Thread: All MEDICAL chat & queries in here please.

Chronic fatigue syndrome and associated disorders
3.13.7. Candidates diagnosed as suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome or the
group of associated disorders e.g. fibromyalgia (FM), myalgic encephalitis (ME), or post
viral fatigue syndrome (PVFS), are graded P8. Those with a history of this disorder lasting
no more than six months, but who have been certified to have had no further symptoms
and have been undertaking normal activities for more than two years require the opinion of
a Service consultant physician before acceptance3.

Originally Posted by theoriginalphantom

Chronic fatigue syndrome and associated disorders
3.13.7. Candidates diagnosed as suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome or the
group of associated disorders e.g. fibromyalgia (FM), myalgic encephalitis (ME), or post
viral fatigue syndrome (PVFS), are graded P8. Those with a history of this disorder lasting
no more than six months, but who have been certified to have had no further symptoms
and have been undertaking normal activities for more than two years require the opinion of
a Service consultant physician before acceptance3.

Yeah, that's what I'm worried about. Does that mean even if I've had no further symptoms for over 4 years I can't join because I suffered from it for over 6 months?

Originally Posted by JamesAFC

Originally Posted by theoriginalphantom

Chronic fatigue syndrome and associated disorders
3.13.7. Candidates diagnosed as suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome or the
group of associated disorders e.g. fibromyalgia (FM), myalgic encephalitis (ME), or post
viral fatigue syndrome (PVFS), are graded P8. Those with a history of this disorder lasting
no more than six months, but who have been certified to have had no further symptoms
and have been undertaking normal activities for more than two years require the opinion of
a Service consultant physician before acceptance3.

Yeah, that's what I'm worried about. Does that mean even if I've had no further symptoms for over 4 years I can't join because I suffered from it for over 6 months?

That's the way I read it.

Originally Posted by theoriginalphantom

Originally Posted by JamesAFC

Originally Posted by theoriginalphantom

Chronic fatigue syndrome and associated disorders
3.13.7. Candidates diagnosed as suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome or the
group of associated disorders e.g. fibromyalgia (FM), myalgic encephalitis (ME), or post
viral fatigue syndrome (PVFS), are graded P8. Those with a history of this disorder lasting
no more than six months, but who have been certified to have had no further symptoms
and have been undertaking normal activities for more than two years require the opinion of
a Service consultant physician before acceptance3.

Yeah, that's what I'm worried about. Does that mean even if I've had no further symptoms for over 4 years I can't join because I suffered from it for over 6 months?

That's the way I read it.

just go for it at the end of the day its up to the doctor and if uve had no symtons for four years was it ?? then its worth trying.

Hey guys,

heres the crack...
Did well in Maths and English tests.
Scored 81 on BARB test which enables me to apply for many jobs across the army.
But due to an old knee injury- I dislocated my kneecap about 2-3 years ago, they have deferred me
"for one year and the latter of 3 months of which you can exercise.."

1)Does this mean I have been deferred for a year, 3 months at the end of which i need a training diary or what? (jus 3 months of trainin diary)


2)Although I am deferred from regular could I still join TA?
I know they also have a fitness selection but their run times arent as fast and also its part time,
I am just asking because obviously joining regular a deferral may be warrented due to strenuous exercise everyday, but TA overal demands are less?

Basically asking if a deferral from Regular stops me joining TA or could I still join TA until I am allowed back to regular?

Many thanks guys, really could do with all the help I can get, really was looking forward to getting in army and kinda knocked me back with theis deferral, just trying to get in any way and soon as possible, its what I want to do with my life make a career etc.

If it helps in any way, I am looking at careers possibly as Opmi in Millitary intelligence corps, Avionics technician in REME or Bomb disposal in RE
(so you get an idea of what training/lifestyle is going to be)

again, many thanks, rob

i dislocated my shoulder and had to have an operation in december 2008,applied for army in july 09 and when my meds came back i was told i would have to wait til end of november/start of december to be placed on selection because a year had to have passed since operation.
i was still allowed to continue with my application and done pre-selection twice and started a 3 month fitness diary , interviews etc. then because my pre-selection results were good enough , i didn't have to complete th diary.
so i'm guessing it'll be deferred for 1 year and do 3 month diary at the end . best to call your ACIO as they'll know for sure .

Originally Posted by armybucks

Hey guys,

heres the crack...
Did well in Maths and English tests.
Scored 81 on BARB test which enables me to apply for many jobs across the army.
But due to an old knee injury- I dislocated my kneecap about 2-3 years ago, they have deferred me
"for one year and the latter of 3 months of which you can exercise.."

1)Does this mean I have been deferred for a year, 3 months at the end of which i need a training diary or what? (jus 3 months of trainin diary)


2)Although I am deferred from regular could I still join TA?
I know they also have a fitness selection but their run times arent as fast and also its part time,
I am just asking because obviously joining regular a deferral may be warrented due to strenuous exercise everyday, but TA overal demands are less?

Basically asking if a deferral from Regular stops me joining TA or could I still join TA until I am allowed back to regular?

Many thanks guys, really could do with all the help I can get, really was looking forward to getting in army and kinda knocked me back with theis deferral, just trying to get in any way and soon as possible, its what I want to do with my life make a career etc.

If it helps in any way, I am looking at careers possibly as Opmi in Millitary intelligence corps, Avionics technician in REME or Bomb disposal in RE
(so you get an idea of what training/lifestyle is going to be)

again, many thanks, rob

It's one Army. People keep seeming to think they can avoid medical deferral/rejection via the TA.

I've had it - 12 months ago.
Eyes are now bionic - far better than before.
However....
To qualify for service and meet army medical entrance standards I need to fulfill certain criteria:

Pre-op refractive error not more than -6.00 dioptre:
Mine were -6.25 & -6.50

My eyes are in perfect condition now - my visual acuity is 6/5, I get no glare or have any night vision issues at all.

Does this pre-op prescription mean I will get barred???

I'll be gutted as I got surgery so that I wouldn't be wearing gegs once I joined up....

Unless a *significant* portion of your pre-operative refractive error was attributed to astigmatism then you will most likely find yourself failing the medical.

This is something you really need to go & check as what I mentioned above overturned my initial medical rejection.

Criteria is all in the JSP 346 link in one of the threads above.

I definately had astigmatism prior.

How can I find out what a significant portion would be??

The rest of the criteria I meet.

Have you been accepted now?

I'm curious as to how the astigmatism thing works. I know that two minuses get added and a minus and a plus results in a lower minus - so (say) -6 with + 1d of astigmatism at 90 = -5 "overall". Equally, if you were -6 with -0.5 at 180 you would be -6.5 "overall" , but really you would meet the "no more than -6 in any meridian rule"; yes?

The reason I ask is that I wouldn't have thought that was a wise policy. I would guess that a plain vanilla myopic prescription would be easier to correct with fewer problems than a complex prescription. Mixed myopia and astigmatism means you need a wavy ablation pattern, and some lasers cut the myopic correction first and then the astigmatic correction, rather than producing a complex initial cut, which ends up removing a lot of tissue.

And the more you remove, and the more variability in the cut, the more uneven and variable the healing.

Of course, the answer is that there are two hurdles, i) the prescription limit and ii) no negative effects. But within "no negative effects" there are gradations, and (again) I think myopia corrected is probably less problematic than a more complex (but on paper lower) prescription, corrected. Would they really prefer someone who started at -6D of myopia with plus 5D of astigmatism to someone who started -7 myopia and no astigmatism?

Originally Posted by mjcoi

I definately had astigmatism prior.

How can I find out what a significant portion would be??

The rest of the criteria I meet.

Have you been accepted now?

Print out the "Eye Diseases" Corrective Refractive Surgery section found in the JSP 346 document & take it to the opticians that did your surgery. Highlight the footnote that states that the "cyl" is halved for those that had surgery so that your optician factors this in to your pre-operative prescription (critical).

I doubt you officially meet all of the criteria. Who did your specialist visual acuity tests based exactly on what the armed forces requires stated on the document?

I was accepted (visually anyway) only after having my visual acuity assessed by Glasgow Cal University (Visual Sciences dept.) & I was then forwarded to an eye clinic in Birmingham to have my visual acuity / results additionally assessed by an armed forces eye specialist (I can only assume this is due to the proximity to Selly Oak why you have to go to Birmingham).

I think I see what you say....

Looking at my pre-op prescription of
Sph Cyl
Right -5.75 -1.00
Left -6.00 -1.00


This suggests that astigmatism attributed to this is -1.00 - Am I right?

Does this constitute a significant proportion as my ESE would be -6.25 & -6.50 respectively (outside the max criteria of -6.00 dioptre)?

I'm being optimistic!

This was my next Q really.

It was Optimax that performed surgery. They told me that they don't do the Speciailist Visual Funtion test.

Is this something I need to organise, or do the army do this for me?

I was under the impression they did it at selection...?

Gobbyidiot, agreed mate, I'm not an ophthalmologist but reading enough about laser eye surgery in making my decision I would also assume more visual stability / less margin of error / (corneal) complications occurring operating on someone with a basic - albeit mildly increased dioptre - of myopia than say someone with a combination of both myopia & *significant* astigmatism.

The armed forces eye specialist in Birmingham actually showed me a diagram of both my corneas - they look like centred hour glasses the shape the laser made - & commented on the excellent craftsmanship that went specifically in to my eyes despite my mild astigmatism.

Suffice to say as someone desperate to enlist I just work within the rules laid down for this specific part of the medical in order to have my visual acuity graded acceptable.