Dodmerb Exam -

hawaiitime

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DD received 4 yr NROTC scholarship. Over a year ago daughter had difficult breathing during soccer tourney. Thought it could have been lung infection because she was sick before the tourney. Took her to specialist he thought she might have exercised induced asthma or vocal cord dysfunction. Gave her an inhaler to try but had no effect so he thought she could have vocal cord dysfunction. She has never been back to the doctor becuse she has no issues with breathing since then. She never had breathing issues before that or since that episode. Should she state this in medical history or since it has been over a year with no issues it's now irrelevant?
 
I am fairly sure one of the DoDMERB questions is "have you ever had shortness of breath?"

If your DD can truthfully say no, and nothing on her medical files documents otherwise, then I agree.
 
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I don't think the issue is irrelevant, because there is a history of something. I cannot give you an answer, but I can just ask the same questions you already know you are going to have to answer.
How are you going to answer these questions on the health history form, Have you ever:
Consulted, or been treated by clinics, hospitals, physicians, healers, or other practitioners for other than minor illnesses?
Had any injury or illness other than those already noted?
How are you going to answer, Have you ever had or do you have: Asthma?
Answering yes to any of these questions is going to require an explanation of the incident, illness and treatment.
Are you going to answer no, and say the difficulty breathing was a minor illness or no illness at all. I don't think it was a minor illness and something that is irrelevant.

Do you know what the specialist diagnosis was? I would think that they picked something to put in the records to justify the inhaler prescription. And my guess is that it was Asthma. But, maybe you don't want to know the diagnosis, because it may have been exercised induced asthma, along with the use of an inhaler (even though it had no effect). If you were diagnosed with asthma, and you check yes to asthma, you will be going down the asthma rabbit hole. I think you need to know what the doctors diagnosis was.

In the DoD medical standard http://www.dtic.mil/whs/directives/corres/pdf/613003p.pdf they talk about "reliabily" diagnosed Asthma. They define "reliably diagnosed" as: "Reliable diagnostic criteria may include any of the following elements: substantiated history of cough, wheeze, chest tightness, and/or dyspnea which persists or recurs over a prolonged period of time, generally more than 12 months." Based on this definition your DD asthma (if that is what it was) was not reliably diagnosed, but that determination is not for you to make, it is for DoDMERB. DoDMERB may be inclined to DQ for asthma and then send this information onto NROTC for them to make a waiver determination.

Make sure you look at the medical standard linked above. Either search for asthma, or look on page 17. However you answer, make sure you put in the explanation what it was not, or give DoDMERB an easy road map to make their determination. Maybe it is something like this: On xx/xx/2016 I had difficulty breathing during a soccer tournament. No immediate medical attention was required and I continued to play in the tournament. On xx/xx/2016 I went to Dr. XXX, but there was no reliable diagnosis. The condition resolved with no treatment and I have not had a recurrence. After I wrote this hypothetical response, I don't know if it triggers more questions, or a remedial to get the medical records to see what it was. I just keep rambling, and struggling with a "proper" response.

Just remember, my response is from someone on an anonymous forum with no formal medical training. Take it for what it is worth. And most importantly answer truthfully.
 
I should have been more specific in my description. Before her tournament she was recovering from the flu and I believe it was all related to that, but we had her see a specialist just in case. He did not prescribe an inhaler but gave her one from his office and ask her to do a test to replicate the symptoms at her highschool track. Symptoms never returned. He conducted a spirometry and had one of the highest lung capacities he had ever measured. She definitely does not have asthma or exercised induced asthma per the doctor, so we can that off. He said she might have a mild case of vcd and to let him know if the symptoms ever return. In over year of playing over 50+ soccer games and run more miles that I can comprehend, she has never experienced the symptoms again. She is going to be truthful and indicate she saw a specialist when it happened and what has happened since the issue.
 
You may wish to speak to a physician who has a military background before writing the description of the event. You want to accurately and succinctly explain the event with clinical accuracy, but without opening up potential cans of worms. This is easier said than done.
 
I sure went of on a wild tangent. Thanks for the clarification. I see nothing to report. There is no diagnosis and your DD records will reflect that. There is no injury or illness to report.

It is just a case where a parent is overly cautious (as you should be) with their child's health. There was the potential for something serious, you asked for advice, did some testing, and found out it was from the flu.

Don't complicate the process. Check No. You do not want to send DoDMERB down the rabbit hole I went into.
 
I agree with the above. If it as you have explained, then no need to report it. Sounds like the breathing issue had to do with the flu. I know that I have breathing issues when sick, especially when trying to run with a cold. Once you claim something the burden of proof is on you to prove that you don't have an issue. If there was no doctor diagnosed issue or prescribed meds, then your daughter did not have a medical issue.
 
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