Tom88
09-03-08, 08:45 PM
Ok, yes I did a search and tried to get a clear cut answer for what I'm worried about, but none of the posts seemed to match my scenario.
As I may or may not have previously stated, I've been talking to my recruiter about enlisting since early summer and have started working out with him and the other poolees accordingly. Right around this time I also made the decision to completely stop smoking cigarettes (I have been smoking off and on since I was about fifteen unfortunately). Probably two weeks into working out every day/quitting smoking cold turkey, I developed a pretty nasty cough. I got it checked out and my family doctor who's been treating me for years quickly diagnosed it as bronchitis and a mild throat infection. He gave me a penicilin shot with some steroids and put me on some standard 10 day antibiotics along with an inhaler which he said was to treat my asthma-like symptoms that accompany bronchitis. So I'm cool, taking my meds and so on. Other than not being able to PT much, life is swell. Well, the cough was actually pretty painful, but I expected this to go away pretty soon.
The bronchitis did not clear up quickly. I went to the hospital for some pretty bad chest pain and they did a couple x-rays and put me on a nebulizer with albuteral or something to dialate my bronchial tubes. They said I'd developed mild pneumonia somehow and rearranged my medication. New inhaler, Z-Pak, steroids to open up my bronchial tubes and off I went. Finished taking all my meds and used the inhaler once a day as they told me to while I was sick. Everything cleared up pretty well in a week and my doctor did another check up. After listening to my lungs he said I was still wheezing and gave me a new inhaler, worried I might have developed asthma BUT also told me the asthma-like symptoms may persist even if the bronchitis is mostly gone. From what I understood, and correct me if I'm wrong, these symptoms do not necessarily mean I've 100% developed asthma. it could just be part of me getting over the bronchitis.
So, it's been three weeks and I'm anxious to start PTing with my fellow poolees/wannabes. I called my doctor this morning and asked if it was sae for me to work out again. He said it was fine, but to maybe use the inhaler before hand. Then, obviously concerned by his statement, I explained that I could not be accepted by the Marine Corps if I had asthma or needed an inhaler regularly and asked him to verify for me, over the phone, whether or not his instructions indicated I would now have persistent asthma that needed to be treated. He said no, that by his opinion I do not have asthma and do not need to seek consistent treatment for it.
I'm still a little nervous by all this. My recruiter is a little put off by it too. What should I do? Get a second opinion? I felt as though I made myself clear about the kind of black and white response I needed from my doctor, but maybe him and I miscommunicated somewhere along the way.
I'm already dealing with one waiver (the details of which I'd rather not have to disclose if it isn't completely necessary, kind of embarrassing stuff from my past) and I'm worried another waiver is going to make me more trouble than I'm worth to the Marine Corps. Can anybody shed some light on my situation and how bad off I might be?
Thank you.
As I may or may not have previously stated, I've been talking to my recruiter about enlisting since early summer and have started working out with him and the other poolees accordingly. Right around this time I also made the decision to completely stop smoking cigarettes (I have been smoking off and on since I was about fifteen unfortunately). Probably two weeks into working out every day/quitting smoking cold turkey, I developed a pretty nasty cough. I got it checked out and my family doctor who's been treating me for years quickly diagnosed it as bronchitis and a mild throat infection. He gave me a penicilin shot with some steroids and put me on some standard 10 day antibiotics along with an inhaler which he said was to treat my asthma-like symptoms that accompany bronchitis. So I'm cool, taking my meds and so on. Other than not being able to PT much, life is swell. Well, the cough was actually pretty painful, but I expected this to go away pretty soon.
The bronchitis did not clear up quickly. I went to the hospital for some pretty bad chest pain and they did a couple x-rays and put me on a nebulizer with albuteral or something to dialate my bronchial tubes. They said I'd developed mild pneumonia somehow and rearranged my medication. New inhaler, Z-Pak, steroids to open up my bronchial tubes and off I went. Finished taking all my meds and used the inhaler once a day as they told me to while I was sick. Everything cleared up pretty well in a week and my doctor did another check up. After listening to my lungs he said I was still wheezing and gave me a new inhaler, worried I might have developed asthma BUT also told me the asthma-like symptoms may persist even if the bronchitis is mostly gone. From what I understood, and correct me if I'm wrong, these symptoms do not necessarily mean I've 100% developed asthma. it could just be part of me getting over the bronchitis.
So, it's been three weeks and I'm anxious to start PTing with my fellow poolees/wannabes. I called my doctor this morning and asked if it was sae for me to work out again. He said it was fine, but to maybe use the inhaler before hand. Then, obviously concerned by his statement, I explained that I could not be accepted by the Marine Corps if I had asthma or needed an inhaler regularly and asked him to verify for me, over the phone, whether or not his instructions indicated I would now have persistent asthma that needed to be treated. He said no, that by his opinion I do not have asthma and do not need to seek consistent treatment for it.
I'm still a little nervous by all this. My recruiter is a little put off by it too. What should I do? Get a second opinion? I felt as though I made myself clear about the kind of black and white response I needed from my doctor, but maybe him and I miscommunicated somewhere along the way.
I'm already dealing with one waiver (the details of which I'd rather not have to disclose if it isn't completely necessary, kind of embarrassing stuff from my past) and I'm worried another waiver is going to make me more trouble than I'm worth to the Marine Corps. Can anybody shed some light on my situation and how bad off I might be?
Thank you.