Medical Discharge

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Permalink Reply by Barbara on November 29, 2008 at 2:38am

Hi my name is Barbara , My sailor is overseas, and away for 1 year and 5 months.I have seen him once. Recently he tells me he has been feeling very ill, and has been told he needs more excerise. My son never complains , and tells me now its hard for him to stand,I know he is at Sea. has been for 4 months , and has been to Asia, etc. I ask the same , why cant i find out whats wrong? why dont they take him seriously? Im so sorry for your son, i hope he is ok. maybe its temp. maybe he needs a break. The bottom line is ,, why are we kept in the dark. As far as im concerned , the medical needs to Buck up , like they told my son. Sincerely. Barbara

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Permalink Reply by Hoppi aka Angie on November 29, 2008 at 9:12am

The bottom line is ,, why are we kept in the dark. As far as im concerned , the medical needs to Buck up
Who should call and tell you what is going on with your child?

As far as medical assisting your son, something you might want to think about is that he needs to be the one to follow up with medical, he needs to go to medical and tell them what is wrong, if he dosen't think the answer is right he can ask for a second opnion. Yes he can! I know as I was hurt by the Navy, they told me to "buck up" well I went back to medical and my dr set me up to see another doctor. Even though he (the dr) was the one who told me I was ok and to buck up. A few weeks latter, I went to see another doctor found out I have permanat nerve damage caused by an accident on the ship (found that out after lots of testing,med's, and surgery).

The point I am trying to make is if someone doesen't like the medical care they are getting they can have someone else see them. If I would have listened to the first dr, I would still be in pain and may have lost the use of some of my limbs.

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Permalink Reply by TheyGrewAgain on November 29, 2008 at 2:47am

Why didn't someone call us and let us know how depressed he was?

It's your son who didn't tell you. He's an adult and entitled to medical privacy, like anyone else. Ask your son why he felt he didn't want to tell you. He probably didn't want to worry you and hoped it resolved itself.

I hope your son isn't too disappointed about his discharge and feels better once he's back.

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Permalink Reply by Hoppi aka Angie on November 29, 2008 at 9:04am

today I talked to his brother and he said Ry has been on anti depression drugs since boot.

The Navy does not kick everyone out just because they are on anti-depression meds. They try to assist the Sailor's, if the Sailors don't want to the help, sometimes they kick them out.

You might want to line up an appt with a doctor so your son can have someone to talk to when he gets home. You also might want to look up some anti-depression meds. I have heard some have side effects if people are taken off of them with out being decressed slowly.

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Permalink Reply by intheknow on November 30, 2008 at 8:42pm

You are "kept in the dark" by something cal HIPPA.

HIPPA is the same thing that keeps other people's noses ou of your medical business.

Once your child is an adult you have no righ o his/her medical info unless they sign a release graning you access. Time to stop blaming the Navy.

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Permalink Reply by Kathy on December 1, 2008 at 4:53am

I was NOT blaming the NAVY, I just think they should inform a parent or spouse of a medical condition that might harm a person. SO I'm NOT blaming the Navy. The Navy has been good to him since he joined. I was a proud momma and I still am. As for my son not telling me, he'd know I'd worry about him, He spoke with his brother and told him not to tell us.
All I wanted here was a little feed back from other mothers and not putting the blame on anyone. So please don't take this as a slam against the Navy, I'm sure there are more sons and daughter out there that are having the same problems. I just needed to hear from the moms who might have the same thing going on in there childs life. Thanks for slamming me for writing this

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Permalink Reply by Hoppi aka Angie on December 1, 2008 at 7:33pm

No one was saying you where blaming the Navy, but as was said HIPPA is in effect.

You might want to click on groups and search for Ship 17 they are a group of people whose children have been kicked out of the Navy for one reason or another.

No one was trying to slam you, the way you wrote your post was you where blaming the Navy and you where blaming no one for letting you know what was going on with your son. When your other son knew the what was going on with him and didn't tell you.

I hope every will be ok with your son.

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Permalink Reply by Beth B. Smith on November 30, 2008 at 8:57pm

I am so sorry to hear about this. Depression is such a sly condition. I know, having experienced it my self and it runs in my husbands family. I hope he is able to talk to you about it and that the Navy is sending him home in good condition.

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Permalink Reply by Barb Pruitt on December 2, 2008 at 9:54am

ok moms, I am going to say something that is going to make a lot of people upset, but although I know we all as moms want to know what is going on, once they join, we no longer have a right to depend on the navy to be forthcoming with information. They are adults. From experience, former long time navy wife with a daughter and son, and son in law in navy. One of the biggest hurdles I have found. When our kids are younger and at home, when they get sick, if they are not cured or the problem isn't taken care of they have moms at home calling doctors and going to appts to make sure it is taken care of. Once they are on their own many forget that they have to keep complaining, the docs see hundreds of sailors, and if they send them out the door and they don't complain and keep coming back, they have to assume that they are better. Tell your kids, if they go to medical, but do not improve GO BACK and keep going back until they get the help they need. Many of us know it is the same on the outside, but we have learned from experience, that sometimes once isn't enough and persistance can really make a difference. Good luck

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Permalink Reply by intheknow on December 2, 2008 at 10:06am

Amen to Barb!

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Permalink Reply by Anti M on December 2, 2008 at 10:41am

So true Barb, I wish I'd kept at medical when I developed chest pains. The PA told me it was "psychosomatic", that I was too young for heart trouble. I never implied it was my heart, I just had terrible pain in my chest! And I was ticked ... I overheard him telling a sailor that the thinner the medical record, the more serious he'd take the complaint. Having a nice thick record myself, and knowing that he meant "hypochondriac" when he said "psychosomatic" ... hey, I did have a degree in psychology even though I was in electronics ... I should have stomped off to patient relations and put in a complaint. But I didn't, I crawled back to work and dealt with it. Had I pursued it, my chronic bronchial spasm asthma attacks I developed in Japan from exposure to molds would have been in my medical record and be treated as part of my VA disability.

Tell them to be persistent! I know there's a lot of pressure to buck up, to avoid the appearance of malingering, but they are in charge of their own health care in the long run.

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Permalink Reply by Hoppi aka Angie on December 2, 2008 at 11:27pm

I SOO agree with this! I have had something smilar happen where a dr thought I was faking it due to my think medical record. Than I explained to the dr, he might want to READ my record. I have had major surgeries and been hurt more than once while on ships. I was NOT the type of person to complain I had a cold. Now mind you I see many dr's out in town as the Navy is trying to get me fixed.

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