AF PT and Asthma

A

AF1118

Member
Registered Member
Good day,

I have had PT problems for as long as I can remember. But I always managed to make the minimum standard enough times to keep from getting the boot or demoted. At my last duty station, I really had a hard time breathing and I would experience chest pains. One day was particularly bad and my wife made me go to the NAVY ER that was close by (AF base didnt' have an ER). After reporting with chest pains and trouble breathing, they began a heart work-up. My troponin levels were elevated and they started down that rabbit hole. After about 12 hours, my levels had dropped and the pain subsided. I was released to my PCM - Flight Medicine with doctors who were "deployed" to our location. Afte reviewing my ER report, he said I was fine. So off I went. Continued PT with my unit every day and continually had problems - everyone just thought I was out of shape - despite PT everyday.

During this time, I failed several PT tests - but always managed to make it through enough (barely) to keep my head above water. Before I PCS'd, I failed back to back PT tests with run times that were VERY slow - I just couldn't breath.

Arrived at my new base a year ago and again, I had trouble breathing. I went to the ER and immediately was told I have asthma. Stayed with the ER overnight and ran tests to check out my heart - stress tests, etc. Heart was fine - but lungs were crap.

Went to my PCM who ordered a methacholine challenge test - failed. FEV1 dropped 38% after 4th stage. Diagnosis - asthma. I went through an MEB, passed a PT test with run exempted, and the MEB returned me to duty with a Code C. My asthma couldn't get under control, so I was referred to a pulmonologist who I've been working with. He sent me for a sleep study and I have no been diagnosed with moderate Sleep Apnea and I have a C-PAP machine at home now. Last 2 PT tests I have failed as I learn to still lose weight while doing less cardio (until my asthma is under control). NO problem - I made improvements from one test to the next dropping 20lbs.

But, this now makes 4 in 2 years and they are looking to demote or even separate me at 18 1/2 years. I took the medical determination letter to my PCM who concluded that I failed the tests in 2011 due to asthma. However, the letter asks "Had the member a documented medical condition...yadda yadda yadda..." He marked yes - because the asthma did cause the failures in his and his boss' opinion - it was just undiagnosed, therefore untreated. Their rationale is that if I had been tested, diagnosed, and treated for asthma - I would have been on a profile exempting me from the cardio portion of the test - and the rest of my test numbers would have passed me with an exempt for the cardio.

I just don't know if that is how my CC will read it. I dropped the letter off yesterday - now my shirt wants to talk to my PCM. I think this is a flaw in the PT system. Like my doctor said - you didnt just develop asthma overnight - I have had it for a whille. Certainly I had it as recently as 6 months prior to my diagnosis (failed test in Aug 11 - diagnosed in Feb 12).

Anyway - so my question is - does it sound like I have a good argument to win on an appeal if my CC decides to go forward with admin action - despite my doctor saying that in his professional opinion, asthma was a medical condition that prevented me from passing the tests - even though the condition was as of then undiagnosed or untreated?

Comments welcomed!
 
Your first course of action now should be getting a referral to a civilian pulmonology team ASAP and get a good diagnosis/prognosis. Have them notate what your condition(s) are, how they affect your daily life and what your future holds (prognosis). A civilian diagnosis will be extremely powerful ammo in getting your command, military doc, etc. to understand. Military docs are real proficient at sweeping conditions under the rug and mis-diagnosis/downplaying issues for the benefit of the military (been there, have the T-shirt;) )
 
Thank you so much.

Actually, I do have a civilian pulmonologist who is on the same page - he said I didn't fall down one day and get up with asthma. The military doc is right there also - he had no problem signing the form saying the first 2 tests were failed due to a medical condition that prevented me from passing the tested portion (cardio).

I just don't know what the CC is going to do - since the letter is just a recommendation and the CC can do whatever they want. I am in a very large unit and the CC has only met me once (PT failure). So there is no personal vendetta or anything - but now that the shirt wants to talk to my PCM to "ask a few questions" - I just don't know what the shirt will pass on to the CC.

As the doc put it - if you had been diagnosed with asthma earlier, then you would have been on profile for those tests. And when you exempt the run, I pass with the other portions.

I'm just worried I guess...playing the waiting game.
 
the thing that gets me is they MEB people with asthma that have known problems and C code them return to service. Same thing happened to me. I went to a civilian doctor and he basically said you have had no time to condition yourself and was exempt from cardio. I guess I dont get it, if you cannot do part of the PT how are you considered fit for duty?
 
My understanding is that if you are exempt for over 365 days you/we receive a MEB anyway. True?
 
Yes that is true. You may not see an MEB or you may not. If you are on waiver for a years time for PT then your UFPM is supposed to refer to the DAWG. then they will decide if an MEB is required. Did your PCM not generate an MEB for the diagnosed sleep apnea or the asthma?
 
IIRC if you are inside 17-20 years TIS they can't just separate you. If you do get demoted AFPC will do a rank determination. You will still get high 3, and the difference in pay amount would be negligible. Don't stress, although I didn't have quite as long TIS as you I went through almost your identical situation. In the end my Shirt informed me he was going to recommend me for demotion, your Group Commander will make the final determination. The process takes time and you are in that short side of 20 window. Fortunately in my case my permanent retirement findings came back and it wasn't worth my CC's time to pursue taking a stripe. During my case I had 2 OSA surgeries which essentially didn't do anything and left me with sleep apnea, on top of which I developed asthma when I was transferred to Seymour Johnson.
 
Thanks for the support everyone.

The CC and shirt had a much different attitude when I went back in. They were "happy" the medical community did what they were supposed to and in their view, it worked like it was supposed to. So maybe that is a good thing!

They dismissed the first 2 failures due to a medical condition that was undiagnosed/untreated at the time that prevented me from passing the cardio portion. When you added up the other components with the cardio exempted, I would have passed.

So now I just have the 2 failures - not good, but not detrimental yet. I promised that I am on the right path and I will pass the next test (April).

So my stripe is still on my arm - I have my review coming up and I have already been contacted by the PEBLO. They will be doing the review with the following considerations: Asthma still not under control (currently seeing a Pulm Dr), and Mild to Moderate Sleep Apnea. Run profile will be coming up on a year soon.

But I also hit 19 years in June - so we'll see what happens now.
 
7LVL said:
IIRC if you are inside 17-20 years TIS they can't just separate you. If you do get demoted AFPC will do a rank determination. You will still get high 3, and the difference in pay amount would be negligible. Don't stress, although I didn't have quite as long TIS as you I went through almost your identical situation. In the end my Shirt informed me he was going to recommend me for demotion, your Group Commander will make the final determination. The process takes time and you are in that short side of 20 window. Fortunately in my case my permanent retirement findings came back and it wasn't worth my CC's time to pursue taking a stripe. During my case I had 2 OSA surgeries which essentially didn't do anything and left me with sleep apnea, on top of which I developed asthma when I was transferred to Seymour Johnson.
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Not true - If you go through an other MEB then you can still be separated w/severance if your % is below 30%. This can happen all the way up to 19 1/2 years. .

AF1118 - are the conditions you listed the referring conditions?
 
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