Openbah / Journal of a Marine Officer Candidate

Author: Openbah

  • Cleared by ortho docs

    The time has finally come: I have been cleared by my orthopedic doctors at Boston Medical Center to return to full duty! They don’t need to see me anymore and as far as they’re concerned I can return to OCS whenever I am physically qualified to. I can finally start jogging and begin building my strength back up. I celebrated with a 20-minute jog around Fenway.

    This doesn’t mean I’ll be back in the Marines anytime soon. I still need to get off disability, be cleared by the Navy, and finally have my waivers approved by the Marines and NOMI (Naval Operational Medicine Institute).

    I have been looking forward to this for quite a long time. First step: get off disability.

  • Crutch-free, hopefully for good this time

    It has been 6 weeks since I had the hardware removed from my hip and I am crutch-free once again. It’s like nothing ever happened. I have been to the gym 3 times in the past 3 days, and have resumed my usual routine. Thanks to my recent appendectomy my pullups are limited, but other than that things feel great. I was actually sore, I love it.

    I have my follow-up appointment with Dr. C next Tuesday. I’ll get more x-rays and find out how long it will be before I can start running again. Hopefully soon.

  • Appendectomy, one week later

    I had no idea a 3 small incisions in my abdominal region could hurt so much! After 4 days of popping Percocet every 4 hours I was finally able to switch to Tylenol.

    I had my 1 week post-op visit yesterday at Boston Medical Center. The NP said things look great and I shouldn’t have any problems with it, but I’m still not supposed to lift anything over 20 lbs for 5 more weeks. That’s one instruction I’m probably not going to be able to follow.

  • Appendectomy

    Was up in Maine this past weekend visiting some friends. Soon after we got in the car for the trip home I got a pain in my stomach that wouldn’t go away. Thinking it was nothing, we proceeded to run a couple errands, and stop for lunch. After 3 hours of intense pain, I decided I should go to the ER.

    We arrived at Boston Medical Center’s chaotic emergency room at 3PM, where I proceeded to check in and tell them what was happening and that “I was in so much pain I felt like I could pass out.” I was told to have a seat and a triage nurse would be with me when she got a chance.

    An hour later a nurse took my vitals. By this point I could barely breathe, had a heart rate of 130 BPM, and a fever. The nurse admitted me immediately and found a bed in a room for me to lie in.

    A doctor was in just seconds later and was poking my stomach asking me exactly where it hurt, and also if it hurt more when he pushed, or when he let go.

    I was given an IV and some morphine, thank God. The doctors gave me an ultrasound and told me they were 99% sure I had acute appendicitis, but wanted a CT scan just to make sure. Because I was at BMC, I was in line behind the steady stream of traumas coming into the hospital, so it would be a few hours before I got the scan. I was taken upstairs and given a room where I waited.

    My sister and her husband came by to see how I was doing. Sometime close to 10 I finally got my CT scan where it was determined I had acute appendicitis. I was brought to the OR for surgery, the same operating room I was at just weeks ago. The OR nurse actually remembered me; probably not a good thing when you’re on a first name basis with people who work in operating rooms.

    After a 45-minute surgery, I was appendix-free and was carted back into my room. I tried to sleep but couldn’t and it was soon the next day. My surgeon came in a couple times to make sure things were going well. Everything was fine and by 10AM I was told I could leave whenever I wanted, so I got my crutches and I left.

    My stomach still hurts, and I’m actually taking my pain medication this time. I haven’t slept since the surgery either. A couple hours here or there. I’m looking forward to feeling better.

    I’ll post some pre and post-surgery pictures soon.

  • 12-day follow up

    I had my follow up appointment today. A doctor removed the staples from my leg; I was glad to see them go. Orthopedic specialist Dr. C. said the x-ray from the surgery looks great and that my hip is definitely 100% healed. There is a good-sized hole where the screws were so it is important that I keep off the leg for 4 more weeks.

    Once I’m walking unassisted and given an OK by the ortho docs, I’m going to finally attempt to get off disability and be cleared “fit for duty.” As I’ve explained, this doesn’t mean that I’ll be immediately returning to active duty. What it does mean is that I can reapply for OCS (assuming the higher-ups approve of it) and start the lengthy waiver process.

    At this time, I can apply for OCC-197 or PLC 2nd Increment 2008. OCC-197 starts in January of 2008, which will give me a little over 6 months of training (if all goes well). If that doesn’t happen, I’ll just wait for PLC 2nd Increment 2008, which begins in just over a year.