Were you ever seriously misdiagnosed while in the military? The problem is often more complex than you think.

Oh hell yea!! Navy medical borders on incompetency. I have serious knee problems and right wrist because they didn't want to deal with it. My record is an inch thick. After two years of treatment under the squid force I finally went to a civilian to have a planters wart removed. They wanted to press charges for that one. The Navy also said they HAD to remove my nice composite fillings before I got out and replace them with the amalgam junk. Which started to fall out a year later costing me $1,200 to replace again. Personally, I think it was some hack who wanted a ginea pig to experiment on. People talk highly of corpsman, to this day if I go to the doc and find out he was a navy doc, I go elelsewhere. I could go on and on and on. My neibor growing up was turned down from every medical school in the country, Navy made him a doc. As a civilian, he is not a doctor, only a PA.

Yes. Every time by a PA. Sent for surgical consult, and the surgeon thankfully sorted it out prior to surgery. Happened twice to me for two different things.

*** The names and branches have been changed to protect the idiots ***

I got to be the patient in the live version of Milton Bradley's operation. Back at GTMO in 92 I started having severe abdominal cramps so (branch 1) doctor takes out my appendix. no red nose light so we're cool, but oops, stayed in the hospital a week because they can't get my fever down appendix comes back negative - nothing was wrong with it.

A month later I'm back in with the same severe cramps. Same Doc, Different Day. My colon is perforated so immediate surgery is needed to "fix" the problem. Call my wife and undergo the procedure. 6 Inches of "suspect" colon is removed and I now have a colostomy bag. They ship me off to Brooks Army Medical center to recuperate a.k.a. I'm now someone else problem. Results on the chunk of colon removed - the colon was irritated but not perforated. No red nose light, no problem as I leave 2 body parts behind in GTMO.

Fast forward 3 weeks, past the pancreatitis and the shipment to Walter Reed. Am now at WR suffer a pulmonary embolism, get shipped to the ICU for a few days, and am now recovering (branch 2) Doc & (branch 3) Doc decide my gall bladder needs to come out, as a, wait for it, precautionary measure. So back under the knife I go to get rid of the colostomy and the call bladder - a medical "2-fer". No nose light, everything's cool.

I get home with a stack of paperwork for my personal "real' doctors to look at and after telling me I'm lucky to be alive, they tell me that based on the all the medical data, The gall bladder was probably the cause of the initial pain and had it been caught on my first hospital visit and removed, would have saved me all the other stuff. And the big bonus - the initial symptoms were not service connected.

1 APR 08 – We’re at Ft. Dix, NJ for Pre-Mob training, headed to Iraq in Jul 08. That day, we’re schedule to do MOUT drills, clear rooms, etc. I was #1 – point for my team; I peeked around a corner to see if the alleyway was clear so we could cross. I popped out and instantly felt as if I got shot (FYI – I’ve never been shot but this is the closest thing I can describe what the pain was like) in my lower right leg. Immediately, I couldn’t walk, couldn’t flex my foot up or down; I was completely immobilized within 30 minutes. It was late in the day, I told my 1SG and Commander that it would okay if I waited and then just went to sick call in the morning.
By the next morning, I was barely able to walk, or put pressure on my leg/foot. Now, besides not being able to flex my ankle up and down, now there was no right or left movement possible either. I managed, very slowly to go to sick call. I was a PA at McGuire AFB, adjacent to Dix. I was given crutches and of course, lots of 800mg Motrin, some Flexeril as a muscle relaxer. I was diagnosed with “muscle cramps.” I ended up on the crutches for almost a month, before I could walk properly. I was not allowed to get an MRI done because I am a Reservist and we were only at Ft. Dix for 21 days, not over 30 days. The only thing I got was an ultrasound to check for DVT (a blood clot in my vein, seriously?)
I went to physical therapy at Ft. Bragg, NC; that’s where we were to actually fly out of to go to Iraq. I had a civilian physical therapist in government employ, but I was too afraid of re-injury to really try and recover at that point.
I did another round of physical therapy when we first got to Iraq, except I quit going because I don’t feel he treated me well, because I was not “combat” wounded in theater. He was an AF LTC and he made me feel like shit because I was in pain and needed therapy, thanks dude. Later on I discovered we had a therapist on our own camp and I went to him, he was good, but it was almost time to go home and I could have benefitted from seeing him more/longer.
Now it’s a year later, I’m home from deployment, back at my civilian job, I’ve put in the VA, of course, to add my injury to my previous claim from when I got off active duty. I lived near Ft. Hood, saw a new PCM there. In May 10, I ended up with the permanent profile (P2) as I can no longer run, or jump, or do any kind of high intensity, high repetitions of any type exercise. Well, I can, but then I’m not able to walk for 3-5 days after that, which sucks and is painful.
I PCS to California, and 4 years later, I finally am allowed to get my MRI. Guess what, all they can see 4 years later is scar tissue. No shit, really? What were you expecting? I was able to go back for round 4 of physical therapy. The difference is this time; it was a civilian agency, with civilian therapists, the whole civilian thing. My therapist was excellent; he said that he could feel the scar tissue in my leg as well. He feels, and I completely agree, that I suffered a partial rupture of my Achilles tendon. I got the most out of this time at physical therapy than any of the 3 previous times. I finally got the confidence to trust that I was not going to reinjure myself; I had been terrified of that happening ever since the initial injury. I started being able to do more walking, farther and faster. I still can’t do the Army 2.5 mile walk on my PT test though. I can walk far, very far; but cannot go at the pace/time the Army requires me to do 2.5 miles in. I do the 800 yardd swim for my PT test (I kick that swim’s butt too). No biking (repetitive motion) and no walking (difficult pace) are even on my profile.
So muscle cramps is what the VA has me for, and I have a big fat 0% on that, even though my quality of life has suffered since my injury. While I have much more confidence since the therapist, I’m still fearful of a re-injuring myself. It was the worst pain I’ve ever felt and I never, ever want to go through that pain again.
Anyone have a clue or a tip or suggestion on how I can get that diagnosis changed?

My most interesting interactions with the military medicine…at least from the patient standpoint…for me was a little incident where I was not hooked in correctly rappelling for a helicopter. Came in a ‘little’ hot and learned directly about de-acceleration syndrome (it is not the fall that hurts, it is the sudden stop). Messed up my back and burned my hand pretty good as well. I was able to visit the Harmony Church TMC and Martin Army Community Hospital. The medical personnel were mainly focused on my back injury, which I was good with at the time...but later when everything was good with my back…or so they said…I asked if someone could look at my burned hand. I was told that it was too late in the day, that I was only there for my back and I was finally told, that I would have to return to the TMC, have the PA look at it…the next day because the TMC was closed…and then someone at the hospital could look at my hand? In the long run, I lived and have all my limbs and digits but they could have helped me avoid infection and swollen fingers, and a couple months not being able to bend my fingers?

LIttle back ground - 2002 in Kosovo I managed to partially dislocate my hip climping up to an OP. Little bit of ranger candy and a shrt profile and I was cleared to go. A few months after we get back I fell out of a BN run with severe pain radiating from my hip and groin area. After X-rays and a little poking and proding I am told that I have a torn Piriformis muscle and went through 4 months of physical therapy for that. Pain was still there so they sent me to get a MRI. I was then diagnosed with a pinched sciatic nerve. I then go through another 4 months of physical therapy to no avail. I end up deploying to Iraq at this point and go through 12 months of hell with constant pain. I get back and have to be reevaluated and I am told that I have bursitis of the greater trochanteric and receive several injections over the next few months for that. Immediately after the shots I felt great but the pain always came back. I finally get an offpost referal (I was stationed in Germany) and go see a German doctor. After a series of X-rays that made me feel like a pretzel afterwards and a 10 minute consultation, he points out the abnormal bone growth on my femorial head. So after 3 years of misdiagnoses it takes a 2nd doctor 10 mins to find out the problem. Scheduled the surgery and have been doing much better ever since.

I just found out that my Fuchs corneal dystrophy is not correct. I was given this diagnosis over five years ago, had multiple follow up appointments with the same provider who told me it was progressing. First civilian ophthalmologist I’ve seen said he sees no evidence of that disease. Happy to know that. Also, at Landsthul I was diagnosed with severe osteoporosis again, years after annual bone scans with supposedly showing disease progression I was told I do not have it. That’s great but what should I believe ?

If anyone knows how to get medical decisions fixed after getting out of the military I would really appreciat the help. Please read. In the Navy I was diagnosed with Hypersomnolence with findings of Narcolepsy with Cataplexy. I would constantly fall asleep while working on my Submarine Warfare qualifications. I would easily get 8-10 hours of sleep at night and never make it to work on time. I would sleep through my alarms. If I did wake up, I would wake up again hours later on the floor with my shipmates banging on my barracks room. My Chief of the Boat finally sent me to see a doc. He said to me after being sent to his office countless times for this issue, that "No one just doesn't give a Fuck like this. No one joins the Navy, and goes subs to just piss it away on purpose." So I was sent to the Naval Medical Center in Portsmouth, VA. I did a sleep test and with that I was diagnosed. I was transferred off my boat that day. When I was transferred to my limited duty command, I did not report for 2 weeks. I was asleep. I honestly have no recollection of that time. My wife says that was like a zombie. I just slept, ate, wanted to have sex all the time and never made any sense when she tried to talk to me. When I finally reported to my new command, it seemed like nobody really noticed, or even cared that I was AWOL for 2 weeks. That is until I started oversleeping again. Then everything came up and I was sent to Captain's Mast. I tried to get help from my Dr. to see if he would tell them that it was part of my illness, but he looked at me like I was crazy. He said that he had never heard of anyone sleeping for 2 weeks straight. I felt like dying. I was sent to restriction for 3 months and was awarded half months pay for 3 months. While in restriction my command forced me to break my apartment lease and made my 6-7 month pregnant wife move into base housing. My apartment was 5 minutes from base ( I was at Little Creek JEB) the only housing available in the area was for the Norfolk Naval Shipyard in Portsmouth. That drive was normally about an hour. Seems counter-intuitive to me. Anyway, long story short, I was separated General Under Honorable. No medical. I was only in for 2 years and 3 months. So no G.I. Bill. I basically wasted 2 and a half years of my life! The only good thing, which I don't want to downplay is that I met my beautiful wife in the Navy. Other than that I was just screwed over and over. I still have sleep issues, bipolar disorder and ADD (my EOAS was back in 2011). I have been doing a ton of research lately and I have discovered Kleine-Levin Syndrome. AKA Sleeping Beauty Symdrome. I fit the age bracket (I was 19 at the time of my 2 week absense) and what i told the doc is almost exactly what i read on this website. http://www.alaskasleep.com/blog/6-strange-and-terrifying-sleep-disorders. I would love some input on fixing my Discharge Character, getting my G.I. bill or getting medical assistance. There are treatments for all of these disorders. But they are expensive. anyway if anyone has any ideas, please let me know. Thank you

I just say this openly. Thanks for letting me VENT a bit, in ateempts to process imperfectly and grow, and heal in the way that feels appropriate although roughly , I know, compared what one expects at times. Emotions run high like a locker room before a game here. I-We signed documents-trained-organized-gave our all-whatever part it was to fulfill the requirements handed to us by our Government in defense of our Great Nations attempt and desire at being Great. It can be humbling this adventure. And no adventure is not without adversity. At least the journeys I have been part of.

Upon reviewing enlistment papers accurately archived since 1994 when I signed up a skinny little wide eyed high school athlete looking to take life by the horns with the highest ambitions raised by a really nice mom, I read great large statements that stop me and make me things WOW that is a statement FEW humans will ever put there NAME ON and WEAR PROUDLY and DEDICATE for regardless even giving the ultimate your life if called upon.

And I do not say that lightly. I know those brave among us who did sacrifice it all. And I SALUTE them ALL SOLEMNLY the SACRIFICE that I know I hold in my heart a DEPTH I can not really fathom completely with words and the sadness may be far to deep for me to contemplate really the complexity.

So let me continue this digression and attempt at making a statement point.

I -WE signed this at some point.

DD FORM 4/2 MAY 88
E. Confirmation of ENLISTMENT or REENLISTMENT
15. I ..........., do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform of Military Justice. So help me God.

It uses enemies foreign and domestic and I never really thought about that as a kid until as an adult with more seasoning. And may I say this. The more I read the UCMJ the More I read UCCODE etc...I see the attempts at greatness and desire of the best IDEALS and I am prouder to be AMERICAN. With seasoning in life I know nothing is perfect. It is imperfect perfection. And no matter where I go in the world, no matter what religion I accept or discover, No matter what tribe I contemplate and study, NO matter what Country I know about and think about, No matter what skin color, No matter what sex, No Matter what age, No Matter what wealth or supposed poor, No matter what there is good and bad, great and evil, and no perfection in all, unless imperfection is indeed perfection.

With seasoning and looking back on the chapters of life lived and that MASTER CHIEF that literally threatened my life and career physically and mentally on that ship in the middle of th ocean, me 21 not feeling well with some issue with hygiene clean uniform and HIM new to the SHIP OLD SCHOOL and maybe that is how he handled things the OLD SCHOOL WAY..and I froze inside and literally did not tell anyone for the next 16 years in my life and since homeless violent unable to maintain employment chaotic homeless etc...all from a kid who won the best recruit award in boot and who also finished full term honorably discharged but sick in the head.

When Humans are mixed together even humans in the same family sharing the same last name even mothers brothers daughters and fathers and even the 1 you and me that looks in the mirror at ourselves and there is imperfection and things go wrong and hate and anger can happen, and even the worst of the worst happens in this close circle. It does not even have to be quote unquote the enemy everyone is worried about. It was your own family, the ones closest that can do the most damage. What a humbling part of life sadly or not so sadly. Depending on how you journey and learn from such events.

But what am I getting at?

I believe letting out the bad with the good and not just being overly positive YES SIR "always" kind of guy who would not admit pain...as it seems to be a weakness and weakness is a germ..and a germ is not something you should resemble or keep around...

But this germ is actually a part of you that needs release and clearing or it an destroy in other ways.

So that is what the site the internet and reconnecting with the other side of the Military and the problems I was never able to digest and process is for me.

Since being 18 I never really grew that much mentally I think. Now 38, I went right into the Military. I was taught manhood and glory in bootcamp and felt at home, not having a dad(who I found out later in life was a VIETNAM COMBAT VET) etc etc etc. I agree it is a great place at times but lacking the complete circle where I was with the enlistment I had.

I finish with this part. Maybe this is the complete circle to let out the other part I never showed. I took it on the chin a lot of things as a young kid with a uniform on.

I internalized it.

I did not process things. Now I am attempting without a ton of precision to open that paradigm and come full circle.

And again thanks for not making me feel like a fool and being there.

I apologize to our providers if this thread has generated some ill will. I have changed the description after receiving some excellent feedback from some providers. Again, I never intended this as a bashing forum. One of the common responses was that an MRI saved the day.....The providers are under restraints just like every other entity. An MRI given to everyone in pain would mean that there would not be enough money for their budget to even pay for a bandaid after performing surgeries. It isn't anything personal, it is socialized medicine.