Spinal cord tumor - DQ? Not waiverable?

JT 525

New Member
Joined
Nov 9, 2015
Messages
2
My son is in 11th grade and has been planning to apply to USNA. He was injured during football practice in August and within a week's time was diagnosed and scheduled for surgery to remove a tumor on his spinal cord in his neck. Surgery was three weeks ago and he is recovering well, but still hasn't regained all the feeling/dexterity in his left arm and leg. Still waiting for the pathology report, which could still take several weeks as these type of tumors are rare, so we don't know if any further treatment will be necessary. At minimum, he'll have to have several MRIs to check for recurrence.

So, with all that said, when he was diagnosed he told me he thought USNA would be out because he would't qualify medically. We've looked up info on disqualifications and waivers, but since we don't have a definitive diagnosis yet, we're not sure what to look for. Somewhere I thought I saw 5 years with no recurrence or treatment, which wouldn't really help him since he'd be 21/22 by then if the 5 years started right now.

Is there a way to find out if this is even waiverable before he goes through the application process? My gut says it isn't and his Plan B is now his Plan A, but we'd like to know for sure.

Thanks.
 
I think that, aside from the required post-surgical waiting period, everything hinges on the actual pathology/diagnosis. A benign tumor that won't reoccur is very different from a malignancy. Best of luck to you and your son.
 
First off, I hope your son returns to 100% and everything ends up being ok! Fingers crossed for him. When it comes to medical, all you can do is fill out the forms and see where the cards end up. After you get more info about the tumor you can contact the DoDMERB help desk. If USNA is where he wants to be, apply and see what happens. Yes it is a ton of work and would suck to do all that and not get a Q or waiver, but you never. In the meantime, make sure his documentation is very thorough and hopefully he has a great doc who is prepared to write some letters when he is cleared down the road.
 
It may help to work with a physician who has a military background and understands DoDMERB too.
.Best of luck to your DS.
 
Thanks for the prayers and good thoughts. As luck would have it, my son's doctor served in the Navy Medical Corps, though it was some years ago (early to mid 1970s I believe). My son mentioned his plans to him at the first visit and again after surgery. His doctor said we'd have to see how his recovery went and what the pathology report said. I realize we don't really have much info or answers right now. Just a lot of waiting.
 
Theoretically, every medical DQ can be waivered by the individual branch, even those widely thought to be "unwaiverable" by everyone. Peanut allergy, childhood cancer, missing kidney, history of heart defect - I have heard of each of these conditions being waivered.

I think the only 100% unwaiverable condition (other then obviously things like a missing leg, etc) is color blindness for the USCGA.

In other words, don't let him disqualify himself by not applying. Let them make that decision.
 
Back
Top