injuries during OCS

[jjhardware]

I was just wondering how much injury the Marines will tolerate during OCS. What if knee or sholder pains start happening the first week? Do thy let you get asperin or go to the docs to check you out? Or is it, if you can tolerate it,you can stay? Has anyone had some experiance here?

ernie

 

[Herc_Dude]

I was just wondering how much injury the Marines will tolerate during OCS. What if knee or sholder pains start happening the first week? Do thy let you get asperin or go to the docs to check you out? Or is it, if you can tolerate it,you can stay? Has anyone had some experiance here?

ernie

The less negitive attention you can draw to yourself the better. If you can get through with a pain or minor injury, do it. Plus, showing you are tough and can deal with that adversity can even give you some bonus points with the staff. If its going to get worse, or possibly lead to something permenant, get it checked out. That also shows that you are not a dumb a$$. Worse case, you have to come back the next summer and do it again.

Stress fracture = going home, no questions asked, no matter how minor.
Sprain, depends on how bad and how you can deal.
Knee, shoulder pains, same as I said above. If you can deal, deal. If its getting bad, get it checked.

Good luck, you will be fine.
s/f

 

[openbah]

You will be able to get Motrin from your platoon Corpsman. Many candidates show up to OCS with aches and pains from training too hard. It's true, going on light duty during week one makes you look like you don't want to be there. But if something hurts, talk to your Corpsman. If it's real bad, go to sick call. Oh, and try not to run on stress fractures until your femur breaks, it hurts.

 

[Crowbar]

If its going to get worse, or possibly lead to something permenant, get it checked out. That also shows that you are not a dumb a$$. Worse case, you have to come back the next summer and do it again.

Stress fracture = going home, no questions asked, no matter how minor.

Oh, and try not to run on stress fractures until your femur breaks, it hurts.

What they said. I fractured a couple of bones in my foot the first time around. It happened suddenly, I went from healthy to broke in just two or three miles of a hump. But I finished the hump...and it finished me. Finished as in, once the x-rays had been examined, the medical staff wouldn't even let me stand up. They put me in a chair and rolled me around the clinic for fear that any extra pressure on my foot might cause the bones to break in half requiring surgery.

There were always people limping around or crutching around for a day or two at a time. Most important if you get to the point where you have to go to medical and they tell you to take it easy for a day or two, DO IT. Don't try to be the hardhead who wants to show how tough he is. Just listen to them and try to get better.

Although, every now and again you'll see somebody make it up to the last week then go to medical and have stress fractures all over their body. I've seen one or two people 'graduate' on crutches because they stuck it out.

 

[Harrier Dude]

Agree. Gut it out if you can, but don't injure yourself. Only you will know which it is. "Campstool Commandos" get weeded out if people think that they're being weak, but then again, I wouldn't want to break my femur either.

Be ready for lots of pain. There's just no way around it. You can heal up in week 11 (after graduation). "Getting rolled to next year" may not happen. It probably will, but you never know. No promises. You have to start over, too, which is something to think about in week 8 of 10.

Know your definition of "hurt" and "injured". Only you will be able to tell.

 

[scotty008]

Yes, it is important to avoid serious injury caused by trying to push through in certain situations. That said, you don't want to be known as the guy that always goes to sick call or ends up on light duty. You will hurt while at OCS- expect it. Talk to the corpsman. They will try to do what they can to keep you out of medical and in training. They can also help to determine of whatever is bothering you is serious enough to warrant a trip to the clinic each morning. I went in with shin splints, and survived thanks largely due to my 3-motrin a day diet. Like everyone says, there is hurt and there is injured. You can usually distinguish between the two. Depending on what happens, the medical staff/the colonel will decide what actions to take. You pretty much can't avoid pain and/or injury while at OCS. Try to stretch a lot and ice every evening as necessary. The rest is pretty much luck.

[edit]- Harrier Dude beat me to much of this... so much can happen in 3 minutes.

 

[TheFurr7198]

Just remember, their is a difference from hurting and being injured. Not many people know that difference. Those are the people who will be sick bay commandos, always going to sick call. I sprained my foot but before the 9 mile hump at the end of juniors and was able to get a good wrap from a candidate. It swelled up pretty good so that compression really helped out tremendously. Its all it what your level of pain is though. If you get a legitimate injury and you were putting out before that then you'll have everyone's respect if you have to leave.

P.S.-dont be a sick bay commando

 

[Postal]

I was one of the lucky individuals that go to go to OCS 3 time. Blew my knee out in week one of Seniors , they kept me around until I decided I was healed after a few weeks, only to blow it out again. Was offered the NPQ with recommendation to try it again the next year. Came back and nearly tore my achilles tendon. Light duty again. Rested it up until the final week for all the final hump, PFT,and other graded events. I knew this was my last chance so I cut out the back of my boot that rubbed the tendon, wore an ankle brace on the other foot since it would be supporting most of my weight, took an unhealthy amount of motrin and pressed.
I missed alot of graded physical events prior to the last week. My PT score I do not even know if it was high enough to pass. But I was able to graduate. I guess since I stuck it out and layed it all on the line in the end.
I agree with the other about injuries. Do not make a bad situation worse. But you also have to know when to let it all hang out.

 

[Matt S]

Like it's been stated above. Know the difference between injury and being hurt. If you're hurt you can go on. Don't skyline yourself for something you're not sure about. Do your best to analyze how you really feel. We had a certain person who magically went on light duty before every major event and it became apparent to everyone in the platoon by the end, but the staff never caught on. He graduated, but he didn't have the respect of the platoon by the end. Go there and earn it, but if you're injured say something. I'm sure you will be fine, best of luck to you.

 

[USMCMidd]

I sprained my ankle on the 9 mile hump a week before graduation. It was boarderline broken. I missed a few events: tarzan/confidence course and some other things, but made it through SULE II and the final PFT and graduated. Once they know you're really busted and not faking a bullsh** injury, and still get through major portions of the syllabus they will pass you.... i made it after all.

Lt. Walsh

 

[FLYMARINES]

Stress fracture = going home, no questions asked, no matter how minor.

Not necessarily true. I made it through OCS with a stress fracture. Granted I didn't realize I had one until about a week and a half until graduation, and I didn't tell anybody, but I still graduated. Horse pill Motrin is great.

My rackmate went to OCS WITH a stress fracture. He had been training too hard in boots. At the initial physical the docs discovered it in its beginning stage. He was set to be NPQ'd and the docs contacted his OSO to let him know he would be coming home. The candidate let his OSO know before he left he had a stress fracture but that he was going to try to graduate anyway. The candidate also was NPQ'd the year before because he hurt his shoulder. His OSO talked the docs into letting him at least try. He ended up graduating. Also, he spent no time on light duty and didn't miss an event. He took tons of Motrin and iced his leg whenever he had the chance. I have tons of respect for him because it was hard enough dealing with a stress fracture for about two weeks, and he dealt with it the entire time.

 

[TheFurr7198]

it really comes down to how bad you want it. If you want it bad enough nothing is going to stop you. You gotta have that motivation deep inside of you to work through that injury or any kind of injury similar to that.

 

[openbah]

I don't mean any offense to you LilFizz or anyone else that shares that same opinion, but I think it's BS. It isn't always 'how bad you want something,' sometimes it just doesn't matter.

I went to OCS with the attitude that nothing was going to make me go home. A few weeks in I started getting bad pains in my legs, but I kept going. Finally, during week 6, the top of my femur gave in to the stress fractures that I'd been running on, and broke into more than 3 pieces. I haven't walked since. 105 days and counting.

I know you mean well by saying that "if you want it bad enough nothing is going to stop you," but that is foolish advice for someone crazy enough (like me) to believe it. I'd do anything to go back and go on light duty, possibly heal up, but I can't change that now, and I'd hate to see anyone else end up in the situation I'm in.

Semper Fi.

 

[DocT]

OCS is desire...tempered with a healthy dose of luck.

Luck is the only thing that keeps you from busting your a$$ during a night hump on the boulder laiden road at Buffalo Pond.

Before I shipped I was told by my OSO, "Go out there and give 95%. Candidates who constantly give 110% go home broken". Take that for what it's worth.

 

[Carno]

Luck is a huge part of it. The most physically fit guy in my platoon broke his ankle on a short platoon run simply by tripping on a rock.

Just do your best, but don't over do it.

And watch where you step.