back surgery, need help and advice.

[Patriot2009]

hey everyone,

I had back surgery about 4 years ago and i am currently abotu to be 19. I tried for the marines but they said no go, however, my buddy in the national guard took me to a recruiter and he said he might be able to get me a medical waiver. When i told my Surgeon ( 3rd best in the country, works at CHOP) that they thought my back surgery was a problem he said he would no problem write a letter to whoever needed to explian to them i pose no more of a risk than any civilian and that i am more then fit for military duty. I have no restrictions, and i am in incredibly good shape (I play alot of sports and box). The recuriter said it would help to get letters from the surgeon and other doctors to help give me a better chance. I even offered to sign a statement saying i would not hold the military responsible if i was injured in any way related to my back. Can anyone help me with some ideas on how to show that i AM not a risk. My only dream is to serve in the military, as corny as that sounds.

[QuantumRN]

You'll just have to provide any and all documentation regarding the surgery to MEPS and/or the board.

If you want to, in addition to your medical documents, I would suggest getting a "Functional Capacity" examination. It is usually performed by a Physical Therapist and can run anywhere from $100-200. It is important to truly demonstrate (it's a physical test) that you are fully functional, and have no restrictions.

The FC exam gives the board measurable data that will validate a doc's opinion of "no restrictions or limitations of movement".

Hope that helps. :)

[Patriot2009]

oh ok, i will deff look into that monday. Do you think if i get the "Functional Capacity" exam and im all good it will be a big poistive to get me a waiver? Anything else you can think of i would greatly appreciate. Thank you :)

[QuantumRN]

Unfortunately, there are no guarantees. You could very well dish out the money and still get denied. I sit on the MMRB board for my state. (It's a board that recommends retaining, reclassing, or seperating current soldiers based on their medical conditions.) The decisions are not always easy to make, but we make them based on the quality of information put before us, and take into consideration the Commander's and Soldier's letters. I would assume that anyone considering a waiver for you would welcome quality evaluations and good documentation.

[Patriot2009]

ok, thank you, im going to give it my best shot. If i give my recruiter the doctor letters, and evaluation scores, can i also send along my own letter or no? Is he required to send everything i give him?

[QuantumRN]

It never hurts to try. Just make sure that the grammar and spelling are good, and that it doesn't sound like a "canned" letter.