Desperately need advice

[Navy_J]

Hi guys. I'm set to go to BMQ in less than a week... I've been running and I'm in good shape, but I think I might have injured myself and now I'm really worried.

Two days ago I upped my pace to do the 2.4km test, but up until that point I'd normally been just doing relatively slow 5Ks. Anyway, everything went fine. My time was good and I didn't have any pain during the run (I get pressure sensetive spots on the sides of my shins, which usually lasts for a day or so and then disappears, but it doesn't hurt while I run). Anyway, I was pleased, but come the next day I started getting a pain from within my leg, kinda at the mid-point between the knee and the ankle. Its not bad and I'm sure I could run through it... but.

What scares me is that I've had similar pain two years ago (I was a lot heavier and not wearing proper shoes), and I ran through it and it got really bad really fast... to the point where it hurt walking. A that time, I was just running for recreation so I stopped and it went away after awhile. But now I only have a few days until BMQ. I'm scared to run on it because I don't want to make it worse, but I can't be sure if it's serious or not. I went to the doctor and got an xray. He said it could be a symptom of shin splints (the pressure points on my shin have dissapeared now, but i still feel the slight ache when I run a little) but he couldn't be sure. I'm still waiting on the xray results to see if it's a stress fracture.

Anyway. I've been waiting so long for this and I now I think I've messed things up by pushing myself too far. I guess I should call the recruiting center and tell them, but at the same time I don't want to overract. There's so little time left as well, so I'm going crazy trying to decide what to do.

If anyone has any advice, or can share a similar experience please let me know. I don't know what to do.

Thanks

 

[kratz]

You are sworn in, you have a duty to report any real medical concerns, this is different than normal aches and pains.

Nobody online can give you advice. You need to make the wise, ethical choice yourself.

Remember, there are others who can pass their BMQ waiting, if you know you can not.
The nice thing is, if your condition is temporary, you will be loaded onto another BMQ a few months down the road, once you are healed because you are already enrolled.

So things are not as dire as you might imagine.

 

[Good2Golf]

Stuff happens.  I've seen people break arms/legs/bones/have outpatient surgery/etc... between their swearing in ceremony and their BMQ/BOMQ report date.  That's life, injuries happen.  Report and advise/declare your concern.  Let your DS know that you might have to go to sick parade once you get cleared-in, if there's a continuing problem.  For the time being, stop running (-- two days won't see your conditioning degrade, and will give your shins time to recover a bit.  As per your experience in the past, do not push through something in the hope that it will just solve itself, it won't.  Your DS will understand and, in fact, should insist that you get things checked out properly.  It's in our (CF's) best interest to make sure people aren't broken, either temporarily or permanently.

Kratz, what are you suggesting Navy_J's actions should be other than report for duty on Thursday and advise his directing staff of his condition?

Regards
G2G

 

[kratz]

Kratz, what are you suggesting Navy_J's actions should be other than report for duty on Thursday and advise his directing staff of his condition?

Regards
G2G

My comments were supporting Navy_J in addressing his concerns.

Based on his post, I understood he has not entered the school yet, so Navy_J has  choice to inform his CFRC. If the CFRC chooses to put a hold on his course, they may be able to enroll and send another recruit in his place. Should Navy_J's situation be as serious as he is concerned about. I was mentioning a worst case situation.

 

[Good2Golf]

While enrollees must report notable changes in medical condition if such occurs prior to commencement of training, one must consider the specifics of the situation in determining how that reporting of condition could be made. 

In this case, with the information provided there appear to be two options:

1. Serious injury - Navy_J is sworn in and technically, were the injury serious enough (which I didn't get from his post), he should follow the instructions on the back of his Leave (without pay) Pass and report to the nearest CF medical installation and follow direction by medical staff as issued, or

2. Minor injury/health issue (which this appears to be) - With only a single working day left between now and his report for duty day at St-Jean, it is unlikely that the recruiting center would be able to take any action to non-medically assess his condition and determine if administratively recourse Navy_J on the next BMQ serial prior to the commencement of training in about 36 hours from now. 

As a previous BOMQ instructor (which I admit I didn't note in my earlier post) and given the specifics of the situation, my recommendation to Navy_J was to report for duty and advise the directing staff as soon as practical regarding the injury.  I also had experience recently with a CF member who had an injury post-swearing-in that required minor day surgery just days before commencement of basic training.  He advised the CoC and was directed to report as planned, and attend sick-parade the day after arriving.

I understand the helpful intent of your advice; however, I believe you clouded the issue for Navy_J by mentioning the issue of his needing to make a "wise, ethical choice" (a bit overdramatic) and talking about how others could pass the BMQ if he was unable to on this serial (not related to how BMQ/BOMQ billets are filled).  He was simply looking for some short notice advice.  Either suggest something, or don't, but don't just say that it's a difficult decision...he knows that, and he has sought advice after hours.

I suspect that if he phones the CFRC tomorrow morning, after a quick discussion of his situation, they will direct him to report as planned, and advise the DS accordingly upon his arrival.

Regards
G2G

 

[kratz]

Ack,

PM inbound.

As well meaning as my post for Navy_J was, my post had some confusing flaws.

 

[forumdood007]

Take a break from physical activity until you go, don't worry about it. I went with shin splints in both legs and made it through. I just used lots of tiger balm and found people with ibuprofen. I did St-Jean at 50, just sayin........

 

[Good2Golf]

... I did St-Jean at 50, just sayin........

[off topic]

Well done! 

[/off topic]

 

[Goose]

Take off what time you can. It sounds like you have been working hard, and have improved your fitness; it will take more than a few days of down time to really impact the level you have achieved. So relax, and don't worry about it. You'll be doing lots of training with this or that wrong... I don't want to say get used to it, but keep in perspective when you are making decisions like this one where your personal line is between hurt and injured. Good luck!
ps: Ibuprofen is your friend  :camo:

 

[Navy_J]

Hey guys. Thanks so much for the replies.

To add a little more, my BMQ starts this Sunday, Sept. 5th, so I still have three more days to report this before things shutdown for the weekend.

For my injury, I guess its some kind of shin splint. Now, I've read all kinds of stuff on shin splints and there's a bunch of different kinds, each with varying severity. I just worry that I've got the beginnings of a stress fracture or something, which is more severe than regular shin splints. Needless to say, there's not enough time to figure out whatever the case is, and the only way to know is to have more time. But going by what I had 2 years before, I kind of see my legs physically falling off if I were to run through it for 3.5 months (it got worse quickly and progessibely). I can take pain, especially for something I want as badly as this... but there's muscle pain and then there's injury pain. I suspect it might be the beginnings of injury pain. (I know this sounds a little crazy... tying to play internet doctor is a terrible thing).

I guess the only thing to do is call my recruiting center and lay it all out and let them decide. It just makes me sick thinking that they might recourse me, and it makes me sick thinking I might ultimately screw things up worse by not saying anything.

Anyway, thanks a ton for the advice guys.

 

[Precept]

I had shin splints during my last 4-5 months doing  PT sessions at a Police Academy. Some days were better than others. I only had it in one shin, which was better for me. Got it from running up and down a bunch of stairs for a cardio workout. Needless to say, I took a month off from running when I finished the course, and it healed.


Keep off it, ice it, and call your CFRC. They may leave it up to you, or they may have you get checked by a doctor to make the call.



Best of luck.

 

[George Wallace]

Any of you guys think to read the long detailed topic on "Shin Splints, Blisters, and PT" ?

 

[Navy_J]

Any of you guys think to read the long detailed topic on "Shin Splints, Blisters, and PT" ?

Hi George. I think I've been through that thread a hundred times now. Here's the part that concerns me and relates most to my situation (It's regarding shin splints, and what can happen if you ignore them):

"the usual full recovery time for this injury is two to four weeks.

From personal experience - don't be a hard *** if ya don't need to be. I got shin splints on the inside of my calves back in Basic. I sucked it up until Basic was over, and I was in Battle School. At that point, I couldn't put any weight on my leg without it feeling like someone was taking a spiked rolling pin to my shin so I went to the UMS. Found out I had stress fractures in my legs and had been running on them for a few months. From what I understand the muscles in your lower leg can get broken down and become so weak that they transfer all the weight onto the bone. I ended up being re-coursed and stuck in Holding Platoon for months. Whenever possible, take a day or two off when ya first get shin splints. It's a lot better than having to take 8 weeks off because you got a broken tibia."

I get this ache in my leg. I haven't run on it, and after the first 2 days it disappeared, but then I did a little 'hop test' I guess you could call it, and it came right back. 2 years ago I ran through something similar and after only a few runs the pain grew severely and walking the next day hurt a lot.

Now, I think it's the same thing. And I don't want to be a woosey, and I think could run through it for awhile, but I don't want to do something stupid either and end up on injury platoon for months on end when I could let it heal properly now, and do basic training later without these issues at all. That's my predicament. 

To make things more confusing, some people with shin splints say that doing basic exercises like spelling the alphabet with your foot, or doing toe stands, clears it up right away. None of that stuff works for me at all. I think either way I'm gonna have to eat a sh*t sandwich on this one 

Anyway, thanks again for all te advice.

 

[Navy_J]

Hey guys. Here's an update.

I called my file handler today. She put me in touch with the medical department at the recruiting center. I told him everything I put down here and he said I'm okay to go. No way to tell for sure of course, and there's little time, so he told me to rest it, take some ibprofen and let it heal as best as I can until the 5th. Anyway, I emailed my file handler so I'm just waiting to hear back from her for the final word.

I think though that I'll be going, since it was all on the med peoples word. Anyway, I feel ten times better now that I voiced my concerns. If the worst happens and it gets really bad, I'm just gonna go for broke (hopefully not litterally!).

Thanks

 

[Jarnhamar]

"Shin splints" gets thrown around a lot when someone has sore legs. People self diagnose it all the time.
I can't count how many times someone who had sore legs said it was caused by shin splits. It's like having a run of the mill headache and saying it's a migraine. 

 

[Alea]

Hey guys. Here's an update.

I called my file handler today. She put me in touch with the medical department at the recruiting center. I told him everything I put down here and he said I'm okay to go. No way to tell for sure of course, and there's little time, so he told me to rest it, take some ibprofen and let it heal as best as I can until the 5th. Anyway, I emailed my file handler so I'm just waiting to hear back from her for the final word.

I think though that I'll be going, since it was all on the med peoples word. Anyway, I feel ten times better now that I voiced my concerns. If the worst happens and it gets really bad, I'm just gonna go for broke (hopefully not litterally!).

Thanks

Congratulatiosn Navy_J. It's good news.
Rest and breath until the 5th and good luck on your BMQ  :nod:

Alea

 

[kratz]

Hey guys. Here's an update.

I called my file handler today. She put me in touch with the medical department at the recruiting center. I told him everything I put down here and he said I'm okay to go.

Great to hear. This is what I hoped you would do.
Good luck on your course and enjoy the experience.

 

[J_Delorme]

Way to go Navy_J. The truth shall set you free.