Medical stuff
So far, I have to say I'm fairly pleased with Navy medical. I don't know what everybody is bitching about.
Apparently you aren't supposed to wear contacts for two weeks before having PRK surgery. I know this, because our battalion surgeon is trying to help me out with getting my PRK and ortho surgery coordinated so that the con leave is at the same time or overlapping. As much as I would love to spend more time at home with Mandy, I can't be missing out on too much training. After all, not missing a training event or two could potentially have a significant impact on whether or not I or another Marine makes it back to that special someone. I think that one is definitely worth sacrificing a week or two with her, don't you? So anyway, I went down originally to just ask one of the corpsmen if they had any idea (or access to the actual waiting list) when my PRK might be as I was concerned that the attached con leave might make me miss out on some key training. I also inquired as the possibility of doing it at Bethesda while I'm on con leave for the leg. The battalion surgeon happened to be standing there, and he was basically like, "well, come with me." I went to his office with him and gave him the run down, and he immediately got on the phone for me. We almost had fabulous luck as the eye doc here at Camp Lejeune was about to hook me up with surgery this week once he heard I was with 2d Recon, but then there's the contact issue. So the doc then sits on hold with Bethesda, gets disconnected, calls back, talks to a couple of different people, and basically goes to bat for me, putting up with an obnoxious phone system, an obnoxious civilian receptionist, and a smarmy jaded corpsman, never accepting 'no' for an answer, and they are going to try to hook me up with an appointment for PRK surgery at Bethesda in October. How sweet is that? There's still no guarantee it'll happen, but I still think it's awesome that he went to that much effort for me. Sure, you might say it was only fifteen minutes of his time and arguably his job, but believe me, not everyone will go to that much effort for you without a lot more pressure than a simple, "hey sir, do you think...". I certainly have never expected that level of service from an officer or even a civilian doctor for that matter. I do have to admit though that I'm seriously hoping the PRK happens towards the end of October so I still get an extra week or two with Mandy, but as long as I don't miss any of our major training events (primarily concerned with the ones in December and January), it's all gravy.
Oh yeah, for those of you not on my friends list and unable to view the friends only posts, the Weapon:X project reaches operational status on 4 October and will include about four weeks of convalescent leave which I intend to spend at home (or more specifically, Mandy's home). I won't be up and about much that first week, but expect to see me around week three or so. I think I hear O'Toole's calling ;)
Apparently you aren't supposed to wear contacts for two weeks before having PRK surgery. I know this, because our battalion surgeon is trying to help me out with getting my PRK and ortho surgery coordinated so that the con leave is at the same time or overlapping. As much as I would love to spend more time at home with Mandy, I can't be missing out on too much training. After all, not missing a training event or two could potentially have a significant impact on whether or not I or another Marine makes it back to that special someone. I think that one is definitely worth sacrificing a week or two with her, don't you? So anyway, I went down originally to just ask one of the corpsmen if they had any idea (or access to the actual waiting list) when my PRK might be as I was concerned that the attached con leave might make me miss out on some key training. I also inquired as the possibility of doing it at Bethesda while I'm on con leave for the leg. The battalion surgeon happened to be standing there, and he was basically like, "well, come with me." I went to his office with him and gave him the run down, and he immediately got on the phone for me. We almost had fabulous luck as the eye doc here at Camp Lejeune was about to hook me up with surgery this week once he heard I was with 2d Recon, but then there's the contact issue. So the doc then sits on hold with Bethesda, gets disconnected, calls back, talks to a couple of different people, and basically goes to bat for me, putting up with an obnoxious phone system, an obnoxious civilian receptionist, and a smarmy jaded corpsman, never accepting 'no' for an answer, and they are going to try to hook me up with an appointment for PRK surgery at Bethesda in October. How sweet is that? There's still no guarantee it'll happen, but I still think it's awesome that he went to that much effort for me. Sure, you might say it was only fifteen minutes of his time and arguably his job, but believe me, not everyone will go to that much effort for you without a lot more pressure than a simple, "hey sir, do you think...". I certainly have never expected that level of service from an officer or even a civilian doctor for that matter. I do have to admit though that I'm seriously hoping the PRK happens towards the end of October so I still get an extra week or two with Mandy, but as long as I don't miss any of our major training events (primarily concerned with the ones in December and January), it's all gravy.
Oh yeah, for those of you not on my friends list and unable to view the friends only posts, the Weapon:X project reaches operational status on 4 October and will include about four weeks of convalescent leave which I intend to spend at home (or more specifically, Mandy's home). I won't be up and about much that first week, but expect to see me around week three or so. I think I hear O'Toole's calling ;)