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:
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.
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.