Need any advice possible!

[worriedguy]

Me and my wife are in the Marine Corps, and she absolutly hates it. She's never been so depressed and miserable in her life. She has cellulitis in her knee which from what she describes is discusting and hard for her to really do anything. The tendons in her ankle are tight from some damage done in boot camp. She's had pneumonia for about a month now and it doesn't sound like she's getting any better. Right now she's an 0621- Field Radio Operator, so maybe she could change her MOS somehow?? I was looking for information on Medical Discharges or even if we could buyout her contract. We were even thinking about refusing to train, what does that do? Pregnancy? Talking to a chaplin or somebody about how depressed she is and how insane she is going. We are desperate right now and she needs to get out of this asap before she hurts herself even more so any information on any of this stuff would be greatly appreciated.

[chrisdizz22]

I definatly wouldnt do anything that will put opportunitys in the future in jeopardy. are you both trying to get out or just her? it she legitimatly has something wrong with her then should should go to sick call every morning. eventially they will get sick of seeing her in there and they will take her seriously. the militarys medical system just plain sucks. unless your an officer, or you walk in with a compund fracture, they dont take you serously

[gphjr]

Well we know Chris hates the military. however he is somewhat correct. Please don't have children just to get out of the military. children are forever and with your problems you both are not ready. In addition to going on sickcall. All commanders have open door policies. She needs to begin with her squad leader to platoon sgt, first sgt then to her company commander, explain how badly her knee is hurt during the training. Her NCO support channel and chain of command should assist if her claim is true to form. If she had been a problem child previously then they will think she is faking it.

When at the doctor's request for an MRI. and request it every doctor visit. They will of course refuse her, but make sure the the doctor places her request on the medical form and get a copy, along with his or her denial. this can be used as ammunition when the chain of command fails her and she then writes her congressman to get results. Results take time in the military so be patient. Please remember to be focused becasue they will mess with her head. If she is not a strong person then she will fail and the marines will push her over the edge. If she is faking it just to get out they will find that out to and then she will be labeled.

[worriedguy]

Yeah, I agree, the medical system here sucks. No matter what you go in for its pain killers and water. Her knee really is messed up and isn't faking it just to get out. So basically just go through the chain of command and say what? She went to sick call during MCT everymorning and they gave her some meds for her cellulitis and cleaned the hole out. They were going to put her on light duty, but she didn't want to be dropped so she told them to keep her on full duty. Would that pose a problem anywhere down the line or help?? She's at 29 stumps now and they only have sick call come down for the students every fri. So now I'm REALLY worried that they won't be able to take care of her. Then for the other reply, go to a civilian hospitol, get the results and use those and what the doctors say to write her congressman explaining how her knee is completly messed up and can't continue on, or what? She heard the other day that if she goes through her chain of command and says that she hasn't adapted to the military life, they will let her go that way. I'm sure it's a lot more complicated than that, but that was the jist of it. What about refusing to train?? Thank you all for all your posts, it helps out a lot!

[rmet4nzkx]

How did she get the cellulitis in her knee? Has she been tested to diabetes? Why didn't she take lite duty when it was offered? My son (USMC) injured his ankle during war games, he was on light duty, full time, during the last 2 years of his hitch. They kept telling him it was a strain and finally Xrayed and MRI 1 year later and discovered the break which eventually required 2 surgeries, he served his entire enlistment and got a disability retirement, so it is best to try to serve the full enlistment.

[chrisdizz22]

Originally Posted by gphjr

Well we know Chris hates the military. .

No i just think that the medical system that they try to use as a selling point, for married people, needs to be overhauled. I never had a good experience with Army doctors and medics. i had a little wart on the top of my hand, and i went in to have it removed, and now i have a big scar from the top of my hand being burt by liquid mitrogen. And i jacked my knee up also, went to the medic station a bunch of times, but all they would do it look at it, and say yep its swollen, and wrtie me a note that said RTD, hand me a bottle of motrin 800's, "and tell me that my knee was hurting because i hadrnt drank enough water" J/K. they wouldnt give me a profile or anything, so after about five or six moinths of this and my knee not getting any better. i failed two PT tests. and they took the GI bill, told me i had to repay my bonus, gave me $75 to get from washington to iowa, and took my last months pay. then sent me on down the road.

and after this bad experience, i decided to join the guard- and just got imformed last week that were going to Iraq

[panzertanker]

I do not know much about the military, but I would say that refusing to train is NOT a good idea. As strict as the military is, I would think that would be a "bad mark" against her. From your post I HIGHLY recommend that she seek counseling ASAP. Continue to report to sick call and as Chris said, ask for an Xray and MRI every time. Ether she will wear them down and get the MRI, or the constant refusals from the medic on duty will be power for her later. Also strongly suggest blood work, not only for diabetes but for sepsis from cellulitis, anemia, possible parasitic infections, etc. It is difficult to diagnose without "laying hands" on someone and doing a proper workup.
Good luck.

[Shay-Pari'e]

Originally Posted by chrisdizz22

I definatly wouldnt do anything that will put opportunitys in the future in jeopardy. are you both trying to get out or just her? it she legitimatly has something wrong with her then should should go to sick call every morning. eventially they will get sick of seeing her in there and they will take her seriously. the militarys medical system just plain sucks. unless your an officer, or you walk in with a compund fracture, they dont take you serously

This is strictly your opinion, and has no merit.

Terrible advice. Actually, insane advice.

I have lived, worked, and gave birth in David Grant, and your assumption of officers being treated differently is far fetched.

[chrisdizz22]

Ok for one officers do get treated differently- they go to the medic station, and all of the EM's are trying to earn brownie points, officers get treated seriously, on the otherhand I as an Enlisted Member go to the medic station with a jacked up knee, and they play it off as nothing, everytime Motrin 800's and Return to 'Full Duty, no PT profile nothing. My knee never got anytime to heal and caused me to get discharged. and during this time an officer in my troop didnt have to do any pt because of an ingrown toe nail. every officer in the army is higher ranking then all elisted members, and do receive different treatment.

by the way i take what you are saying, my guess is that you or your husband/wife is or was an officer and is in denial.

And i think that my advice is very good advice- what else is a person to do other then just lie down and not fight. If there is something wrong with you, and they dont take you seriously then keep going back untill the finally take you seriously. The main reason that the militarys medical system sucks is because they dont have to treat you the same way that the civilian medical faculitys treat you, because they dont have to worry about loseing your business. They get paid weither or not they help you- And the fact that you cant sue the army opend the door for some- less then quialified civilian doctors from india, that are trying to excape the high insurance premiums

[chrisdizz22]

Originally Posted by --PARIDISE--

This is strictly your opinion, and has no merit.

Terrible advice. Actually, insane advice.

I have lived, worked, and gave birth in David Grant, and your assumption of officers being treated differently is far fetched.

what is david grant, an army hospital-? you see, us lower enlisted cant just go to the hospital, we have to go to the medic station first.

[tacsatarmy]

Thought you guys would like to know that it is in the works to make troops pay for sick call. I hear the Air Force already does this but I think it is complete horse crap. Apparently, if you get a RTD after going in, you are charged 13 dollars. And, if you get three RTDs in a row, that is considered malingering. "Don't thank me, thank your recruiter".

[fozzy2]

It sounds as if your wife is in the primary training pipeline. It is true that recruits/trainees have a harder time getting to see a physician. One reason is that they tend to have lots of minor problems and also tend to magnify them. So they will often be screened by a very junior/inexperienced person. In the Navy "recruit sick call" was this type of 'cattle call' screening. They had to process loads of people, and typically unless your vital signs met some thresh hold you were sent on your way with some OTC. But then most of what they saw was minor stuff or people who were used to staying home from school if they had so much as a sniffle. The process is normally quite different once out of the schools pipeline.

To be quite honest, the story presented here does not sound quite right. For starters, she has pneumonia? Is that a professional diagnosis or self diagnosis? Pnuemonia is normally taken very seriously and usually (though not always) has clear "indicators", like a high temperature, that will get someone put in line to see an MD. Secondly, she *turned down* light duty? That will make eyeballs roll right there. They offered her a chance to get off her knee, and she chose to refuse the help because she doesn't want to get rolled back? Then her knee must not hurt that bad, many will reason. The corpsman/medic screening her will probably figure that if she feels she can continue training, she can continue training -- and there is no point in wasting the MDs time sending her to him.

She can get out of the military, anyone can. But if she is not careful it may be with a Bad Conduct Discharge or an admin-sep for Personality Disorder or any of a number of other outcomes that could have bad repercussions. If her knee is *really* a problem then she should go in and if they offer her light duty she should take it. If the time on light duty doesn't fix her knee up then the next time they will likely refer her. She can ask for scans (MRI, X-Ray) but won't necessarily get them, at least at first. Indeed, if she pisses off the medical people and they do a scan and it's negative, that can be used against her.

Talking about "refusing training" and wanting to get out of the corps will just make everyone more convinced she is malingering. Is she just looking for a medical excuse to get out? Be advised, trying that can be harder than it looks.

[Davidzill]

paradise....You must be terribly oblivious to what it is really like in the military. Wow an officer can just waltz into a military hospital and be taken care of, but an enlisted person could get charged for this by there command, probably under the catch all article; they have to go to there units medical station and probably be prescribed motrin and water, unless you are in the USAF where enlisted and officer live in awesome conditions. If you have anything to do with the USAF, you have no idea what it is like to be enlisted vs. officer in the Marine Corps or Army. So why don't you just drink a cup of Shut the *uck up. I am a Marine who cam from an Air Force family, I know what I'm talking about dear.

[jamesr45]

The best solid advice I can give you is have your wife start going to see a Chaplin, or counselor, and telling them about her emotional problems and going on sick call for her physical problems, Now. The advice is this; have her file for a service connected disabilty while she is still on active duty, if this is done you can win the battle for a service connected disability; Again file for a service connected disability before leaving active duty, it will be the most important step you take, in the battle for compensation from the Veterans Administration, the military can grant the service connection disability, but if they don't, don't worry about it you can win it through the V.A.

[rmet4nzkx]

Originally Posted by jamesr45

The best solid advice I can give you is have your wife start going to see a Chaplin, or counselor, and telling them about her emotional problems and going on sick call for her physical problems, Now. The advice is this; have her file for a service connected disabilty while she is still on active duty, if this is done you can win the battle for a service connected disability; Again file for a service connected disability before leaving active duty, it will be the most important step you take, in the battle for compensation from the Veterans Administration, the military can grant the service connection disability, but if they don't, don't worry about it you can win it through the V.A.

James, this thread is 3 months old, op has already received advice. Let it rest.