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View Full Version : Handling Illness during Boot Camp



Sempermom66
01-31-09, 10:16 PM
I'll admit that I've read about recruits getting sick--other parents have personally written to me about it as a "requirement" in Boot Camp.

After a couple of vague letters decribing sore throat and fevers, my younger son reports that several days ago he was put on bed rest due to bronchitis.

I know that my older son is suffering from something similar--along with a number of other recruits in their platoon.

Since the mail is a half-week behind, could someone let me know what the policy/standard is for dealing with real illness for a recruit. I thought that there was a max of 3 missed days, but I realize that even that might be too much.

I want to be able t write to my recruits with encouragement, even if what we have to say is that we will be attending two separate graduations. rather than one...

What say ye?

C.

DAMNPROUD
02-01-09, 08:01 AM
sempermom recruits do not want to spend one extra minute at boot camp!you can tell them anything you want they just want to be out. i told my son to go to the doc but he never did.the thought of being dropped terrified him.everything will work out DI'S are good mammas:)

Sempermom66
02-01-09, 08:58 AM
sempermom recruits do not want to spend one extra minute at boot camp!you can tell them anything you want they just want to be out. i told my son to go to the doc but he never did.the thought of being dropped terrified him.everything will work out DI'S are good mammas:)
Thank you, Keith. I trust that your son is doing well...C.

Quinbo
02-01-09, 09:22 AM
Young Marines are taught from day one that if you go to sick call it better be on a stretcher. Trouble is there are sand baggers out there so tough policy. Put a large group of young men from all over the country together for long periods of time and they'll pass stuff around. If you have a mild cough or runny nose the training continues and it will get better. If a recruit is genuinely ill they will recieve excellant medical care. Read that thread about the boot that made it all the way through boot camp with a tumor in his sinus the size of a tennis ball and never complained.

Sempermom66
02-01-09, 01:49 PM
Young Marines are taught from day one that if you go to sick call it better be on a stretcher. Trouble is there are sand baggers out there so tough policy. Put a large group of young men from all over the country together for long periods of time and they'll pass stuff around. If you have a mild cough or runny nose the training continues and it will get better. If a recruit is genuinely ill they will recieve excellant medical care. Read that thread about the boot that made it all the way through boot camp with a tumor in his sinus the size of a tennis ball and never complained.
I get the humor, Bulkyer. I assume that my recruit was pretty bad the other day to qualify and agree to bed rest. When he had appendicitis, he surprised his doctor by being able to do jumping jacks--six hours later he was in the O/R...

gofigyer
02-01-09, 08:36 PM
Mine just informed me that he had pneumonia twice and pinkeye once during his 13 weeks and he graduated on Friday on time. Said he wasn't taking any chances on going backwards and I did notice a number of recruits to the side of their formations with blue masks on. Guess they didn't either. He will suffer through if he can.

Isrowei
02-01-09, 08:52 PM
If there is a serious issue, you will receive a call from a series officer (assuming you are listed as the NOK). If you don't receive a phone call, no matter what you read in a letter, it's not that bad.

marinemama
02-02-09, 12:50 AM
When my youngest son was sick, I sent him the label off a can of chicken noodle soup...he hates chicken noodle soup, but it made him smile and think I was crazy. My two both got pretty sick, the youngest especially. They take amazing care of them, and you will learn that no news, is good news. They won't keep him down any longer than they need to. I hope he feels better soon.

Sempermom66
02-02-09, 09:48 PM
When my youngest son was sick, I sent him the label off a can of chicken noodle soup...he hates chicken noodle soup, but it made him smile and think I was crazy. My two both got pretty sick, the youngest especially. They take amazing care of them, and you will learn that no news, is good news. They won't keep him down any longer than they need to. I hope he feels better soon.
Hopefully by now, he's past the chicken soup stage, but your label sentiment/gag gave me the idea of enclosing a Chipotle menu in tomorrow's letter--that boy lived on steak burritos--Chipotle will be his FIRST stop when he gets off the plane after graduation!

Monica, were you permitted to send protein bars to your boys during Boot? I've heard some mixed opinions about it, (seasoned Marines seem to think that I might as well be sending them tampons and bunny slippers), but my elder son wrote to me that his SDI said protein bars are the only things parents can send. I've ordered a couple of staggered bulk deliveries through Ebay sellers.

Marines, feel free to weigh in on the myriad ways that a protein bar will soften my recruits into curds and whey. Honestly, I welcome all viewpoints...

Sempermom66
02-02-09, 10:00 PM
If there is a serious issue, you will receive a call from a series officer (assuming you are listed as the NOK). If you don't receive a phone call, no matter what you read in a letter, it's not that bad.
Thank you so much for for your response. I have noted your advice and the regard with which you address fellow Marines, poolees and parents on this site. Thank you for your service, for carrying principles beyond words--printed or spoken.

SlingerDun
02-02-09, 10:08 PM
Some of us started in whoopin and hackin, others contracted a gut flu virus about the time squadbay windows were to remain shut at night for the winter. Bad idea, everybody needs a little fresh air:sick: To this day i can't hardly sleep in a room thats chinked to tight

--->Dave

marinemama
02-02-09, 10:31 PM
Hopefully by now, he's past the chicken soup stage, but your label sentiment/gag gave me the idea of enclosing a Chipotle menu in tomorrow's letter--that boy lived on steak burritos--Chipotle will be his FIRST stop when he gets off the plane after graduation!

Monica, were you permitted to send protein bars to your boys during Boot? I've heard some mixed opinions about it, (seasoned Marines seem to think that I might as well be sending them tampons and bunny slippers), but my elder son wrote to me that his SDI said protein bars are the only things parents can send. I've ordered a couple of staggered bulk deliveries through Ebay sellers.

Marines, feel free to weigh in on the myriad ways that a protein bar will soften my recruits into curds and whey. Honestly, I welcome all viewpoints...

Yum...Chipotle :)

I sent my two 75 Power Bars for The Crucible, in one shipment. I sent enough for the entire Platoon and DI's. I had one e-mail exchange with my son's SDI and sent them to him directly, he was amazing and very thankful.

Quinbo
02-02-09, 10:49 PM
If enough for the entire platoon is sent; the drill instructors will probably squirrel them away and hand them out right before a major event. Send them just to him and depends on the drill instructor what happens to them. Recruits are taught team work. Most of the goodies you can save to send to your lads after they hit the fleet.

SGT7477
02-02-09, 11:02 PM
Yum...Chipotle :)

I sent my two 75 Power Bars for The Crucible, in one shipment. I sent enough for the entire Platoon and DI's. I had one e-mail exchange with my son's SDI and sent them to him directly, he was amazing and very thankful.
Times have changed, if you had sent that to our SDI your son would have had to eat them all.:flag:

marinemama
02-02-09, 11:15 PM
Times have changed, if you had sent that to our SDI your son would have had to eat them all.:flag:

I hear you on that Sgt...I probably wouldn't have done that either, if I didn't know the wife of one of the other DI's. I didn't want any extra attention brought to them.

Box kicker 101
02-02-09, 11:24 PM
I'll admit that I've read about recruits getting sick--other parents have personally written to me about it as a "requirement" in Boot Camp.

After a couple of vague letters decribing sore throat and fevers, my younger son reports that several days ago he was put on bed rest due to bronchitis.

I know that my older son is suffering from something similar--along with a number of other recruits in their platoon.

Since the mail is a half-week behind, could someone let me know what the policy/standard is for dealing with real illness for a recruit. I thought that there was a max of 3 missed days, but I realize that even that might be too much.

I want to be able t write to my recruits with encouragement, even if what we have to say is that we will be attending two separate graduations. rather than one...

What say ye?

C.
Ma'am recruits get sick real fast myself i had caught phuemonia....Luckly for me i had got seen before it was too late it was my week right before the cruicible and i didnt want to get dropped so i thought i could hack it but damn i was wrong at nights i would wake up soaken wet from sweating in my sleep the day i went to BAS i had 103 fever the docs took my temp 5 times because they thought the thermoters was broken........long story short i had phuenmonia in my whole left side ......now one would think id be dropped right..... nope i got 5 shots put on some pills n two days i was back hooking and jabbing with the rest of my fellow warriors dont worry your recruits will be looked after if its something bad but they shouldnt be dropped for three days..............we had a recruit that was on cruches for two weeks he graduated with us so you never know

Sempermom66
02-03-09, 12:00 AM
Some of us started in whoopin and hackin, others contracted a gut flu virus about the time squadbay windows were to remain shut at night for the winter. Bad idea, everybody needs a little fresh air:sick: To this day i can't hardly sleep in a room thats chinked to tight

--->Dave

I concur! Perhaps the best approach would include a couple of Lysol bombs going off over the racks a few times a day.

Of course, the alternative school of thought is that if the microbe doesn't kill you, it makes you stronger...

I suppose these future Marines are better served by introducing their T-cells to a third-world cocktail of viruses, bacteria, fungi and protists!


:yes::no:

Quinbo
02-03-09, 12:07 AM
Respectfully SemperMom I need to say let them out from under your wing. They will be fine. I watch Marines, Sailors, Soldiers and Airmen deploy every day and it is not a measilly little 3 months called boot camp. You get innoculated against stuff you didn't even know existed. You can't keep them packed in cotten balls.

I know you want to provide them all the motherly love possible but right now their drill instructors are their mommy and daddy combined and they are looking out for their welfare.

Sempermom66
02-03-09, 12:50 AM
Respectfully SemperMom I need to say let them out from under your wing. They will be fine. I watch Marines, Sailors, Soldiers and Airmen deploy every day and it is not a measilly little 3 months called boot camp. You get innoculated against stuff you didn't even know existed. You can't keep them packed in cotten balls.

I know you want to provide them all the motherly love possible but right now their drill instructors are their mommy and daddy combined and they are looking out for their welfare.
With all due respect, Sgt, I let all of my sons take their respective falls from trees, roofs--and grace. I attended all of my daughter's wrestling matches in middle school. (The first girl to go out for the team).

I'm not about the milk and cookies, no sireeeeee.

I have always made it clear to my children that whether they choose college or the military, a boy cannot become a man as long as he lives with his mother.

Seriously, if they're on the same page, something is out of whack.

I believe that all of my children would attest to the way in which these wings were made for poking--them out of the nest.

Even as I'm writing this, I'm schooling my girl on the steps necessary to open up an infected puncture wound with betadine and a Q-tip.

We'll be meeting with her Army recruiter in two days.

And, sincerely--

Really--

Thank you so much for all of your measured and caring responses...

And for your service.

C.

thedrifter
02-03-09, 06:09 AM
Respectfully SemperMom I need to say let them out from under your wing. They will be fine. I watch Marines, Sailors, Soldiers and Airmen deploy every day and it is not a measilly little 3 months called boot camp. You get innoculated against stuff you didn't even know existed. You can't keep them packed in cotten balls.

I know you want to provide them all the motherly love possible but right now their drill instructors are their mommy and daddy combined and they are looking out for their welfare.

A Good Ending...............

Ellie