Post-MEPS injury

[hmbeagle]

Hey all,

I've browsed a number of the threads in this forum and can't seem to find an answer to this question, so I'll pose it here and hope someone can give me an answer.

My application (SNA, SNFO) is currently before the April boards, and as part of the process my OR had me go through MEPS prior to submitting my application. I sailed through MEPS in early March without any problem, but during my training for the Boston Marathon I have developed what I believe is a stress fracture of my femur (we'll see what the orthopedist says on Thursday). My question is, if I am pro-Rec'd for the April boards, will I have to wait until the femur is OK and go through MEPS again before FS, or do I just need to be healthy by the time I go to OCS and take my physical there?

Thank you in advance for any help you can give me!

 

[Tomodachi]

It would suck to put your dreams on hold but reporting things like this is your DUTY to your OR. You are just wasting the Navy's time if you don't report such an injury. There was a new thread about a guy being PRO-REC in October 09 and then non-selected later due to excessive amounts of applicants. So that goes to show if you get pro-rec it does not mean you are safe from the chopping block. Pro-rec then reporting a stress fracture of the femur may result in non-selection because of your failure to report.

I think letting your OR know is the first step, then see what happens next.

 

[hmbeagle]

Thank you mightymouse3, I just read about that October PRO-REC who got rescinded and it's got me wondering if they are even going to accept many, or any, applicants from the April boards. My intention all along has been to report the injury to my OR once I get a firm diagnosis from the doctor, though I'm really hoping she tells me that it's nothing serious and I just need to take a week or two off and stop being such a big pussy about some minor leg pain.

If it does turn out to be something more serious, does anyone know when a PRO-REC expires? I read about another applicant who filed for an extension to complete his paperwork but I haven't seen anywhere how much time you are initially allocated to complete NASIS, PRT, etc.

Thanks again!

 

[hokifire]

If it does turn out to be something more serious, does anyone know when a PRO-REC expires?

I just asked my OR this question and was told there are no deadlines for your pro-rec. He did me that you can get a "Letter of Inactivity" if everything sits too long and you're not making progress. However, he mentioned that as long as you're moving the gears (no matter how rusty they are) then you should be ok. It's taken me forever to get medical stuff together since my pro-rec in December, but I've just kept letting them know that it's ongoing, and it's been fine so far.

 

[SynixMan]

You gotta be upfront with your OR. Most likely your MEPS physical already on the books is good to get your Final Select, so you won't have to go back to MEPS again. You'll have between now and OCS to get yourself healed up. FYI, I was accepted in the May Boards and didn't go to OCS until the end of October. It's not a fast process.

 

[feddoc]

A femoral stress fracture doesn't come along that often. What happened?

 

[hmbeagle]

I'm still not entirely sure that it's a stress fracture feddoc, just a bit of self-diagnosis. I have had two previous fractures (one arm, one leg), and I've got quite a bit of experience with muscle soreness and general muscle pain thanks to years of marathon training. It just feels much more like a bone issue than a muscle issue, especially since I have no problem stretching, biking, or swimming. Only walking/running present a problem at the moment.

Long story short, my most recent training cycle was pretty standard with regard to mileage (up to 80 miles/week, which my body has handled in the past), but the intensity was a lot higher than it's ever been. Running almost exclusively on pavement certainly didn't help, either. I'll at least get an X-ray during my medical appointment this Thursday, and hopefully they can get me in for an MRI as well so that I can get an expert diagnosis and recovery timetable.

Feddoc, I know that femoral stress fractures are pretty rare, but is it unheard of in an otherwise healthy 22 year-old male, especially considering the weekly mileage run on pavement?

 

[feddoc]

Rare, but not unheard of.

 

[hmbeagle]

Just an update here in case anyone finds themselves in a similar position:

According to the processor that I'm working with you have 30 days to complete your PRT from the time you get your Pro-Rec. I was lucky enough to get a Pro-Rec today for SNA and SNFO, which gives me another month to heal (bone scan revealed three stress fractures/healing points) before I'm required to take the PRT. I've already been out for about a month so the doc thinks I'll be ok to push through the PRT in late May. Still not sure on what the timeline is for MEPS, since I'll almost certainly have to go through again, but the processor seemed more concerned about the PRT than the MEPS side of the equation. Hokifire, I'm going to hope that your gouge is accurate and I won't lose my billet because of the fact that I likely won't be able to clear MEPS again for another couple months.

Thank you very much to all who replied to my original post.