Disclose Colitis?

[Pisces1303]

I'm pretty much in the same boat as the guy who created the thread a few lines below me.

I was diagnosed with UC when I was in 3rd grade. I really don't have a problem anymore until just recently. I'm 19 now, turning 20 in a few months.

I want to join the Navy.

My recruiter told me to just not tell MEPS, but to have documentation on the asthma. They also said a girl went in and had colitis, but was medically discharged after she had a problem in boot camp. She didn't tell MEPS and got in ok though. The recruiters are telling me to do the same thing. Although, I'm really not bad when it comes to UC.

What are your thoughts on this?

 

[BigIron]

If you have the condition and are having problems with it, you need to disclose it. It may be disqualifying, but be man enough to accept it. You need to be able to deploy and do your job. If you are constantly ill and not able to do your job because of this condition, what good are you to the Navy?

Integrity.

 

[feddoc]

Yea, what BigIron said.
When were you last diagnosed with UC?

 

[Pisces1303]

Yea, what BigIron said.
When were you last diagnosed with UC?

Well I haven't been to a GI in over a year and a half. I don't think I've been diagnosed again?

In the last 3 weeks I've had symptoms and had to go on a tiny bit of medication, but that's all. I didn't go to a GI for the medicine, I went to a new doctor someone recommended me. He's a DO...Doctor of.. opolapthy. I don't know the word.

I don't plan on going through MEPS till I'm 100% healthy though. By then I won't ever have to worry about UC again.

Why should I tell MEPS (besides the legal reasons)? It seems like it would complicate things more and that if I know I'm good to go, then why bother?




3rd grade diagnosed with UC w/ colonoscopy and was admitted into a hospital for about a week. Age 12, had another colonoscopy. I don't remember what happened from age 12-14. 14-16 was working with a GI doctor and was on some medication like asacol, prednisone, sulfasalazine (only took that at age 12 and below). A year and a half plus went by and I was completely off all medication and doing fine. Starting 3 weeks ago is when I had a flare up. I don't know what triggered it.

I don't want to sound negative, but this is a horrible medical history. A doctor wouldn't want to take me because of this even when I did get 100% well without chance of relapse.

 

[Gatordev]

I don't want to sound negative, but this is a horrible medical history. A doctor wouldn't want to take me because of this even when I did get 100% well without chance of relapse.

Exactly, which is why you shouldn't lie about it. And just because you don't go to a doctor to get drugs doesn't make it okay to take them. You have been diagnosed. It's not like a drivers license that has to get renewed. Once the diagnosis is reversed, then you may have a shot, but until them, it is what it is. Tough news (believe me, I know), but them's the rules.

Not sure why you think you'll get a different sent of answers here in your own thread than were handed out in the other thread you mentioned.

 

[Pisces1303]

Exactly, which is why you shouldn't lie about it. And just because you don't go to a doctor to get drugs doesn't make it okay to take them. You have been diagnosed. It's not like a drivers license that has to get renewed. Once the diagnosis is reversed, then you may have a shot, but until them, it is what it is. Tough news (believe me, I know), but them's the rules.

Not sure why you think you'll get a different sent of answers here in your own thread than were handed out in the other thread you mentioned.

How do you reverse a diagnosis? My doctor "DO", said he would be happy to write a good report on that I had a flare up and I'm off medication (soon to come) and I'm doing fine.... But, since this is recent, I think it would hurt my chances.


Oh, my mistake, I didn't mean to suggest I got medication not through a doctor (edited my previous post).


I didn't want to hijack his thread and no one relied for some time.

 

[Gatordev]

How do you reverse a diagnosis? My doctor "DO", said he would be happy to write a good report on that I had a flare up and I'm off medication (soon to come) and I'm doing fine.... But, since this is recent, I think it would hurt my chances.

It's not anything YOU do. If it's determined you actually didn't have UC, then the diagnosis is reversed (remember, I'm not a doctor). But sounds like you still have symptoms and a diagnosis. That's what's going to prevent you from picking up an aviation slot.

Oh, my mistake, I didn't mean to suggest I got medication not through a doctor (edited my previous post).

It doesn't matter if the Surgeon General himself gave you the drugs, that doesn't make it "authorized" to take while on a flight status.

 

[Pisces1303]

This sounds like it's going to take sometime.

Does it matter which doctor I go and see to reverse the diagnosis?

Is there special paper work I need to get? I'm not sure how you reverse something.. it sounds big.

Obviously, all I care about is passing MEPS.

 

[feddoc]

A DO is a doctor of osteopathy. Good guys, they make sure my spine is correct and they are qualified MDs. I see no reason to believe that a D.O. cannot properly diagnose you being symptom free of UC.

WRT passing MEPS, you had better be more worried about your health.

 

[Pisces1303]

Before I set foot into MEPS, I'm going to a new GI doctor to overturn my original diagnosis of UC.

I don't like the label and nor does the military.. I do not believe I have UC. Food poisoning could of set it off. Who knows? I had a case of diarrhea for about a week or so. I don't call that colitis.

I'm going to try and do everything I can do get into the military the RIGHT way.

I'll check with you guys on how I'm doing soon.


Thank you for the advice!

 

[bunk22]

So can you catch this while riding a tractor?

 

[Pisces1303]

That's not the point I'm trying to make.

I'm saying it could be a misdiagnosis. Just because I have had cramping and some diarrhea in my life doesn't not warrant the label colitis I believe. Being on some medication for symptoms like colitis it also doesn't mean I necessarily have colitis. It's just a label. My health is not bad at all.

For all I know, each time I had a problem I could of had some bad food or ingested something. It's up to the doctor to see what he thinks I have. I personally don't believe it to be colitis though because this is all so infrequent. It's not like I was constantly sick at home for years on meds or in the hospital. A few times in my life I have had some poor bowel movements. Don't we all?

Anyway... I'm excited to see that I have some options. I'll be contacting a GI doctor or finding one tomorrow.

 

[SH-60OB]

I'm saying it could be a misdiagnosis. Just because I have had cramping and some diarrhea in my life doesn't not warrant the label colitis I believe. Being on some medication for symptoms like colitis it also doesn't mean I necessarily have colitis. It's just a label. My health is not bad at all.

Having spent nearly 2 years fighting to stay in the Navy and flying due to a GI issue, I have been down this rationalization road myself. Though I am not a doctor, I would suggest while it may be easy for you to find a doctor to agree with your assessment it will be more dfficult to convince BUMED that you are fit. I think that like in the previous thread you will be told that you are not fit due to a history of Inflamatory Bowel Disease. Look at it from the Navy's point of view. They medically seperate people for this diagnosis why should they assume a risk of that from the very beginning.

Why should I tell MEPS (besides the legal reasons)? It seems like it would complicate things more and that if I know I'm good to go, then why bother?

Like BigIron said, it's called integrity. Trust me, my life would have been a lot easier had I just glossed over some things during my annual flight physical but that didn't make it the right thing to do.

My 2 cents. I admire your desire to serve. I think that you are on the right path getting a second opinion/recent medical review and I would not go down without swinging. Do some reseach into the governing instructions, make a strong case that you do not have UC, and see what happens. At the same time I would suggest that if your real desire is to serve your country there are plenty of other opportunities to serve where your medical condition might not be an issue. DOS, NSA, CIA, TSA, Homeland Security, etc...

V/R
OB

 

[Pisces1303]

I can't give up and I won't. The military is what I want to be. This has been a dream of mine for such a long time. Since I was young I wanted to do something amazing and become someone. I know I can do that in other was, but I want a military life.

I was diagnosed officially only once. That was over 10 years ago (about I think). I was in 3rd grade.

I haven't even seen that doctor since. From there on it's been our words when it came to my medical history whenever I saw a new doctor. Meaning we would go in and tell the doctor I was diagnosed with such and such in 3rd grade and wanted to know what they could do right there and then about some symptoms. I was never re-diagnosed.

You're right. I will have to make a strong case. I think I'll need some help though. To start, I'm going to go to a new GI doctor and get a full-blown physical and see what we can do to possibly correct or overthrow the original diagnosis.

I know it looks like I have a long bad history of IBS, but I really don't see it as that. I was diagnosed once when I had some problems with my stomach for a short period of time. Then I was fine for years and it happened again. In a way, it's been like a headache. It's not frequent at all. Like food poisoning, everyone gets it sometime or another... If you've had it twice in three years, I wouldn't call that worthy of a diagnosis of something wrong with your body. It was something you ate. I have had problems in the past with certain foods I've eaten that have upset my stomach, but those were allergies of certain foods. Now I'm not saying it WAS something I ate, but what I have I don't believe to be colitis. Certain foods just don't agree with me. I just have had some infrequent diarrhea possibly the cause of some food I had.

Evidently, the time I got sick was the same time our old house had lead removed from the walls. I have tested positive before for heavy metals. Something I think I should note in my case.

I'm going to do everything I can do get through this. I'm healthy and I'm not letting a label stop me from being what I want to be.


I appreciate all of your responses!

 

[Tom]

Be sure you understand the difference between MEPS and NAMI. MEPS will provide you with a physical to see if you are medically qualified to receive a commission. NAMI will provide you with a physical to see if you are medically qualified to operate in an aircraft (in Newport, not Pensacola). Typically the first time a person receives a flight physical is in the first week of OCS (ROTC and Academy officers receive their first flight physical after they commission and check into API).

This means you can see a new doc, get the letter you like, go to MEPS, get cleared and someday go to OCS with a designator of SNA or SNFO. Then you get your first flight physical and get NPQ'ed (Not Physically Qualified). This happened to me.

Medical conditions (or a history of) can be permanently disqualifying. You, however, are not. Conditions that are considered disqualifying can receive waivers. I know many people in flight training with waivers. The average flight doc may not be a specialist. You could have your initial flight physical and be referred to a specialist who has training to analyze the issue, see if the issue is disqualifying and recommend a waiver if need be. Waivers take time to get approved and could hold up commissioning from OCS.

From my personal experiences I hope that you can someday walk into a flight doc's office in a poopy suit informed about the process and armed with a stack of papers to fight for your cause. Keep hope, stay positive and be informed. It was a kick in the pants to be at OCS with a small chance of receiving a waiver. I got my waiver and currently have the best job in the world (well, it could get better with wings).

Make three copies of every medical form you receive. Give one to the Navy, give one to your parents and put one in the safest spot possible. Papers can go missing (like my entire record in the middle of OCS) and never be found again.