Last week I got a call from my contact at Newport Naval Hospital, she received the findings of my physical evaluation board. I have been found unfit for duty, received a 30% disability rating, and starting November 9th will be on the TDRL (Temporary Disability Retired List).

I was placed on the TDRL because my condition was not deemed “stable” by the PEB. While on the TDRL, I’ll be reevaluated every 18 months and limited to 5 years max on the TDRL. At the 5 year point, if not sooner during a reevaluation, I will be removed from the TDRL and either found fit for duty or permanently retired.

I am going to register with the VA tomorrow, and begin the next chapter of my life.

I have some pretty big news to those of you that have been reading my journal for the past couple years. It seems the higher-ups in the Navy have decided that I am unfit for duty, and should be discharged. They have recommended my case be submitted to the Physical Evaluation Board (PEB). The PEB basically reviews the medical evidence and makes determinations of fitness or unfitness to continue service. If the service member is found unfit, the PEB then determines the percentage of the service member’s disability compensation using the Veterans Administration Schedule for Rating Disability (VASRD). Depending on the severity of the injury, the service member either receives medical retirement or severance pay. Read more…

Had my physical at Newport on Monday; it was as bad as I expected.

After leaving Boston at 5AM we arrived at Newport Naval Hospital at 6:20AM. I checked in and was given a blood test, urinalysis, a hearing test, eye test, a full physical, dental exam, and this was all before lunch. After lunch I had my meeting with the orthopedic doctor, who didn’t feel comfortable starting a med board without knowing what is wrong with my leg. He orders some x-rays (which didn’t show anything) and told me I’d have to get a CT scan and come back down to Newport.

Yesterday I spoke to a SSgt at Quantico who tried to explain things to me as best she could. When a candidate it hurt at OCS, he/she is sent home to heal. The healing process is only supposed to last 6 months. Because my injury was so bad, we had to ask for extensions beyond that 6 months to allow time for the leg to heal.

It has been a year and a half since the injury happened, and I’ve started losing hope that things will ever get better. I was given the option to go to my primary orthopedic doctor at BMC and have him write a letter saying that we shouldn’t do the med board now and that I “should get better soon.” I can’t bring myself to give up not knowing if I’ll be in good enough shape to return in 6 months. I don’t want to end things with the Marines and regret making the decision the rest of my life. So I’ve decided to see my primary ortho doctor and get his opinion and possibly get that letter from him. I see him 11 Sept.

(By the way, the little good news that came out of my trip to Newport was that my eyes are still perfect, my hearing was the best the examiner has ever seen, and my blood tests were near perfect)

I have to be at Newport Naval Hospital at 0630 for blood work. I’ll sit around, then get a full physical starting at 1020. I’ll sit around some more, and finally have an appointment with an orthopedic doc at 1330.

Tomorrow the ortho doctor and I will sit down and take a look at my future with the Marine Corps. He is either going to recommend I take more time to heal, or that I should be permanently separated. I’m 99% sure I know what the doctor is going to say.

I don’t want to be in pain anymore. I don’t want to sleep with pillows under my leg. I don’t want to have to stop in the middle of the sidewalk because my leg needs to rest. I want to not limp. I want to go for a hike, work out, and work in the garden.

I don’t want to take a bottle worth of Motrin per week. I want to be better.

Luckily my parents are in town and my mother is nice enough to sacrifice her day to keep my company. I’ll let you know how things go.

I showed up to Hanscom Air Force Base at 7:50AM last week to meet with that Army doctor, only to find out “he didn’t show up for work.” I rescheduled for the 22nd, but found out today I might not even have to go. Turns out I need to go back to Newport Naval Hospital to determine whether I will return to full duty, continue treatment, or have a PEB (I think PEB has something to do with a medical board reviewing my case, though I am not familiar with this acronym). I called today to make the appointment but never heard back from them about how many weeks I’ll have to wait to be seen.

Some days I feel like I could walk fine, other days I can’t even bend my hip enough to put on a sock. Apparently things aren’t getting better on their own and I need some therapy advice. Hopefully I’ll go to Newport soon.