giantsfan13
New Member
- Joined
- Oct 27, 2016
- Messages
- 1
Hey all,
I'm new to this forum but I think it's safe to say I've read EVERY post on here about asthma waivers and what to do. My story is kind of odd so I'm hoping I can get some of you to weigh in on it since I'm not sure where to go from here.
In short, I graduated from Penn State in May. I was applying to a Navy officer program with a pretty low key recruiter who was not very supportive of my app for a competitive program until I did really well on the OAR. I told him I had an outdated asthma diagnosis. Submitted a passed PFT. They asked for three years of medical records. I sent them in. The only thing I was worried about was a diagnosis of "asthmatic bronchitis" from a MedExpress I had gone to up in State College.
I don't hear from him for weeks, send him an email asking whats up and he just says sorry to tell you but they think you still have asthma. So I'm devastated and all that. I go to a National Guard recruiter and tell him my story. He says he's hopeful that the Navy recruiter never even sent in my records since he never called me or used the terminology PDQ or any of that. NG guy tells me that my file came back with "very little in it" and that he isn't sure why I couldn't physical. Then I don't hear back from him for a few weeks. I reach out and he tells me I was dq for asthma, that we can do the whole methacholine thing but there are no guarantees. Great right?
So now I'm applying to some grad programs and want to do tow year ROTC. I spoke to the battalion contact at one and have a DoDMERB physical coming up. Since then, I've been working with an Army recruiter. Told him my story. Just passed a methacholine challenge a few weeks ago (highest my percentage changed from inhalation was only 4%). I got my Primary doc since I was a kid, a pulmonologist, and an asthma/allergy specialist to say I clearly don't have asthma, haven't really since I was a kid, in three separate notes. I give this all to the Army guy, who says I have a "pretty god chance for a waiver," and is generally upbeat even though he's usually a pretty dour person.
Strange thing is, he never got my file from NG. So he requested it again a few days ago and told me today he still hasn't gotten it.
So basically, I'm concerned that 1) if my medical files are in there and he sees the asthmatic bronchitis thing, will he just stop working with me?
2) Should I even bring this up with DoDMERB? I'm really kicking myself for saying I ever had asthma. I really never did. I just have pet allergies (long story but they interfered with my breathing as a kid). Would DoDMERB ever even know that this happened?
3) Was I even PDqed? What the heck even happened. I'm really annoyed that none of the recruiters I've spoken to have given me a straight answer at any time.
4) If I am PDQ, what do you think my chances are that I can get DoDMERB to give me a waiver for asthma? Given the negative methacholine, normal PFT, three doctor's notes, etc etc.
Thanks for reading and any advice!
I'm new to this forum but I think it's safe to say I've read EVERY post on here about asthma waivers and what to do. My story is kind of odd so I'm hoping I can get some of you to weigh in on it since I'm not sure where to go from here.
In short, I graduated from Penn State in May. I was applying to a Navy officer program with a pretty low key recruiter who was not very supportive of my app for a competitive program until I did really well on the OAR. I told him I had an outdated asthma diagnosis. Submitted a passed PFT. They asked for three years of medical records. I sent them in. The only thing I was worried about was a diagnosis of "asthmatic bronchitis" from a MedExpress I had gone to up in State College.
I don't hear from him for weeks, send him an email asking whats up and he just says sorry to tell you but they think you still have asthma. So I'm devastated and all that. I go to a National Guard recruiter and tell him my story. He says he's hopeful that the Navy recruiter never even sent in my records since he never called me or used the terminology PDQ or any of that. NG guy tells me that my file came back with "very little in it" and that he isn't sure why I couldn't physical. Then I don't hear back from him for a few weeks. I reach out and he tells me I was dq for asthma, that we can do the whole methacholine thing but there are no guarantees. Great right?
So now I'm applying to some grad programs and want to do tow year ROTC. I spoke to the battalion contact at one and have a DoDMERB physical coming up. Since then, I've been working with an Army recruiter. Told him my story. Just passed a methacholine challenge a few weeks ago (highest my percentage changed from inhalation was only 4%). I got my Primary doc since I was a kid, a pulmonologist, and an asthma/allergy specialist to say I clearly don't have asthma, haven't really since I was a kid, in three separate notes. I give this all to the Army guy, who says I have a "pretty god chance for a waiver," and is generally upbeat even though he's usually a pretty dour person.
Strange thing is, he never got my file from NG. So he requested it again a few days ago and told me today he still hasn't gotten it.
So basically, I'm concerned that 1) if my medical files are in there and he sees the asthmatic bronchitis thing, will he just stop working with me?
2) Should I even bring this up with DoDMERB? I'm really kicking myself for saying I ever had asthma. I really never did. I just have pet allergies (long story but they interfered with my breathing as a kid). Would DoDMERB ever even know that this happened?
3) Was I even PDqed? What the heck even happened. I'm really annoyed that none of the recruiters I've spoken to have given me a straight answer at any time.
4) If I am PDQ, what do you think my chances are that I can get DoDMERB to give me a waiver for asthma? Given the negative methacholine, normal PFT, three doctor's notes, etc etc.
Thanks for reading and any advice!
