctor explaining this eye pressure is only from the steroid drop? Should I submit one waiver for the PRK and one from the 'pre-glaucoma'? My recruiter has basically stopped dealing with me, actin gliek I'm a loss cause, but there is no way I 'm giving up on this until I've exhausted every single possibilty, including driving to Tenn., to the Naval Recruiting Command and begging them to measure my damn IOP to see there is nothing wrong with it.
 

Junkball

"I believe in ammunition"
pilot
I am assuming this is why I was DNQ'd. However, this eye pressure was only because of the steroid drop.

How did you determine the increase in eye pressure was the direct result of the steroid drops... had you just started them? Or is this the Doc's explanation?

If I were you, I'd be hounding my recruiter to resubmit the PRK waiver with a doctor's note explaining steroid drops. If this doesn't work try the pre-glaucoma thing.

Is it kosher to switch recruiters if one is being uncooperative? If yours no longer works for/with you, maybe you could speak with another.
 

OUSOONER

Crusty Shellback
pilot
Hang in there man...have you talked to his/her boss? The NRD. Since you are pro-rec'd you should not be a lost cause..you were deemed qualified for SNA and IMO should deserve the effort to get you final select.
 

Mumbles

Registered User
pilot
Contributor
Keep at it. Your recruiter dosen't know shit. I'm one of the original PRK guinea pigs from 2001 and I had to present a letter from the Navy's Chief Optometrist who was running the protocol out at Balboa in San Diego, to my Officer recruiter, ( an 18 year first class corpsman that had spent his entire career doing pap smears at Bethesda)... you should be fine. I don't think the pressure issue is a deal breaker as long as it's come down. They must must give you the 'roid drops to expedite the healing process, but I never had those.
 

Flash

SEVAL/ECMO
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
PRK surgery at civilian facility in February of 2008. My current vision is 20/15, I have no other eye problems. During the healing process, roughly 2 months after the surgery, while on steroid drops, I had an increase in eye pressure past the 22 mmHG limit. My eye doctor gave me some drops, told me to come in a week later to check the pressure. My pressure was still high but dropping. Eye doctor told me everything was fine and to continue with my regularly scheduled appointments. Those two appointments were my only recorded periods of eye pressure higher than the 22 mmHG limit.

Were both of these tests the 'puff' test? I still regularly fail the puff test at first, I flinch pretty bad when they do it, and they even had to test me using another method at NAMI. I am not sure how you would ask to get another test but between that and getting an opthamologist's opinion would be the way I would go.

Feddoc would probably be the best person to answer your question though I have not seen him on here for a few months, PM him or email him.
 

exo

Member
@ junkball, I determined the increase in eye pressure was due to the steroid drops because I have never had anything other than normal eye pressure in my life and my doctor told me that the steroid drops will cause increased eye pressure for 30% of patients.

@ mumbles- My recruiter has basically told me that there is nothing more he can do for me. He was kind enough to tell me that I was applying for a job and the navy said no. I basically had to cut him off and tell him that no, this wasn't the end of the line. He told me he'd submit more paperwork if I want to, but it seems everything from this point is going to be like pulling teeth out of him. Mumbles, do you have any idea of who I should contact? This past high eye pressure is a non-medical issue in the eyes of my eye surgeon, the Doctor I had my auxiliary consultation with for MEPS, and myself. I'm a non-prior so I'm completely out of the loop. My OR said to me, 'this is about it unless you have someone higher up pulling for you, I"m low on the totem pole'.

@ Flash- Neither were the 'puff' test, it was the test with the blue/purple light and the device touches your eyes. The thing is, I've had another opthamologist's opinion when I had the auxiliary MEPS consultation, and I received an extremely favorable writeup, no problems at all. When I brought my paperwork back from MEPS the Chief Medical Officer said it looked great but of course the waiver board would have the final word but he didn't foresee any problems.

If you think Feddoc would be able to help, I'd love to talk to him but if hasn't been online in months I don't know how much he would be able to assist. Does anyone know anyway to get in touch with Feddoc?
 

Mumbles

Registered User
pilot
Contributor
I'd start here Exo....

I think your recruiter is being a lazy SOB. See if they will let you fax your paperwork and highlight the pertinent #s for a Navy Doc to review. I also second PMing Feddoc on this site.

http://www-nmcsd.med.navy.mil/service/services_view.cfm?csid=37

http://www.bethesda.med.navy.mil/pa...lty_surgery_services/ophthalmology/index.aspx

Also...you're in NE....maybe you can call Brunswick NAS clinic and let them know you a prospective Officer Flight candidate and would like to be examined by a Navy opthamologist because of a discrepency that your recruiter found.
 

Flash

SEVAL/ECMO
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
@ Flash- Neither were the 'puff' test, it was the test with the blue/purple light and the device touches your eyes. The thing is, I've had another opthamologist's opinion when I had the auxiliary MEPS consultation, and I received an extremely favorable writeup, no problems at all. When I brought my paperwork back from MEPS the Chief Medical Officer said it looked great but of course the waiver board would have the final word but he didn't foresee any problems.

That is the one they gave me at NAMI, it is supposedly more accurate and may be why your waiver was denied.

If you think Feddoc would be able to help, I'd love to talk to him but if hasn't been online in months I don't know how much he would be able to assist. Does anyone know anyway to get in touch with Feddoc?

I think there is an option to email a member, it doesn't reveal their email but it forwards it to their email account. I would guess that is your best option for getting in touch with him.
 

exo

Member
The issue isn't that I was close to having high eye pressure, I DID have high eye pressure... for about two weeks, while on steroids, the only time in my life. It has sicne gone down....

@Mumbles- email sent to feddocs. That link you gave me, do you believe I should contact them directly in order to see if I can fax over my eye information for a second opinion? Do they have waiver granting power or would they simply write a recommendation that would be attached to my packet when I submit my waiver information again?

Also, now that my waiver has not gone through, how long will my pro-rec SNA slot be good for?

I am going to be speaking with my surgeon, in order to obtain a letter from him. I will also be calling my OR and see if he can fax my eye information, as well as the axuliary MEPS consultation I had, in order to prepare a package for either 1) A second opinion, or 2) a direct wavier resubmittal with my doctor's explanation of the high IOP. I have to hope that either of those work.

I'm confused if I need to submit a waiver for the high IOP, and then for the PRK. Or whether the high IOP is considered a non-lasting side affect of the PRK and would be waived with other symptoms of the surgery. I'll tell you... I'm fully prepared to drive down to Tennessee where this wavier was denied and not leave until they look at my damn eyes and realize there is nothing wrong with them.
 

exo

Member
I'd start here Exo....

I think your recruiter is being a lazy SOB. See if they will let you fax your paperwork and highlight the pertinent #s for a Navy Doc to review. I also second PMing Feddoc on this site.

http://www-nmcsd.med.navy.mil/service/services_view.cfm?csid=37

http://www.bethesda.med.navy.mil/pa...lty_surgery_services/ophthalmology/index.aspx

Also...you're in NE....maybe you can call Brunswick NAS clinic and let them know you a prospective Officer Flight candidate and would like to be examined by a Navy opthamologist because of a discrepency that your recruiter found.

It's been recommended that I speak with the Flight Surgeon him/herself. I was told they may directly contact my eye surgeon or primary care doctor if I speak with them. Does anyone know how I would go about finding out who that would be?

On my denial letter, there is a name:

XXXX (I'll keep it private)
CDR, MC(FS), USN

FS=flight surgeon? This letter originated from the Naval Recruiting command, can I contact them directly? Or should I try to find a new flight surgeon to review the case?
 

RockyMtnNFO

Well-Known Member
None
Contributor
I understand your pain; I have been there.

The thing not to do is start blaming your recruiter. Unfortunately, you are in a tough spot. Please try and look at the recruiter sticky I posted about, "Recruiters". Your recruiter is most likely not goaled for pilots, so it is not in his bestinterest to keep working your package beyond what he is obligated to do. He is probalby making his nut on Nukes, and SWO's. I am not exactly sure, I have been out of the loop for a while.

Keep pushing with the flight surgeons, drive to Pensacola if you have can get an appointment with them, whatever. Just remember that you are in the drivers seat and if you keepa good relationship with your recruiter it can only help you.
 

exo

Member
I understand your pain; I have been there.

The thing not to do is start blaming your recruiter. Unfortunately, you are in a tough spot. Please try and look at the recruiter sticky I posted about, "Recruiters". Your recruiter is most likely not goaled for pilots, so it is not in his bestinterest to keep working your package beyond what he is obligated to do. He is probalby making his nut on Nukes, and SWO's. I am not exactly sure, I have been out of the loop for a while.

Keep pushing with the flight surgeons, drive to Pensacola if you have can get an appointment with them, whatever. Just remember that you are in the drivers seat and if you keepa good relationship with your recruiter it can only help you.

rockyMtnNFO,

That's the problem, I'm not sure how to get in touch with the flight surgeons. Should I cut out all the middle men and try to get down to Pensacola for a physical and bring all my past medical history with me? Is that something a non-prior can do?
 

whitesoxnation

Well-Known Member
pilot
Contributor
I had the same problem as you (pre glaucoma, roids causing high eye pressures, etc) and I got it all worked out. Dont worry.
 

feddoc

Really old guy
Contributor
exo,

I have been away on vacation. Have you called the physical standards folks at NOMI? 850-452-2257 x 1074 (DSN 922)
They might be able to give you gouge on how to present your case and follows with the info given by RockyMtnNFO.

Do you have the opthamologists' opinion in writing? That would most certainly work in your favor.

PM me with the FS' name.

Don't give up and don't hesitate to PM me if you feel the need.
 
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