Good afternoon,
I am a 3/c Midshipman and the Naval Academy in Maryland and have some questions about my pending status as an active duty member of the Armed Services.
Last year I went to the ER complaining of pain and swelling in my right arm and was told that I had 3 fully occlusive clots in my right arm and in the subclavian vein. I was put on Coumadin therapy for 6 months and unable to complete summer training because of the therapy. I was taken off of Coumadin on November 9, 2011 without having an ultrasound done to make sure that the clots were indeed dissolved. This month, my arm began feeling tight and I complained of aching and numbness in my right pinkie finger. After a trip to Bethesda for an ultrasound, I was again carted off to the ER with a pretty extensive clot beginning in my subclavian and ending in my elbow. After a few hours of disappointment and fear of being kicked out of the Academy, the hematologist said that this was probably the same clot as the year before. He put me on Lovenox and I have a follow up appointment on May 11, 2012.
I am a very healthy individual otherwise and my hematologist was never able to narrow down the true cause for the clot. This is because I play ice hockey at the Academy and received trauma to the left side of my chest the month before the first incident of the DVT. However, I was on oral contraceptives at the time and the hematologist said that those were most likely the reason for my DVT.
I just want to know what will happen to me now that I have been put on a second round of blood thinners. On the Academy side, what if I cannot complete my training (Protramid) this summer because of the high-risk situations? I'm already deficient in my youngster summer cruises because of the high-risk situations.
As per service selection, will I be able to fly? I wanted to select NFO but I don't know if that is possible now.
Finally, since this is not considered a new clot and there is no record of genetic clotting disorders after my workup, what is the likelihood of being disqualified medically?
Thank you for your time!
-Nathalie
I am a 3/c Midshipman and the Naval Academy in Maryland and have some questions about my pending status as an active duty member of the Armed Services.
Last year I went to the ER complaining of pain and swelling in my right arm and was told that I had 3 fully occlusive clots in my right arm and in the subclavian vein. I was put on Coumadin therapy for 6 months and unable to complete summer training because of the therapy. I was taken off of Coumadin on November 9, 2011 without having an ultrasound done to make sure that the clots were indeed dissolved. This month, my arm began feeling tight and I complained of aching and numbness in my right pinkie finger. After a trip to Bethesda for an ultrasound, I was again carted off to the ER with a pretty extensive clot beginning in my subclavian and ending in my elbow. After a few hours of disappointment and fear of being kicked out of the Academy, the hematologist said that this was probably the same clot as the year before. He put me on Lovenox and I have a follow up appointment on May 11, 2012.
I am a very healthy individual otherwise and my hematologist was never able to narrow down the true cause for the clot. This is because I play ice hockey at the Academy and received trauma to the left side of my chest the month before the first incident of the DVT. However, I was on oral contraceptives at the time and the hematologist said that those were most likely the reason for my DVT.
I just want to know what will happen to me now that I have been put on a second round of blood thinners. On the Academy side, what if I cannot complete my training (Protramid) this summer because of the high-risk situations? I'm already deficient in my youngster summer cruises because of the high-risk situations.
As per service selection, will I be able to fly? I wanted to select NFO but I don't know if that is possible now.
Finally, since this is not considered a new clot and there is no record of genetic clotting disorders after my workup, what is the likelihood of being disqualified medically?
Thank you for your time!
-Nathalie
