Toomey
07-24-07, 08:35 PM
I need some advice on whether to apply for a waiver or not because of having one kidney. I signed up in the DEP on October 2nd, 2006 and was set to leave on June 4th, 2007, right after graduating from high school. Around April, we found that my left kidney had failed from a birth defect that went undetected and caused it to fail. The birth defect was related only to that kidney that was taken out. The June 4th date was obviously scratched, and I had the kidney removed on June 28th.
The recruiters would like me to apply for the waiver and need to have me gone by October 2nd because that is when the one year in the DEP is all up. The problem I have with that is that it's cutting it pretty close to the date of the surgery, it leaves only a few months from when it happened and it might be too soon to know whether I could handle bootcamp. I got college taken care of in time and school starts on August 20th. If I apply for the waiver and it's granted, I'd leave school and go to bootcamp, but if I can't make it there, I get sent back and school would all be a mess trying to get back in and everything. I also don't want to look bad by leaving the DEP without trying for the waiver, but I really think it's too soon to go to bootcamp after the surgery.
Ideally I'd like to come back to the Marines in two years or in four years after I finish my college and my fitness is back up and my health had stood the little test of time to make sure I'm fine then.
What is everyone's advice on this? Should I apply for the waiver or not? What are the chances of the waiver being granted? How bad does it look leaving the DEP because of this? Would it be better for me to come back stronger and smarter in two or four years after college? I'm looking for any advice. By the way, I haven't been back to the doctor yet for the offical follow up.
I hope to be a Marine one day. I would have been there right now if it wasn't for that kidney. Good health for 18 years and now this 2 months before I left for Parris Island.
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The recruiters would like me to apply for the waiver and need to have me gone by October 2nd because that is when the one year in the DEP is all up. The problem I have with that is that it's cutting it pretty close to the date of the surgery, it leaves only a few months from when it happened and it might be too soon to know whether I could handle bootcamp. I got college taken care of in time and school starts on August 20th. If I apply for the waiver and it's granted, I'd leave school and go to bootcamp, but if I can't make it there, I get sent back and school would all be a mess trying to get back in and everything. I also don't want to look bad by leaving the DEP without trying for the waiver, but I really think it's too soon to go to bootcamp after the surgery.
Ideally I'd like to come back to the Marines in two years or in four years after I finish my college and my fitness is back up and my health had stood the little test of time to make sure I'm fine then.
What is everyone's advice on this? Should I apply for the waiver or not? What are the chances of the waiver being granted? How bad does it look leaving the DEP because of this? Would it be better for me to come back stronger and smarter in two or four years after college? I'm looking for any advice. By the way, I haven't been back to the doctor yet for the offical follow up.
I hope to be a Marine one day. I would have been there right now if it wasn't for that kidney. Good health for 18 years and now this 2 months before I left for Parris Island.
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