Need surgery, about to separate

[Creflo]

I have a rare condition that is treatable with an elective surgery with approximately 90% success rate. I have spent the last 6 months working through providers to get to the one who can do the surgery. He is willing to do the surgery approximately 1 month before my 30 days of terminal leave begin. I will have 14-28 days of con leave from this procedure. My dept head says the command may or may not approve the surgery since I'm getting out so soon. What are my chances of getting this approved? The condition is a lifelong neurological condition that will affect my quality of life and ability to earn a living. It only manifested about 6 months ago. If not treated, the condition will also adversely affect my ability to perform well on job interviews when I separate, so I'm worried about the financial consequences if I don't get the surgery. Any advice on getting approval?

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[Onefellswoop87]

I have a rare condition that is treatable with an elective surgery with approximately 90% success rate. I have spent the last 6 months working through providers to get to the one who can do the surgery. He is willing to do the surgery approximately 1 month before my 30 days of terminal leave begin. I will have 14-28 days of con leave from this procedure. My dept head says the command may or may not approve the surgery since I'm getting out so soon. What are my chances of getting this approved? The condition is a lifelong neurological condition that will affect my quality of life and ability to earn a living. It only manifested about 6 months ago. If not treated, the condition will also adversely affect my ability to perform well on job interviews when I separate, so I'm worried about the financial consequences if I don't get the surgery. Any advice on getting approval?

The most likely answer is "sorry, not enough time." Unofficially, I've seen the USN not do elective surgeries unless > 6 months left on active duty. I don't know if there is a USN instruction on that or it's local MTF policy.

 

[Gastrapathy]

I have a rare condition that is treatable with an elective surgery with approximately 90% success rate. I have spent the last 6 months working through providers to get to the one who can do the surgery. He is willing to do the surgery approximately 1 month before my 30 days of terminal leave begin. I will have 14-28 days of con leave from this procedure. My dept head says the command may or may not approve the surgery since I'm getting out so soon. What are my chances of getting this approved? The condition is a lifelong neurological condition that will affect my quality of life and ability to earn a living. It only manifested about 6 months ago. If not treated, the condition will also adversely affect my ability to perform well on job interviews when I separate, so I'm worried about the financial consequences if I don't get the surgery. Any advice on getting approval?

One alternative would be to affiliate in the reserves and use that health insurance to get the surgery done.

As for approval, just ask. If the answer is no, run it up the chain. You'll probably get to a yes. Be prepared to state that you are willing to remain on AD if required due to unexpected complications.

 

[68PGunner]

One alternative would be to affiliate in the reserves and use that health insurance to get the surgery done.
As for approval, just ask. If the answer is no, run it up the chain. You'll probably get to a yes. Be prepared to state that you are willing to remain on AD if required due to unexpected complications.

This.

I got PRK done 2-3 months before ETSing.

 

[DrMetal]

I have a rare condition that is treatable with an elective surgery with approximately 90% success rate. I have spent the last 6 months working through providers to get to the one who can do the surgery. He is willing to do the surgery approximately 1 month before my 30 days of terminal leave begin. I will have 14-28 days of con leave from this procedure. My dept head says the command may or may not approve the surgery since I'm getting out so soon. What are my chances of getting this approved? The condition is a lifelong neurological condition that will affect my quality of life and ability to earn a living. It only manifested about 6 months ago. If not treated, the condition will also adversely affect my ability to perform well on job interviews when I separate, so I'm worried about the financial consequences if I don't get the surgery. Any advice on getting approval?

It would be very deuchy of your command to deny you the surgery....I can only imagine your CO doing so if you were a major PITA previously, but even then it would be very deuchy. File the request appropriately, document everything. If they deny it, especially document it and go higher.

 

[Onefellswoop87]

It would be very deuchy of your command to deny you the surgery....I can only imagine your CO doing so if you were a major PITA previously, but even then it would be very deuchy. File the request appropriately, document everything. If they deny it, especially document it and go higher.

I don't think it's a command decision. It's the MTF's decision if he/she has enough time left on active duty for post-op and recovery. It would be "deuchy" to perform the surgery, do a one week follow up after con-leave and then grab your DD-214. Complications? Sorry, file a claim with the VA. I think @Gastrapathy has the best advice: extend active duty or go reserve for the surgery.

 

[DrMetal]

I don't think it's a command decision. It's the MTF's decision if he/she has enough time left on active duty for post-op and recovery. It would be "deuchy" to perform the surgery, do a one week follow up after con-leave and then grab your DD-214. Complications? Sorry, file a claim with the VA. I think @Gastrapathy has the best advice: extend active duty or go reserve for the surgery.

Youre right if thats the case. OP: why didnt u pursue this sooner?


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[Creflo]

Condition just manifested approximately 5-6 months ago, gradual onset. Rare condition, often diagnosis is missed for years but my mother has it, so I knew what it was. I convince pcp to give me specialist referral. Convinced local specialist of diagnosis, and he doesn't treat condition, so referred me to another MTF. By the time I got the appointment made, coordinated with my call schedule, and wait time for specialist, then on the way to appointment out of state couldn't make it due to road closings from floods from recent storm. Then had to reschedule, again coordinate my call schedule with specialist availability. I make the appointment, get the diagnosis confirmed. I ask for surgery, but you have to get botox injection and see results first. Have to wait a couple of months for botox injection because specialist only gives 4x per year. I get the injection, the specialist misses the anatomic mark. I then go back to local specialist to request second opinion because the last specialist missed the injection and the next available injection is 3 more months away. But he has emergency and cancels my appointment the day of. I then reschedule, see him, convince him to refer me to another specialist in Bethesda who actually does the surgery. I explain time is running out before I separate and I can't just keep waiting. I then coordinate that appointment (at Bethesda) and luckily this doc gives the injection the day I'm there, hits the anatomic mark, then the results from the injection just manifested last week, so I'm deemed a candidate for the surgery. So it looks like I waited until the last minute, but it's been an uphill battle to get diagnosis and treatment for a pretty rare condition.

 

[Ziehl-Neelsen]

Somebody call Lena Dunham. I'm about to engage in some "mansplaining" to a couple of men.

The word is douche.

Now back to your regularly scheduled programming...

 

[DrMetal]

Condition just manifested approximately 5-6 months ago, gradual onset.

Since the condition manifested while on active duty, and if you can get any of your doctors to attest to it....you may be deemed 'not fit for separation', thus allowing you more time to pursue treatment. You'd have to argue that the procedure is more than just elective in nature (that it could substantially improve prognosis, I would think that's argument enough....but you'd have to get one of your doctors to make the case). Now I don't know if you'd want your separation delayed, but that's just something to think about. It might not be that much of a delay, and if you have a lot of terminal leave, you can use it.

 

[Onefellswoop87]

Somebody call Lena Dunham. I'm about to engage in some "mansplaining" to a couple of men.

The word is douche.

Now back to your regularly scheduled programming...

Despite my best intentions, I learned something new today. This is now the most I've ever thought about a douche.

 

[DrMetal]

Somebody call Lena Dunham. I'm about to engage in some "mansplaining" to a couple of men.

The word is douche.

Now back to your regularly scheduled programming...

I contest: Urban Dictionary: deuch


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[Creflo]

Maybe I could delay my separation without regard to my medical situation, is it difficult to do that once I already have orders? My coworkers would appreciate it because my replacement won't come until a few months after I leave (more call for them).

 

[DrMetal]

Maybe I could delay my separation without regard to my medical situation, is it difficult to do that once I already have orders? My coworkers would appreciate it because my replacement won't come until a few months after I leave (more call for them).

I don't know how you would delay your separation without regard to your medical situation. Is there another situation that would warrant such a delay? If so, by all means work it

In any case,orders can be canceled all the time, including separation orders. I had a kid who was two days away from separation, she fell and hurt herself and required extensive surgery. We communicated with PERS, said separation orders were canceled in a minute.

What you need to do, tomorrow, is talk to your surgeon and see if he or she is willing to deem you unfit for separation as per this procedure. If yes, have him or her document that and then communicate that with your chain of command. Your chain should then communicate with PERS to cancel your separation orders

 

[Creflo]

Thank you!

 

[MaximusD]

You just need to get your primary care physician to do a SHPE and state that you're unfit for separation and recommend specialist consultation prior to discharge. At minimum, you can have this designated a service-connected problem and get it fixed in the VA system.