DQ'd for mild eczema

F

FCH76

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Aug 16, 2017
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My son gets a small rash (the size of a quarter) of dry skin in the bend of his arm during wrestling season which also corresponds to the cold weather season in Germany. It started when he started wrestling his freshman year, but is completely clear when he is not wrestling. After submitting a remedial explaining the above, he was still DQ'd. Is this just the process or what? This seems insane to get disqualified for.
 
I kind of have a similar question. My dd was diagnosed with asthma by DoDMERB for an as needed inhaler prescription her 13th year which wasn't used and was removed from her medication profile the next year. She's had breathing tests indicating no asthma. Very frustrating that some medical board who has never examined my child has given her a diagnosis. We are also wondering what the next step is, but it's only been a week so I suppose the answer is wait.

So sorry you all are going through this, too.
 
HawkeyeMom said:
I kind of have a similar question. My dd was diagnosed with asthma by DoDMERB for an as needed inhaler prescription her 13th year which wasn't used and was removed from her medication profile the next year. She's had breathing tests indicating no asthma. Very frustrating that some medical board who has never examined my child has given her a diagnosis. We are also wondering what the next step is, but it's only been a week so I suppose the answer is wait.

So sorry you all are going through this, too.
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He wasn't even diagnosed with eczema. I self diagnosed him and the Dr. just put it in his file. He used over the counter cortisone when it appears and it's gone within 24 hours. He has a lot of skin to mat contact and skin to skin contact with other wrestlers which understandably could cause a rash;-(
 
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FCH76 said:
He was even diagnosed with eczema. I self diagnosed him and the Dr. just put it in his file. He used over the counter cortisone when it appears and it's gone within 24 hours. He has a lot of skin to mat contact and skin to skin contact with other wrestlers which understandably could cause a rash;-(
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So frustrating!
 
It is so frustrating. Somewhere in the threads it was mentioned that if something is not diagnosed by a doc, it’s at your discretion whether to mention it or not.
 
FCH76 said:
I self diagnosed him and the Dr. just put it in his file.
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Never do that. Now that it's in the doctor's files he has a diagnosis and DoDMERB is keying off that. If a doctor doesn't say you have it, then you don't have it.
 
kinnem said:
Never do that. Now that it's in the doctor's files he has a diagnosis and DoDMERB is keying off that. If a doctor doesn't say you have it, then you don't have it.
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Problem is people do it well before they apply to SA. So they can get medicine.
 
A1Janitor said:
Problem is people do it well before they apply to SA. So they can get medicine.
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Yes... but in this case there wasn't even medicine involved. Cortisone can be obtained OTC. I can see the inhaler above, but even then there is some issue involved that I'm sure is in the doctor's files. Couldn't tell you if it's asthma. DoDMERB can only key off the files as they never see the kid.

Sorry if I seem a bit harsh. I want to make sure this gets driven home to future applicants who may read this thread at a future date. We see this each year where someone has self-diagnosed and gets disqualified.

I would add that it's not clear all is over in either case. We don't know if a waiver is being pursued and a DQ is required to begin that process.... so all could work out. I'll leave comments on that to others more familiar with the process.
 
txfwindian said:
It is so frustrating. Somewhere in the threads it was mentioned that if something is not diagnosed by a doc, it’s at your discretion whether to mention it or not.
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My dd was prescribed the inhaler as needed. If I remember correctly, the DoDMERB form asked, "have you ever been prescribed...." and so she had to answer yes, but she doesn't have the diagnosis DoDMERB gave her.
 
+1 kinnem.

The reason eczema is an issue is for 2 reasons.
1. Shots
~ Some areas for deployment require specific shots and those shots do not react well with people who officially have been diagnosed with eczema.
2. Deployment
~ Anyone that has eczema knows that it never goes away, it just goes into remission. Stress is one of the factors that causes sufferers to come out of remission.
~~ Now add that onto the fact you could be deployed to a sandbox where you are out in a field with no hospital that has the steroid cream to control it. The sand storms can be horrible and infect your skin. The infection occurs because you scratched your skin since you couldn't get steroid cream that now it bled and the sand, dirt, sweat, etc has infected that area. Medically it becomes an issue.
 
HawkeyeMom said:
My dd was prescribed the inhaler as needed. If I remember correctly, the DoDMERB form asked, "have you ever been prescribed...." and so she had to answer yes, but she doesn't have the diagnosis DoDMERB gave her.
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You could perhaps challenge that with a (I think) metacholine test? (I may have the name wrong but it shows up on other asthma threads).
 
kinnem said:
You could perhaps challenge that with a (I think) metacholine test? (I may have the name wrong but it shows up on other asthma threads).
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Thanks, we did and she's already passed the test and has a note from the pulmonary MD stating she doesn't have asthma.
 
kinnem said:
Yes... but in this case there wasn't even medicine involved. Cortisone can be obtained OTC. I can see the inhaler above, but even then there is some issue involved that I'm sure is in the doctor's files. Couldn't tell you if it's asthma. DoDMERB can only key off the files as they never see the kid.

Sorry if I seem a bit harsh. I want to make sure this gets driven home to future applicants who may read this thread at a future date. We see this each year where someone has self-diagnosed and gets disqualified.

I would add that it's not clear all is over in either case. We don't know if a waiver is being pursued and a DQ is required to begin that process.... so all could work out. I'll leave comments on that to others more familiar with the process.
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I would have never guessed a small rash would have DQ'd him four years ago when I took him to the Dr. for it. All we were concerned with at the time was clearing it up so he could wrestle in the next meet. He was a top point earner and his high school were the European Champions 5 years in a row (now 6).. If they want him they'll submit the waiver I guess. My older son had a dislocated shoulder and we went through the whole waiver process. His got waived and now he's a plebe at USMA. Thankfully he was already admitted when he dislocated again 3 weeks into training at USMAPS, had to have surgery, and 9 months post-op he's like new, even supermaxed his AFPT.
 
I wouldn't have guessed it either and probably would have taken the same course of action in my "ignorance" at the time. I certainly hope a waiver comes through for this DS too.
 
See a dermatologist and get a professional opinion to submit if they request waiver information. I had the same issue and mine was waived. YMMV.
 
I had rather significant eczema as a child. I even used prescription medication to treat it for a time and then stopped as I was able to manage it effectively through other means as I got older. I had a lot of anxiety about it when I was applying to the academies and then again before I graduated as I went through my pre commissioning physicals. Fortunately, it has not been an issue for me thus far. I was given waivers for it by both USNA and USMA, and then later on I was given waivers for all the service communities that I could have gone post USNA. I'm now in flight school.

Some people will say that eczema is a huge dealbreaker and that NOBODY ever gets a waiver for it. That's not entirely true, it can happen, but everybody's situation is different. I have been extremely fortunate but I do know of others with eczema that have not had the same degree of luck.
 
Skipper07 said:
See a dermatologist and get a professional opinion to submit if they request waiver information. I had the same issue and mine was waived. YMMV.
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That's encouraging! He doesn't even have it right now. It's completely clear. I will make a Dermatologist apt. and get it checked out, but there's nothing to see.
 
BDHuff09 said:
I had rather significant eczema as a child. I even used prescription medication to treat it for a time and then stopped as I was able to manage it effectively through other means as I got older. I had a lot of anxiety about it when I was applying to the academies and then again before I graduated as I went through my pre commissioning physicals. Fortunately, it has not been an issue for me thus far. I was given waivers for it by both USNA and USMA, and then later on I was given waivers for all the service communities that I could have gone post USNA. I'm now in flight school.

Some people will say that eczema is a huge dealbreaker and that NOBODY ever gets a waiver for it. That's not entirely true, it can happen, but everybody's situation is different. I have been extremely fortunate but I do know of others with eczema that have not had the same degree of luck.
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Thanks BDHuff09! I feel pretty confident he'll get a waiver. Like I said, it is literally the size of a quarter in the bend of his arm. It is no where else on his body. I really think the dry German winters and the fact he sweats profusely during wrestling practice triggers it. If they don't grant a waiver, then they are missing out on a great kid. He has his stuff together.
 
FCH76 said:
Thanks BDHuff09! I feel pretty confident he'll get a waiver. Like I said, it is literally the size of a quarter in the bend of his arm. It is no where else on his body. I really think the dry German winters and the fact he sweats profusely during wrestling practice triggers it. If they don't grant a waiver, then they are missing out on a great kid. He has his stuff together.
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Update?
 
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