Monday, February 14, 2011

OCS: NPQ

Approximately two weeks ago, Matthew completed the obstacle course where he hurt his left hip. He didn't think much of it at the time but the following day he completed Fartlek training, which was extraordinarily painful. About a week later he completed a 5 mile run where he hurt his right foot. In hindsight, it was probably the bad hip that caused the bad foot.

This past week he completed the Confidence Course and a 3-mile 'Boots and Utez' run in 23 minutes. During both events, the Sergeant Instructors commented on his limping and eventually ordered him to the doctor.

On Wednesday morning he reported to the doctor where they x-rayed his foot and diagnosed sprained tendons and was put on light duty.

On Thursday morning, he reported back to the doctor for a follow-up where they x-rayed his hip. The Navy Lieutenant doctor said there wasn't a problem, and after some discussion allowed Matthew to return to full duty to complete the Land Navigation Course.

The Land Navigation Course required a 3-mile march to the course when a candidate slipped on ice and Matthew tripped over him, where his leg made a horrible popping noise. He was unable to walk so he was vanned up to the Land Nav course which he aced!

During the Land Nav event the Sergeant Instructors took no mercy, saying things like:
"Old Man River broke his hip"
"What are you, 70?"
"Easy Target"

After Land Nav he was vanned back to the barracks.

On Friday morning, he returned to medical where a civilian Physical Therapist reviewed the x-rays taken earlier in the week. She discovered 2 bone fragments that were formerly part of his hip free-floating away from his hip and the same for 1 bone fragment in his foot. The radiologist had also seen these fragments and had made notations, so why the first doctor didn't see these results is a mystery. She confirmed Matthew was NPQ (not physically qualified) and should be sent home.

By 6 p.m. on Friday night he was on a plane, heading to Dallas. By 11:30 p.m. he was at Tucson International Airport and by midnight he was standing on our door step. What a complete surprise for all involved!! I had no idea he was coming home!!

We are now in the process of setting up doctors appointments for a fractured hip and foot, all expenses being covered by the United States Marine Corps. He is expected to be unable to work for approximately 8 weeks and that is only if he doesn't have surgery to remove the fragments.

His hip continues to make horrific popping noises and his only souvenir from this crazy adventure -- crutches.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Sorry yo hear this.life is full of curve balls. God opens a door when he closes one. Its his plan not ours. A hard lesson to accept.
Good luck healing and the future.

Anonymous said...

Hello, I am also recently got NPQ'd from OCS. I am having trouble making an appointment to see a doctor. They told me I am not qualified to see a medical doctor at the VA hospital because I am no longer on active duty. However, prior to leaving OCS, they issued me a Line of Duty. Can you please describe the procedure how Matthew go about and getting treated? Did he go to the VA Hospital or a private doctor?

Danafox said...

Dear Anonymous,

I hope you find this comment.

Our recommendation is to contact your recruiter first! He (or she) can schedule you an appointment on a base that is close to you with a military doctor. From there you can get a referral to an off-base doctor.

Please continue to comment if you need further help!

Anonymous said...

Good Morning, thank you so much for your reply. I contacted my OSO and the human resources assistant the first thing when I came home. But they did not schedule any appointments for me. So, I went to the nearest VA Hospital (on a naval base), with my Line of Duty documents, and the staff at the hospital said they can't help me because I am no longer on active duty. Plus, I do not have TriCare coverage anymore because I was released from OCS. Therefore, I did not get a referral.

Danafox said...

I understand and sympathize with what you are going through right now. My husband had to go to an Air Force base to receive treatment at first, which was a pain since he was (obviously) former Marine Corp. My husband wasn't covered, technically, under TriCare anymore either but under an umbrella of TriCare called Wounded Warrior. This is very different.

I would suggest contacting your OSO again and specifically asking for a doctor's appointment on base (I don't think they will automatically do this just because you were NPQ'ed). If they still can't help you, I would recommend contacting the OCS clinic in Quantico. Their number is (703)-784-2062/2063. Perhaps they would be willing to contact a base near you to set up an appointment. Keep in mind that it may be difficult to get on base without a military ID. We worked with the OSO's office and one of his assistants actually got us on base the first time. It was only AFTER this initial visit that we were able to see a doctor off base.

I hope this helps and keep me updated on your progress!

Anonymous said...

Good Morning, thanks again for your response. I just received a mail from MMSO, and they have assigned me to a private specialist. I don't know why it took so long, but at least now I have a chance to get medical care. This process is way too confusing and complicated.

Danafox said...

So glad to hear that the process has begun. I wish you the best of luck and a speedy recovery. Feel free to comment again if you need any help. Also, I agree, the process is confusing and complicated. I hope others find this blog and are able to learn from our experience.