Hand/ADD/Anxiety issues.

[kingneptune117]

Hello All,

For the past year I have been wanting to go into AFROTC really bad. I am very determined to get into it but medical problems may hold me back. I have already discussed these issues with Larry (thanks for your time and dedication, by the way) but I was wondering about the communities opinion on my issues.

I was born with a smaller left hand. The fingers are all about .5 inch shorter than my right hand (which is perfectly normal). Each one is missing the middle knuckle (fingers, not the thumb). I looked on their list of disqualifications, and there are these combination of knuckles that, when missing, are disqualifying, but mine is not listed. I am only missing the middle one, so "technically" I wouldn't be disqualified unless the doc says so. I'm worried he would disqualify me saying that I wouldn't be able to wear military issue gloves properly. I have had 17 years to adapt to using my hand, and have done so amazingly well. When I was born, the doctors said I would need special keyboards, mice, and wouldn't be able to grasp certain thing. Thank God for Dr. Vacari, who worked miracles on my hand 3 months after I was born. Now, 17 years later, it's as if I have a perfectly normal hand. I don't have trouble grasping anything whatsoever. I was at the top of my typing class last year in terms of speed and accuracy, and obviously I don't use a special keyboard. I am very into gaming which requires precision of the hands. I am into a lot of sports, which I do perfectly fine in. You get the point. It has been my dream to become a pilot for the USAF, and I am currently taking flight lessons, but I am afraid my hand will cause serious issues. Oh and I forgot to mention I don't have any trouble at all with gloves. Yes, the one is a little loose, but it doesn't interfere with movement or anything.

Also, I have ADD and anxiety. I have been taking medication for both for like 10 years now. I plan on getting off of them this summer, therefor I will have been off of them for a full year by the time I get my medical exam for ROTC. I don't get any special help or whatever, and do very well in school, almost all A's and B's. When my parents got divorced, I had to go see a therapist, and the therapist said stopped my visits 2 months earlier than expected because he didn't see any problem. I will do whatever takes to demonstrate to them that I am not anxious in any sort of way that would affect my military duties. It's not like I mope around all day, i'm a great kid to be around. I'm very against drugs of any sort, never done any of them. I was put on this anxiety medication because my parents thought I was sad in 5th grade since I didn't have many friends. That has changed since then and I have plenty of friends that I hang out with all the time.

My situation seems to be a case where it's hard to know what the outcome will be until I actually do the exam. Dr. Larry Mullen told me that himself, and i'm sure the community may to, which is completely understandable. I'm just curious about your thoughts on the situation and what you guys think may happen.

Also, I know in when getting a flight class medical, there is this thing called a SODA where, if the doc doubts your abilities to fly because of a physical problem, you can demonstrate to him you are able to fly fine with the physical defect, therefor allowing you to pass the exam. Does the DODMERB offer one of these?

Sorry for the long post, i'm trying to provide as much specific details as possible.

Thanks for the help,
Robert

 

[MullenLE]

Clarifications:
1. I am not a physician.
2. DoDMERB does not offer that demonstration test per se, but there's no reason you can't have something like that performed by a board certfied clinician and provide us those results.
3. The opinions of others will not attain your goals. You either have to be cleared by DoDMERB or medically waived by the specific Academy/ROTC porogram.