Question about medical regulations

[JGNichols]

Hello all, I hope this is the correct place for this sort of question.

I am currently enrolled full time at a local community college, but the main focus of much of my time and energy is preparing myself to join the US Marine Corps. I run as though it were going out of style, I exercise until my muscles tell me they can't take it any longer, and then I run some more. I've dropped over 80 pounds over the last year and a half or so, and for the first time in my life, the pedestal the Corps has always rested on in my mind doesn't seem so high anymore.

Unfortunatly, around the time I was really starting to get motivated with my physical fitness program, I broke my right ankle pretty badly. It'll be almost a year come May that it happened, but I do have some lingering reminders of the incident besides the pair of attractive scars that adorn my ankle. I have a small metal plate less than an inch in size on the inside of my right ankle with I believe three minuscule surgical screws holding it in place, and on the outside of the ankle I have I believe 6 or 7 screws of the same miniature size just under the scar on that side.

The fracture was technically a 'tib-fib' fracture because both the right and left bones broke, but it was so close to the ankle that no serious mechanical assistance was required. The screws I have only served to hold the bone ends in place and do not in any way hamper the mobility of my ankle or limit my physical abilities in any way. I was on my feet six weeks after the break, required no physical therapy, and I was able to run myself into the dust and push myself harder than I ever had before on it while being eighty pounds heavier than I am today.

However, my concern is that because I have the screws and the small plate in my leg that I may fail to pass the initial medical examination regardless of the fact that I can physically perform on it without hindrance. I read on another website that the military offers waivers for medical conditions, but I have not heard anything applicable to my particular situation. I know that my leg will be able to hold up, and my body will quit long before my heart does, but I don't want to be denied my chance just because of a medical technicality.

If anyone has any insight or advice on this matter, it would be greatly appreciated.

[Bige1371]

Talk to your recruiter. He/She will be able to fill you in on the waivers for your situation if any apply.

[GunnyM]

What you need to do is get all of your medical documents on the injury and go in to talk to a recruiter. They will screen you out. If nothing else is wrong, they will submit your medical documents to MEPS. MEPS will take a week or so to review them. The medical doctor will either:
1. Disqualify you temporarily or permanently (some injuries require a minimum time hold for surgery)
2. Allow you to go to MEPS to physically

After you go on deck, the doctor will either:
1. Disqualify you temporarily or permanently
2. Qualify you
3. Request a BUMED (your recruiter will have to put together a package for a medical board to review)
a. They will either qualify you or disqualify you.

A BUMED usually takes a week or two to come back with a response.

If MEPS allows you to go on deck to physical, I would go on deck with current X-rays and a radiologists statement on your current healing status.

[christine_06]

they should be able to work around it with waivers or BU-MED depending on how serious it was/ is, but bring all your medical documents from your doctor to your recruiter and see what they can do, good luck.

[JGNichols]

Thank you guys very much for your advice, I've been searching through as many threads and topics as I could myself in order to try and find some information in this area. I'm not quite as close as I would like to be to enlisting in the DEP so I am leery about beginning certain processes with the recruiter, but anything that could help him or her become more familiar with me and my particular situation could only be beneficial.

I can get the X-Ray and surgical report from the doctor who performed the operation no sweat, and I can even probably get a statement from him testifying that my leg is in perfect condition. I went in for a check-up less than two months after I broke it and he commented that he hadn't seen a break heal that clean and fast in his whole career. I really have zero limitations from the accident, but until I see that signed waiver that says everything is jake, it's still going to knaw at my mind.

I do have two more questions though, if you generous Marines wouldn't mind answering. First, what is a BUMED? Is it like a waiver request or something drafted for each individual case? I'm all ears about anything in this area, so if you could clarify it for me I would be very much obliged.

Second question I have is, hypothetically speaking, what if my recruiter tells me that I shouldn't mention the injury? I have obvious scars on my right ankle so those will be seen first time I'm inspected, and the first X-Ray I go through will show those little screws bright and clear on the screen. Last thing I want to do is lie to get myself in the Corps and risk getting discharged for being dishonest, so should I insist on going through the waiver process rather than hope it doesn't come up? I would image that is the safer course of action (as well as more honorable), but I will bow to the knowledge of those who have come before me and I will listen to the advice your willing to give.

Again, I am very much obliged for all of your help with this. Joining the Marine Corps has been a dream of mine for several years now, and I am working hard to make that dream a reality.

Semper Fi, Marines.

[GunnyM]

You recruiter isn't going to tell you not to say anything. Just go in with all your docs, along with the x-rays and a current status from the doc and the recruiter should fax forward everything to MEPS. I am an NCOIC of a recruiting office in Costa Mesa, so if you need any assistance, I would be glad to help you out.
Hope all goes well for you!
SF
Gy McGowan

Thank you guys very much for your advice, I've been searching through as many threads and topics as I could myself in order to try and find some information in this area. I'm not quite as close as I would like to be to enlisting in the DEP so I am leery about beginning certain processes with the recruiter, but anything that could help him or her become more familiar with me and my particular situation could only be beneficial.

I can get the X-Ray and surgical report from the doctor who performed the operation no sweat, and I can even probably get a statement from him testifying that my leg is in perfect condition. I went in for a check-up less than two months after I broke it and he commented that he hadn't seen a break heal that clean and fast in his whole career. I really have zero limitations from the accident, but until I see that signed waiver that says everything is jake, it's still going to knaw at my mind.

I do have two more questions though, if you generous Marines wouldn't mind answering. First, what is a BUMED? Is it like a waiver request or something drafted for each individual case? I'm all ears about anything in this area, so if you could clarify it for me I would be very much obliged.

Second question I have is, hypothetically speaking, what if my recruiter tells me that I shouldn't mention the injury? I have obvious scars on my right ankle so those will be seen first time I'm inspected, and the first X-Ray I go through will show those little screws bright and clear on the screen. Last thing I want to do is lie to get myself in the Corps and risk getting discharged for being dishonest, so should I insist on going through the waiver process rather than hope it doesn't come up? I would image that is the safer course of action (as well as more honorable), but I will bow to the knowledge of those who have come before me and I will listen to the advice your willing to give.

Again, I am very much obliged for all of your help with this. Joining the Marine Corps has been a dream of mine for several years now, and I am working hard to make that dream a reality.

Semper Fi, Marines.

[BGMFH]

When I was at MEPS two weeks ago, we had a Marine Applicant process and swear in with a plate in his ankle. I don't know what all he had to do, but he made it. Be straight with your recruiter and the MEPS personelle, and things should be fine.

[JGNichols]

Groovy.

I have no reason or inclination to lie to a recruiter about anything else, so I'm glad I should be as forthright about my ankle as I can be. I hope my physical fitness scores are high enough that it becomes the non-issue I always assume it to be, but of course that part is up to me, hehe.

Thank you all again for your advice and assistance with my questions. I'll get a hold of my doc and get all the paperwork I can scrounge up, then I'll get in contact with my recruiter and see what sort of deal we can work out. From what I've read and heard, I believe now that it most likely won't be a problem.

Not much else for me to do otherwise but get back to training, hehe. I hear my running shoes (go fasters, right?) calling me, they haven't seen the pavement for a whole 12 hours. I think I owe myself some push-ups for that sort of slothful business.

[Veritas89]

Not much else for me to do otherwise but get back to training, hehe. I hear my running shoes (go fasters, right?) calling me, they haven't seen the pavement for a whole 12 hours. I think I owe myself some push-ups for that sort of slothful business.

May I ask how old you are and how long you have been training like this?

[JGNichols]

You may indeed my friend.

I am 21 years old, and I've been training myself for about a year and a half now. I was around 280 pounds at my heaviest just after High School, however I am 6'2 and built pretty big, so I never really gave the problem the attention it deserved (plus I had all the habits that led to that unhealthy state in the first place). I then decided that I wanted to join the military though (rather than just think about it), so I learned to discipline myself and eat the right stuff, in smaller proportions, and I began a walking program. I have been building on it ever since.

I now run about 5 miles a day, give or take, and I follow each run with as many push-ups, sit-ups and squats as I can do without hurting myself (though I'm sure a motivated D.I. could squeeze a few more out of me, hehe).

I'm down to 200 pounds, but I'd like to lose a little bit more and tighten up further before I do anything else. No use starting to build the house if the foundation isn't ready to support it.