Waiver Granted - History of System Reaction to Tree Nuts

J

js9907

Member
Joined
Apr 1, 2020
Messages
133
Hello everyone.

I am making this post as to try and help anyone in the future who may experience a similar situation.

BACKGROUND: I applied to USAFA and AFROTC last year, and later AROTC. I did not receive a USAFA appointment, but I did receive both a AFROTC and AROTC scholarship.
I have an allergy to a single type of tree nut. As a result, I was DQ'd by DoDMERB. As is procedure, I was automatically considered by AFROTC for a medical waiver. This was denied very quickly (this is what influenced me to apply to AROTC). After I received my AROTC scholarship, I was automatically considered by the AROTC WA for a waiver. This took quite a while to resolve, but was not an awful process.

Here is a quick timeline for those looking for a VERY GENERAL time frame (please understand these are done case-by-case, year-by-year so my experience != yours):

July 22, 2019 - DQ'd for tree nut allergy
about December 30, 2019 - AFROTC waiver DENIED (apparently if you have a tree nut allergy for which you have been given an epi-pen, you are automatically denied a waiver - words of a AFROTC WA worker who I called after my denial. Please note that if you can demonstrate you do not need an epi-pen, you may still be able to get a waiver).
April 03, 2020 - AROTC application added to DoDMERB and DQ'd medically
May 20, 2020 - AROTC requests remedial documents (I sent them a personal letter about my allergy, all of my medical records, new tests, and a consultation from my allergist who indicated I was fit for military service.) THIS IS PERHAPS THE MOST IMPORTANT STEP!! (Sending in all of your records and any information which may help your case will greatly assist you).
Today, July 10, 2020 - Medical Waiver Granted

All in all, for my AROTC application, I waited about 3 months to hear for a final answer on my waiver. I would like to reiterate, that the time it takes for YOUR file to be reviewed for a waiver will vary based on your condition(s), time of year, what year it is, how complicated your file is, etc. My time frame will not necessarily be yours, this is just to give you a very general idea of how long you may need to wait to get an answer.

MY ADVICE:
1. Be proactive. If you want to give yourself the best chances of getting a waiver, you need to be in contact with your doctor, and anyone who has information which may be able to assist you. If you have questions pertaining to YOUR situation, contact Mr. Mullen or DoDMERB staff. I'm sure I annoyed him plenty of times with questions, but in my defense if he wasn't so dang helpful I probably would have stopped. Also, read other postings in this forum. They are very helpful.
2. Be patient. I certainly wasn't, and it sucked. Understand that all the people who review your medical file are working extremely hard, and probably have a lot on their plate. I was checking my status at least once a day (quarantine didn't help with that. This behavior will only stress you out, and make your life less pleasant. Do check your status often, don't check it every 3 hours.
3. Be optimistic. Encourage yourself to believe you will get a waiver. If you do, you may be more likely to proactively pursue potentially essential advice/information.

Thank you to:
@MullenLE . Everyone here knows it - he is the God of this forum, and DoDMERB. Legends will be spoken of this man for years to come.
@Falcon A. He gave me extremely good advice and was quite knowledgeable.
@Melmr @THmom and @TacticalNuke. All three were kind enough to share their stories and were able to provide me some peace of mind.

If anyone has questions about my experience navigating the wonderful world of federal government bureaucracy, please PM me. I will be very happy to help.
 
Glad to hear a great end to your story that is just beginning :bounce1:

Equally as happy for your chronicles to enlighten others. Good on ya!:wiggle:
 
Son has mild reaction to tree nuts - never carried epi pen. Only test that was done was lab by primary MD that showed nuts allergic to. Not sure if we should go to allergist now or wait?
 
USAFmom13 said:
Son has mild reaction to tree nuts - never carried epi pen. Only test that was done was lab by primary MD that showed nuts allergic to. Not sure if we should go to allergist now or wait?
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If your son doesn't need an epi pen then that will probably bode well for him. As far as I know (which is very little btw take everything I say with a grain of salt), the fewer medications an applicant has taken/is taking, the better they look to a waiver review panel. I would say if he has a very mild reaction and hasn't been prescribed meds, there's no point in going to an allergist until DoDMERB/WA potentially requests remedials.

Also, posted "today at 2:05 AM" and Mr. Mullen at "3:49 AM." Y'all okay? I'm no doctor but I've heard sleep is good for you 😴
 
js9907 said:
Hello everyone.

I am making this post as to try and help anyone in the future who may experience a similar situation.

BACKGROUND: I applied to USAFA and AFROTC last year, and later AROTC. I did not receive a USAFA appointment, but I did receive both a AFROTC and AROTC scholarship.
I have an allergy to a single type of tree nut. As a result, I was DQ'd by DoDMERB. As is procedure, I was automatically considered by AFROTC for a medical waiver. This was denied very quickly (this is what influenced me to apply to AROTC). After I received my AROTC scholarship, I was automatically considered by the AROTC WA for a waiver. This took quite a while to resolve, but was not an awful process.

Here is a quick timeline for those looking for a VERY GENERAL time frame (please understand these are done case-by-case, year-by-year so my experience != yours):

July 22, 2019 - DQ'd for tree nut allergy
about December 30, 2019 - AFROTC waiver DENIED (apparently if you have a tree nut allergy for which you have been given an epi-pen, you are automatically denied a waiver - words of a AFROTC WA worker who I called after my denial. Please note that if you can demonstrate you do not need an epi-pen, you may still be able to get a waiver).
April 03, 2020 - AROTC application added to DoDMERB and DQ'd medically
May 20, 2020 - AROTC requests remedial documents (I sent them a personal letter about my allergy, all of my medical records, new tests, and a consultation from my allergist who indicated I was fit for military service.) THIS IS PERHAPS THE MOST IMPORTANT STEP!! (Sending in all of your records and any information which may help your case will greatly assist you).
Today, July 10, 2020 - Medical Waiver Granted

All in all, for my AROTC application, I waited about 3 months to hear for a final answer on my waiver. I would like to reiterate, that the time it takes for YOUR file to be reviewed for a waiver will vary based on your condition(s), time of year, what year it is, how complicated your file is, etc. My time frame will not necessarily be yours, this is just to give you a very general idea of how long you may need to wait to get an answer.

MY ADVICE:
1. Be proactive. If you want to give yourself the best chances of getting a waiver, you need to be in contact with your doctor, and anyone who has information which may be able to assist you. If you have questions pertaining to YOUR situation, contact Mr. Mullen or DoDMERB staff. I'm sure I annoyed him plenty of times with questions, but in my defense if he wasn't so dang helpful I probably would have stopped. Also, read other postings in this forum. They are very helpful.
2. Be patient. I certainly wasn't, and it sucked. Understand that all the people who review your medical file are working extremely hard, and probably have a lot on their plate. I was checking my status at least once a day (quarantine didn't help with that. This behavior will only stress you out, and make your life less pleasant. Do check your status often, don't check it every 3 hours.
3. Be optimistic. Encourage yourself to believe you will get a waiver. If you do, you may be more likely to proactively pursue potentially essential advice/information.

Thank you to:
@MullenLE . Everyone here knows it - he is the God of this forum, and DoDMERB. Legends will be spoken of this man for years to come.
@Falcon A. He gave me extremely good advice and was quite knowledgeable.
@Melmr @THmom and @TacticalNuke. All three were kind enough to share their stories and were able to provide me some peace of mind.

If anyone has questions about my experience navigating the wonderful world of federal government bureaucracy, please PM me. I will be very happy to help.
Click to expand...
@js9907 my DS tested positive for shellfish and peanuts during a pin prick test at an allergist (4 years ago) and was prescribed an epi pen. He has never needed the epi pen and eats shellfish and foods that contain peanuts regularly and without a reaction. This was summarized in his medical history and duplicated by the doctors summary who performed his evaluation for DoDMETS. In your experience, does this result in an automatic DQ? If so, would you suggest he begins to work on a personal letter and a doctor's letter as well? He is the medical qualification process for USMA.
 
popof2 said:
@js9907 my DS tested positive for shellfish and peanuts during a pin prick test at an allergist (4 years ago) and was prescribed an epi pen. He has never needed the epi pen and eats shellfish and foods that contain peanuts regularly and without a reaction. This was summarized in his medical history and duplicated by the doctors summary who performed his evaluation for DoDMETS. In your experience, does this result in an automatic DQ? If so, would you suggest he begins to work on a personal letter and a doctor's letter as well? He is the medical qualification process for USMA.
Click to expand...
@popof2 I cannot say what the result will be for his exact situation, however if he is currently prescribed an epi-pen it is likely that he will receive a DQ from DoDMERB (this disqualification can be waived).

I can also say that his best bet to avoid a DQ or get a waiver if he is, is likely to be to go to an allergist and have his medical record corrected to state that he does not have the aforementioned allergies (assuming what you said is correct and he, in fact, does not have these allergies he was diagnosed with). If he can have his record reflect that he does not have the condition, it is probably unlikely that he would be disqualified or denied a waiver for said condition.

I suggest you have him read my post so he has a good understanding of the process he might be facing. I also HIGHLY recommend that if he has ANY questions - to ask Mr. Mullen.

Mr. Mullen is the Deputy Chief of DoDMERB (the primary authority that makes the first decision on medical issues). He has a post on here with directions regarding how your DS can contact him with any question. He is invaluable for navigating the process.

If you have any other questions or I failed to answer one of your questions above feel free to ask :).
 
js9907 said:
@popof2 I cannot say what the result will be for his exact situation, however if he is currently prescribed an epi-pen it is likely that he will receive a DQ from DoDMERB (this disqualification can be waived).

I can also say that his best bet to avoid a DQ or get a waiver if he is, is likely to be to go to an allergist and have his medical record corrected to state that he does not have the aforementioned allergies (assuming what you said is correct and he, in fact, does not have these allergies he was diagnosed with). If he can have his record reflect that he does not have the condition, it is probably unlikely that he would be disqualified or denied a waiver for said condition.

I suggest you have him read my post so he has a good understanding of the process he might be facing. I also HIGHLY recommend that if he has ANY questions - to ask Mr. Mullen.

Mr. Mullen is the Deputy Chief of DoDMERB (the primary authority that makes the first decision on medical issues). He has a post on here with directions regarding how your DS can contact him with any question. He is invaluable for navigating the process.

If you have any other questions or I failed to answer one of your questions above feel free to ask :).
Click to expand...
@js9907 thank you very much for your reply. I will show the post to my DS and he can reach out to Mr. Mullen directly. Best of luck to you.
 
Good morning popof2! My DS and I got so much information from this forum when I was doing research about DS's peanut allergy DQ, I'm wanting to help if I can. Because your son was diagnosed and prescribed an epi pen, he will almost certainly will get the DQ. The key to the waiver, imo, is to show that he is not/or no longer allergic to peanuts and shellfish. To be pro-active (it IS mid-Feb,) I would encourage your son to go to an allergist and take food challenges for peanuts and shellfish - would most likely be 2 different tests. This will give objective results that your allergist can use to document that the allergy is not an issue, your son does not have these allergies, and epi pen is not needed. If you have the results in hand, you'll be ready to submit when waiver request comes through. My son did have mild reaction to peanuts, underwent peanut OIT, took the challenge and ate 24 peanuts, and got his waiver.
 
SDCA said:
Good morning popof2! My DS and I got so much information from this forum when I was doing research about DS's peanut allergy DQ, I'm wanting to help if I can. Because your son was diagnosed and prescribed an epi pen, he will almost certainly will get the DQ. The key to the waiver, imo, is to show that he is not/or no longer allergic to peanuts and shellfish. To be pro-active (it IS mid-Feb,) I would encourage your son to go to an allergist and take food challenges for peanuts and shellfish - would most likely be 2 different tests. This will give objective results that your allergist can use to document that the allergy is not an issue, your son does not have these allergies, and epi pen is not needed. If you have the results in hand, you'll be ready to submit when waiver request comes through. My son did have mild reaction to peanuts, underwent peanut OIT, took the challenge and ate 24 peanuts, and got his waiver.
Click to expand...
This is excellent advice.
 
@SDCA Do you happen to know who the letter should be addressed to? We followed similar direction from js9907, and my DS had an appointment yesterday. The Doctor requested address and addressee information to submit a letter on his behalf.
 
popof2 said:
@SDCA Do you happen to know who the letter should be addressed to? We followed similar direction from js9907, and my DS had an appointment yesterday. The Doctor requested address and addressee information to submit a letter on his behalf.
Click to expand...
I'll PM you
 
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