NAVY: Surgery, 1st LIMDU, going into 2nd LIMDU HELP!

HailHailTheCelts

Member
Registered Member
Hello,

First of all, I am sorry if I am posting this in the wrong place. I am still very new to the Navy and I am not sure about all of the terminology and acronyms, to be quite honest! I am just a newbie E-3.

For a little background on me, I joined the Navy a little over 9 months ago. In boot camp, I had severe groin pain the entire time I was there. It was misdiagnosed as a groin strain and I was told to use ice and ibuprofen and to suck it up so I could graduate. I did this, because I always wanted to be a Sailor, since I was a very young child.

After I graduated A-School, when I got out the pains persisted, so I went back to the doctor. When I was getting orders to go to a ship, I finally said my groin hurts to bad, I don't think I can do this. So they did more X-rays and MRI. Finally they said that I have a bilateral hip impingement and a severe labral tear of the right hip.The doctor seems to think that my FAI was congenital, and he asked if anyone ever told me I had a hip impingement. I told him NO, and that is the truth. In fact, I used to run and swim before boot camp, and I never once had an issue with hip or groin pain in the past, or had any symptoms that I know of. I was scheduled for surgery and assigned LIMDU orders working out of rate.

Fast-forward to now, I have had surgery on my right hip. I am currently going to physical therapy and I have to be on a PCM machine 6 hours a day for continuous motion, physical therapy, avoid blood clot, etc.

Now here is where it gets tricky. My first limdu expires in 2 months. They said my recovery can take as much as 7 months. So I guess I will be in LIMDU for awhile. My other hip does not usually hurt that much, and I would usually rate the pain between 0 to 3 on bad days. Also, I had a few instances in boot camp when I had a sharp, horribly painful pain in the front of my right shoulder. Now it is impossible for me to do pushups without a lot of pain, or do any activities overhead. It got better for awhile where I was able to do pushups for about 2 months, but now it is back to where it started in boot camp.

Here are my questions:

1) What are my chances of staying in the Navy at this point would you say? I really want to stay in. I have a degree in the civilian world but the pay and benefits were not adding up to be what they are in the military. I am married and my wife is depending on me.

2) Should I get the surgery on my left hip now since it is not bothering me too much at all? If my left hip bothers me significantly in the future, say after I get out of the Navy, will the VA cover the surgery to have it fixed?

3) If I am medically discharged, what benefits do I have to look forward to as a "veteran"? Will I get the GI Bill/ Post 9/11 GI Bill? VA health benefits? Will the fact that my doctor seems to think my hip issue was congenital effect any of these? I had no issue with either of my hips before boot camp, and boot camp destroyed them! I used to run before I joined the Navy! It was all the stupid "beatings" we did in steel toe boots that did this to me!!

4) Should I see my PCM about the shoulder issue, or should I wait it out to see if it gets better, since I want to stay in the Navy, and this can hurt my chances of staying in?

5) I really want to change LIMDU commands. When I finish this first 6 month limdu, is it at ALL possible for me to change commands and get new orders somewhere else in this area? I really don't like my job because I feel like I do nothing useful for the Navy. I joined up to serve my country. Even if I am working in a barracks somewhere serving junior sailors or something, that would be more gratifying to me than jockeying a telephone. What are my options? Nobody is telling me anything at my command.


SORRY IF THIS SEEMS LIKE A LOT. Thank you all very much for your assistance in my problems!!!
 
I saw my PCM about my shoulder. Just went to have xrays and a CT scan of it. Ortho referral looks likely. Combined with the hip issue, it looks like I am getting out. Anyway sorry if I posted this in the wrong forum, but if anyone knows any of the answers to the above questions, I'd love to know them. I came here because no one seems to be able to help me elsewhere. Whatever. Thanks if anyone read any of the above nonsense.
 
1) What are my chances of staying in the Navy at this point would you say? I really want to stay in. I have a degree in the civilian world but the pay and benefits were not adding up to be what they are in the military. I am married and my wife is depending on me.

It really depends on the facts of your case and the impact of your disability/disabilities on your ability to perform your duties. Given what you stated in your second post, it sounds like you are going to eventually face an MEB/PEB and likely separate or retire. However, if you get treatment and/or recover (and especially with command support), it is conceivable that you could be returned to duty. Be careful with that goal- if you prepare your case and argue that you are fit, but are found unfit, it may limit the likelihood of being retired or getting the outcome that you should get.

2) Should I get the surgery on my left hip now since it is not bothering me too much at all? If my left hip bothers me significantly in the future, say after I get out of the Navy, will the VA cover the surgery to have it fixed?

Hard judgment call to make. It would take weighing the pros vs. the cons and what your providers tell you about the likelihood of success in surgery and the likely outcomes.

Yes, the VA should cover treatment for all service connected conditions.

3) If I am medically discharged, what benefits do I have to look forward to as a "veteran"? Will I get the GI Bill/ Post 9/11 GI Bill? VA health benefits? Will the fact that my doctor seems to think my hip issue was congenital effect any of these? I had no issue with either of my hips before boot camp, and boot camp destroyed them! I used to run before I joined the Navy! It was all the stupid "beatings" we did in steel toe boots that did this to me!!

If discharged, you will get paid severance pay (2x years of service x base pay; minimum of 3 years of service as the basis of the calculation). If retired, you will get the % awarded as degree of disability times your retired base pay (which is the average of your highest base pay over 36 months). (There are other calculations that can apply to those with higher years of service- this won't apply to you).

4) Should I see my PCM about the shoulder issue, or should I wait it out to see if it gets better, since I want to stay in the Navy, and this can hurt my chances of staying in?
Sounds like you have already addressed this point.

5) I really want to change LIMDU commands. When I finish this first 6 month limdu, is it at ALL possible for me to change commands and get new orders somewhere else in this area? I really don't like my job because I feel like I do nothing useful for the Navy. I joined up to serve my country. Even if I am working in a barracks somewhere serving junior sailors or something, that would be more gratifying to me than jockeying a telephone. What are my options? Nobody is telling me anything at my command.

It is unlikely that you would be able to change commands at this point.


I saw my PCM about my shoulder. Just went to have xrays and a CT scan of it. Ortho referral looks likely. Combined with the hip issue, it looks like I am getting out. Anyway sorry if I posted this in the wrong forum, but if anyone knows any of the answers to the above questions, I'd love to know them. I came here because no one seems to be able to help me elsewhere. Whatever. Thanks if anyone read any of the above nonsense.

Hope the above helped. Best of luck to you through this process!
 
As someone with injuries that were not properly looked at prior to being retired, and as someone with shoulder injury, I say have them look at it. It is much better to deal with being in the military and still have a constant stream of income and support.

When my shoulder injury was questioned for surgery, I was given a no good outcome. We only have one new surgeon at Ft. Wainwright. I asked to get a second opinion and was told I would have to wait 3-5 months for the new surgeon to arrive and settle in, which I did not.

Your young so get yourself fixed. Then if the card fall that you need to get out, you have to get out. Don't leave an injury that can be treated on the table.
 
Sorry for bringing this thread back but my 1st limdu expires in two months, and I have surgery in one month I'm still in student status haven't even gone to mos school yet and I'm wondering if you can receive a peb after surgery in the 2nd limdu
 
Your PCM can recommend a MEB anytime during the process.

Finishing the 2nd LIMDU only means that you have to be evaluated for a potential MEB. They could recommend you to start the process or continue on LIMDU to see how your injury progresses after surgery.
 
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