Chance of asthma medical waiver passing?

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Kurtzale

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I have had asthma problems when I was little and it was legitimately diagnosed. I stopped having problems when I was Around 11 or so but I went in once for precautionary measure when I was 14 to get a rescue inhaler because my mom worries alot about me and she wanted to be safe. Since then I had decided to join the air force but knew i wouldnt get far without testing for whether I had asthma or not. I am a multi sport athlete that participates in many cardiovascular activities and I took a pulmonary test to prove I didnt have asthma anymore. Bottom line I tested very well and a medical physician and my primary care doctor signed and proved I no longer have asthma or any other problems regarding it. I have had no other problems with my health, no broken bones or anything. Just asthma. What are the chances of me getting my waiver accepted and when could I expect it? It was sent it around December 5th 2017.
 
I have read that if you had it after 13 years old then you will get DQ. From what you are telling here you did not require an inhaler after 11 years old. You should show all that evidence to DODMERB once you are asked for it and even and explain that in the questionaire if you have not already done so.
 
I'm just really confused with the whole process and I was trying to read about everything i could but the way my air force recruiter did things was he made me gather all of my medical documents to give to him and have them sent to MEPS. Later on in about 2 weeks they got back to him saying they were rejected which i assumed would happen since I had records of asthma after 13. He told me my stuff got sent to the surgeon general so what does that mean? Did I get a waiver and that's why it is going there?
 
Kurtzale said:
I'm just really confused with the whole process and I was trying to read about everything i could but the way my air force recruiter did things was he made me gather all of my medical documents to give to him and have them sent to MEPS. Later on in about 2 weeks they got back to him saying they were rejected which i assumed would happen since I had records of asthma after 13. He told me my stuff got sent to the surgeon general so what does that mean? Did I get a waiver and that's why it is going there?
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asthma is a pidgeon hole term for a wad of problems and hopefully your exact cause was temporary. on the other hand, they don't want trouble when they send you thru the CS gas chamber. I would think the process above is a very good sign. never give up. never surrender. never say die.
 
I think hundreds of prospective AF pilots have been screwed because their mothers were just taking precautionary measures when they were in their teens . I think as long as it stopped after 12 years old you are okay . The other issue is the inhaler, while associated with asthma can be used for help during colds and flu. In order words , just because you had asthma when 11 doesn’t mean the use of an inhaler at 15 mean you have it again. Part of the problem is how the doctors write the symptoms on their charts, using asthma as a catch all especially when you legitimately had it years ago . Using an inhaler because you are wheezing doesn’t mean U have asthma
 
Kurtzale,

Our DS was in the same boat. Look for some of my posts for how and what we did to help him. I can tell you that in the end he got through. There are some hoops for you one being the inhaler after the age of 13.
 
Ex.BT.USN,

I read some of your posts and it seems that my situation was very similar to the one your son experienced. I'm just hoping that since I took a spirometry test and chest x rays to display if i had any scarring of my lungs is enough. The specialist cleared me and signed a note regarding the fact that I didn't have asthma or any problems. In addition he said that living in northern Wisconsin which is a very harsh environment for asthma sufferers plus my sports background justifies me not having asthma any more and that in my younger years my "asthma" was just my pollen allergy which would give me wheezing. Bottom line i'm just really stressed and just want to get accepted. I have read many asthma articles online that seem very discouraging for me despite my strong case. I just hope everything ends well.
 
If you have gone through some of the actions my son went through and you filed the letter all you can do it wait. What helped my DS is the specialist he used was a Dr that the Navy uses. Because he was a seen as one of their specialist the letter went through the system faster. To that end stand fast and allow the chips to fall. A few things can happen: 1. You will be waived. 2. They might ask you to see someone they request. 3. They don’t give the wavier ( sorry don’t want to say this one).

I’m not a Dr and I can’t promise anything, only advise. No matter how this ends I wish you the best!
 
My DS was DQ'd for a variant of Asthma and we ended up paying out of pocket for a Methacholine Challenge test (MCCT) to prove he did not have Asthma. He passed the MCCT and his medical waiver was granted. I recommend paying for this out of pocket so that YOU get the results first. This test will provide a clear answer as to Asthma. If this is the test that was already administered then you should have a fighting chance on your waiver.
 
Be careful of MCCT .... the Navy Diver Dr that helped my son warned strongly against the test as they have often given false positives. He said as a very last resort yes; however, just be careful
 
No there isn't and I am glad they required it because it proved beyond a doubt he did not have asthma. Plus since we paid out of pocket, we saw the results first and could determine if we send them in.
 
Would anyone be able to provide any insight for my situation? I was prescribed 2 inhalers when I was younger. I was just sick, had strep throat I think, and my doctor gave me the 2 inhalers (not sure of the difference) because of my cough. They were only meant to use when I was sick.

The last time I got this prescription was when I was 12 years old. I've never actually had any kind of asthma or breathing problems.

I recently got my medical records and it says I had "cough variant asthma," which I looked up and it says it's not a case of classic asthma. Will this still cause problems for my DoDMERB?

I've never had asthma but just seeing the word in my records makes me kinda nervous. Has anyone else experienced this same situation? Thanks.
 
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It all depends on branch of service (each has different standards). I have been told that every case is different, and I am no expert as we are new to the process ourselves, however, I would think that any form of asthma is going to raise a flag and require more testing. Again, every case is going to be different, what is important is to answer all of the DoDMERB information and follow through with any related testing.
 
rotchopeful said:
Would anyone be able to provide any insight for my situation? I was prescribed 2 inhalers when I was younger. I was just sick, had strep throat I think, and my doctor gave me the 2 inhalers (not sure of the difference) because of my cough. They were only meant to use when I was sick.

The last time I got this prescription was when I was 12 years old. I've never actually had any kind of asthma or breathing problems.

I recently got my medical records and it says I had "cough variant asthma," which I looked up and it says it's not a case of classic asthma. Will this still cause problems for my DoDMERB?

I've never had asthma but just seeing the word in my records makes me kinda nervous. Has anyone else experienced this same situation? Thanks.
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That is a major problem with doctors. They use asthma as catch all for many symptoms that has nothing to do with asthma. You get the flu or a bad cold with wheezing, they will have you use an inhaler and on your chart they will proably use asthma as a symptom.
 
This has definitely been a problem in the past, especially with providers whose practice includes adults and pediatrics.

In the pediatric world (where I practice) we are committed to prescribing bronchodilators only as indicated. In addition, I am very sensitive to diagnosing asthma with a one-time episode of wheezing. I know that other providers with whom I practice have similar views on this issue.

Hopefully with continued education and attention to the long-term implications of putting asthma on someone's medical record, providers will continue to improve in this area.

"That is a major problem with doctors. They use asthma as catch all for many symptoms that has nothing to do with asthma. You get the flu or a bad cold with wheezing, they will have you use an inhaler and on your chart they will proably use asthma as a symptom."
 
Tigger said:
This has definitely been a problem in the past, especially with providers whose practice includes adults and pediatrics.

In the pediatric world (where I practice) we are committed to prescribing bronchodilators only as indicated. In addition, I am very sensitive to diagnosing asthma with a one-time episode of wheezing. I know that other providers with whom I practice have similar views on this issue.

Hopefully with continued education and attention to the long-term implications of putting asthma on someone's medical record, providers will continue to improve in this area.

"That is a major problem with doctors. They use asthma as catch all for many symptoms that has nothing to do with asthma. You get the flu or a bad cold with wheezing, they will have you use an inhaler and on your chart they will proably use asthma as a symptom."
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Thank you all for your insight. I am entering Army ROTC this fall on scholarship and my DoDMERB is in mid-February.

Do you have any suggestions going into the exam? Should I even report it on my DoDMERB packet questionnaire? The questionnaire says "Asthma or Wheezing" which I haven't had so I wouldn't be lying. Should I explain my situation to the doctor? I don't want them to get a hold of the records and think I'm hiding something. Thanks again everyone.
 
Rotchopeful,

Your going in the right direction. It would appear you have gathered all of you medical records.... Excellent! Review them again in depth. If there is no indication of “asthma” this is helpful. You got the inhaler before the age of 13...this is a good thing. DODMERB can do a few things but nobody can say exactly what that will be. You have to play this out with them but by what your saying it would appear you might be okay. Answer the questions honestly in regard to the facts in your medical record; however, you’re not a Dr so do not add unnecessary information.
 
The thing is the ICD 10 code for "asthma, cough variant" is in the same category of codes for all varieties of asthma. So I would think this would need to be reported as "yes" because when they review the records they will see the code which will lead to further questions.

[Thank you all for your insight. I am entering Army ROTC this fall on scholarship and my DoDMERB is in mid-February.

Do you have any suggestions going into the exam? Should I even report it on my DoDMERB packet questionnaire? The questionnaire says "Asthma or Wheezing" which I haven't had so I wouldn't be lying. Should I explain my situation to the doctor? I don't want them to get a hold of the records and think I'm hiding something. Thanks again everyone.[/QUOTE]
 
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