Back Surgery

I know exactly what ya mean Nate.

PT takes all precedence over your career now. I have gotten firewall 5's my entire career and if i dont pass a pt test in January I will get a referral EPR...come on....

I have BACK SURGERY scheduled for Friday morning...but yet I still have to go to PT tomorrow morning..some things just do not make sense man.

As far as your Vertigo I feel for ya man, I had a bout with tthat a few weeks...I could not even imagine dealing with it constantly.
 
breamo said:
Well tomorrow morning is the big day....a tad nervous :P
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GOOD LUCK! I'll be thinking about you. When you're able...let us know how things went, but get well first! :p

We'll hope for the best for ya'. Priority#1 is for YOU to get better! The MEB stuff can wait!

Nate
 
well I made it thru the surgery! Pain is pretty rough getting up and down but if I stay in bed I dont hurt much at all, I had to stay one night in the hospital but they were all pretty cool, now comes the long wait to make sure it works!

Thanks for all the thoughts!
 
breamo,

Glad to hear the surgery went well! Hope the recovery process is smooth and that you get better.
 
breamo said:
Hey nate what Jet do you fly?
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LOL.

I fly Southwest Airlines if I have a choice! :D

I'm a desk flyer--Meteorologist. However got hurt in Iraq doing non-weather stuff...one of those wonderful ILO (Army type) taskings that came down. It was an adventure all right....

Nate
 
Thank you Jason, luckily I have great friends, my best friends wife has made me home made dinners and brought them the past 2 nights and I heard a noise in my backyard yesterday and it was my buddy cutting my grass. Good people I tell ya.

I gotcha man for some reason I thought you were a pilot...it could have had something to do with your avatar :P
 
Well It has been a bit over a month since I had my surgery, I am pretty dissapointed so far. I honestly dont think it helped alot, if anything it may have made it a bit worse. The Doctors said I need to wait a little longer until I make the full decision though( I hope they are right).

I was put on 90 days con leave but since the USAF only will approve 30 days at a time, it gives them a great opportunity to get some red tape in there. The other day when I had days 30-60 paperwork filled out, they gave me all kinds of flak and it seemed like they were trying to make me go back to work.....from what I can tell, an AF Physicians Assistant, I guess thinks they are smarter than a Neuroseurgeon. I dunno.

And now the time has came for my MEB, I have an appt on 15 Octobur to start it I suppose. They gave me a packet to fill out and whatnot. I honestly hope they just release me from duty because I cannot do my job anymore and just look bad to all my coworkers because they work hard....I want to I just simply cannot.

PT is a big thing now as well, I cannot do the exercises like I used to be able to. With back issues and neck bulged disks as well its just impossible. I have never recieved any paperwork except an LOC for a speeding ticket.....but now they can kick you out cause of PT, the thought of that is so depressing.

Has anyone ever went thru an MEB and actually wanted to be released? Do I just tell my DR I want that? I dont want them to think I am a wackjob or trying to get out of work because I am not. I just want to be able to be released honorably and not wait a few years and potentially get booted for not complying with standards....please help...what do I do?
Sorry for the long rant and such Oxycontin makes me type wierd.

And to top it way off I think I am about to fail a marketing class that TA paid for, every since the class began I have been on hardcore medication and simply cannot think to do the work. I am sure they wont care about that and there goes 600.00 down the drain.:confused:


Thank you!

:confused:Breamo:confused:
 
breamo said:
Well It has been a bit over a month since I had my surgery, I am pretty dissapointed so far. I honestly dont think it helped alot, if anything it may have made it a bit worse. The Doctors said I need to wait a little longer until I make the full decision though( I hope they are right).

I was put on 90 days con leave but since the USAF only will approve 30 days at a time, it gives them a great opportunity to get some red tape in there. The other day when I had days 30-60 paperwork filled out, they gave me all kinds of flak and it seemed like they were trying to make me go back to work.....from what I can tell, an AF Physicians Assistant, I guess thinks they are smarter than a Neuroseurgeon. I dunno.

And now the time has came for my MEB, I have an appt on 15 Octobur to start it I suppose. They gave me a packet to fill out and whatnot. I honestly hope they just release me from duty because I cannot do my job anymore and just look bad to all my coworkers because they work hard....I want to I just simply cannot.

PT is a big thing now as well, I cannot do the exercises like I used to be able to. With back issues and neck bulged disks as well its just impossible. I have never recieved any paperwork except an LOC for a speeding ticket.....but now they can kick you out cause of PT, the thought of that is so depressing.

Has anyone ever went thru an MEB and actually wanted to be released? Do I just tell my DR I want that? I dont want them to think I am a wackjob or trying to get out of work because I am not. I just want to be able to be released honorably and not wait a few years and potentially get booted for not complying with standards....please help...what do I do?
Sorry for the long rant and such Oxycontin makes me type wierd.

And to top it way off I think I am about to fail a marketing class that TA paid for, every since the class began I have been on hardcore medication and simply cannot think to do the work. I am sure they wont care about that and there goes 600.00 down the drain.:confused:


Thank you!

:confused:Breamo:confused:
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Breamo,

Sorry to hear the Sx isn't all you hoped it would be. Maybe you need to give it more time? I dunno. As far as the red tape goes...I feel for you. I know how you feel...I've been dealing with this nightmare since Apr'08.

I don't think now is quite the time to make full fledged decision--yet--on your future. But you should think about it. All I'll say is don't let anyone pressure you one way or the other...you know yourself the best and hopefully when the time is right you'll know.

I gave it my all to recover, and after about 15 months I decided the stress of trying to get to my old self..to catch up to my peers in my unit would destroy me. I decided that it was not worth it to me...that I needed to get out, so by the time the MEB rolled around I had no question in my mind I wanted to get out.

My PCM asked me and I told her straight up I wanted out. Actually, we had been working thru the injuries together...I had convinced her to hold off 3 months on the MEB (you're supposed to do them if you've been on profile 1 yr). I had really hoped to show some improvement...but it just hasn't happened.

Sorry to be rambling on. I guess what I'm trying to say in there is nothing wrong with deciding at some point to cut your losses. But only you can make that call. Talk it over with your PCM..hopefully him/her will be as understanding as mine was.

The only thing I forgot to note...I did consider how I would do in the future. The AF does not have a great track record of taking care of its wounded warriors (IMHO). I was afraid if I was found RTD...I'd still have problems with my PT test and be admin discharge down the road. People are having problems NOW while they are injured and undergoing an MEB....I can only imagine how bad it will get when the protection of the MEB goes away and my unit can hold me to a 100% std even though I'll never be 100% again. No thanks. So you do need to consider how you will be 2, 5, or 10 yrs down the road....the AF won't cut you a break once you are RTD.

Good luck.

Nate
 
I pretty much feel the exact way Greene, I am ready to cut my mosses and move on. I just like you, do not feel llike dealing with this years down the road. Luckily my PCM will feel the same way on the 15th.

Thank you!

Breamo
 
I concur with everyone about the MEB. I went through the MEB and PEB for my back. They could not start the board process until they had exhausted all means of medical care. Is the AF different from the Army?

HR Manager
 
breamo said:
I pretty much feel the exact way Greene, I am ready to cut my mosses and move on. I just like you, do not feel llike dealing with this years down the road. Luckily my PCM will feel the same way on the 15th.

Thank you!

Breamo
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My MEB is done is done with a "refer to IPEB" so now I start the VA exams this Friday. (pilot program). Since I have several different conditions, PTSD, TBI, Ear and Vision issues, vertigo, etc. due to the explosion it will take a while. I'll let you know how it goes. :)

Nate
 
I concur with everyone about the MEB. I went through the MEB and PEB for my back. They could not start the board process until they had exhausted all means of medical care. Is the AF different from the Army?
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I think this is the prevailing rule across the services. Of course this rule is condition specific, cases concerning the ever ambiguous back are the best example. If you have a back issue that may fail retention standards...but can be treated to a point where it satisfies retention standards, they (the service) will try and reach that 'optimal' treatment threshold. Once that threshold is reached and it is clear the condition still does not satisfy retention standards, the member is referred to a MEB.

I think there are also exceptions to the above scenario, such as the doctor asking the member, "Do you want to stay in or get out?" (Or some variation of that question). By choosing the latter, the doctor will tailor an opinion that the only logical choice in the case of servicemember X is referral to a MEB. By choosing the former, the Doctor may just as easily tailor an opinion in support of further treatment in hopes of the member's condition progressing to a point where he/she can return to duty.

For some, they welcome the option of 'getting out' or 'staying in' early in the process. Others are unsure until later in the process (perhaps after optimal treatment). Either way, I have a gut feeling almost every servicemember encounters someone while they are in the DES that asks them whether they want to stay in or get out.

On the other hand you have cases that so clearly fail retention standards with conditions that despite treatment options, will never allow the member to be fit for duty again. Optimal treatment 'thresholds' are immaterial, but the option of treatment should still be offered.
 
I can back up what carnelli has said. I had 2 back surgeries...May 2007 and September 2007...I had my PEB in March 2008 because of the 6 month waiting window after my last surgery and this was after being on limited duty for 15 months. However, my doctor stated that if I was not worldwide deployable they would not let me on active duty, yet he still asked the question if I wanted to stay active duty or get out. I chose the latter due to excessive pain and knew I needed alot of help that I wouldn't be able to get while still in. I still have problems with my nerve and back so it is probably a good thing I chose to get out.

Obie
 
Thank you very much for the info, I have decided that if my Dr. asks I will tell him the same. Just release me. These boards sure are a brainsaver! Sometimes if I start thinking about it to much I can get on here and read around. Thank you all again!
 
But it is not only the doctor who makes that decision the IPEB relies (heavily I hear) on CC letter. If they say you can do your in garrison work they may decide to retain you. I worked with my PCM to craft a good narrative for retirement but the CC letter says they need me and I can do my in garrison work without issue (which is bogus). My package went to IPEB last week so I am hoping they listen to the doctor.
 
New guy here, though I've been visiting w/out regersting for a while.

After my surgery, fusion L4-L5, and the convalescent period I returned to work in a very different capacity (all clerical stuff) while the MEB process played itself out. I followed all the rules of recovery and rehab, but about six months post-surgery the IPEB suggested retirement at 40%. I had 16 1/2 yrs in and didn't necessarily want to be retired before I served 20. I appealed the IPEB to the Formal MEB and the elected to allow me to stay.

Though I showed remarkable healing progress post-surgery, the symptoms that precipitated the medical work-up leading to the surgery still haunt me to this day. Terrible back pain that prevents me from resting until I am so exahusted that I simply black-out in the early AM hours. I stay off the meds as much as possible because I can't function well while medicated.

If I knew what I know now, I probably wouldn't have appealed my IPEB's decision. Through a lack of proper documentation I am now expected to perform within my AFSC and also PCS. I have three years until I can retire, and it can't come soon enough.

Gather as much info as you can, and make certain your PCM, the PEBLO, the folks at Lackland and Randolph know your case, and your expectations if you elect to appeal.

My CC's letter emphatically stated I couldn't function in my designated AFSC, but I don't think it mattered in my case. My good intentions to serve and contribute were construed as fit to return to duty. Be careful, be educated...
 
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